EDU 220 English Methods - Teaching English as a Second Language - PDF

MODULE 1: MAJOR APPROACHES AND METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: TEACHING THE FOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS Unit 1: The Grammar-Translation Method and the Direct Method Unit 2: The Audio-lingual Method, the Situational Method and the Communicative Method Unit 3 :...

MODULE 1: MAJOR APPROACHES AND METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: TEACHING THE FOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS Unit 1: The Grammar-Translation Method and the Direct Method Unit 2: The Audio-lingual Method, the Situational Method and the Communicative Method Unit 3 : Teaching English Sounds Unit 4: Teaching Listening Skills. Unit 5: Teaching Speaking Skills. Unit 6: Teaching Reading Skills. Unit 7: Teaching Writing Skills UNIT 1: THE GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHOD AND THE DIRECT METHOD CONTENTS 1. 0 Introduction 2. 0 Learning Outcomes 3. 0 Main Content 3.1. Status of English Language in Nigeria 3.1.1 Major Approaches and Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language 3.1.1 The Grammar-Translation Method 3.1.2 The Direct Method 4. 0 Conclusion 5. 0 Summary 6. 0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7. 0 References/Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION Teaching English as a second language is very demanding especially if the teacher is not a native speaker of the language. This task can however be made a pleasurable experience for the teacher if she is exposed to the concepts associated with its teaching. In order to equip you for this task therefore, this unit sets out to give you a brief on the status of English language in Nigeria as well as teach you important concepts and terms used in the field of language teaching and how you can apply these in teaching English as a second language. Concepts we will be discussing here include theories, approaches, methods and techniques as used in the field of 1 EDU 220 English Methods language teaching. We will also be discussing two of the major language teaching methods, namely, the Grammar-Translation and Direct methods. 1. 0 Learning Outcomes At the end of this unit, learners should be able to:  discuss the status and hegemony of the English language in Nigeria.  explain the full meanings and relevance of– L1, L2, FL,ESL, in language teaching and acquisition.  explain the features of various language approaches and methods in teaching and learning.  apply the various language approaches in classroom situation.  determine adequate language approaches and methods suitable for various aspects of language study.  differentiate between the Grammar-translation Method and the Direct Method.  employ Grammar-translation Method and Direct Method in language teaching. 2.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Status of English Language in Nigeria Since the introduction of English in Nigeria by the British Colonial Government, the use of this language has spread beyond the conduct of government and commerce purposes to include social, educational, personal and interpersonal affairs. Two reasons account for this spread. First, was the global significance of English as an international language and the second was the multilingual situation in Nigeria where there are about 400 linguistically distinct Nigerian languages. Not even the so called three main Nigerian languages, Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, can play the roles that the English language is playing in Nigeria. Because of its roles in the various facets of communication in Nigeria, English is considered a second language (ESL) in Nigeria as against French which is considered a foreign language (FL). Given the significant position of English in Nigeria and its impact on the lives of Nigerians nationally and internationally, its teaching and learning must be conducted with utmost diligence. EDU 220: English Methods, is one of the courses designed to teach you how to teach the English language to your students to enable them use it for various communicative purposes. Below are some purposes that English serves in Nigeria and some important factors you must bear in mind to effectively teach it to Nigerian students. 2 EDU 220 English Methods 1. Political/Government Purposes English is Nigeria’s official language, that is, the lingua franca. This is because it is the language used by the Government in conducting its affairs, whether at federal, state and even at the local government levels. It is the language of administration, the judiciary and politics. It isthe language that unites and integrates the various ethnic groups into the entity called Nigeria. 2. Economic Purposes The English language is used for economic purposes, for instance, for business negotiations, for buying and selling, within and outside Nigeria. 3. Educational Purposes English is the medium of instruction in most Nigerian schools even at the primary school level. Teachers teach through English and learners learn through English. Tests and examinations whether in elementary, secondary schools or university are conducted in English. Examinations by public examining bodies such as WAEC, NECO and JAMB are conducted in English. 4. Social Purposes Social communication and interaction, at personal and interpersonal bases are largely done through English. This is especially the case in most urban cities in Nigeria. Entertainment, information dissemination by the mass media, such as radio, television and newspapers, are through English. 5. Intra-tribal and Inter-ethnic Communications As already explained, not even the so-called three main Nigerian languages, Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, can play the roles that the English language is playing in Nigeria. English language is the major language of communication among users who do not understand or speak their local languages. Also, it is grossly used by people from different ethnic groups for communicative purposes. In summary, we can definitely say that the English language is the lingua franca of Nigeria considering the above purposes that itserves. Given this situation therefore, you as a teacher of English, must endeavor to teach your students well enough for them to be able to use English for the various purposes it serves. 4 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 1. Does English really serve the above purposes in Nigeria? Support your answer with live examples of instances and situations where this is evidenced. 2. What other purpose(s) do English serve in Nigeria as a country? First language (L1) and Second language (L2) In the introductory part of this sub-section, we noted that English is a second language in Nigeria. What then is a first language and how does it differ from a second language? A person’s first language or L1, also called her mother tongue, is the language she acquires form infancy, while her second language or L2 is the language she learns after acquiring her L1. Note that, while L1 is acquired L2 is learnt. It is pertinent at this juncture to differentiate between language acquisition and language learning. Language acquisition (L1) is informal way of understanding a language and similar to the way people acquire the first language, usually the mother tongue. It is unconscious effort. The acquirer is not aware of the rules of the language but has a feel for correctness. It does not require formal teaching. The acquired system initiates utterances when we communicate. However, language learning (L2) involves formal knowledge of a language. It involves knowing about the language. It is deliberate. There is explicit knowledge of the rules. Formal teaching is required. Learners have certain innate characteristics that predispose them to learn language. These characteristics, however, do not predispose children to learn only one particular language. Children acquire whatever language is spoken around them, even if their parents speak a different language (Brown, 2014). Acquisition refers to an unconscious process that involves the naturalistic development of language proficiency through understanding a language and through using a language for meaningful communication. Learning by contrast refers to a process in which conscious rules about a language are developed. Formal teaching is necessary for learning to occur, and conscious correction of errors leads to the development of learned rules. (Krashen and Terrell, 1983) For most Nigerians, their native language is their mother tongue and their L1 while English is their L2. As we noted above, the process of learning each of these differs. We need to discuss this difference more in order to better equip you for your job as a teacher of English. 5  Distinction between First Language Acquisition Process and Second language Learning Process As we mentioned earlier on, a first language is acquired from infancy. This means that the language is not learnt by the individual in a teaching / learning situation. Rather, the person from infancy picks up the language orally as she listens and speaks with members of her family and community. There is no systematically planned effort by her to learn it or by members of her family and community to teach her the language. She simply naturally assimilates the language just as she assimilates other aspects of her community or ethnic culture. Words/vocabulary, phrases and sentences are effortlessly learnt by the child while interacting with members of her community. On the other hand, a second language, in most cases is learnt in a structured formal school setting. For more on first language acquisition and second language learning, read Krashen(1981). As a prospective teacher of English in Nigeria, you must be familiar with the differences between the processes of acquiring first language and learning a second language. Your B.A. Ed. Programme is preparing you to teach at the Junior Secondary School ( JSS ) and Senior Secondary School (SSS).Students at these two levels have already acquired their L1 at infancy with all the linguistic habits formed. In order to successfully teach these students English, you need to learn the following basic factors that affect L2learning. - Socio linguistic Factor Your students are no longer infants but grown boys and girls. As infants, most of them, acquired their first languages effortlessly. Their languages were spoken all around them in meaningful real life situations. As they listened to others speak, they responded by speaking to others. It is not going to be exactly the same in a L2 situation where students are from varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Each already has set ways of speaking his/her first language. This situation places some demand on you requiring your creating enabling learning environments where your students will have ample opportunities to listen to others speak English as well as speak English to others. You will learn in this course how you are going to create such enabling learning environment. - Psycholinguistic Factors Students at JSS and SSS levels have developed attitudes, beliefs and ways of saying and doing things in their first languages that may interfere with their learning English, a L2. You should as a teacher find ways of helping these students develop positive attitudes and interest in English language. You should motivate them to learn. English by teaching them using interesting learning materials, strategies and activities SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 6  1. Distinguish between L1 and L2 acquisition process with appropriate illustrations 2. Differentiate between language acquisition and language learning. 3. What are some of the factors you must consider in order to make learning English easy for your students? a. Major Approaches and Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language Language teaching has witnessed the development of an array of teaching methods. However, for the purpose of this course, we are going to focus on five major ones, namely, the Grammar-translation method, the Direct method the Situational method, the Audio-lingual method and the Communicative method. In formal school settings, languages like every other subject such as Mathematics, Social Studies etc are taught using one method or another or a combination of methods. Language teaching methods are developed based on theories of learning from the field of Psychology and theories of the nature of language from the field of linguistics. These theories determine the direction or approach a language teacher adopts in preparing and presenting what language content to teach students and how to test what has been taught. A given approach for instance will direct the teacher on the elements of language to select to teach, the strategies and techniques to employ for teaching and testing what has been selected. In this sub- section of this unit, we are going to discuss the major language teaching approaches and methods, their theoretical bases, and the techniques and strategies associated with them. But before we go into this, we will briefly define the key terms mentioned above Theory is a formulation of basic principles about something, e.g. the nature of language learning, supported by empirical evidence and open to confirmation or refutation by evidence yet to be discovered. b. The Cognitive Theory of Language Learning This theory places acquisition of language within the context of a child’s mental or cognitive development. This school of thought was championed by Jean Piaget, Jerome Brunner and David Ausubel. In Piaget’s view, early cognitive language development involves processes based upon actions and later progresses to changes in mental operation. The cognitive theory draws attention to the large increase in children’s vocabulary, suggesting a link between object permanence and the learning of labels for objects. This theory emphasizes the interaction between children and their care-givers. It predisposes that the more interaction a learner of a language is exposed to, the more proficient the learner becomes in the language (Felder, 2016). As learners interact with the world around them, they continually add new linguistic knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held Ideas to accommodate new information EDU 220 English Methods 7   Approach is a set of assumptions about the nature of language and the nature of language teaching and learning; a philosophy or point of view. An approach can be defined as a theoretical view of instruction which is focused on the nature of the subject to be taught. It is a hypothetical concept underlying a particular way of teaching. It can also be seen as a set of correlative assumptions dealing with the nature of language teaching and learning. An approach is axiomatic. 1t describes the nature of the subject matter to be taught.  Method (of teaching) is the overall plan for the selection, grading and presentation of material to be taught, based on an approach. A method refers to the way a teacher organizes and conducts a lesson. It can be described as the pattern of interaction between the teacher and the learners, the learners and instructional materials or among the learners themselves for the purpose of achieving learning objectives. Method derived from approach and it determines the role of the teacher and the students. Thus, method is an overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material, no part of which contradicts, and all of which is based upon, the selected approach. An approach is axiomatic, a method is procedural. Within one approach, there can be many methods.  Strategy is a particular way of approaching or solving a problem or task at hand; a mode of operation for achieving a particular goal or objective  Technique is a particular device, strategy, activity used to accomplish a goal or objective. (Adapted from Savignon, 1981). A technique is derived from a method. It is a particular trick, device or contrivance used to accomplish an immediate objective. It can also be described as a set of unique activities that a teacher uses to implement a particular method. It involves selection of activities verbal and material devices. It focuses on the way method handles the introduction, presentation, practice and feedback phases of the lesson. 3.2.1 The Grammar-Translation Method Grammar Translation Method was used in the early years of learning foreign languages such as Latin and Greek. The method involved studying a second language called the target language, for example, Latin, through a detailed analysis of its grammar rules, followed by application of this knowledge to the task of translating sentences and texts into and out of the language. The learner’s first language for example, English, is used as the means of translating the target language. 8