Foreign Language Teaching: Methods and Approaches

• Foreign Language Teaching and Learning involves exploring various approaches and methods.
• These approaches and methods are used for foreign language teaching.

What is a Method?

• Methods provide guidelines for teachers and learners.
• They are a pre-packaged set of specifications on how a teacher will teach and how a learner should learn.
• These specifications derive from theories of language and language learning.
• For teachers, methods dictate which materials and activities to use, how to use them, and the teacher's role.
• For learners, methods determine the learning approach and the roles they adopt in the classroom.

What is an Approach?

• An approach is underpinned by theories on the nature of language and language learning.
• These theories form the basis of the approach.
• These theories arise from linguistics, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics.
• They act as the source for language teaching principles and practices.

Approach Influences

• The theory of language influences how language is viewed, it can be seen from a structural or functional view.
• The theory of language learning affects how learners learn the language.
• Psychological and cognitive processes include habit formation, induction, inferencing, and generalization.
• It is important to consider what conditions activate these learning processes.

Theory of Language - Focus of Teaching

• If language is viewed as a system of structurally related elements for coding meaning, the grammatical dimension is prioritized.
• Requires teaching phonological units, grammatical units, operations, and lexical items.
• If language is viewed as a means of expressing functional meaning, the semantic and communicative dimension is prioritized.
• This requires the teaching of language functions and notions.

Components of a method

• Methods involve the syllabus, teaching/learning practices, and assessment.

Syllabus

• A syllabus puts theory into practice, dictating content, skills, and the order of content.
• The adopted theory of language determines the organization and selection of language content.
• Different methods use different types of syllabi that select and organize content.

Teaching/Learning Practices

• Teaching/learning practices will depend on the task, the learners, the teachers and the materials.
• Types of learning tasks and activities are to be used in the classroom.
• The degree of control learners have, their roles, and recommended groupings is important.
• Functions of the teacher, the extent of influence on learning, and the kind of interaction between teacher and learners is also a role in teaching.
• Role of materials depends on the function of materials in learning as well as their form.
• Materials can replace a teacher or can be teacher proof so poorly trained teachers may still implement them.

Assessment

• Assessment is the method of assessing students’ language knowledge.
• This involves error correction policy.

Relationships Between Theories, Approaches, Methods & Techniques

• Differing language nature theories and language learning theories imply different ways of teaching.
• Differing methods make use of different kinds of class activities.

Examples of Language Methods

• The following methods are examples of previously used and currently in use methods.

Grammar Translation

• This has been a traditional teach method of Latin and Greek.
• During the 19th century, it was used to teach French, German, and English.
• Lessons typically present a grammatical rule, a written text to demonstrate the rule, a list of new words, and translation and grammar exercises.
• This method focuses on learning to read and write.
• Vocabulary is taught through isolated word lists.
• Long and complex grammar explanations are given.
• The primary instruction medium is the student's native language.
• There is no oral language practice.
• Texts are treated as examples of grammar rather than focusing on content.
• Drills involve translating disconnected sentences from the second language to the mother tongue.

Direct Method (Early 1900s)

• Charles Berlitz posited this.
• Second language learning parallels first language learning.
• Oral interaction, spontaneous language use, and no translation were important.
• Little to no analysis of grammatical rules and structures was used.
• Classroom instruction is in the target language.
• Grammar followed an inductive approach.
• Everyday vocabulary was taught.
• Concrete vocabulary was taught with pictures and objects.
• Abstract vocabulary was taught through association of ideas.
• New teaching points were introduced orally
• Communication skills were organized around question-answer exchanges.
• It focused on speech and listening comprehension.
• Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

The Audio-Lingual Method (1950s)

• The outbreak of World War II heightened the need for oral proficiency.
• "The Army Method" was an oral-based approach to learning languages.
• Structuralism and behaviorism influenced the method.
• It identifies grammatical structures and basic sentence patterns.
• Patterns are practiced through pronunciation and intensive oral drilling.
• New material is presented in dialogue form.
• It depends on mimicry, memorization and overlearning set phrases.
• Through repetition, learners develop habits and learn language.
• Errors were not accepted because they promoted bad habits.
• The teacher develops good language habits.
• Grammatical explanation is minimal, with grammar taught inductively.
• Pronunciation is emphasized.
• Very little use of the mother tongue is permitted.
• Successful responses are reinforced.
• There is great effort to get students to produce error-free utterances.

Audio-Lingual Activities

• Activities include dialogue memorization.
• Repetition Drill: Students repeat the teacher’s model to learn the dialog.
• Transformation drill: Teachers give students a sentence pattern to transform, like changing it to negative.
• Question-and-answer drill: Provides practice with answering.
• Complete the dialog: Selected words are blanked out, and students fill them in.

Designer Methods (Humanistic Approaches) 1970s 1980s

• Psychology and psychotherapy principles influenced it.
• Developed in the US in the 70s and 80s.
• It includes the Silent Way, Total Physical Response, Suggestopedia, Community Language Learning.

The Silent Way (Caleb Gattegno)

• It is characterized by a problem-solving approach.
• It develops independence and autonomy.
• Encourages students to cooperate.
• Facilitates learning as the learner discovers rather than remembers information.
• It accompanies mediating physical objects.
• It involves problem solving during learning the material.

Silent Way Techniques

• Sound-Colour Chart: Teachers use this to refer students to a color-coded wall chart.
• The chart depicts individual sounds, that the students use to point out and build sounds.
• Teacher's Silence: Teachers are generally silent, only help when it is absolutely necessary.
• Peer Correction: Encourages students to help each other.
• Self-correction Gestures: Teachers use hands to indicate incorrect or changing material.
• Word Chart: Word sounds correspond in color to the Sound-Color Chart.
• The students use this the build sentences.
• Fidel Chart: A chart that is color-coded by sound, color but includes some English spellings to directly relate to actual sounds.

Suggestopedia (Georgi Lozanov)

• It is an innovative method dating to the 1970's by Georgi Lozanov.
• It suggests that the human brain can process great quantities of learning.
• Learning conditions include relaxation and teacher control.
• Music is important.
• Indicated to transcend the language classroom for use in other subjects.
• Claims that about 200 to 240 new words are introduced each lesson.
• Students learn in a comfortable, softly lit environment and soft cushions.
• "Peripheral" learning is encouraged with posters and decorations featuring the target language.
• A teacher assumes a complete authoritative role to control the classroom.
• Psychological barriers to learning are "desuggested".
• Students take "mental trips" with the teacher while assuming new roles in the target language to become "suggestible".
• Baroque music plays softly in the background to promote relaxation.
• Dialogs in the target language have corresponding translations to the student's native language.
• Errors are tolerated, and content is emphasized over structure.
• Grammar and vocabulary are presented but not dwelt on.
• Focus on communicative intent.
• Homework includes re-reading the dialog they are studying and in the morning before they get up.
• Music, drama and the arts are integrated as much as possible.

Suggestopedia Phases

• In the first concert, the receptive phase, dialog is in a target language set to music to dramatise it.
• The second concert involves students listening during content determination to rhythm.
• Primary activation involves group reading of dialogs, varying emotion.
• Secondary Activation involves new information on communicative intent.

Total Physical Response (TPR) (Dr. James J. Asher)

• Listening is linked with physical activities to reinforce comprehension.
• Developed as a method to aid second language learning.
• Second language learning is thought to be internalized through code-breaking similar to first language development.
• Students respond to commands.
• Successful language learning parallels child language acquisition as first language.
• Activities are stress-free learning.
• Learners speak when they feel ready.
• Theory of language: A grammar-based view using verbs in the imperative form
• Theory of language learning: A stimulus-response view

Communicative Language Teaching (1980s)

• Emphasizes learning to communicate through interaction in the target language.
• Authentic and meaningful communication is the goal.
• Authentic texts are introduced.
• Opportunities for learners to focus on language and their own learning.
• Enhances the learners own personal experience as important to learning.
• Links classroom language learning with practice done outside of the classroom.
• Fluency is an important dimension.
• Communication integrates different language skills.
• Learning is a process of creative construction that involves trial and error.

Task-Based Language Learning (TBLL)

• TBLL focuses on authentic language through meaningful tasks in the target language.
• Examples include visiting the doctor, interviewing, or calling customer service.
• Assessment relies on the appropriate completion of tasks, not accuracy of language forms.
• TBLL is popular for developing language and student confidence.
• The teacher is a supporter and inventor of tasks.
• The learning process divides into three phases; pre-task, doing the task, and post-task this it is formed around a task cycle and the teacher roles will change between phases.

Problems with Methods

• There is no agreement to what constitutes a method and techniques can be termed methods.
• Language and learning theory is not clear.
• Open to material developers' interpretation.
• Methods have existed for thousands of years with no change to basic options over the last 2000 years.
• The rise of methods is often by profit seekers and the intellectual.
• Methods gain influence after university approval.
• Language teaching can be considered a massive industry where a lot is done in the name of profit.
• Most methods come from western countries, and may fail in differing philosophies, values and beliefs.

Eclectic Approach In Teaching English

• The principled eclecticism is a described by Larsen-Freeman (2000) and Mellow (2000).
• Is is the describing of a desirable, coherent, pluralistic approach to language teaching.
• Eclecticism varies in activity and characteristics as well as having underlying assumptions.
• The use of eclecticism is strengths as well as weaknesses of single theory based methods.
• Limited numbers of techniques could lead to teaching that becomes mechanical.
• The teacher decides what methodology to use depending on the lesson and learners.
• Modern course books have a mixture of techniques and methodologies.

Advantages of Eclectic Approach

• Safety: A variety of ideas from differing approaches will result in better learning taking place.
• Interest: Different techniques will create more interest and hold attention.
• Diversity: Different teaching methodologies will require more learning techniques.
• Flexibility: A range of available methods will help teachers to manage unexpected situations to create more informed teaching.