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Postmethod Condition
Teachers and researchers realize that no single research finding and no single method of language
teaching would bring total success in teaching a second language especially as it was seen that certain
learners seemed to be successful regardless of methods or techniques of teaching. This newer
understanding in foreign language teaching methodology has been described as the postmethod
condition because of a set of newer beliefs and assumptions surrounding foreign language teaching
practices. The postmethod condition is characterized by leaving methods-only arguments to find
effective strategies to teach in the most appropriate and effective way while considering the
practitioners views and roles in preparing and teaching language materials. Hence, instead of looking
for which language teaching method is the best to follow, the language teacher must find the most
effective strategies and techniques to enrich her or his teaching collection.
THE LIMITS OF METHOD: meaning, myth and death of method.
Meaning:
Method is a scholar's view through teaching on the basis of his own understanding of language
teaching and language learning. Method is a construct; Method is classroom activities;
Methodology is what teacher does in classroom to achieve effective learning. Methodology is a
conduct.
The concept of method has little theoretical validity and even less practical utility. Its meaning is
ambiguous, and its claim dubious.
Myth:
The established methods maintained by multiple myths that have long been accepted. These myths
have created an inflated image of the concept of method.
Myth #1: There is a best method out there ready and waiting to be discovered.
Myth #2: Method constitutes the organizing principle for language teaching.
Myth #3: Method has a universal and ahistorical value.
Myth #4: Theorists conceive knowledge, and teachers consume knowledge.
Myth #5: Method is neutral, and has no ideological motivation.



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Death of method:
Allwright explains the relative unhelpfulness of the method concept by listing six reasons.
1- It is built on differences where similarities may be more important
2- it simplifies, unhelpfully, a highly complex set of issues
3- it diverts energies from potentially more productive concerns
4- it breeds a brand loyalty which is dubious to be helpful to the profession
5- it breeds complacency (self-satisfaction)
6- it offers a cheap, externally derived sense of coherence for language teachers which may
itself inhibit the development of a personally expensive internally derived sense of coherence.
THE LOGIC OF POSTMETHOD
The postmethod condition is a sustainable state of affairs that forces us to fundamentally restructure
our view of language teaching and teacher education. In short, it demands that we seriously consider
the essentials of a coherent postmethod pedagogy. I present below the essentials of postmethod
pedagogy in terms of pedagogic parameters and pedagogic indicators.
Pedagogic parameters:
1- The Parameter of Particularity. 2. The Parameter of Practicality 3. The Parameter of possibility
the three pedagogic parameters constitute the conceptual foundation for a postmethod
pedagogy
Particularity ( ), practicality ( ), possibility .
1- The Parameter of Particularity: is the most important parameter and relates to the
advancement of a context-sensitive pedagogy based on a true understanding of local linguistic,
sociocultural, and political particularities.
2- The Parameter of Practicality seeks to enable and encourage teachers to theorize from their
practice and practice what they theorize.
3- The Parameter of possibility emphasizes the importance of larger social, political, educational,
and institutional forces that shape identity formation and social transformation.
Pedagogic Indicators:
Those functions and features that governing postmethod pedagogy and reflect the role played by key
participants in the L2 learning and teaching. They indicate the degree to which shared decision making
by postmethod learners, teachers, and teacher educators is incorporated into the planning and
implementation of classroom aims and activities.

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1- The Postmethod Learner:
Postmethod pedagogy allows learners a role in pedagogic decision making by treating them as active
and autonomous players. Postmethod pedagogy takes into account two views of learner autonomy, a
narrow view and a broad view.
The narrow view seeks to develop in the learner a capacity to learn to learn. It stands for academic
autonomy.
The broad view goes beyond that to include a capacity to learn to liberate as well. It stands for
liberatory autonomy.
If academic autonomy enables learners to be effective learners, liberatory autonomy empowers them
to be critical thinkers.
Generally, learning to learn means learning to use appropriate strategies to realize desired learning
objectives. As Kumaravadivelu stated learners can gain some of these opportunities by:
1- Identifying their learning strategies and styles
2- stretching their strategies and styles
3- reaching out for additional language reception or production beyond what they get in the
classroom
4- collaborating with other learners
5- Taking advantage of communicating with competent speakers.
Meaningful liberatory autonomy can be promoted in the language classroom by,
1- Encouraging learners to assume, the role of mini-ethnographers
2- asking them to reflect on their developing identities by writing diaries or journal
3- helping them in the formation of learning communities
4- Providing opportunities to explore the unlimited possibilities offered by internet
Taken together, what the two types of autonomy promise is the development of overall academic
ability, intellectual competence, social consciousness, and mental attitude necessary for learners to
benefit opportunities, and overcome challenges both in and outside the classroom.
2- The postmethod teacher
The postmethod teacher is considered to be an independent teacher. Teacher independence is so
central that it can be seen as the heart of postmethod pedagogy.


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Postmethod pedagogy,
1- recognizes the teachers' prior knowledge
2- recognize their potential to know how to teach and act autonomously
3- promotes the ability of teachers to know how to develop a thoughtful approach of teaching
4- promotes the ability of teachers to know to analyze and evaluate their own teaching acts
5- promotes the ability of teachers to know how to initiate change in their classroom
6- promotes the ability of teachers to know how to monitor the effects of such changes
What postmethod pedagogy assumes is that over time, teachers develop a coherent pedagogic
framework consisting of core principles that are applied across teaching situations and this personal
knowledge will eventually lead them to construct their own theory of practice. In pursuing their
professional self-development, postmethod teachers do teacher research involving the triple
parameters of particularity, practicality, and possibility. Teacher research is initiated and
implemented by them, and is motivated by their own desire to self-explore and self-improve. Most
part of such teacher research is doable if, it is not separated from and is fully integrated with day-to-
day teaching and learning.
3- postmethod teacher educator
The task of the postmethod teacher educator is to create conditions for future teachers to gain
necessary ability and autonomy that enable them form their own pedagogic experiences, and
transform such experiences.
In practical terms, the role of the postmethod teacher educator becomes one of:
1- helping student teachers identify the inequalities built into the current teacher education programs,
which treat teacher educators as producers of knowledge, and practicing teachers as consumers of
knowledge;
2- enabling future teachers to express and share their thoughts and experience,
3- encouraging future teachers to think critically
4- creating conditions for teachers to gain basic classroom-discourse analytical skills
5- redirect part of their own research outline to do empowering research, that is, research on their
student teachers;
6- exposing student teachers to a pedagogy of possibility




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Postmethod Pedagogy
This chapter emphasis on some of the efforts that try to place the basis for the production of
postmethod pedagogies; Here three framework for postmethod pedagogy is considered which all
demonstrate the parameters and indicators of postmethod pedagogy
(a) Stern's three-dimensional framework, (b) All- wright's Exploratory Practice framework, and
(c) Kumaravadivelu's macrostrategic framework
(A) The Three-Dimensional Framework is proposed by Stern (1992).
Sterns strategy concept contains teaching strategies and learning strategies that are based on three
dimensions: (a) the L1-L2 connection, (b) the code-communication dilemma, (c) the explicit-implicit
option. Sterns framework is theory neutral and method neutral.
His framework includes of strategies and techniques.
He uses the term strategy to refer to wide "intentional action" and technique to refer to specific
"practical action. Strategies operate at the policy level, and techniques at the procedural level. He
emphasizes that those strategies "are not simply another term for what used to be called methods.
1) Considering the L1-L2 connection we face with the Intralingual-Crosslingual Dimension:
Intralingual and intracultural refer to those techniques that remain within the target language (L2)
and target culture (C2) as the reference frame of teaching. The intralingual strategy follows the policy
of coordinate bilingualism, where the two language systems are kept completely separate from one
another.
Coordinate Bilingualism: In this type, the person learns the languages in separate environments, and words of the two languages are kept
separate and with each word having its own specific meaning. An instance of this is seen in a Persian child learning English at school.
Crosslingual and crosscultural relate to techniques that use features of the native language (LI) and
native culture (CI) for comparison purposes. The crosslingual strategy believes in compound
bilingualism, where the L2 is acquired and known through the use of LI.
Compound Bilingualism: Here, the person learns the two languages in the same situation where they are used concurrently, so that there
is a merged representation of the languages in the brain. This is the case when a child is brought up by bilingual parents, or those from
two different linguistic backgrounds.
The presence or the absence of translation as a technique marks the criterial feature of interlingual and
crosslingual strategies.

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Arguing that ( ) "the L1-L2 connection is a certain fact of life", Stern offers three reasons
why LI should be allowed to be used in the L2 classroom.
1- When we learn a new language, we always depart from a language we already know.
2- our first language offers a frame of reference system for L2
3- our native language and our native culture "are deeply connected to our personal lives
Although clearly in favor of using LI in the L2 classroom, Stern ask for a cautious balance so that the
learner does not "rely too heavily on LI support.
Stern considers the intralingual-crosslingual strategy as a continuum (connected series) and his
conclusion is that "the emphasis on an intralingual or a crosslingual strategy should be decided:
1- In relation to the goals of the learners, 2-their previous experience in the L2, 3-the context in which
the
progra
mme
takes
place,
4- the
ability
of the
teache
r to
function intralingually or crosslingually.





2) Code-communication dilemma: Analytic-Experiential Dimension.
It is about the role of form and
message, or what Stern calls,
code and communication,
in language teaching. The

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analytic strategy involves explicit focus on the formal properties of language, that is, grammar,
vocabulary, notions and functions whereas the experiential strategy involves message- oriented,
interaction in communicative contexts. Summing up his arguments about the analytic-experiential
dimension, he states that there is "no reason to assume that one strategy alone offers the easy way to
proficiency. Therefore, some kind of combination of these two approaches appears to be the best
policy.




3- The Explicit-Implicit Dimension.
The final strategic dimension concerns the key issue of whether learning an L2 is a conscious
intellectual exercise or an unconscious intuitive one.( ) Stern uses familiar
words, explicit and implicit, to refer to the two strategies. According to Stern, the other four strategies
in the first two dimensions- intralingual/crosslingual, and analytic/experiential- can each be either
explicit or implicit.






In order to support the application of his three-dimensional framework for language teaching, Stern
has developed four kinds of syllabus with a wide range of objectives and options:
1-the language syllabus, deals with all aspects of language as system
2. The communicative activities syllabus, deals with language as discourse in its interactional
orientation
3. Cultural syllabus: is about the relationship between language and culture, and language and society

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4. General language education syllabus. serves to broaden the scope of the L2 curriculum

(B) Exploratory Practice (EP) by Allwright
He explains the term exploratory teaching- it is a matter of trying to find out what makes the tried and
trusted ideas successful. As he mentioned, an important aspect of exploratory teaching is teacher
research. He concerned about finding principled ways to connect the professional theory of the
expert with the personal theory of the teacher, surely, for the benefit of both. So, he presented a set
of suitable criteria and practical possibilities for combining research and pedagogy.
The Principle of Exploratory Practice:
Exploratory Practice is based on a philosophy that is stated in three fundamental tenets ( (
(a) the quality of life in the language classroom is much more important than instructional
efficiency; (b) ensuring our understanding of the quality of classroom life is far more essential
than developing ever "improved" teaching techniques; and (c)understanding such a quality of
life is a social, not an asocial matter ( ) .
Consistent with these philosophical beliefs, Allwright presents the following "principles description" of
EP in what he calls "one convoluted sentence". From this one main sentence, seven general principles
have been derived.
1- Put "quality of life" first.
2- Work primarily to understand language classroom life.
3- Involve everybody.
4- Work to bring people together
5- Work also for mutual development
6- Integrate the work for understanding into classroom practice
7- Make the work a continuous enterprise (Avoid time-limited funding)
People and the roles they play are considered to be "at the heart" of the principles of EP; therefore,
collegiality (the relationship between colleagues) becomes crucial to the pedagogic enterprise.
The Practice of Exploratory Practice
includes a series of straightforward steps as follow:
Step 1: Identifying a puzzle. (Finding something puzzling in a teaching and learning situation).
Step 2: Reflecting upon the puzzle. (Thinking about the puzzle in order understand it )

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Step 3: Monitoring. (It involves paying special attention, to the thing that is puzzling the
teacher)
Step 4: Taking direct action to generate data. (It involves generating additional data,)
Step 5: Considering the outcomes reached so far, and deciding what to do next
Step 6: Moving on,
Step 7: Going public.(It involves, if adequate understanding of the puzzle is reached, and if
found an improved "quality of classroom life" to go public and share the benefit with others,)

The Global and the Local
An important concern Allwright seems to be struggling with is the exact connection between the
principles and the practices of EP. He sees the need for global principles for general guidance, but their
implications need to be worked out for local everyday practice. He sees a cyclical connection between
the two, as represented in what he calls a crude loop diagram:
He believes Local action and local thinking produce practices
potentially adaptable to any context, thereby developing our
thinking about global principles.
(C) The Macrostrategic Framework
Macrostrategies are general plans derived from currently available theoretical, empirical, and
pedagogical knowledge related to L2 learning and teaching.
A macrostrategy is a broad guideline based on which, teachers can generate their own location-
specific, need-based microstrategies or classroom procedures. In other words, macrostrategies are
made operational in the classroom through microstrategies. Macrostrategies are considered theory-
neutral and also method-neutral.
The strategic framework involves 10 macrostrategies that are implied in operational terms. The
macrostrategies are as follow:
1- Maximize learning opportunities;
2- Facilitate negotiated interaction;
3- Minimize perceptual mismatches;
4- Activate intuitive heuristics ( );
5- Foster language awareness;
6- contextualize linguistic input;
7- integrate language skills;
8- Promote learner autonomy;

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9- Ensure social relevance;
10- Raise cultural consciousness
In sum, macrostrategies are guiding principles derived from current theoretical, empirical and
experiential knowledge of L2 learning and teaching.
Along with the pedagogic parameters of particularity, practicality, and possibility they have the
potential to constitute the operating principles for constructing a situation-specific postmethod peda-
gogy.
The macrostrategies provide only the general guiding principles for classroom teaching; they have to
be implemented in the classroom through microstrategies.
Microstrategies are classroom procedures that are designed to recognize the intentions of a particular
macrostrategy. Each macrostrategy can have any number of, and any type of, microstrategies,
depending on the local learning and teaching situation; the possibilities are endless.
However, microstrategies are conditioned and inhibited by the national, regional, or local language
policy and planning, curricular objectives, institutional resources, and a host of other factors that
shape the learning and teaching enterprise in a given context. Most of all, they have to be designed
keeping in mind the learners' needs, wants, and lacks, as well as their current level of language
knowledge/ability.


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