Language Teaching Methods

BY: PIR SUHAIL AHMED SARHANDI

P.S. Questions are encouraged without being documented!
Terminology
Approach
Correlative assumptions dealing with the nature of language teaching and
learning.

Method
An overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material.

Technique
It is a particular trick, stratagem, or contrivance used to accommodate an
immediate objective.
Richards & Rodgers (1999:15)
 Why do teachers need to know about
methods?
• To be aware of thinking that underlies actions
• To make choices to teach differently
• To be connected with the teaching practices globally
• To challenge how teaching leads to learning
• To expand repertoire of techniques.

Larsen-Freeman (2003:ix-xi)
Language Teaching Methods
 The Grammar Translation Method
 The Direct Method
 The Audiolingual Method
 Communicative Language Learning
The Communicative Approach
Points of focus
Teacher’s role Role of L1
Students’ role Evaluation
Interactions Goals and objectives
Vocabulary teaching Error correction
Grammar teaching Techniques
Materials Skills
Syllabus
The Grammar Translation Method (GTM)
• Teacher’s role: authority
• Students’ role: passive receivers
• Interactions: teacher-Student
• Vocabulary teaching: memorization of long lists of vocabulary with their synonyms in L1
• Grammar teaching: deductive
• Materials: texts from L2 literature
• Syllabus: structural syllabus
• Role of L1: teaching vocabulary and grammar. Classroom instruction in L1
• Evaluation: translation technique to test progress.
• Goals and objectives: teach translation, read and understand literary texts in L2
• Error correction: zero tolerance
• Techniques: translation of literary passage, reading comprehension questions,
Antonyms/synonyms, deductive application of rule, fill-in-the blanks, memorization, use words in
sentences, composition
• Skills: mainly reading and writing
The Direct Method (DM)
• Teacher’s role: usually directs the interaction but is not dominant
• Students’ role: active participants
• Interactions: teacher-student and student-student
• Vocabulary teaching: pictures and realia
• Grammar teaching: inductive
• Materials: reading passages (for topics), Dialogues and plays (for situations)
• Syllabus: situational and topical syllabuses
• Role of L1: not permitted
• Evaluation: ability to use the language is tested
• Goals and objectives: communicate and think in the L2
• Error correction: students’ self-correction
• Techniques: reading aloud, Q&A exercises, self correction, conversation practice, fill-in-the
blank exercises, dictation (for listening comprehension), and paragraph writing
• Skills: all skills, but emphasis on listening and vocabulary over grammar
The Audiolingual Method (ALM)
• Teacher’s role: orchestra leader
• Students’ role: imitators of the teacher
• Interactions: teacher-students, student-student. Mostly initiated by teacher
• Vocabulary teaching: direct meaning. Vocabulary is introduced through dialogues
• Grammar teaching: acquire rules through exposure to mechanical drills
• Materials: dialogues
• Syllabus: structural syllabus with grammar points and sentence patterns
• Role of L1: not allowed
• Evaluation: discrete-point tests
• Goals and objectives: speak and write in the L2 without stopping to think, form new habits
in the L2
• Error correction: corrected by the teacher
• Techniques: dialogue memorization, complete the dialogue, grammar games, mechanical
drills
• Skills: listening and speaking are emphasized. Natural order of skills, L, S, R, W
Communicative Language Learning (CLL)
• Teacher’s role: counsellor
• Students’ role: dependent on the teacher, with time students become more independent.
• Interactions: student-student, teacher-student.
• Vocabulary teaching: literal L1 equivalents are given to make meaning clear.
• Grammar teaching: large chunks are analyzed by means of equivalents in L1.
• Materials: depends on students’ needs. Textbook is not necessary.
• Syllabus: according to students’ communicative needs
• Role of L1: initially L1 is used for instructions and vocabulary and later L2 is used with
advanced students.
• Evaluation: teacher-made classroom integrated skills test.
• Goals and objectives: Use L2 communicatively
• Error correction: corrected indirect way (repeat correct form)
• Techniques: reflection on experience, reflective listening (recording), small group tasks.
• Skills: most important skills are listening comprehension and speaking, reading and writing
follows them.
 The Communicative Approach (CA)
• Teacher’s role: facilitator
• Students’ role: communicators (responsible for their own learning)
• Interactions: student-student, teacher-student (rarely).
• Vocabulary teaching: contextualized; conveyed through visual aids, real objects, models, and context.
• Grammar teaching: function (explicit) and form (implicit).
• Materials: authentic material.
• Syllabus: usually functional-notional syllabus.
• Role of L1: no particular role, L2 is mostly used.
• Evaluation: accuracy and fluency, communicative integrated tests with real communicative function.
• Goals and objectives: communicative competency.
• Error correction: tolerance for errors as natural outcome.
• Techniques: scrambled sentences, language games, picture strip story, role play, information gap.
• Skills: language functions are emphasized over forms, L2 is taught at discourse level, all four skills are learnt
from the beginning.
Bibliography
 Celce-Murcia, M. (1991). Language Teaching Approaches. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching

English as a Second or Foreign Language. (pp.3-10). Boston, Massachusetts: Heinle & Heinle.

 Brown, D. H. (1987). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New Jersey: Printice Hall

Regents.

 Larsen-Freeman, D. (2003). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. Hong Kong: Oxford

University Press.

 Richards, J. C. & Rodgers, T. S. (1999). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: A

description and analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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