Integrating Contexts and Language Skills

A common question in both Kumaravidevelu and Brown's readings were how to go about teaching the four language skills:  Reading, listening, speaking, writing.  Each of these skills is used in every day communication, whether it is producing, or receiving language. Since these skills are so commonplace in natural language, both Brown and Kumar agree that each of these entities should not be separated as it is often attempted in society.  No classroom teaches strictly writing, or strictly reading.  Most classrooms focus on one item in particular, while still mildly incorporating the others.  Kumar and Brown argue that that language teaching must be inclusive to all language skills.  By incorporating all equally, learners are getting a richer experience, having more than one medium to express themselves.  I find this true in my language learning experience.  In my first lessons of German, my professor stressed writing more than listening and speaking.  While this gave me a lot of practice dealing with grammatical features, it did not help me in a larger sense of communication.  I didn't realize how poor my listening comprehension and speaking were until I had a new teacher.  Under the new teacher, I was getting lessons with a sense of balance in regards to language skills.  The activities had more discussion which helped with listening and speaking, while other activities allowed me to maintain my ability to write German.

Just as Kumar and Brown argue the need for all inclusive language skills in the classroom, Kumar argues the need for integrating contexts into the classroom.  Kumar feels that various types of context are needed to fully understand language.  Learners must understand the varying context to become better communicators. Kumar categorizes these contexts into linguistic, extralinguistic, situational, and extrasituational.  While reading, I was the most intrigued by the extrasituational contexts.  I found the cultural aspect very important in developing a fuller understanding of language.  A speaker can have near-perfect linguistic capability, but in order to fit into society, a speaker must have an understanding of the culture around him/her.  Cultural values vary, and it is important to address them.