ISSN: 2249-7137 Vol. 8 Issue 10, October 2018 Impact Factor: SJIF 2017 = 6.

049

ACADEMICIA
An International
Multidisciplinary
Research Journal
( Dou b l e B li n d Re fe r e e d & Re vi e we d I n te r n a ti on a l J ou r n a l )

DOI NUMBER: 10.5958/2249-7137.2018.00055.1

ECLECTIC APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING: A
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
Parupalli Srinivas Rao*
*Lecturer in English,
English Language Centre, King Faisal University,
Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia,
Email id: vasupsr@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT

Teaching is a noble profession by which children are trained at primary level and secondary
level and students are trained in colleges and universities at a higher level. Learning is a process
by which students learn so many things to grow physically, mentally and morally. Teachers use
various methods, approaches, strategies and techniques to teach their students at every level.
When it comes to a second or a foreign language, particularly English, there are certain
methods, approaches and techniques followed by teachers in English language classrooms.
There are various teaching methods and approaches designed by constant evaluation and
observations. Prominent among them are Grammar Translation, Method, Direct Method, Audio-
Lingual Method and Communicative Language Teaching Approach (CLT) and also there are
various techniques and strategies implemented by teachers to make English language learning
flexible and attractive. Though teachers employ these methods, approaches and techniques in EL
classrooms, still there is a gap between teacher and learner. Over the years, there was a demand
for unifying approach to language teaching. The Eclectic approach is the solution and it is a
method that integrates various approaches and methodologies in English language teaching.
This approach depends on the aims of the lesson and the abilities of the learners. This research
paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of the Eclectic approach in the teaching of
English as a foreign language and also the popularity of this approach in ELT in the21st century
is also discussed in a comprehensive way. This paper also examines various aspects of Eclectic
approach and how they are useful for teachers in English language classrooms.

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KEYWORDS: Approach, Eclectic Approach, English Language, Learning, Methods,
Methodologies, Teaching, Techniques, Strategies
INTRODUCTION
Undoubtedly, English is the medium of a great deal of the world’s knowledge. English is widely
used in science and technology, tourism, aviation, advertisements, education, media,
entertainment, business and trade, international relations and what not. English is taught in
schools, colleges and universities as a second language as well as a foreign language across the
world. Even in Arab countries, China, Japan, Russia and Brazil, English is taught at school,
college and university levels. English is in a great demand today. The English Language
Teaching (ELT) has become one of the major growth industries around the world in the past
thirty years. It is not an exaggeration to say that millions of students are learning English
language skills across the world to pursue their higher studies and also get employment. The UK
and the USA are promoting the teaching of English at home and abroad in the form of ELT.
They have started training centres as well as testing centres all over the world in order to
promote ELT and train English teachers. In fact, English can be regarded as an educational and
social panacea. Though we have thousands of English teachers around the world, still there is a
great demand for them because almost all the countries have started English medium in schools,
colleges and universities after realizing the value of English language. As a matter of fact, no
country can progress without technology and communication. In this regard, English is the only
solution for any country to progress or compete with other countries. In this paper, the
predominant focus is on ELT and how teachers employ certain methods, approaches and
techniques in EL classrooms and also the eclectic approach which is regarded as the best method
for teaching English language.
The Grammar-Translation Method was introduced in 1800, advocated by Pendergast and
Sauveur to teach foreign languages and it was derived from the traditional method of teaching of
Greek and Latin. At that time, it was a standard method of teaching languages. The main focus of
this method is to translate sentences and texts from the target language to the mother tongue,
where the students can understand the text in their mother tongue. In this context, there is no
scope for students or learners to learn a foreign language effectively. This method is useful only
for the beginners. Moreover, this method encourages the students to learn a foreigner second
language just by memorizing the rules. There is no scope for the utility of the language in context
and the speaking skills are completely ignored even though this method is quite easy to organize
the classroom. Furthermore, the sentences are taught in isolation and it makes the students
passive. The students or learners do not focus much on activities and vocabulary is taught from
the text only.
After hundred years of the introduction of Grammar Translation Method, there was a strong
opposition to this method as it could not improve the communicative competence of the students
and improve their language skills as expected. So the Direct Method was introduced in 1900 as
an alternative for teaching a foreign language or a second language. The direct method aims at
establishing the direct bond between thought and expression and experience and language. The
main objective of this method is to develop communicative competence among the students. In
this method, teachers implement natural language learning principles for the students or learners.
In fact, the method gets its name from the fact that meaning is conveyed directly in the target
language through the use of demonstration and visual aids as opposed to analytical procedures
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that focus on explanation of grammar rules in classroom teaching. Here the students are
encouraged to think and respond in the target language and the grammar is taught inductively.
Speaking and listening skills are mainly focused whereas reading and writing skills are
neglected. The syllabus is based on situations or topics rather than linguistic structures. It is
considered the first method which introduces the teaching of vocabulary through realia. Even
though it is a natural method of learning a foreign language, it becomes hard for public schools
to integrate this method. According to Brown (1994: 56), “it did not take well in public education
where constraints of budget, classroom size, time and teachers’ background made such a method
difficult to use”. So it paved the way to Audio-Lingual Method.
The theory of language learning underlying audio-lingual method is based on behaviorism which
is proposed by B. F. Skinner, a famous American psychologist. It was developed during the
World War II at the University of Michigan, USA. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Audio-Lingual
Method was widely used in teaching a foreign language and second language. This method is
also known as Aural Oral approach. It emphasizes the acquisition of structures and patterns in
daily conversations. Audio-visual aids are used to make teaching vocabulary effective and the
main focus is on pronunciation and intonation patterns. Teachers use tapes, pictures and
language labs in teaching a foreign language while implementing this method. Here the
grammatical explanations are minimized and grammar is taught inductively. Drills are used to
teach structural patterns in this method. According to Richards and Rodgers (1986), “The
teaching of the oral skills with accurate pronunciation, grammar and the ability to respond
quickly and accurately is the main objective of audio-lingual method. Reading and writing skills
may be taught but they are dependent on oral skills”. Even though it has some disadvantages, it
is still in use today in English language teaching where the emphasis is on listening and speaking
skills.
Due to a huge demand for language learning and the disadvantages of the grammar-translation
method and audio-lingual methods of language teaching, there was a need for a new approach or
method which was useful for teachers in teaching English language and yielding the desired
results. Then this Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) was introduced in 1970s and
1980s and became prominent in English Language Teaching. It is also referred to as
Communicative Approach. This concept mainly emphasizes that active learning is more
effective than passive learning. CLT develops communicative competence among the students.
According to the notable authors Michael Canale and Swain (1980), communicative competence
is defined in terms of three components: grammatical competence, socio-linguistic competence
and strategic competence. Language learners learn and practice the target language by interacting
with each other in classroom activities. Here learners converse with partners about their personal
experiences and instructors teach topics outside the realm of traditional grammar in order to
promote language skills in any situation. In this approach, the teacher plays the role of a
facilitator who does not use a textbook in teaching English language but he develops listening
and speaking skills prior to reading and writing. Here learners are encouraged to incorporate
their personal experiences into their language learning environment. This method promotes
fluency, collaboration and comfort.
In this approach, the teacher introduces various activities in English language classrooms such as
role-plays, interviews, language exchanges, language games, learning by teaching, presentations,
group-work, and opinion sharing. There are advantages and disadvantages of this approach. As it

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is a learner-centered approach, it enables students to engage in one-to-one conversations, group
discussions and presentations. Moreover, they express their ideas, feelings and thought in the
target language. Students can identify their own mistakes and correct them in learning process.
There are disadvantages too. In CLT approach, listening and speaking skills are mainly focused
rather than reading and writing. English texts are ignored almost. A large amount of confusing
vocabulary is used. However, in this fast growing commercial and technological world, English
is widely used for communication purposes. So this approach is considered the best one in ELT
to develop communicative competence among the learners.
There are some more methods and approaches in ELT followed by language teachers apart from
the methods and approaches discussed above. They are: Silent Way, Suggest opaedia, the
Lexical Method, Cognitive Approach, Task-Based Language learning, etc.
In Silent Way, the teacher speaks as little as possible and students have to discover the language
themselves. The teacher facilitates the learning rather than asking the students to remember and
repeat the content that has been taught. Through this method, the importance is given to
discovery and creation which induces learning rather than memorizing and repetition of the
subject. This method seems to be unnatural for many language teachers to apply it in teaching.
There is another method called Suggestopaedia which makes the students confident,
comfortable and relaxed in order to make the learning more effective. Here the teacher and the
students maintain parent-child relationship. A Suggestopaedia lesson has three main parts,
namely: recapitulation of the lesson that has been taught previously, presentation and discussion
of the new lesson.
The Lexical Approach emphasizes that words and phrases are building blocks for language
acquisition rather than grammatical structures. The main idea of this approach is to teach real
English that shifts away from the language found in English textbooks.
The Cognitive Approach opposes behaviorism because it deals with mental process like
memory and problem solving whereas behaviorism ignores mental processes. This theory
develops conscious and reasonable thinking process among the learners in the process of second
language acquisition. Cognitive strategies help the learners to learn and use the language
successfully. These strategies include repetition, organizing a new language, extracting the
meaning from context and using imagery for memorization. In cognitive approach, the teachers
implement various activities in the classroom such as visualization, association, making mind
maps, mnemonics, using clues in reading comprehension, understanding key words, scanning,
self-testing and monitoring. Here the teacher encourages the learners think about their cognitive
style whereas the instructions are individualized.
In Task-Based Language Learning, the focus is more on a task rather than the language. Here
the students are given a task and the teacher remains as a facilitator and provides some language
study to clarify their doubts and problems while the students are performing the task. Here the
language lessons are purely based on the learners’ learning experiences that have nonlinguistic
outcomes.
So far, the language teachers have used various methods, approaches and techniques and still
they are using the same methods and approaches, but they may not be able to teach the language
effectively by using a single method, approach or technique. This leads to search for a single or

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unifying approach that integrates all methods, approaches and techniques and applies them based
on the context for the learners to learn a foreign language or a second language more effectively.
The Eclectic Approach proves to be a unifying approach that makes language learning flexible
and adaptable.
The Eclectic Approach
Due to the communication revolution in this unprecedented globalization scenario, there is a
need for everyone across the world to adopt and learn a global language to communicate with
other states, regions and countries. English has attained the global status in this modern world
and it is widely used around the world. Moreover, English is taught as a foreign language and
second language in schools, colleges and universities around the world. In ELT, teachers have
adopted so many methods, approaches and techniques but they have succeeded to some extent in
training the students to develop their communication skills in English. In this context, there
should be a unique approach that can integrate all the existing methods, approaches and
techniques in making English language learning more flexible for students or learners who come
from different cultures and backgrounds. Finally, the Eclectic Approach has been advocated in
ELT.
The main purpose here is to create a new method made of all the various methods already existed
and incorporated in ELT taking the advantages of each method, approach and technique. In fact,
the main idea is to use all the available methods, approaches and techniques in a varying
proportion depending on the classroom circumstances. The Eclectic Approach is the one that
integrates all the language-teaching methods depending on the classroom circumstances and the
abilities of the learners.
The Eclectic Approach was advocated as almost all the individual methods had their strengths
and weaknesses and not even a single method was responsible to the real and dynamic classroom
context. Taking the drawbacks of the various methods into consideration, Brown (2002) argues
that eclecticism finds the right solution as this approach permits the teacher to select what works
well in their classrooms within their own dynamic contexts. Even Gilliland, James and Bowman
(1994) declared that the justification to adopt the Eclectic Approach lies in the single method or
approach because a single method or approach has a narrow theoretical basis and has a fixed set
of activities and hence it is inflexible.
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidity to a single paradigm or a set of
assumptions but draws upon multiple theories, styles or ideas to gain complementary insights
into a subject or applies different theories in particular cases. “Eclecticism is defined as a type of
methodology that makes use of the different language learning approaches instead of sticking to
one standard approach” (A L Hamash, 1985:22).
According to Weidman (2001:2), “The Eclectic Approach has been widely accepted in English
classrooms that many good teachers today use it proudly as a tag to describe to their teaching,
wearing it almost like a badge of honour”. Kumar (2013) supports the Eclectic Approach and
declares, “The purpose of advocating eclectic method is to connect life experiences to the ideas
presented in learning of the language. The types of learning activities teachers select are often
directly related to their experiences in the real world.” Brumfit (1984) emphasized that
eclecticism was a right approach for language teaching and he further commented on language
learning, “Language learning program should provide a balance of activities such as accuracy
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and fluency. Accuracy focuses on form and fluency on exchanging meaning, accomplishing
tasks and reaching outcomes.” Thus, many teaching experts have supported the Eclectic
Approach for teaching languages, particularly ELT.
The multiple line of Eclectic Approach embodies the principle that gives the opportunity to
choose judiciously and helps the teachers in their work. Eclecticists seek the balanced
development of all four skills at all stages while emphasizing the early development of aural-oral
skills. An eclectic teacher has to be imaginative, energetic and willing to experiment for the
purpose of keeping lessons varied and interesting.
Salient features of the Eclectic Approach
The Eclectic Approach is regarded as one of the best approaches in ELT. Teachers will be
successful in teaching if they implement this approach in English language classrooms. Let us
examine the salient features of Eclectic Approach.
 Eclectic Approach (EA) makes teaching innovative and enjoyable. The learning objectives
are easily achieved.
 The learner participates in a lesson actively and interacts with teacher and other students.
 EA brings capabilities among the students and caters for individual needs.
 The EA makes the teaching of English practical as it facilitates retention and build
confidence in language learners.
 This approach enables teachers attain the objectives of learning easily as the learners
understand the concepts and acquire knowledge because learning becomes fun and
innovative.
 It further strengthens effective learning of English as more information of knowledge is
retained for a long time that enables learners to speak fluently and perform grammatically.
 It breaks boredom and creates a room for acquiring more concepts.
 Depending on the aims and objectives of the lesson and the learners in the group, the teacher
decides what methodology or approach to use.
 It is a problem-based approach to teaching languages that solves the problems faced by the
learners in the classroom.
 Testing is a part of this method and not a separate entity.
 Teachers can attain good results without much pressure on the learner.
 Learners can have a clear vision what they are learning.
 The features of this method include multiple tasks, lively learning, high interaction, objective
correlative and fast results.
 This approach connects life experiences to the ideas presented in learning the language.
 This approach is very popular now-a-days because the learners are heterogeneous and
versatile level intelligent in the classroom.
 EA supports natural order of learning, first listening, followed by speech and then reading
and writing.
 This approach gives equal importance to the four language skills, i.e., listening, speaking,
reading and writing.
 The students should be active learners instead of being mere recipients of information.

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 Teacher should act as facilitators and provide opportunities for students to express their
ideas, without any fear, in English.
 Activities and resources should be adapted as much as possible to use English in natural
contexts.
 Various activities are introduced in the English classroom by using the innovative technology
available.
 There is flexibility for teachers to choose any method or approach that suitable for teaching
inside the classroom.
 EA saves both time and effort in the presentation of language activities.
 The teacher introduces exercises of guided discovery for new grammar rules.
 The teacher proposes a variety of exercises, both written and oral, in order to improve the
learners’ communicative abilities with accuracy and fluency.
 EA focuses on motivation and learner autonomy, selecting techniques based on the learner
and context.
 The Eclectic Approach is the juxtaposition of both the inductive and deductive strategy to
teaching languages.
 The concept of the Eclectic Approach is that learners learn not only from teachers but also
from fellow learners by working together or as a group.
Thus, the salient features of Eclectic Approach are discussed thoroughly and in a
comprehensive way. There are more advantages than disadvantages of the Eclectic
Approach.
The Eclectic Approach in Language Teaching
The Eclectic Approach is a useful one in teaching languages in a comprehensive way because it
integrates all methods, approaches and techniques and applies certain method, approach or
technique which is suitable to the classroom environment. In ELT also, the Eclectic Approach is
being used by the language teachers and it has been successful in achieving the objectives in EL
classrooms. Let us examine how teachers use this Eclectic Approach in teaching grammar,
vocabulary, and language skills.
Grammar is considered as the most important component of a language and without grammar
vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed in a language. A language can be spoken or written
accurately by using grammatical rules properly. Grammar is nothing but a set of rules used in
making sentences and arranging phrases and clauses in order for framing sentences reasonably
and meaningfully. Eclectic Approach can be used in teaching grammar; particularly in
combining sentences, separating sentences, identifying pronouns and their antecedents, words
and their synonyms and prepositional phrases, focusing on specific features of the language
pertinent to learners’ contextual needs.
Here a question is raised about the grammar lessons and how they are presented using the
Eclectic Approach in the classroom. The grammar lessons used in this Eclectic Approach must
be entertaining and educative. In this approach, the language teaching tends to be informative
and learner-centered. While teaching grammar, this approach revolves round a communicative
and interactive methodology. In the teaching of grammar, this Eclectic Approach focuses on the
four language skills, viz., listening, speaking, reading and writing. Lott (2005) emphasized that

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teaching of grammar is a way of expediting the learning process by enabling the students to
generate grammatical sentences in English by the application of a set of rules. So the Eclectic
Approach is a useful approach in teaching the grammar of English by implementing certain
techniques and methods.
Vocabulary is one of the vital elements of language and plays a dominant role in communication
whether it is spoken or written. In fact, the quality of one’s language skills obviously depends
upon the quality of its vocabulary. The teachers of English language pay attention to vocabulary
and make the students learn the vocabulary in a systematic way and understand the contextual
meaning. An English teacher follows three important guidelines in teaching vocabulary. Firstly,
he tries to make the students understand the vocabulary in context. Secondly, he tries to manage
the translating technique and thirdly, he develops a strategy among the students to guess or
extract the meaning of words. By using the Eclectic Approach, the teachers of English language
follow these guidelines in teaching vocabulary effectively. In the words of Horn by (1994:1425),
“Vocabulary is total number of words that make up a language, list of words with their
meanings, especially one which accompanies a text book in foreign language, vocabulary is also
called lexicon, glossary or list of words. While stressing the importance of Vocabulary, Brown,
(1994:365) says, “Vocabulary is seen in its role in contextualized, meaningful language.” Here
we can understand how important vocabulary is for a language.
The skills of listening and speaking are integrated by teachers while teaching English grammar
by using Eclectic Approach. In the listening and speaking activities, the teachers focus on the
speaking abilities of students by teaching important grammatical aspects such as parts of speech,
voice, sequencing of words, concord, comprehension of sentences and sequential order of
thought in speech as well as the ability to interpret and make a critical evaluation in the course of
listening.
ELT focuses on discourse-based approach rather than sentence-based activities. Teaching of
reading skill is done by teachers effectively by implementing Eclectic Approach in their English
classrooms. In reading tasks, students are divided into groups and each group is expected to get a
common answer to the assigned task. Here the students exchange their ideas regarding the
context with others and transform the sentences. In this discourse-based approached, students are
motivated to do the reading tasks in groups.
With the tremendous expansion and growing interest in learning English writing, teachers and
researchers have tried to develop an approach that caters to the needs of contemporary English
learners. The teaching of writing is based on the idea of giving information to the learners about
the grammar and the structures of the language through various exercises. Pluralism associated
with the idea of eclecticism gives freedom to select teaching methodologies that cohere with
specific learning needs and embolden the learners to communicate through their learning
abilities. Howard (2001) argued that the Eclectic Approach in teaching writing composition
holds a particular fascination for learners. It enhances small group discussion and peer response
in which students individually draft an assigned paper and then classmates respond, making
suggestions for improvement.” This is also called collaborative pedagogy, a part of Eclectic
Approach. The teaching of English writing can be effective and functional if the social, creative
and cognitive aspects of language learning are understood properly. It involves a variety of
selected teaching approaches. Then only the teaching of writing achieves its underlying goal.

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Advantages of Eclectic Approach
Changes are inevitable in any field and teaching is not an exception. As there is a saying,
"Novelty is the spice of life", every human being wants changes and he tries to find solutions and
make changes in his field of work. It is the same in the case of English language teaching-and
learning process. The language learners always want to learn the language in a novel way,
something like innovative and exciting. For this purpose, the language teachers make use of the
advantages of different methods, approaches and techniques and make the learners learn the
language in a congenial and friendly atmosphere. The advantages of Eclectic Approach have
been thoroughly analyzed and they are given below:
 This is a broad approach which includes all kinds of learning activities and gives relief to
learners from monotony.
 Eclecticism involves a variety of learning activities motivated by different underlying
assumptions.
 It ensures constant reflection and renewal of the teacher.
 It creates a good learning environment in which the student-student relationship is improved.
 With the Eclectic Approach, it is easier and more possible for the learners to understand the
language of text with the context of culture.
 It facilitates the achievement of objectives.
 It provides the perfect opportunity for intensive role-playing and “real world” game
activities.
 Eclectic method of learning is an integral part of the total learning process.
 It blends the practice of listening, speaking, reading and writing into an organic whole.
 It recommends that any method or approach can be used based on the level of the students.
 The Eclectic Approach enables teachers to choose any teaching technique which is suitable
to reach the aims of the lesson.
 The teaching-learning process becomes easier and rewarding.
 The Eclectic Approach has the potential of keeping the language teachers open to
alternatives.
 Teaching of English language is made easy by creating realistic situations in the classroom
through Eclectic Approach.

Though it is considered the best approach in ELT and other subjects, the Eclectic Approach has
disadvantages too. The following are the disadvantages of the Eclectic Approach:

 If this Eclectic Approach has adopted as a safe strategy that protects one against ideological
undercurrents in language teaching methods, it does not allow teachers to reconsider their
professional practices. It means the Eclectic Approach discourages the teachers to reflect
upon their teaching.
 This approach is criticized severely because it offers no guidance regarding the principles by
which various methods and techniques can be opted and used.
 Reliance upon a single theory of teaching in eclecticism is criticized because the use of a
limited number of techniques can become mechanic. As a result, the students cannot get

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benefits of learning because the use of eclecticism is due to the fact that there are strengths
and weaknesses of single-theory based methods.
 It is difficult for teachers to select the appropriate aspect for a specific session and it
generates some uncertainty in teachers.
After thorough study and analysis, it is understood that the Eclectic Approach has more
advantages than disadvantages. So it can be adopted by teachers to yield or achieve the desired
results. In fact, it has been criticized by language experts but this approach has been widely
accepted and used by teachers to create a dynamic environment in the classroom. Moreover, it is
being used widely now-a-days.
CONCLUSION
The language teachers should use diverse methods as no single method, approach or technique
caters to the students. In teaching vocabulary, grammar and language skills, the teachers should
follow a unifying approach that integrates all methods, approaches and techniques. Undoubtedly,
the Eclectic Approach serves the purpose and encourages the students to learn the language
systematically.
Through the Eclectic Approach, the teaching of grammar is effective, enjoyable and rewarding in
such a way that the students benefit more from it and also try an intuitive understanding of the
English language which enables them to use the language spontaneously. It has been discussed in
this research paper thoroughly.
As vocabulary is the lifeline for a language, the language teachers adopt certain methods,
approaches and techniques in teaching vocabulary. Sometimes, the students find it boring and
monotonous with a single method, approach or technique. I this context, the Eclectic Approach is
more suitable for them as it blends all the methods, approaches and techniques in order to make
vocabulary learning pleasant and interesting. It has been focused meaningfully above.
It is very important for a teacher to teach each language skill within the real context or situation.
If teachers apply a single method or approach in a controlled way, it may lead the students to
confusion and errors. The students may make some errors in their sentences while speaking and
writing. To correct their errors and guide them properly, the teachers have to adhere to a single
and unified approach which encourages the teachers to utilize all the available methods,
approaches and techniques. As the Eclectic Approach has all these merits, the language teachers
can improve students’ language skills by implementing this approach in their classrooms
effectively. Thus, it has been discussed comprehensively in this paper.
There are certain points to be focused by teachers while implementing Eclectic Approach in
language classrooms, particularly in ELT. To implement this approach successfully in the
classroom, the teachers should be thorough with all the available methods, approaches and
techniques as it is the main principle of the Eclectic Approach.
In this research paper, we have discussed comprehensively the salient features of the Eclectic
Approach, the advantages and disadvantages and the effective implementation of this approach
in English classrooms. Still there is a scope for language teachers, educationalists and
researchers to continue their research on Eclectic Approach innovatively by collecting samples
from various schools, colleges and universities around the world.

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