Adaptive Community for the Continuity of Education and Student Services 

 National Teachers College 

EL110: Language Educational Research

Student Name:  Degree Program:

Section:  Mobile Number:

Professor Name:  Email Address:

Task: Read sample researches on language learning and teaching. Choose five (5) and read them
thoroughly.

MATRIX OF RESEARCHES ON LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING

Title and Author Findings/Discoveries/Conclusions
1. Title: Approaches to Language Teaching There is no specific teaching method is
and Learning perfect in every teaching-learning situation.
Author: Gang Zhou & Xiaochun Niu Students differ from one another in all
aspects, with that, teachers have to address
their differences through providing a
differentiated instruction.

“Like Widdowson says, “different approaches

to language teaching have tended to
emphasise one rather than, and often at the
expense of, the other.” (1990:157). Thus, for
different teaching settings, different
methods/methodologies ought to be adopted,
ideally, integrated, for they compensate for
each other. In general, although to
completely achieve communicative teaching
in foreign language teaching is always

2. Title: An Analysis of Language Teaching
Approaches and Methods
—Effectiveness and Weakness
Author: LIU Qing-xue & SHI Jin-fang
pursued as the ultimate goal, we are still
experiencing an indispensable stage involving
the integration of the grammar-translation
method and the communicative method. The
two approaches are just different sets of
language teaching and learning principles. We
may find in each of them strong points and
weak points. Therefore, we should encourage
language teachers to fuse the two methods to
meet the goal of foreign language teaching so
as to cater to the actual needs of our language
learners, since the two can complement each
other.”
Teaching methods, such as Grammar-
translation Method, The Direct Method, The
Audio-lingual Method, and Communicative
Teaching Method, were analysed with its
effectiveness and weaknesses as they were the
most common and influential methods used
by the teachers. It was found out that each of
them has their own contribution in language
learning and no particular method is above
than the other.
“Therefore, in teaching practice, in order to
apply these methods effectively and
efficiently, practitioners should take these
questions in mind: who the learners are, what
their current level of language proficiency is,
what sort of communicative needs they have,
and the circumstances in which they will be

3. Title: Foreign Language Teaching and
Learning
Author: Aleidine Kramer Moeller & Theresa
Catalano
using English in the future, and so on. In a
word, no single method could guarantee
successful results.”
Foreign language teaching and learning has
shifted from traditional to digital. Students’
language learning are more engaged with
technology. With that, teachers have to adjust
their teaching strategies with their students’
learning environment. The new discoveries
strengthen teaching pedagogies to be
anchored with the interest and resources of
the students.
“As classroom tasks become more focused on
real-world issues, texts, or events, and
problem-solving-based tasks, technology
introduces a new dimension to the teaching
and learning process that incorporates the use
of social media such as Facebook, Twitter,
Skype, Voice Thread, and others. Digital
media allows students to manipulate learning
materials and language at their own pace and
according to individual needs. Students
examine reports, authentic documents, and
web pages to find information that can be
synthesized and discussed later and can
collaborate electronically with youth from
around the world. In such a learning
environment the role of the teacher changes
from one of authority figure or expert who
delivers knowledge to one who facilitates,

4. Title: Language Teaching Methodology:
Observations from Three English Lessons
Author: Ervin Hoti
guides, and supports student learning. The
teacher assumes greater responsibilities in
designing and supporting individual and
personalized learning tasks. This has
tremendous implications for teacher educators
and teacher trainers to act as agents of change
as they foster language learning through the
use of public pedagogy and critical media
literacy.”
The most influential language teaching
methods were observed which is more
discernible in some teachers’ practices.
Observations have shown that in every
classroom setting, teachers use one language
teaching method which they integrate with
other language teaching methods. They adapt
different language teaching methods to cater
the differences of their students.
“By analysing three English lessons, I have
deduced which language teaching methods
are discernible from them. At first,
observation A seemed indicative of CLT; the
teacher uses the students’ native language
thoughtfully, and ignores student errors.
However, I later remarked that the lesson also
carries characteristics of other methods.
Additionally, I observed that the teacher uses
display questions, which contradicts the idea
of the lesson being typical of CLT.
Consequently, I concluded that the lesson

5. Title: English Language Teaching
Approaches: A Comparison of the Grammar-
translation, Audiolingual, Communicative,
and Natural Approaches
Author: Jessenia A. Matamoros-González,
María Asunción Rojas, Johanna Pizarro
Romero, Sara Vera-Quiñonez, Sandy T. Soto
uses a variety of methods.”
“There is value in analysing how teachers
teach; it uncovers implicit thoughts about
teaching and, more importantly, provides new
tools for them to adapt their practice. Because
adapt is the key word; maybe the goal of
language teachers is not to search for a best
method, or even settle on a certain teaching
style which one believes in, but to rather
possess the knowledge which enables them to
adapt their practice. There are a vast number
of variables in a classroom. To mention a few:
size of class, attitudinal factors, motivation,
age, class relationships, discipline, and
aptitude for learning.”
The four most widely used teaching
approaches in foreign language contexts –
Grammar-Translation, Audiolingual,
Communicative, and Natural Approaches –
were studied to identify the reasons behind its
creation, the resources used in teaching, and
roles of the teachers and students in the
language teaching-learning process. In
conclusion, researchers found out that each
teaching approach depend and overlap with
other teaching approach. Also, other approach
showcases its unique characteristic which
integrates with other approach.
“From the data collected, we can conclude
 that the characteristics of each approach
depended on the how the language was going
to be used and the theoretical considerations
that framed these approaches. Some
characteristics overlapped the four approaches
compared here, like the use of books. Other
features were unique to a specific approach as
in the case of the supporting theory of the
Grammatical and Audiolingual Approaches;
the creation purpose was also unique to each
approach. Grammatical and Audiolingual
Approaches shared certain characteristics; the
same happened with the NA and the CLT
Approach. As stated before, such features
depended on the theoretical foundation of the
approaches, the epoch, and the historical
context in which they were developed.”

References:
Hoti, E. (2018). Language Teaching Methodology: Observations from Three English Lessons.
10.13140/RG.2.2.24939.80164.
Liu, Q. & Shi, J. (2007). An Analysis of Language Teaching Approaches and Methods—
Effectiveness and Weakness. US-China Education Review, (4)1. Retrieved from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED497389.pdf
Matamoros-González, J. A., Rojas, M. A., Romero, J. P., Vera-Quiñonez, S., & Soto, S. T.
(2017). English Language Teaching Approaches: A Comparison of the Grammar-
translation, Audiolingual, Communicative, and Natural Approaches Theory and
Practice in Language Studies, (7), 11, pp. 965-973. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0711.04
Moeller, A. J. & Catalano, T. (2015). Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. Faculty
Publications: Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education. Retrieved
from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/33144931.pdf
Zhou, G. & Niu, X. (2015). Approaches to Language Teaching and Learning. Journal of
Language Teaching and Research, 6. 798. 10.17507/jltr.0604.11.