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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Skills or tests?
Skills or tests?
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dwaikat
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Skills or tests?
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Dear All,
I hope this finds you all fine!
I have a question in mind recently which has a simple answer but a difficult choice in reality.
When we teach English, do we look for teaching it as a skill or to be tested? i.e: For secondary phases or university students, since I do teach university students, teachers usually focus on tests and what should students know to pass a course for instance. What about the skill? Teaching a language to gain its skills
appropriately. To what extent do we teachers emphasis on each (tests or skills)?
However, we have to bear in mind that students should pass tests to move to the next phase or course! So, is it a means or an end? Does the end justify the means in this case or should we consult The Prince by Machiavelli? 
What do you think?
Looking forward to reading your replies.
From the Holy Land! |
21 Dec 2009
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Sara5
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Dear Sir,
The same thing here. Our pupils are learning the language from watching movies,chatting.....etc. |
21 Dec 2009
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Hanan Hanan
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Hello,
I believe most of our English teachers and students give more priority to tests more than aquiring language skills. But some times we are as teachers of a foregin language we should pay more attention to teach the second language �s skills in some poitns.
Personally, I think it all depends on the Ss themselves whether they want only to pass the tests or to have the excellency of the language skills . and I �d prefer the second!
Regards,
Hanan |
21 Dec 2009
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stella_bc5
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Most of the students here are not really interested in learning English. They only want to pass their tests. As a teacher I become desperate when I see this because it �s more pleasant and fulfilling when you really teach language �s skills. What I try to do is to inset activities that help them to pass their exams and to acquire language �s skills. It seems difficult but not impossible.  |
22 Dec 2009
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Carla Horne
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Dear Dwaikat,
I guess I �m an optimist. I want to teach it both ways with a heavy slant on standardized English because that is what the business world expects. You would be shocked at how many American children don �t know their own language well enough to pass college entrance essays.
Carla
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22 Dec 2009
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