Writing Activities as Stimuli for Integrating the Four Language Skills in EFL Grade

Abstract

長久以來，第二語言的教學活動設計大都是依循著聽、說、讀、寫循序漸進的設計原則。然而，越來越多的學者認為設計合宜的教學活動可以促發聽、說、讀、寫技能的同時發展，更進而提升學習效果。但是，如何設計適當的學習活動以便達成此一目標，這方面的相關文獻和實證報告卻不多見。2006 年9 月，本文作者開始在南台灣的一個國小的一年級英語課室中推動聽說讀寫並行的教學活動。作者希望透過書寫活動的穿針引線將聽說讀寫串在一起，以便發展一個兼顧四個語言技能的均衡課程。兩年多來，這一百多位以國語或台語為母語的學童對英文書寫活動抱持著極正面的態度，作品除了展現進步的跡象，也提供了許多具有學術研究價值的資料。本文章將說明2006年9月至 2007年1月間，這些學童一年級的第一個學期時，我們所使用的自編教材、所進行的教室活動，特別是書寫活動的部分，以及我們所觀察到的相關發現。

Generally speaking, learning a foreign language follows the sequence of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. However, many scholars propose that well designed plans and activities facilitate the development of the four language skills simultaneously. To this date, little empirical research has been done to clearly demonstrate how an integrated curriculum can be designed and carried out, particularly in an elementary school EFL setting. The project reported in this paper serves as a pioneer study to provide ideas for developing and implementing a more balanced English program in first-grade classrooms with a particular focus on how writing activities can serve as a stimulus for reading, listening, and speaking over the course of a semester. It was found that such a practice changed students' attitudes to writing in a foreign language and helped to consolidate their phonics knowledge, facilitate their writing ability, and foster their reading, listening and speaking skills. The participating teacher in this project also learned more about what students could do inwriting and hence provided suitable instruction to enhance students' learning.