Integration of language skills at basic levels: Teaching highlights

Abstract

The communicative approach to language instruction emphasizes students’ use of language competencies -- sometimes all four skills in one lesson -- in the context of real-life tasks. This creates numerous challenges for both teachers and students, especially in the first stages of language acquisition. This article presents a method that I developed for Hebrew+, The Israeli Program for the Instruction of Hebrew in Arab Society. Through graded planning of linguistic elements, it enables students to use the four language competencies effortlessly and correctly in the lesson as they carry out real-life tasks pertaining to a range of situations.

Keywords

• hebrew teaching
• communicative approach
• integration of skills
• foreign language
• second language