The Selection Of Appropriate Learning Activities And The Conveyance Of The Meaning Of New Language Items During English Oral Work Lessons

Oral work lessons which encompass the teaching of listening and speaking skills are central in the teaching of English and all other languages in general. This paper is a report on a study on the teaching of oral work lessons in English that was undertaken in Nandi North District in Kenya in the year 2009. The study investigated teacher competences in the selection of appropriate learning activities and the conveyance of the meaning of new language items during oral work lessons. The study adopted a theoretical framework based on Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of social interaction. It utilized a qualitative research approach with a heuristic methodology. An exploratory research design was used. The research population consisted of primary school teachers teaching English in upper primary classes and standard six pupils. Data was collected using structured and focused group interview schedules, observation checklists and document analysis. The study delved on two objectives: To find out the kind of learning activities that the teachers selected for oral work lessons; To find out the methods that teachers used to convey the meaning of new language items during oral work lessons. This paper is a discussion of the findings, conclusions and recommendations of this study.