BRET

Modern methods in Language

Teaching
Approaches used
• Communicative Approach
• Lexical Approach
• Task Based Approach
• Blended learning Approach
Methods used
• PPP (Presentation, Practice,
Production)
• Total Physical Response
• Guided Discovery
• Test – Teach – Test
Communicative Approach
• Meaningful and authentic language
use (often information gap)
• Learners interact with each other
(pair and group work, mingles)
• Emphasis on completing task
• Teacher provides feedback
Communicative Approach:
example
• Talk to different people and find out:
Name, Job, one interest
• There’s an info gap here. You talked
to different people.
Lexical Approach
• Which do you think is more important—advancing vocabulary or
teaching grammar?

• Language isn’t divided into grammar and

vocabulary. It consists of ‘chunks’.
• More attention to: lexis, listening and
reading, L1/L2 comparisons
• Less attention to: sentence grammar,
talking in L2 for sake of it
Lexical Approach: example
• Read the text:
I get up at 7am. I wash my face and
then get dressed. After that I have
breakfast and read the newspaper.

• Find word partnerships in the text.

Task Based Approach
• Focuses on students doing a task –
fluency based
• Students use language for a
particular outcome
• Real life language, meaning is
important
• Students generate language
• Get feedback (for accuracy)
Task Based Approach: example
• (see Cutting Edge Int p12-13)
• Lead-in: listening or reading which uses
possible language students could use in the
task
• Students are given task. Teacher
supports.
• Students do task
• Students report back to class
• Language feedback
Blended Learning Approach
• Two facets to learning programme:
1. Face-to-face with teacher
2. Computer-based programme
• The two facets support each other
PPP
• Presentation: language is presented in some
way in context (situation, dialogue,
reading..) and teacher shows form and
meaning
• Practice: students produce the language
through controlled exercises
• Production: freer practice of the language
presented.
• Useful for introducing language at lower
levels or for language you think will be new
PPP: example
PPP: example (continued)
• Andy didn’t take any of these things with him
• What do you think of Andy?
• Elicit ideas
• “He should have taken a map”.
• Elicit more examples
• Controlled practice – gap fill
• Freer practice – Andy talking with rescue team
Total Physical Response
• Students are exposed to language
before they are expected to produce
it.
• Students learn language through
listening and responding
• Limited - useful for ‘action’ verbs
TPR: example
• Teacher asks students to put objects in
different places to teach/reinforce
Prepositions of Place
Guided Discovery
• Students are exposed to language
through a reading or listening text
• Students answer questions about the
text which lead them to ‘discover’ the
rules of the language
• Good for higher levels
Guided Dicovery: example
• (see Cutting Edge Int p18)
• Lead-in: to get students interested
• Students listen to song and fill in
gaps
• Students answer the questions about
the grammar
• Follow up practice
Test – Teach - Test
• Test: Students are given an
exercise/activity in which they could
produce the TL structure
• Teacher monitors and listens
• Teach: Teacher ‘teaches’ as
necessary
• Test: Students are given another
exercise/activity
Test – Teach – Test: example
An Eclectic Approach
• Most teachers use a combination of
approaches and methods
• Why? To create variety and interest
in the learning programme and to
tailor the programme for the
students.
• How to decide? Level, students’
interests, lesson aim, learning styles