Chapter 5 – Reflection paper (THÁI NGUYỄN HOÀNG TUẤN, MTESOL019, Open University)

A reflection paper of teaching approaches and instructional issues

Summary:

This chapter discusses historical and current teaching along with classroom instructional issues.

In the first part, GTM, DM, ALM, Suggestopedia, TPR, CLT and TBLT are briefly presented.

Afterwards, many language instructional issues have been debated and discussed such cognitive approach,
sociocultural approach and “noticing” notion leading to intake. Form-focused instruction (FFI) illustrates form
isolation for exercise practices. While input enhancement concentrates on techniques to help student notice
the language forms, input flooding aims at providing students an exposure “community” so that they can be
expose in the input. Processing Instruction (IP) is used to draw students’ attention to form by effective
processing strategies. They way to give feedback to students correctly is also discussed which leads to the
notion of “corrective feedback”. L1 is proved that it can be an enhancement in learning process and should not
completely be eliminated out of the language classroom. Eventually, computer-assisted language learning
(CALL) has been used to support and maximize the productivity of language learning and teaching.

Evaluation:

It seems that the change of the world throughout recent centuries affects the development of language
teaching and learning. As a result, Postmethod nowadays might be the most appropriate method when it
combines all outstanding features of previous language teaching methods. However, the history of language
method has its own value in which language teachers can understand that they should focus on developing
the students’ communicative competence rather than linguistic one.

It seems that FFI and IP should be simultaneously in language classroom which both strategies focus on
product learning and process learning respectively. Besides, feedback techniques should be used correctly and
technically by language teachers in order that learners can be benefitted the most. Teachers also had better
make use of L1 flexibly to teach effectively along with using and adapting the ICT tools in teaching.

Questions:

1/ State a situation which L1 should be used to clarify something in language classroom.

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Chapter 5 – Reflection paper (THÁI NGUYỄN HOÀNG TUẤN, MTESOL019, Open University)

GTM = Grammar Translation Method

DM = Direct Method

ALM = Audio Lingual Method

TPR = Total Physical Response

ELT = English Language Teaching