Language Teaching Approaches

Grammar-Translation Approach
Instruction is given in the native language of the students.
There is little use of the target language for communication.
Focus is on grammatical parsing i.e., the form and inflection of words
There is early reading of difficult texts
A typical exercise is to translate sentences from the target language into the mother tongue (or vice versa)
The result of this approach is usually an inaility on the part of the students to use the language for communication
The teacher does not have to e ale to spea! the target language.
Direct Approach
- a reaction to the "rammar translation approach and its failure to produce learners who could communicate on the foreign
language they had een studying
#o use of the mother tongue is permitted (i.e. the teacher does not need to !now the students$ native language)
Lessons egin with dialogues and anecdotes in modern conversational style.
Actions and pictures are used to ma!e meanings clear.
"rammar is learned inductively.
Literary texts are read for pleasure and are not analy%ed grammatically
The target culture is also taught inductively
The teacher must e a native spea!er or have native li!e proficiency in the target language.
Reading Approach
-a reaction to the prolems experienced in the direct approach& reading was viewed as the most usale s!ill to have in a
foreign language not many people travel aroad in the past& also, few teachers could use their foreign language well
enough to use a direct approach effectively in class
'nly grammar useful for reading comprehension is taught
(ocaulary is controlled at first (ased on fre)uency and usefulness) and then expanded.
Translation is once more a respectale classroom procedure.
*eading comprehension is the only language s!ill emphasi%ed.
The teacher does not need to have good oral proficiency in the target language
Audiolingualism
+a reaction to the reading approach and its lac! of emphasis on aural+oral s!ills& it draws from the direct approach ut adds
features from the structural linguistics and ehavioral psychology
Lessons egin with dialogues
,imicry and memori%ation are used, ased on the assumption that language is hait formation
"rammatical structures are se)uenced and rules are taught inductively
-!ills are se)uenced. listening, spea!ing, reading, and writing
/ronunciation is stressed from the eginning
(ocaulary is severely limited in the initial stages
A great effort is made to prevent learner errors
Language is often manipulated without regard to meaning or context
The teacher must e proficient only in the structures, vocaulary, etc. that he or she is teaching since learning
activities and materials are carefully controlled.
Oral-Situational Approach
-a reaction to the reading approach and its lac! of emphasis on oral+aural s!ills& it draws from the direct approach ut adds
features from Firthian linguistics and the emerging professional field of language pedagogy
The spo!en language is primary
All language material is practiced orally efore eing presented in written form (reading and writing are taught only
after an oral ase in lexical and grammatical forms has een estalished)
'nly the target language should e used in the classroom
0fforts are made to ensure that the most general and useful lexical items are presented
"rammatical structures are graded from simple to complex
#ew items (lexical and grammatical) are introduced and practiced situationally (e.g. at the post office, at the an!,
at the dinner tale)
Cognitive Approach
-a reaction to the ehavioral features of the audio+lingual approach& influenced y cognitive psychology
Language learning is viewed as rule ac)uisition, not hait formation
Instruction is often individuali%ed& learners are responsile for their own learning
"rammar must e taught ut it can e taught deductively or inductively
/ronunciation is de+emphasi%ed& perfection is viewed as unrealistic and unattainale
*eading and writing are once again as important as listening and spea!ing
(ocaulary instruction is once again important, especially at intermediate and advanced levels
0rrors are viewed as inevitale, to e used constructively in the learning process
The teacher is expected to have good general proficiency in the target language as well as an aility to analy%e the
target language.
Affective-Humanistic Approach
-a reaction to the lac! of affective considerations in oth audiolingualism and the cognitive approach
*espect is emphasi%ed for the individual
1ommunication that is meaningful to the learner is emphasi%ed
Instruction involves much wor! in pairs and small groups
1lass atmosphere is viewed as more important than materials or methods
/eer support and interaction are viewed as necessary for learning
Learning a foreign language is viewed as a self+reali%ation experience
The teacher is a counselor or facilitator
The teacher should e proficient in the target language and the students$ native language since translation may e
used heavily in the initial stages to help students feel at ease& later it is gradually phased out.
Comprehension-based approach
listening comprehension is very important and is viewed as the asic s!ill that will allow spea!ing, reading, and
writing to develop spontaneously over time, given the right conditions
learners should egin y listening to meaningful speech and y responding non+verally in meaningful ways efore
they produce any language themselves
Learners should not spea! until they feel ready to do so& this results in etter pronunciation than if the learner is
forced to spea! immediately.
Learners progress y eing exposed to meaningful input that is 2ust one step eyond their level of competence
*ule learning may help learners monitor (or ecome aware of) what they do, ut it will not aid their ac)uisition or
spontaneous use of the target language.
0rror correction is seen as unnecessary and perhaps even counterproductive& the important thing is that the
learners can understand and ma!e themselves understood.
If the teacher is not a native or near+native spea!er, appropriate materials such as audiotapes and videotapes must
e availale to provide the appropriate input for the learners.