CAMBRIDGE LANGUAGE TEACHING LIBRARY
A seties covering central issues in language teaching and learning, by authors
who have expere knowledge in ther field
In thie series:
‘fect in Language Leariog edited by Jane Arnold i
Approaches and Methods ia Language Teaching, Sezond Editon, by
Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers ;
‘Appropriate Methodology snd Social Context by Adrian Holliday
Beyond Training by Jack C. Richards
Classroom Decision-Making edited by Andrew Litejabn and
Michael P. Breen
Collaborative Action Research for Eaglish Language Teachers by Arne Burm :
Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching edited by David Nua
Communicative Language Teaching by Wiliam Littlewood
Designing Tasks forthe Communicative Classroom by David Numan
Developing Reading Skils by Francoise Grellet
Developments in English for Specific Purposes by Tony Dudley-Evans anid
‘Maggie Jo St. Jobn
Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers By Michael McCarthy
Discourse and Language Education by Evelyn Hatch
English for Academic Purposes by R. R. Jordan
English for Specific Purposes by Tor Hutchinson and Alan Waters
Establishing Sel-Acces: From Theory to Pracce by David Gardner and
Lindsay Miller
Foreign and Second Language Leamnng by Wiliam Littlewood
[Language Learing in latezcultral Perspecive edited by Michael Byram
‘ond Michael Fleming
‘The Language Teaching Matix by Jack C. Richards
Language Test Construction and Evaluation by). Charles Alderson,
Caroline Clapham, and Dianne Wall
Learne-Centednest a5 Language Education by an Tudor
“Managing Cursicular Innovation by Nurna Marker
Materials Development in Language Teaching edited by Brian Tominzon
[New leuigrants inthe United Sates edited by andre Lee McKay and
Sowing Cynthia Wong A
Psychology for Language Teachers by Marion Wiliams and
Robert L. Burden a
Research Methods in Language Learaing by David Nunan
Second Language Teacher Education edited by Jack C. Richards and
David Nena :
Society and the Language Classroom edited by Hywel Coleman
“Teacher Learning in Language Teaching edited by Donald Freeman
‘nd Jack C. Richorde
‘Teaching the Spoken Language by Gillian Brown and George Yule
Understanding Research in Second Language Leatnng by James Dean Brown
Using Surveys in Language Programs by James Dean Broion
Vocabulary: Description, Aequsiton and Pedagogy edited by Norbert Schmitt,
and Michael MeCarthy
Vocabulary, Semantics, and Language Educ
Cheryl Brown
‘Voices From the Language Classroom edited by Kathleen M. Bailey and
‘David Numan
by Evelyn Hatch and
Approaches and
Methods in
Language Teaching
Second Edition
Jack C. Richards
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
Regional Language Centce, Singapore
and
Theodore S. Rodgers
University of Hawaii
Manoa
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS1 Abrief history of language teaching
‘This chapter, in briefly reviewing the history of language teaching
methods, provides a background for discussion of contemporary
methods and suggests the issues we will refer to in analyzing these
methods. From this historical perspective we are also able to ace that the
‘concerns that have prompted modern method innovations were similar to
those that have always been atthe center of discussions on how to teach
foreign languages. Changes in language teaching methods throughout
history have reflected recognition of changes in the kind of proficiency
learners need, such as a move wyward oral proficiency rather than reading
comprehension as the goal of language study, they have also reflected
changes in theories of the nature of language and of language learning,
Kelly (1969) and Howate (1984) have demonstrated that many curcent
issues in language teaching are not particularly new. Today's controver.
sies reflect contemporary responses to questions that have bedi asked
often throughout the history of language teaching.
Ichas been estiniated that some 60 percent of today’s world population
is multilingual. From both a contemporary and a historical perspective,
bilingualism or multilingualism is the norm rather than the exception, I¢
is faz then, co say thar throughout history foreign language leaching has
always been an impoztant practical concern, Whereas today English i the
world’s most widely studied foreign language,
sthe dominant language of education, ; teligiony and
government in the Western world. Ty the sixteenth century, howeves
Freiich, Italian, and English gained in importance as a result of political