Teaching Skills: The Primary Importance Of Teaching Language Skills

Teaching language skills and enabling learners to communicate effectively in English is the primary objective of a language teacher. However, in addition to these skills, language teachers can also impart the much needed life skills to the young and impressionable learners. Life skills are a set of human skills that prompt and motivate individuals towards positive and constructive behaviours such as thinking critically, creatively and solving problems. These human skills also include communicating effectively, empathizing with others, building and nurturing healthy relationships and effectively managing the demands and challenges of everyday life.

In today’s competitive work scenario, an employee with only technical or subject knowledge is

It does. William James

• A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world. Leo Buscaglia

E. To Inculcate Positive Attitudes

To learn and master a language and face life’s bigger challenges can be very daunting. However, positive attitudes can be inculcated through exposure to quotes that highlight courage, hope, optimism, perseverance etc. In his book Greatness Manual, Rabison Shumba quotes Norman Vincent Peale as saying, “The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results”(84). Examples of quotes that can have a constructive effect are given below:

• Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. Mary Anne Radmacher

• Our greatest glory is in never falling, but in getting up every time we do. Confucius

• Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. George Iles

• Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality. Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens

• Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life become more secure, more fraught with action, richer in experience and achievement. Edward

Slogan of freedom fighters during the Indian’s struggle for Independence

In pairs or small groups, learners can try and recall famous slogans of their choice and share their thoughts and interpretations.

A video clip that highlights the importance of team work in professional life can be given as food for thought to enable students to garner points for discussion. Topics that relate to attitudinal change can also be given for debating. Eg:

• Can corruption be totally weeded out from society?

Quotes can have a transformational effect on the learners and prepare them to face life’s adverse situations boldly. Some quotes such as those given below can serve as starting points in preparing a Presentation on characters who faced great challenges and yet succeeded magnificently, for example, Helen Keller. Given below are a few quotes which can be used to bring about an attitudinal change in the learners.

• "Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are." Bernice Johnson Reagon

• “The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, he's dead.” Bette Davis

• “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” Roger