INTEGRATING THE FOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS (Part.2)

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Experiential Learning
Yet another lens through which we could view the concept of integrated skills is the notion of experiential language learning. Experiential learning includes activities that engage both left- and right-brain processing, that contextualize language, that integrate skills, and that point toward authentic, real-world purposes. Experiential learning offers a dimension that may not necessarily be implied in the three concepts (content-based, task-based, themebased) already discussed. What experiential learning highlights for us is giving students
concrete experiences through which they "discover" language principles (even if subconsciously) by trial and error, by processing feedback, by building hypotheses about language, and by revising these assumptions in order to become fluent (Eyring, 1991, p.347). That is, teachers do not simply tell students about how language works; instead, they give students opportunities to use language as they grapple with the problem-solving complexities of a variety of concrete experiences.
Experiential learning implies a direct encounter with the subject matter or topic being studied rather than simply reading or talking about it. Usually there is some physical involvement in the phenomenon as well. Experiential learning is not so much a novel concept as it is an emphasis on the marriage of two substantive principles of effective learning, principles espoused by the famous American educator John Dewey:
a. one learns best by "doing," by active experimentation, and
b. inductive learning by discovery activates strategies that enable students to "take charge" of their own learning progress.