The Importance of Integration

This week’s readings centered on integrating language skills and contextualizing linguistic input.  How are these two topics connected?  Kumar perfectly synthesizes the connection by stating, “The emphasis on the integration of language skills is a logical continuation of the emphasis on contextualizing input embedded in linguistic, extralinguistic, situational, and extrasituation contexts” (238).  Chapter 9 of Kumar described how “language communication is inseparable from its communicative context” (204).  Basically this principle means that words and utterances mean different things in different settings; the environment and extralinguistic factors play a role in meaning.  According to Kumar, there are four realities or elements that make up a context: linguistic context, extralinguistic context, situational context, and extrasituational context.  All of these factors influence the overall context of language and how meaning is interpreted.    

Similar to how input needs to be contextualized, language skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—need to be integrated; these skills should not be taught independently but instead collaboratively.  Kumar notes that, “Many strategies, such as paying selective attention, self-evaluating, asking questions, analyzing, synthesizing, planning and predicting are applicable across skill areas” (225).  His point is that what teachers often tout as reading comprehension strategies can often be applied to other domains of language use.  In my opinion, proficient language users in the 21^st century must be competent in all four of the major domains of language use.  For example, can a person really be considered a proficient language user if they can listen and read but not write and speak?  Similarly, how can someone hold a conversation if they can only listen or speak but not both?  This logic is one of the reasons that a whole language approach to language learning is growing in popularity.  Whole language approaches involve using language texts to practice reading and one or two more of the major language skills.  An example of the whole language approach is the PACE model.  The PACE model presents a texts to students and then encourages students to interpret the text or audio passage in order to produce the language.  This approach forces students to use receptive skills (reading or listening) to interpret texts in order to communicate using production skills (writing or speaking).  Brown best articulates the argument for integrating skills by stating, “Production and reception are quite simply two sides of the same coin; one cannot split the coin in two” (286).  Language teachers need to take this into account the next time they have students taking listening comprehension tests for an entire period.  Separating the domains of language makes the curriculum less authentic.  Outside of school, students will be responsible for two-way communication.  Simplifying things inside the classroom will not help students long-term.  Task-based language teaching and content-based instruction are two approaches to ensure that language is used with purpose.  Students can listen to menu options at a local Mexican restaurant and then practice ordering food.  Also, students could read about a job opportunity where Spanish is required and then submit a cover letter in Spanish.  Authentic language use will keep students more motivated and engaged, which will lead to more language learning.