Language Skills
Language Skills
INTRODUCTION
Procedure
1. Read this material calmly
2. Discuss it in your work group.
3. Clarify doubts in class. See. Participant
4. Develop the exercises outlined in the guide. Remember:
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The young child learns to speak not instinctively, but according to the stimuli
he receives from the social environment in which he develops. Then, their
expressive development on the oral level will be strongly conditioned by the social
environment in which they live.
THE ACT OF SPEAKING : Although all human beings normally know how to
speak, they do not always do so with opportunity and with the real intention of
communicating.
When should you speak? The fundamental condition of the speaker is to know the
topic and transmit it to others through a code understandable by both parties. When
the topic is unknown, it is preferable to remain silent and listen to the other person.
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THE ACT OF LISTENING : Knowing how to listen does not consist of remaining
silent with resignation while another person speaks, nor in paying attention only to
what is said, but in elevating attention to the category of a positive act, that is,
paying attention to the tones of voice. and expressions of the speaker, according to
the sequence of their reasoning, the coherence of their ideas and, above all,
listening carefully to what the other person is saying.
Knowing how to listen implies waiting for the speaker to finish speaking, not
anticipating what the sender wants to say, not trying to guess what is going to be
expressed, but adopting a positive attitude towards the message that is being heard
and respect for the person. that issues it.
Knowing how to listen is a habit that is formed since childhood. Learning and
practicing it teaches you to be tolerant and accept other people's opinions, even
when they are not shared.
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Although the habit of reading is formed from childhood, it is never too late to
acquire it. The child is formed as a reader when the book is brought to him, his
interest centers are stimulated through readings that attract him and he is taught to
enjoy the text.
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Not all books can be read in the same way. It is very different to read a book
of poetry from one of essays. The important thing is that the reader knows how to
discriminate with respect to how he or she should approach each book.
The first thing is to adopt a positive attitude towards the book. Be convinced
that reading will always be beneficial and that the book is a friend that demands
nothing and gives everything. Secondly, and despite the dizzying pace of the
modern era, it is advisable to “make” time to read and try to do so comfortably.
Afterwards, it is convenient to discriminate between voluntary readings and those
that correspond to school or professional obligations.
In the case of reading for pleasure, we should read what responds to our
interests. If we like adventure, then let's read adventure books; If we are of a
romantic temperament, let's read books with those characteristics.
ABOUT HOW TO READ A BOOK : Below are some practical suggestions on how
to read, oriented towards reflective reading.
1. Organize your activity in such a way that every day you can have minutes to
read in peace;
2. Find a comfortable place, ensuring that there are no distractions that will disturb
your reading;
3. Read slowly at first until you reach your own reading pace. Try to enjoy what
you read and not the number of pages you read;
4. When you stop reading, try to get to the end of a chapter, so that you don't have
to go back to pages you've already read.
5. Constantly reflect on what you read. When words appear in the text whose
meaning you do not know, try to find out the meaning of those words.
6. At the end of the book, make a small file about its content. For example:
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THE ACT OF WRITING : Normally many people know how to write and in fact do it,
but when they must express their thoughts in writing in a formal manner, the first
difficulties begin to arise.
The first thing anyone who should write asks himself is: What am I going to
say? How will I do it? How I finish?. These questions, when they do not have
answers, usually discourage those who want to write. Then, it is a good idea to try
to answer these questions before you start writing.
ORAL EXPRESSION : Speaking and listening are two fundamental linguistic skills
that are commonly present in relationship life. Human beings speak when they want
to convey a message to an interlocutor who is supposed to listen to it. Knowing how
to speak and listen are primary linguistic activities, which despite this characteristic,
do not always favor the communicative process, since sometimes the speaker
distorts the message due to psychological, physical, environmental or linguistic
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obstacles; Either the listener does not know how to do so by not paying due
attention to his interlocutor or by interrupting him before he expresses his idea or,
finally, he is not willing enough to listen to him.
From the point of view of the registers or levels of speech, the conversation
is located at the informal level, which can have the character of “cultured” or
“uncultured” depending on the characteristics of the speakers.
There are other instances of oral communication that require more formal
and content rigor on the part of the issuer. This is the case when it is required to
speak in front of a group of people, whether in a class, talk or exhibition. Given this
communicative fact, the speaker adopts a formal speech register. At this level, an
attempt is made to transmit a message that is clear, orderly and coherent, in such a
way that listeners understand the content of the message and are imposed or
convinced of it, according to the intentions of the person speaking.
In the life of relationships, there are many opportunities in which people must
speak in front of a group and it must be recognized that it is not always done with
pleasure. There is a kind of natural fear in these situations and many faced with the
fact will have experienced unpleasant sensations such as rapid breathing,
accelerated pulse, dry throat and lips, trembling of hands and knees or sudden
variations in the volume or timbre of the voice. These not very pleasant experiences
consciously or unconsciously drive people to avoid speaking in front of groups and
to think that they are not capable of doing so. However, all those who for
professional or social reasons must speak in front of an audience, on more than
one occasion will have felt the same sensations and have learned through
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experience to control fear, not eliminate it, as it is assured that it is positive, that
there is a certain degree of tension in the speaker, since that will encourage him to
actively engage in the message he transmits.
In any case, it is advisable to try to identify the cause that causes fear. It is
almost always the fear of making mistakes, of losing the coherence of ideas, of
making linguistic errors, of not responding to the listeners' expectations or simply of
“making a fool of myself.” Once the factor that produces fear has been identified, it
is advisable to try to overcome it by reinforcing the aspect that may cause it. It is
advisable, yes, to keep in mind that fear is usually accompanied by insecurity and
this can be overcome through careful preparation of the content of the message, as
well as the personal aspect of the speaker and the physical environment where it
will be presented.
1. Study and analyze the content of the topic in as much depth as possible. Look
for antecedents, reflect on them and compare them with the opinion you have
on the matter.
- Determine the objective of the exhibition that will be developed, delimiting the
extent and depth of the topic.
- Set the time you will have;
- Rate the quality of the audience that will listen to it
3. Write down the ideas you intend to present. Then order them rigorously
according to the objective you set. In this planning, try to clearly distinguish
three aspects:
4. Review the planning again. Consider once again the objective, the delimitation
of the topic and the time you will have for your presentation.
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- Divide the presentation into two parts: presentation of the facts and analysis or
interpretation of them.
- Argue persuasively, but do not try to impose your views on the matter.
- Try to maintain the interest of your listeners through constant motivation. Use as
a resource the tone of voice, digressions on the same topic, but without
deviating too much from it, opinions of other authorized people on the subject,
etc.
1. Before starting your presentation, concentrate and think that you will do it well;
Be positively predisposed to communicate a message.
2. If you feel too nervous, control your restlessness with a full breath.
3. Speak in a tone of voice that allows you to reach the entire audience. Graduate
your tone, considering the farthest corners of the room and the center of the
room as a reference point;
4. Speak at a pace a little slower than the one you usually use;
5. Personally, take care of the idiomatic use without falling into pedantry;
6. Use the gestures that you usually use. Do not gesticulate exaggeratedly;
7. Look at the listening audience. Locate “nice” faces and fix your gaze on them for
a few seconds. Avoid rotating your head throughout the auditorium. Remember
that you are exposing and not observing a tennis match;
8. Avoid the tics and mannerisms that are usually so frequent and distract the
audience (excessively rubbing your hands, stroking your chin, playing with a
keychain, fixing your tie knot over and over, etc.)
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3. If you will use audiovisual resources, check the proper functioning of the
electrical installations;
4. Try to locate yourself in a place that allows you to adequately cover the entire
auditorium and that is comfortable for you.
WRITTEN EXPRESSION : Writing and reading are two fundamental linguistic skills
that are closely related, since the person who writes does so with the intention of
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being read. Some tend to claim that they write for themselves, but this, along with
revealing selfishness on the part of the sender of the message, demonstrates a
denial of the communicative process, since in the depths of whoever writes, sharing
what is expressed with others is always present.
Strictly speaking, anyone can tell what they have seen, so why shouldn't they
be able to write it? If writing is nothing more than the transcription of the spoken
word, it should, but it doesn't. When faced with the possibility of writing, there are
many people who excuse themselves on the grounds that they do not have the
ability, lack of language skills, or simply do not know how to say it.
Some authors maintain that if someone is capable of writing a letter, that is,
narrating something to a friend, they are capable of writing, because a page of
understanding is a story made to the public. According to this, any person who has
moderate aptitudes and some reading can write if he knows how to apply himself,
and especially if he has the desire to communicate to others what he sees and
express what he feels. However, what appears to be so simple when practiced is
usually not so simple.
In speech – oral or written – understood as the particular and concrete use that
the individual makes of the language, different levels or registers are appreciated.
In the case of written communication, three well-defined levels can be perceived:
the first is usually called informal and corresponds to ordinary messages, family
letters and other forms of communication that do not demand too much rigor from
the sender of the message; The second is the formal one that is seen in articles,
exhibitions, reports and other messages, in which the person who writes does so to
transmit something in accordance with certain conventions that are determined by
the situational environment in which the communicative event occurs; The third
level is the supraformal and is typical of literature, where the act of writing becomes
an art, thanks to the talent of the writer and his possibilities of adding beauty to
what he expresses.
The first two levels will be analyzed, informal and formal, considering that they
respond to the act of writing, the third, the supraformal, enters the artistic field,
where not only the intention to write is required, but something else that not all
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people possess. and that is typical of those who make literature an art.
2. Its purpose : It corresponds to the content and this can be personal, literary,
scientific or pragmatic.
3. Its structuring : The message is made up of phrases, periods and clauses. The
grammatical sentence is called a phrase and is defined as “the smallest unit of
language with complete meaning”, the period is made up of a series of
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Example clause: ”If the weather is good, we will travel.” Here, if the weather
is good, it is a simple subordinate phrase, with an indeterminate meaning: “we
will travel” is the main one, with an indifferent value. (2)
When you write, pay special attention to the elaboration of your phrases,
periods and clauses, so that these elements allow you to structure a clear and
understandable message for the reader.
4. Your Requirements : these are of substance and form. Care must be taken
that the background or content has clarity, unity, coherence and emphasis and the
form , the way in which the content is expressed, is clear, correct, precise and
natural. If harmony, strength and elegance are added to these formal
characteristics, you will undoubtedly be on the right path in the complex but
fascinating world of written communication.
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There is no single method for preparing work of this nature. Some suggest what
is often called the “spontaneous method,” which consists of writing as many drafts
on the topic as necessary until the topic is exhausted. This method may be useful
for some people, however, it requires a lot of time and a lot of perseverance.
SOME SUGGESTIONS :
1. Think and reflect as deeply as possible about the content you will discuss;
2. Study the issue, analyze it, review reference material;
3. Determine the objective of the work and define the topic;
4. In accordance with the previous point, write down the ideas that you intend to
develop;
5. Plan your ideas, ordering them according to the objective of the work.
6. Review the prepared planning. Don't be afraid to rearrange your ideas;
7. Write an initial draft. Give a basic structure to the content, where the
introduction, development and conclusion can be clearly seen.
8. Correct the background and shape of the eraser. When there are doubts of a
formal nature, clarify them through dictionaries or other texts.
9. Write the paper and... good luck.
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However, the person who writes does not always do so with an aesthetic
objective. You can do it in order to inform or convince the reader about something;
Now is when we talk about writing and it is defined as a linguistic product,
preferably written, in which an extra-literary intention prevails: to communicate or
persuade. Here, more than the way it is said, what is said is of interest. Now if what
has been expressed can be expressed beautifully, so much the better.
According to what has been pointed out, composition and writing are not
synonyms, but they are not opposing concepts either, but simply different; Both
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CLARITY. Whoever writes must know and master the subject ; To achieve this, it is
advisable to gather as much information as possible and reflect on the topic until
you gain full control over it. The error that threatens clarity is called DARKNESS.
UNIT : It refers, first of all, to the content and then to the structuring of the
paragraphs that will make up the message. As far as the subject is concerned, it is
suggested to deal with a single topic until it is exhausted with the capacity,
knowledge or intention of the sender of the message. As for the paragraphs, these
must be prepared considering a main idea, which is supported by a series of
secondary or complementary ideas and whose function is to support the central
topic. The error is called DIFFUSION.
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CLARITY . The theme is clear when the writer does so in such a way that the
reader easily understands what is expressed without double or equivocal
interpretation. Errors that undermine clarity are:
Although all grammatical errors affect correction, the most significant are:
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According to Emilio Martínez Amador, “It is the quality that words have that, at
the same time that they reveal a state of mind, they do not allow us to doubt
about the thought that we intend to initiate.”
The use of any word, expression or construction that is not used in accordance
with its meaning is inappropriate. The most frequent cause of inappropriateness
is called monotony, which consists of the use of a small number of words, either
for convenience or due to the speaker's ignorance.
Example of monotony: “The doctor examined the patient and told him what he
had.” (The doctor does not review ”, but rather “ examines ” and then “
diagnoses ”.
Example of diffusion: “I must spend a more or less long period of time to discover
the consequences.” (Every “Lapso” implies time, therefore the turn used is
redundant. What is meant by “more or less long?” A day, a week, a month or a
year? Furthermore, “the consequences” are not “discovered”, but rather produced.
Example of laconicism: “Please bring the folder with the documents.” What folder?
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Which documents?
Example of affectation: “The steed moved very quickly through the lush
meadow.” (If “steed” and “ubérrima” are not words frequently used by the speaker,
both words can be considered affected).
Both the substance and the form must be subject to the necessary review and
correction. Once the person finishes writing, it is advisable to read what has been
written and correct anything that does not appear clear enough. It is advisable to
place yourself in the reader's position and ask yourself if you really understand
what he or she wanted to express. If it is easily understood, it is most likely that the
message written by you fulfills its purpose: to communicate.
Bibliography
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- “Editorial”, Iván Sandoval F., Editions of the Diego Portales University, Santiago,
Chile, 1999.
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