A study on beliefs and perceptions of language instructors about integration of language skills in foreign language teaching

One dilemma that is often faced in the teaching of foreign language skills in the classroom is whether to teach those skills in an integrated manner or to teach them in segregated classes. The present study investigated the issue from the viewpoint of EFL instructors and aimed to identify the perceptions, beliefs and experiences of instructors of English working at a state university in Turkey. Data were obtained through questionnaires, open-ended questions, interviews and a meeting. The findings reveal that the instructors were in favour of integrating language skills in their teaching practices and they preferred teaching language skills in an integrated way in their future teaching, too. The findings also show that the instructors are in favour of using coursebooks in which language skills are presented in an integrated fashion in their teaching. Key words: Language skills, skill integration, skill segregation, coursebook,perception, teacher beliefs