Integrating skills: a strategy to enhance learning

The learning path is not linear and integrating skills, grammar, and vocab is essential to motivate students. 

The activities must be meaningful to students and go beyond the linguistic approach, integrating other areas. The projects I worked on with primary school students brought biology, geography, and arts to class. 

Moreover, the activities went from more controlled ones, with vocabulary related to the topic and grammar focus, to a project work.  

 

Pinter (2016) sustains that vocabulary and grammar should be learned in a holistic way. This method is also exemplified by authors like Moon and Roth (2001), who emphasize the role played by context in teaching young learners. According to Slattery and Willis, “young learners acquire language unconsciously” (2001). The activities done in class should help this kind of acquisition. A project, for example, is a valuable resource to the integration of skills and it offers children a word of supported meaning that they can relate to. 

I try to apply those strategies to my teaching.