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SWOT analysis of the English teaching methods

Esmeralda Moreno López

Maestría en Enseñanza del Inglés, Universidad IEXPRO
NRC: MEI11101: Introducción a la Lingüística Aplicada
Mtra. Marcela Cardoza Pérez
December 11th, 2022
 THE GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD
Strenghts
•Grammar rules and exceptions are well
learned, and vocabulary lists are
memorized.
01 •It is considered “as being of equal value
for the training of the mind“ (Universidad
IEXPRO, n.d., p. 19).
S W
Opportunities
•Its techniques are still being used
O T
nowadays.
03
•“The aim of the course was to train
students to read literature written in
the foreing language and to write the
foreing language accurately”
(Universidad IEXPRO, n.d., p. 19).
Weaknesses
•.According to Universidad IEXPRO
(n.d.), the language presented was
academic and unreal.
•The teacher’s role in the classroom was 02
not very imaginative or creative
(Universidad IEXPRO, n.d.)
•Universidad IEXPRO (n.d.) affirms that
“the student’s role was a passive one”.
Threats
•Very little opportunity to practice the
language orally.
•Considered artificial, due to the process
of learning. 04
•Communicative skills were neglected.
•“The grammar translation method did
not have interpersonal communication as
one of its main goals” (Universidad
IEXPRO, n.d., p. 24)
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LANGUAGE TEACHING INNOVATIONS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Strenghts
•“Teachers and linguists began to write
about the need for need approaches to
language teaching, and through their
01 books, speeches, and articles, the
foundation for more widespread
pedagogical reforms was laid.“
W
(Universidad IEXPRO, n.d., p. 21).
S
Opportunities
•“Educators recognized the need for
speaking proficiency rather than
reading comprehension, grammar, or
O T
03 literary appreciation as the goal for
foreign language programmes…”
(Universidad IEXPRO, n.d., p. 21).
Weaknesses
•.The ideas and methods were not
completely related to the education’s
system, therefore there were not means
for diffusion, acceptance, and 02
implementation (Universidad IEXPRO,
n.d.).
Threats
•“There was not sufficient organizational
structure in the language teaching
profession to enable new ideas to
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develop into and educational movement”
(Universidad IEXPRO, p. 21).
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 THE REFORM MOVEMENT
Strenghts Weaknesses
•New insights into speech processes •.The grammar translation method was
were provided, due to the establishment criticized by reformers, doubting about
of phonetics. the principles in which this method was
01 based on. 02

S W
Opportunities
•In order to improve the teaching of
modern languages, some goals were
advocated by the members of the
O T
03 association. This included the study
and training of the spoken language.
Threats
•Universidad IEXPRO (n.d.) affirms that
reformers “often differed considerably in
the specific procedures they advocated
04
for teaching a language” (p. 23).

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 THE DIRECT METHOD
Strenghts
•The Direct Method became known in the
United States through its use.
•Grammar rules were not learnt through
01 memorization, but through practice.
S W
Opportunities
•Phonetics also played an important
role, correct intonation became a key
focus of interest, and pronunciation
O T
03 models from native speakers were
promoted (Universidad IEXPRO, n.d.,
p.26).
Weaknesses
•.The native language is totally avoided
in the foreign language classroom… This
means that students have to understand
meaning without translation. 02
•Reading is not given as much relevance
as speaking.
Threats
•The direct Method was considered as
the first attempt to turn to foreign
language learning into a situation of
04
language use.
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 THE READING METHOD
Strenghts Weaknesses
•The reading skill was the one that •.Students had no conscious effort to
offered fewer difficulties in the context of translate.
secondary school teaching.
01 02

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Opportunities Threats
•The intensive reading provided •“As oral communication was secondary,
source material for grammatical study
and for the acquisition of vocabulary.
O T students were usually unable to
comprehend and speak the language
04
03 beyond the very simplest exchanges.”
(Universidad IEXPRO, n.d., p. 29).

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 ORAL OR SITUATIONAL APPROACH
Strenghts Weaknesses
•The aims of the students to learn were
•.The native language was to be avoided.
considered for the organization of this
•The practice of grammatical structures
approach.
were situational.
01 •“… students carried out listening and
speaking activities…” (Universidad
02
IEXPRO, n.d., p. 30).
•It is known that “the impact of the Oral
Approach has been long lasting…”
(Universidad IEXPRO, n,d,. p. 32). S W
Opportunities Threats
•The intensive reading provided •At the end, the emphasis of this
source material for grammatical study
and for the acquisition of vocabulary.
O T approach remained on oral
presentations.
04
03 •Occasional translation was allowed.

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 THE AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD
Strenghts
•Universidad IEXPRO (n.d.) mentions
that “oral proficiency is equated with
accurate pronunciation and grammar and
01 the ability to respond quickly and
accurately in speech situations”.
•The encouragement of the practice
depended on the teacher’s role, in which
inventiveness and resourcefulness were
required.
Opportunities
•Students were highly motivated by
the benefits of the implemented
procedures.
03 •Learnes were believed to be capable
of producing correct responses after a
period is skilled training; they played
an active role in the classroom.
Weaknesses
•.”Writing was imitative, consisting of
transcriptions of words and dialogue
sentences”. (Universidad IEXPRO, n.d.,
p. 38). 02
•The use of the L1 was avoided in the
classroom as much as possible.
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Threats
•Students were not encouraged to speak
O T in order to avoid mistakes.
•Chomsky (1966) led to suppose that this
04
method lacks creativity; that it is about
imitation and repetition. In his opinion,
language is not a habit structure.
(Chomsky, 1966: 153, as quoted in
Universidad IEXPRO, n.d., p. 40).
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COGNITIVE CODE LEARNING OR COGNITIVE APPROACH
Strenghts Weaknesses
•The learner’s role is based on having •.According to Universidad IEXPRO
control of the language rules in order to (n.d.), this method was considered
superficial because of its techniques and
01 be able to generate their own language
in new situations. classroom dynamics (p. 43). 02
•Learning process is adapted to the
learners’ needs; they are given the

S W
opportunity to communicate using what
they have learned.

Opportunities Threats
•.”Making mistakes is viewed as part •According to Universidad IEXPRO
of the process of achieving and
understanding of rules”. (Universidad
O T (n.d.), referring to this method “the
changes affected the procedures of
04
03 IEXPRO, n.d., p. 41). language learning more than objectives”
•Students start from a knowledge (p. 41).
process which eventually takes them
to performance.

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 Reference

Universidad IEXPRO (n.d.) The early methods, Methodological approaches (pp. 16-45).

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