Longman Dictionary of

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a language teaching METHOD developed by British language teaching
specialists between 1940 and 1960. Situational Language Teaching is a
grammar-based method in which principles of grammatical and lexical
GRADATION are used and new teaching points presented and practised
through situations. Although no longer in fashion, techniques derived
from Situational Language Teaching are found in many widely used language
teaching textbooks.
situational method n
(in language teaching) a term sometimes used to refer to a teaching programme
or method in which the selection, organization, and presentation
of language items is based on situations (e.g. at the bank, at the supermarket,
at home). A SYLLABUS for such a language course or textbook may
be referred to as a situational syllabus. Many methods make use of simulated
situations as a way of practising language items, but use other criteria
for selecting and organizing the content of the course (see
NOTIONAL SYLLABUS, FUNCTIONAL SYLLABUS, for example). Only if situations
are used to select, organize, and practise language would the term
“situational method” strictly apply.
situational syllabus n
see SITUATIONAL METHOD
skewness n
a measure of the lack of symmetry of a DISTRIBUTION. When there are
more low scores than high scores, its distribution is positively skewed,
whereas when there are more high scores than low scores, its distribution
is negatively skewed.
skill n
An acquired ability to perform an activity well, usually one that is made
up of a number of co-ordinated processes and actions. Many aspects of
language learning are traditionally regarded as the learning of skills, such
as learning to speak, or read fluently.
See AUTOMATIC PROCESSING
skills n
(in language teaching) another term for LANGUAGE SKILLS
skimming n
also skim-reading
see SCANNING
skimming
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