They categorize speaking and listening together

[Silverobama]

I went to my friend Kevin's university the other day. He wants me to teach IELTS with him. Since he's been partnering with Maggie for their IELTS teaching, he needs me to help him.

I talked about this with Sherry who also knows Kevin tonight. I said I went to Kevin's school to catch up with him and he wants me to help him with his teaching.

Sherry asked me some details about Kevin's teaching IELTS. Sherry asked "What part does Kevin teach? Speaking, writing or listening? If I were to teach IELTS, I'd choose reading and listening because there are fun."

I told Sherry "They categorize speaking and listening together". The intended meaning is "In Kevin and Maggie's teaching group, teachers either teach students speaking and listening or teach writing and reading".

Is my italic sentence okay?

 

[tedmc]

Speaking and listening are taught together.

 

[Phlebas the Phoenician]

Sherry asked "What part does Kevin teach? Speaking, writing or listening? If I were to teach IELTS, I'd choose reading and listening because there are fun."

I told Sherry "They categorize speaking and listening together". The intended meaning is "In Kevin and Maggie's teaching group, teachers either teach students speaking and listening or teach writing and reading".

They group speaking and listening together.

 

[Silverobama]

They group speaking and listening together.

Much appreciated, Phlebas.

Could you please tell me how a native speaker would reply to what Sherry had said? Sherry said that if she could teach IELTS, she would teach reading and listening because that would be fun, and in Kevin's classroom, teachers either teach "speaking and litening" or "writing and reading".

I mean, is it enough, to just say "They group speaking and listening together"? I asked this because I know sometimes my answers to questions are not logical because English is my second language.

 

[tedmc]

They group speaking and listening together.

Why do they group the two activities together?
For teaching obviously. I don't think you need to say "categorize/group".

 

[Phlebas the Phoenician]

Why do they group the two activities together?
For teaching obviously. I don't think you need to say "categorize/group".

At the college where I teach ESL courses, I currently have a Speaking and Listening class, and a Reading and Writing class. Each type of class has a spectrum of levels at the college, from novice to advanced.

Thinking of the type of class as a group, in which students receive instruction in the two subject matters or activities addressed in that type of class, I have used the verb "group" rather than "categorize," making a minimal adjustment to the OP's proposed sentence.

Speaking is not categorized with listening at my college; it is grouped with listening in a course called Speaking and Listening. Reading is not categorized with writing; it is grouped with writing in a course called Reading and Writing.

Another verb that can be used is "integrate." In our institutional jargon, we speak of these as "integrated" courses, at least with regard to the reading-and-writing courses, which used to be taught as separate reading courses and writing courses.

 

[jutfrank]

This is what I'd suggest:

They teach speaking and listening together.