Mastering speaking

In speaking information is received through sounds. The visual image and sense of the situation, which makes the learner start a talk, are to be immediately translated into the sound-motor components of the words of the utterance. He/ She produces the utterance aloud addressing it to the interlocutor. In the mental codes of the interlocutor the sound-motor component of the words and the whole utterance are translated to their visual images and then (if there is a necessity into the meaning (or concept) of the word) into the sense of the situation.

Mastering reading

In reading information is accepted in print or in written. Understanding of a word or an utterance can be achieved only if in mental codes of a reader the sound-letter (graphic) image of a word is immediately translated into its sound-motor image (e. g.: The house is on fire. — [бз haus iz on faia(r)]). It can be produced by the recipient either silently (in the inner speech) or aloud. The sound-motor image of the word is then to be translated into the visual im­age of the word, then into its meaning and further into the sense.

If in the process of reading the graphic image of the word can't be translated by a learner into the sound-motor image, then further processing of the language information stops. No visual image of the word appears, and neither the meaning (or concept) nor the sense of the word or of an utterance can be understood.

An important methodological conclusion which can be arrived at is that teaching reading is impossible without developing oral reproduction of language information in learners.

Mastering writing

At the beginning of foreign language instruction learners are often given i.isks of copying exercises of a text-book. The way in which such tasks are і лі ried out by learners is rather important for forming and developing sound-motor-spelling and image relationships.

When a text or words are copied they are accepted in their graphic forms, which in mental codes of learners are to be translated into sound-motor images of words. If this occurs, then the further process of translating goes on, and learners see the visual image of the words they copy as well as understand their meanings. Conscious raising accompanies the writing activity of the hand and favors memorization. This is a kind of active copying which can help learners to develop spelling habits. With the pass of the time it becomes an accepted norm that while active copying it is enough for learners to identify only the first letters of words in order to produce the sound-motor image of the whole word. Further translating operations take place in simultaneity, and learners write the words each time spending on it lesser time. This process results in forming sound-motor-spelling and image relationships.

If translating of the sound-letter image of a word into its sound-motor im­age does not take place and a learner is not able to pronounce the word he/she writes, then such a kind of copying is rather like drawing a word than copying it. And if such drawing words without producing the words' sound-motor im­age is a usual habit, then this process doesn't result in forming sound-motor-spelling and image relationships. In such a way a person can copy a word of any language which is absolutely unknown to him/her. Such kind of drawing words can't lead to forming sound-motor-spelling and image relationships.

As it could be easily seen, components of the significative structure of the word are translated into each other in all types of speech activity. Their fluent and easy translating into each other can be attained only if fluent and easy flow­ing sound-motor-spelling and image relationships are formed in learners.

Even in the native language achieving simultaneity of mental translating operations while mastering writing takes a very long period of time. Forma­tion of sound-motor-spelling and image relationships in the native language takes three or four years and is over when a child is 7 or even 8 years old.

In teaching a foreign language these relationships are to be formed during the time period which is 1000 times shorter than that in the native language. It gives all reasons to consider that, while teaching a foreign language, forma­tion of sound-motor-spelling and image relationships in learners should be conducted on the basis of conscious-raising approach. That's why after the first-time presentation, which is to be oral and situational, some consciously-raised rules in pronunciation are to be given to learners.

Besides this, the principles of integrative, or integrated, teaching are to be used in the process of forming words' sound-motor images. The processes of writing and reading have much in common because neither of them can be actualized without the sound-motor image of the word, both of them have the sound base. That's why the exercises resulting in forming sound-motor-spell­ing and image relationships help learners master both reading and writing.

A great lot of exercises and drills aimed at forming sound-motor-spelling and image relationships are to be carried out. However, they shouldn't be mechanistic in their character, such as for example: "Write the following words five times." or "Learn the spelling of the words." etc. In the process of forming sound-motor— spelling and image relationships there should be included mean­ings of the words being copied, the sense of the situations used for studying words, thinking abilities of learners and problem solving tasks.