Research Paper

Jana Pashovska

Methodology of teaching English language and literature

Asst.prof. Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska

Faculty of Education, Bitola

October, 2020

Approaches, methods and techniques in language teaching:

How can they be applied in the classroom of today?

Abstract

Language teaching is characterized by a use of various methods, approaches and techniques

which have been specifically designed in collaboration with other sciences, such as psychology
and neuroscience, to aid the teacher in the realization of the lesson but more importantly, to suit
the individual needs of the pupils. Some of those methods include, but are not limited to the
Grammar-Translation method, the Direct method, the Audio-lingual method, the Communicative
approach, the Total Physical response, the Silent Way, Community-language learning,
Desuggestopedia, and Content-based learning. With such an abundance of methods and
approaches, it has become difficult to determine which method, if any, is the superior one. This
paper aims to briefly present the above-mentioned methods, their positive and negative sides,
and to answer the question of how they can be applied in the classroom of today.

Key words: methods, approaches, techniques, language teaching, today’s classroom, teacher,
pupils, individual needs, positive and negative sides

Introduction

Language teaching, whether it is a first, second or a foreign language, is characterized by a use

of various methods, approaches and techniques which have been specifically designed in
collaboration with other sciences, such as psychology and neuroscience, to aid the teacher in the
realization of the lesson but more importantly, to suit the individual needs of the pupils. Based
on heavy theoretical research both in the areas of language and psychology, experts in the field,
such as Jack C. Richards1 have named a few methods that have been deemed as the best options
for language teaching and acquisition. Those methods include the Grammar-Translation method,

1
Co-author of Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2001)
the Direct method, the Audio-lingual method, the Communicative approach, the Total Physical
response, the Silent Way, Community-language learning, Desuggestopedia, and Content-based
learning. Each method has different goals and uses various techniques to achieve such goals,
whether it is the prominent use of dialogues in the lesson to better develop the pupils’
communication, or the use of drills to reinforce good habits formation.

The choice of which method a teacher will use in the classroom or what combination of methods
will be concocted depends entirely on the context, the individual needs of the pupils as well as
the skills and abilities of the teacher herself/himself. But what also must be taken in
consideration is the fact that the world moves forward and many of the methods that may have
been appropriate in the twentieth century when experts first took a firmer interest in the nature of
language teaching, may not be useful at all in the twenty-first century when there has been a
movement away from a preoccupation with generic teaching methods toward a more complex
view of language teaching which encompasses a multifaceted understanding of the teaching and
learning processes. The aim of this paper is to briefly present what the above-mentioned methods
encompass and what they focus on, as well as to question whether they could be successfully
implemented in the classroom today.

The Grammar-Translation Method

The grammar translation method is a method of teaching foreign languages derived from the
classical method of teaching Greek and Latin. In grammar-translation classes, students learn
grammatical rules and then apply those rules by translating sentences between the target
language and the native language. There is heavy usage of the native language of pupils and little
to no communication in the target language. The method has two main goals: to enable students
to read and translate literature written in the target language, and to further students’ general
intellectual development, but no attention is paid to the communication skills of the students.

The advantages of this method are that it is the easiest for teachers to use because it does not
require much skills on their part-it doesn’t require them to speak good English or to make
complex lesson plans and preparations. However, the disadvantages, in my opinion, far outweigh
the advantages: students lack comprehension and only translate word to word, they acquire no
communicational skills whatsoever as there is little teacher-student communication and little
student-student communication. That makes this method heavily teacher-centered, which is
unacceptable in today’s society, and it also neglects the most important goal of language
teaching and that is, according to my opinion, communication.
Nonetheless, this method mustn’t be seen as totally useless: it can be applied even in the
classroom today, mostly with a combination of other methods or in specific contexts. For
example, I think that this method would be appropriate for students that don’t necessarily require
communicational skills, but need to learn a language in order to read its literature, so it might be
successful with adult learners that need the language for a job in which there is little
communication but much reading. It is also one of the least stressful methods. It could also be
useful for learning grammar, because the focus is put on memorization of grammar rules, but I
think that students might find a 45-minute lesson of only grammar and translation tedious, so this
method could be used in the beginning stages of the lesson to introduce the grammar rules, and
then another method could be used to improve the student’s comprehension and communication,
such as the audio-lingual method.

The Direct Method

The direct method of teaching was developed as a response to the Grammar-Translation method.
It sought to immerse the learner in the same way as when a first language is learnt. All teaching
is done in the target language, grammar is taught inductively, there is a focus on speaking and
listening, and only useful ‘everyday' language is taught. So, it can be seen that this method is
about developing communicational skills through techniques such as conversation practice,
question-and-answers exercises, dictations and getting students to self-correct.

Also known as ‘the Natural Approach’, its main principle is that students should learn how to
think in the target language as soon as possible, which I think is incredibly important. I also
believe that this is one of the best methods for teaching and learning language, as the best way of
learning a language is simply through speaking it-the same way that we all learned our native
languages. I personally know many people who have learnt the language through watching
cartoons, videos and playing video-games in the target language and have effortlessly acquired
the conversational and grammar patterns inductively, so a method such as this, which organizes
the lesson is such a way that about 80% of lesson time is oral practice, is excellent for learning a
language for the purpose of conversation.

Although the method lost its appeal with the appearance of the audio-lingual method, I think it
can still be used nowadays, especially for those who have needs of real communication in the
target language. For example, it would be ideal for teaching a language to workers who need
communicational skills in that language, but it could also be used in the classroom with smaller
students. One good way of using it would be to perhaps combine it with the grammar-translation
method, with a part of the lesson being devoted to grammar and vocabulary memorization and
translation, and the rest of the lesson being devoted to using that vocabulary in actual contexts.
The Audio-lingual Method

The Audio-Lingual method of teaching had its origins during World War II when it became
known as the Army Method. It is based on the behaviorist theory of language learning, which
claims that the way to acquire the correct sentence patterns of the target language is through
conditioning- helping learners respond correctly to stimuli through reinforcement, thus enabling
learners to overcome the habits of their native language and to form new habits in the target
language.

The objective of the audiolingual method is accurate pronunciation and grammar, the ability to
respond quickly and accurately in speech situations and knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to
use with grammar patterns. The main activities include reading aloud dialogues, repetitions of
model sentences, and drilling and lessons in the classroom focus on the correct imitation of the
teacher by the students.

However, I don’t think this method alone would be enough to learn a language, as its behaviorist
approach to learning has now been discredited. Many scholars, including Noam Chomsky 2 have
proven its weakness. But its legacy still continues, and I think that one of its best uses in the
classroom today could be to accurately learn pronunciation, because this method relies on the use
of dialogues and drills. With this method, the teacher can help the students to first articulate, then
recognize, the most basic sounds necessary, by using dialogue practice, drill sessions and
tongue-twisters to build articulation and strength. However, I think the use of this method should
be limited, perhaps to the last 15 minutes of class to quickly practice speaking, pronunciation and
grammar through repeating dialogues that have been previously learned.

The Communicative (Approach) Method

The Communicative Approach, also known as communicative language teaching (CLT),

emphasizes interaction and problem solving as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning
English - or any language. As such, it tends to emphasize activities such as role play, pair work
and group work. It switched traditional language teaching's emphasis on grammar, and the
teacher- centered classroom, to that of the active use of authentic language in learning and
acquisition.

Communicative language teaching emphasizes self-direction for the learners-as the teacher
won’t be around to guide them the whole time, especially not when the learners speak the
language outside the classroom, they are expected to take on a greater degree of responsibility
for their own learning, which could be good for more advanced students of the language or for
2
Chomsky, Noam (1959). “A Review of B. F. Skinner’s Verbal behavior
incredibly self-motivated students. But I think most students thrive under instruction and careful
guidance, so letting them have too much responsibility of their own might be too stressful and
overbearing for them, so this method can find little use in the actual classroom where there are
many students with many needs. It would be difficult for the teacher alone to check the language
use of every student and if students are too self-reliant, little work might actually be
accomplished. Also, this lesson largely depends on how creative and motivated the teacher is in
inventing different language games and role-plays, and not creativity doesn’t come easy to
everyone, so some teachers who lack creativity and communicative competence should, in my
opinion, avoid this method.

Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a method of teaching language or vocabulary concepts by

using physical movement and is based upon coordination of speech and action. The process
mimics the way that infants learn their first language, and it reduces student inhibitions and
lowers stress. The purpose of TPR is to create a brain link between speech and action to boost
language and vocabulary learning, so I think it can be highly beneficial for students that are first
introduced to the language, such as smaller children, for example in preschool or kindergarten.

One technique of this method is using commands to direct behavior and using games such as
Simon Says, which again, I believe can only be useful with smaller children. This method is very
easy and the usage of the language consists of action games, so it would be a perfect way of
introducing the language to a younger audience, because I think that a more adult audience might
find it a bit repetitive and even embarrassing to play such games. Also, students are not given the
opportunity to express their own views and thoughts in a creative way so it can be quite limiting
and boring. In my opinion, this method is only suitable for beginner levels and could be used
today to break the ice when you first start teaching a language.

The Silent Way

This unconventional method is based on the premise that the teacher should be as silent as
possible: in contrast to traditional methods, the emphasis is on the student’s learning rather than
the teacher’s teaching. In the absence of the teacher dominating the lesson, the student takes an
active role in the learning process, which I think is excellent for fostering autonomy. But silence
can be scary. Some students may feel completely lost and unsure of how to handle the lesson
when this method is used, and the lack of feedback from the teacher may totally discourage
them, so I would be careful in using this method. That doesn’t mean that teachers should avoid it
entirely, but it requires a profound knowledge of your students, a lot of patience and creativity,
so it won’t be suitable in most contexts. As the learner works in isolation, communication is
lacking badly in a Silent Way classroom, so this method might be better used only for a small
period of time during the lesson.

Community-Language Learning

This method advises teachers to view students as whole persons and it strives to engage the
emotions and feelings, or the affective realm, as well as linguistic knowledge and behavioral
skills of the students. By understanding the fears of the learners, the teacher can help students
overcome their negative feelings and instead turn them into positive energies. This is a very
humanistic approach, so I think it might find its purpose in this 21 st century where we are
instructed to pay a lot of attention to the inner feelings of the students.

In a classroom where this method is being used, students become part of a community that
interacts well, thus helping to create a positive and warm learning environment, which I believe
would greatly suit students prone to anxiety or beginners who are afraid of risk-taking. So, this
method will work well with lower levels students who are struggling with spoken English, and
being part of a community will help them release their fears and eventually participate in
conversations.

Content-based Learning

In recent years content-based instruction has become increasingly popular as a means of

developing linguistic ability. It is based on the principle that language is a meaningful medium
through which content is conveyed and some view this more as a philosophy than a
methodology.

The focus of this approach is on the topic or subject matter. During the lesson students are
focused on learning about something. This could be anything that interests them from a serious
science subject to their favorite pop star or even a topical news story or film, which I think is a
great way for motivating students to stay focused on the lesson: we tend to pay more attention to
whatever falls in the realm of our interests and hobbies, so this is an approach that could be used
with students of all ages, for we all show readiness to participate in tasks and projects when the
content is suited to our needs, hobbies and interests.

Content-based learning is comparable to English for Specific Purposes (ESP), which usually is
for vocational or occupational needs, or to English for Academic Purposes (EAP), so it might
prove best suited for teaching either of these two, rather than for teaching in a ‘typical’
classroom, although I think a creative teacher can find a way to incorporate it in the lesson,
perhaps through dividing the class into small groups and assigning each group a small research
task and a source of information to use to help them fulfil the task. Taking information from
different sources, re-evaluating and restructuring that information can help the students to
develop very valuable thinking skills that can then be transferred to other subjects, so this
definitely isn’t an approach that should be neglected.

Desuggestopedia

Also known as Suggestopedia, it is a method that has been developed to help students eliminate
the feeling that they cannot be successful in learning a new language and/or the negative
association they have created towards the target language. It is based on the theory that we do
not use the full mental powers that we have when experience negative feelings toward
something, so this method strives to undo blocks, encourage relaxation and strengthen self-
image. As its name suggests, the focus in on desuggesting limitations and negative feelings and
instead encouraging positive affirmations.

This method is usually conducted in a bright and cheerful classroom, as physical surroundings
and the atmosphere in the classroom are the vital factors to make sure that the students feel
comfortable and confident. Fine arts are also heavily used, such as relaxing music and pictures,
which as good as it sounds might not be appropriate for everyone. Some people cannot stand
music and noise when they are learning, so I think that this atmosphere of relaxation might even
have a counter-effect and instead annoy and stress some people even more.

Because the method relies on ‘desuggesting negative feelings and blocks’, in my opinion, it
would be far more useful with smaller children who are much more susceptible to the
environment they are in, so a warm and cheerful environment filled with pictures and music
might be preferable in a kindergarten or an elementary school rather than secondary school,
where adolescents tend to feel embarrassed by being encouraged to delve into their
subconsciousness and there are some students who do not like to be treated in this manner
because they think its immature.

But on the other hand, I think it might also be incredibly useful for adult learners who may have
inhibitions about learning a language at their age instead when they ‘should’ have learnt it, so
incorporating fine arts (music, art, and drama) will provide positive suggestions for them and
will enable them to successfully learn the language.

However, one big problem that may arise when teaching a language to young language learners
using suggestopedia is that in some countries, the education is on a low level. Using a method as
peculiar as this one needs a professional and experienced teacher and very few working teachers
are in a position where they can use this system. To be able to correctly use the method, I think
that the teachers should be trained in using this Desuggestopedia in the classroom, so a teacher
who doesn’t feel up to the task should perhaps avoid using this method lest they cause even more
negative feelings in the learners.
Conclusion

Despite all the research that has been done about the appropriate methods, approached and
techniques to use when teaching a language, especially second or foreign languages, there is no
definite proof that one method is superior or that any of the above-mentioned methods should be
completely abolished. As briefly presented in this paper, each method has its own advantages
and disadvantages, and oftentimes the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, but there are
certain aspects of each method that can be carefully extracted and applied in certain contexts.
Everything depends on the context and the situation in which the method is being applied, as
well as the individual needs of the learners and the skills and abilities of the teacher, so a good
teacher may find a use even to the Grammar-Translation method, which many believe is
outdated. In the society of today, teachers and students likewise prefer methods that focus more
on the student and on communication, but grammar rules cannot be neglected, so in my opinion,
a good lesson should incorporate at least two methods, as long as they are well combined and
suited to the content and context.

Bibliography
C.Richards, J., & Rodgers, T. S. (2011). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.
Cambridge University Press.

Language Teaching Methods: Audio-Lingual Method. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0TPDUz3FU&ab_channel=AmericanEnglish

Language Teaching Methods: Communicative Approach. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kRT-rsKxn4

Language Teaching Methods: Comprehension Approach/TPR. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuS3ku-PSL8&ab_channel=AmericanEnglish

Language Teaching Methods: Silent Way. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqLzbLCpack&ab_channel=AmericanEnglish

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