Literature Review
In Greek, teaching of English language was done by a method of using classics (Ronald and David 2001). This is a skill approach that stresses on the grammatical rules with a minimal interaction between a teacher and the student. The classical method consequently led to several students in Greece lacking confidence in the use of English and as a result there was no communicative experience in the use of English. Later, over the years, a more concise approach was improvised whereby the Greek students used the eclectic method that used all the skills used in communication (Sandra 1999; Teresa 2000; Richard and Rogers 2002).
On this ground, this review of literature seeks to determine the best methods that should be used to teach English to beginners who again are not the native speakers of English. Teaching of English to non native speakers is archived when an integrated skill approach is used and which uses, listening, writing, speaking and reading (Prabhu 2003). Therefore, this literature review shall identify how, unless the teacher uses this method, teaching of English may never be effective because English as a language, does not involve mere fixed styles but rather an induced and almost natural usage or imitation of sounds.
English teaching to beginners
The teaching of English language should not be primarily base on the old formal methods because English in forei9jgn countries is nowadays regarded as very important. It goes without objection that teachers of English have to creatively adopt different method of teaching different ages of children (Muriel 1998). As a result of this mandate for teachers to creatively come up with methodologies to effectively teach English, many educational departments have established the skills of teaching English as foreign language (EFL) (Ronald and David 2001).
Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the four basic skills used in coherent use of English (Richard and Rogers 2002). However, this proposed approach has had its challenges because teachers around the world failed to implement it, but insisted that their students should get every word they read or listened and expected them to use the words by writing or reading them without experiencing any hitch that normally accompanies the acquisition of any language (John and Cathy 2003).
Integrated skills in English teaching
Listening
One most important skill needed in the teaching of English to non native speakers like the Greeks is the skill of listening .Learners sometime finds listening somewhat difficult because they often feel pressured to categorically understand every word they listen to. It is imperative for teachers to help pupils prepare for the listening early before they embark on actual listening. To achieve this, teachers must first ensure that the pupils understand what is expected of them well before the task is given (Ronald and David 2001).If the teacher does this very precisely; he will reassure the pupils that they don’t need to cram or understand every word they hear (Eileen 2002).
Consequently, the teacher should encourage pupils to use visual cues in decoding oral messages. A sure way of doing this is to present the listening task in the context of a certain word simply because this will automatically help pupils to anticipate what an answer might be (Carol 2008).If the teacher continues with such method of asking questions and giving out illustration to enable students to guess what the answer pupils will concentrate and surely acquire the language he or she is being taught (Sandra 1999).During listening message should be understood only if the teacher advises them to concentrate and stop activities like reading other texts, writing or draw at the same time .To efficiently evaluate the merits and strengths of this skill, a recent research showed that an experimental approach was used in teaching English as a second language. The teacher therefore came up with a cumulative way of assessing the progress (Betty 2004).This was done through studying instructional materials used as well as carrying pout group recognition test and assigning tests based on listening.
Speaking
Care must be taken in the production of the language expected by pupils. Speaking activity should be used to encourage students to participate in some minimal verbal response so as to make them to begin to manipulate language and express themselves easily and in a more natural and personal way (Jerry 2004). At this level two major methods of speaking activities are used: songs, poems and chants (Ronald and David 2001). Using songs, chants and poem in English give the pupils a pedestal to mimic and recite what is in the song. The pupils here are helped to master sound rhythm as well as intonation of the English language which is as a result of reproduction. The other speaking method is the use of games and other pair work activities (Prabhu 2003). Although, this is dependable on a model that entices pupils to begin manipulate English language by presenting them in a more free way.
To successfully initiate speaking activities (Richard and Rogers 2002) a teacher should ensure that learning activities presented to pupils should provides very good reason for speaking whether in a game play or in areal life situation through friends in their classes. Evidently, this will ensure that students are speaking English with minimal error and it is advisable the teacher at this time should not bother to correct such mistake because this will demoralize them from speaking. What is important is the teacher to treat the errors casually and continue praising and encouraging students to move on with writing (John and Cathy 2003). This skill was better acquired when there is no specially designed instructional material for children of ten years old. The teacher basically came up with a special attention or rather making any special reference to the cultural orientation of the learner (Craig 2000).
Reading
According to Muriel (1998), reading should be made a very lively effort, because it is important that student should not strain when reading. Even when it is scheming for such a lesson, should be made interesting because a tedious effort will shun away pupils from the whole activity of reading (Muriel 1998). A teacher should clearly bear in mind that if he or she is choosing a reading text for pupils, the texts should try and be interesting or humorous as possible. Pupils will find the reading text very mutual and lively and they will strive to read for the second and other time since they derive some form of entertaining is mutually encouraging(Marianne 2001; John and Cathy 2003).
Moreover, adequate preparation must be put in place to realize this .A teacher should prepare adequately for the reading activity by mixing a variety of illustrations and features that well fit the children mind and still within the boundaries a child’s scope of knowledge on the subject matter .There by a series of questions should be asked to stimulate the interest of the pupil to go back an d read the same text. Here, the context of building vocabularies in the reading circles. After this is done, children should be advised not to be reading a loud unless it is necessary (Sandra 1999).Instructional materials such as books for children and flash cards were used in class for individual learner’s drill in spellings and reading.
Writing
Since most children at this level do not have adequate linguistic and intellectual skills, of writing on their own, it of great importance that a teacher need to cultivate this skill and provide a model on which they begin from (Eileen 2002). The improvised writing skills should be used by letting the pupils to write using a parallel text which guides them. Pupils will be exposed to this activity which will give them sufficient cue in writing. Although students will make mistakes, a teacher should be sensitive in their style of correction (Michael, et al 2007). If possible, a teacher should encourage pupils to correct their own mistakes; rather than correct for them in order to make learning more learner centered and resource based to promote high retention and ease in class management and control for the teacher as a result of increased participation and involvement (Jerry 2004).
To sum up this literature review, it is evident that the real objective of a language is to facilitate a clear communication with people. In the use of English, phrases, idiom and sounds are not the same in speech as they are in written (Teresa 2000). Therefore, English beginners in Greek should practice the use of English with a native speaker as a resource person, because this gives learners an opportunity to get the correct intonation of the English words and sounds. However, in the event the native English speaker is not available, efforts must be made by the teacher to ensure that interest to learn English by Greeks is aroused and maintained (Littlewood 1999).The best skill to be easily taught is reading because, the contribution of patents in the learning process is of measurable importance. Given the fact that the socio-economic background of these learners doesn’t use English, it is then a confirmation that speaking is somewhat a tricky skill to teach non native speakers of English (Berry 1997).It is so due to the fact that English is not spoken outside classroom and even in the cases they have been given the homework, they resort to reading which makes it a simpler skill to teach as compared to other skills (Keith 2002).
Bibliography
Betty, L. 2004, Task-based instruction in foreign language education: practices and programs, Manchester, Georgetown University Press
Berry, M. 1997, Vernacular literacy: a re-evaluation, Oxford, Oxford University Press
Craig, C. 2000, The language teaching matrix, New York, Cambridge University Press
Carol, C.2008, Building a validity argument for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, London, Routledge
Eileen N. 2002, Theories and Issues in Teaching English As a Second Language With K-12 Focus New York, Kendall Hunt
Jerry, J, 2004, Teaching English language learners K-12: a quick-start guide for the new teacher, London, Corwin Press
John, N and Cathy C, 2003, Exemplary literacy teachers: promoting success for all children in grades K-5 ,New York, Guilford Press, Edward,C,1998, Improving literacy in the primary school, New York ,Routledge
Keith, J. 2002, Language policies in education: critical issues, London, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Littlewood, W. 1999, Language alive in the classroom, New York, Greenwood Publishing Group
Marianne, C. 2001, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Michigan, Heinle & Heinle
Muriel, S.1998, Foundations for Teaching English as a Second Language: Theory and Method for Multicultural Education, Wales, Prentice hall
Michael M, et al, 2007, Assessing evaluation studies: the case of bilingual education strategies, Chicago, National Academies Press,
Prabhu, S.2003, Second language pedagogy, Oxford, Oxford University Press
Ronald, C and David ,N. 2001,The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages London, Cambridge University Press
Richard P and Rogers, K, 2002, Evaluating second language education, New York, Cambridge University Press
Sandra N, 1999, Teaching English as a Second Language, London, MacMillan
Teresa, C.2000, Writing in a milieu of utility: the move to technical communication in American engineering programs, London Greenwood Publishing Group
