Four strands approach to teaching.

A balanced language course should consist of four equal parts as below.

Meaningful focused input (Listen and Reading):

The features are receptive learning, main focus is understanding the message, most of material is already familiar to students, students must be interested in the material.

For examples: Extensive reading with graded readers, listening to stories, information gap fill activities, being a listener in a conversation.

Receptive learning is good but progress is slow and not sufficient by itself.

Meaningful focused output (Speaking and Writing):

The features are productive, not receptive, main focus is understanding the message, most of material is already familiar to students, students must be interested in the material.

For example: Role play, conversations, writing a diary or stories, a book report, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, telling a story, making a speech.

Language focused learning (Direct teaching) :

The features are explicit and learning of language items, focused on age and level appropriate items.

For examples, intensive learning, grammar translation, dictation, pronunciation, practice, spelling, vocabulary, substitution drills, memorization.

Direct teaching requires explicit noticing, thoughtful processing by students and frequent review.

Fluency development:

Students use what they already know to communicate messages at natural speeds.

The features are teacher helps student process language in real time with time pressure, send and receive messages and ideas with less hesitation, student encouraged to go faster.

For examples, speed reading, skimming, timed repeated reading, 4/3/2, repeated telling, games, listening to easy stories.

Fluency activities should not require new vocabulary or language development.

Students process/use what they already know.