THE INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ESL AND EFL CONTEXTS: THE PRACTICE IN GHANA AND GUINEA-CONAKRY

Authors

  • Sefa Owusu Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
  • Ekany Maomou Department of English Language, University of Labé, Guinea-Conakry

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejals.v7i1.503

Keywords:

segregated-skills approach, communicative language teaching, authentic language, communicative competence

Abstract

A key concept of the English language syllabus for both Ghana and Guinea-Conakry is the integrated approach (as opposed to the segregated-skills approach) to the teaching of language skills. Like the communicative language teaching method, the integrated approach exposes English language learners to authentic language and challenges them to interact naturally in the language. The designers of English language curriculum in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry believe that the receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) skills are interrelated and hence complementary, and they must not be taught separately. Teaching language skills separately in a language learning setting has been defined as the traditional approach to teaching a second or a foreign language. Teachers of English in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry are expected to move away from the traditional approach to the integrated approach to language teaching. This paper aims to find out whether teachers of English in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry are familiar with the Integrated Language Teaching method and are being employed in the ESL and EFL classrooms in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry respectively. A classroom observation and a semi-structured interview were conducted with 24 English language teachers from 4 junior high schools and 8 senior high schools in Ghana and 5 teachers of English from Saint-André Catholic School, Guinea-Conakry. The findings showed that there was a disparity between the curriculum developers’ expectations and classroom practice in Ghana and that the selection of teaching methodology was highly influenced by the thought that the students had to sit for high-stakes tests but not that they had to attain communicative competence. However, in Guinea-Conakry, teachers used the Integrated Language Teaching method because speaking is tested.

 

Author Biographies

  • Sefa Owusu, Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

    Sefa Owusu is a senior lecturer in the Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Education, Winneba, a Master of Philosophy degree in Linguistics from the University of Ghana, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics with Swahili from the University of Ghana. His research interests are Second Language Teaching and Testing, Language Planning and Policy, Linguistic Anthropology, and Phonology. http://pilot.uew.edu.gh/applied-linguistics/staff/profile/sowusu

  • Ekany Maomou, Department of English Language, University of Labé, Guinea-Conakry

    Ekany Maomou is a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences in the Department of English Language, University of Labé (Hafia) Guinea-Conakry. He holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in Teaching English as a second language (TESL) from the University of Education Winneba, Ghana. He has a post-graduate diploma in English and French teaching and translation from the University of Labé Guinea-Conakry, and a bachelor’s degree in social sciences the from University of Labé Guinea. His research interests are English as a second/foreign language teaching and testing and foreign language curriculum development.

References

Ahmad, S. & Rao, C. (2012). Examination washback effect: Syllabus, teaching methodology, and the learners’ communicative competence. Journal of Education and Practice 3(15), 173-183

Akram, A., & Malik, A. (2010). Integration of language learning skills in second language acquisition. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 3(14), 231-240.

Al-Faoury, O.H. & Freahat, N.M. (2014). The Effect of an integrative skills program on developing Jordanian University students' achievement in English. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 4(10), 2016-2025.

Bastias, M. Sepulveda, E.E.; Munoz, A.C.S. & Lorena, M. (2011). Integration of the four skills of the English Language and its influence on the performance of Second Grade High School students. Scientific Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 1 (1), 45-53

Bozdag, S. (2014). Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on the integrated skills approach. Antalya Ocak.1(3), 114-180.

Brown, H. (1994). Teaching by principles – An interactive approach to language Pedagogy. Prentice Hall.

Dweni, L. K. A., Shawesh, E. M. A. & Ellabiedi, I. A. (2021). Language learners' and teachers' perceptions of the integrated-skill approach and its possible impact on learners' communicative competence. International Journal of Progressive Sciences and Technologies. 28 (1),321-330.

Gerring, J. (2007). Case study research: Principles and practices. Cambridge University Press.

Hall, G. (2011). Exploring English language teaching: Language in action. Routledge.

Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (4th Ed.): Pearson Education Limited.

Hinkel, E. (2012). Integrating the four skills: Current and historical perspective. In Kaplan, R. B. (Ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Applied Linguistics, (110-124). Oxford University Press.

Hinkel, E. (2006). Current Perspectives on Teaching the Four Skills. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 109-131.

Horiyama, A. (2012). The Development of English Language Skills through Shadowing Exercises. Journal of Pragmatics, 31(5), 182-245.

Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence. Journal of Sociolinguistics,1(8), 269–293.

Jing, W. U. (2006). Integrating skills for teaching EFL-activity design for the communicative classroom. Sino-US English Teaching, 3(12) 411-497.

Khosiyono, B. H. C. (2021). Discrete and integrated approach and the implications on language teaching learning management. Prominent: Journal of English Studies. 4(1) 19-29.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching (2nd ed.): Oxford University Press.

Manyasi, N. B. (2014). Integrated approach in teaching English language: The practice in Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research 2(4), 253-264.

Nawab, A. (2012). Is it the way to teach language the way we teach language? English language teaching in rural Pakistan. Academic Research International. 2(2), 696-705.

Owusu, S. (2023). Evaluating the communicative nature of high-stakes English language tests in Ghana. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research.10(4), 12-29.

Oxford, R. (2001). Integrated skills in the ESL/EFL classroom. ERIC Digest: ERIC Cleaning house on Languages and Linguistics.

Pardede, P. (2019). Integrated Skills Approach in EFL Classrooms: A Literature Review. Research Gate Net. Publication, 34(11), 147-159.

Peregoy, S. F. & Boyle, O. F. (2001). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: Addison Wesley Longman.

Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative language teaching today: Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J. C. & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics (3rd Ed.): Pearson Education Limited.

Tajzad, M., & Namaghi, S. A. O. (2014). Exploring EFL learners' perceptions of integrated skills approach: A grounded theory. English Language Teaching, 7 (11), 92-98.

Downloads

Published

2024-03-05

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).