6.Integrating the Four Skills for the Next Generation of Japanese Teachers of English

Abstract

This article outlines the approach to teaching two related courses: Speaking & Listening, and Reading & Writing. It explains first the importance of integrating these courses into a four-skills curriculum, and then how this is achieved in practice by means of a combination of Content- Based Instruction and Task-Based Instruction. Finally it describes how this integrated skills course achieves the parallel function of preparing teacherlicense students to conduct similar courses themselves in Japanese school contexts.