The Role of Receptive Skills in Enhancing Second Language Acquisition - Conclusion - Education

Broadly speaking, this study aimed at assessing the role and importance of receptive skills, listening and free voluntary reading or pleasure reading on the productive skills speaking and writing. For this end, the effects of listening comprehension and free voluntary reading on the skills performance of the learners were compared in an experimental study. The receptive skills were emphasized in the learning environment of the experimental group while especially writing skills were ignored. The environment where the control group was given the second language instruction was a form-focused one. The proficiency level of the learners in a speaking text, two writing tests, a C-Test were compared. Also students' performance on the school fina l test and their passing grades were examined. The results of the tests, first of all, indicated that students under a comprehension-based program of instruction supported by form-focused instruction developed better speaking abilities than the ones in a basically form-focused program of instruction. Also, it was seen that the learners under a meaning-based program of instruction which emphasizes free voluntary reading in and outside the classroom and which gives no writing instruction could write as well as and even better than the ones un der a form-focused program which gives writing activities in and outside the class. The results of the study suggested that for better speaking proficiency the focus of attention in classroom should be primarily on listening comprehension activities rather than on activities which force the learners to speak without presenting enough amount of input which will automatically result in speaking performance ( Dunkel, 1991; Rubin, 1994; Call, 1985). The second pedagogical implication of the study is that focusing on writing in class does not make a difference. The class time can better be spent in listening and free reading activities for the attainment of better productive skills. The classroom teachers need to find ways of raising consciousness among second language learners that the reading ability in second language plays a crucial role in the development of writing skills in second language (Carson, 1990; Flahive and Bailey, 1990; Eist erhold, 1991).

Finally, the comprehensible input seems to play the basic role in second language acquisition in all respects. The awareness of the importance of the input on second language performance will direct second language teacher's attention to finding ways of getting more input to classroom. The more input is transferred the more output will be obtained in the form of productive skills (Pica et al., 1989; Long, 1990; Liming, 1990; Gass, 1994).

Note. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (plus Appendices) will be added as soon as possible. However, you may contact us at THE NATURAL APPROACH WEB SITE via email in order to get further information regarding the discussion part.

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