Key Ideas: The Berlitz Method & Teaching Principles

Everything you learned in the module provides context for the definition of our Berlitz Method and Teaching
Principles. Here you can see the definition of what we do in the classroom.

Berlitz International has been committed to excellence in language training since Maximilian Berlitz
introduced the revolutionary Berlitz Method in 1878.
Over the years, research into second language acquisition and other related fields has produced a variety of
language learning methods, which have contributed new insights and techniques to make language
teaching more efficient, from the Direct Method and Natural Method of the early 1900s to the Audiolingual
Method of the 1950s, to the Communicative Approach of the 1990s and beyond.

Throughout that time the Berlitz Method has maintained a consistent Key Objective and Key Principles,
while continuously updating its Key Teaching Techniques to harness new knowledge in the language
learning field. Today it can be said that the Berlitz Method is a living, breathing and timeless approach to
teaching languages.

In addition and as a constant innovator, Berlitz integrates the latest technologies to make learning
languages more effective and more convenient for the student. Web-based classrooms, online programs,
web-based tutoring services and mobile learning are innovations of Berlitz to make the language learning
process more flexible and more enjoyable.

The Key Objective of the Berlitz Method is:

• Prepare the learner for practical communication in real world situations.

This objective is achieved through the following Key Principles:

• Exclusive use of the Target Language
• Speaking and listening, supported by reading and writing
• Grammar as a means of communication
• Maximum learner participation
• Goal-oriented, lively instruction based on the learner’s needs and interests

The Key Principles are implemented through the Key Teaching Techniques below:
• Rich mix of language-learning tasks
• Balance of fluency and accuracy activities
• Practical and communicative feedback
• Efficient learning strategies

Questions to think about:

• Why is our objective to prepare learners for communication in the real world?
• Why do we focus on speaking skills?
• Why is it important that we focus on students’ goals?
• Why are we always aiming to maximize student talking time?