THE PRESENT: AN_INFORMED “APPROACH” ___ ‘The “methodical” history of the previous chapter, even with our brief look at Notional-Functional Syllabuses, does not quite bring us up to the present. By the end of the 1980s, the profession had learned some profound lessons from our past wanderings. We had learned to be cautiously eclectic in making enlightened choices of teaching practices that were solidly grounded in the best of what we knew about second language learning and teaching. We had amassed enough research on learning and teaching that we could indeed formulate an integrated approach to language-teaching practices. And, perhaps ironically, the methods that were such strong signposts of our century-old journey were no longer of great con- sequence in marking our progress. How did that happen? In the 1970s and early 1980s, there was a good deal of hoopla about the “designer” methods described in the previous chapter. Even though they weren't widely adopted as standard methods, they were nevertheless symbolic of a profes: sion at least partially caught up in a mad scramble to invent a new method when the very concept of “method” was eroding under our feet. We didn’t need a new method. We needed, instead, to get on with the business of unifying our approach to language teaching and of designing effective tasks and techniques that were informed by that approach ‘And so, today those clearly identifiable and enterprising methods are an inter- esting if not insightful contribution to our professional repertoire, but few practi- tioners look to any one of them, or their predecessors, for a final answer on how to teach a foreign language (Kumaravadivelu 1994, 1995). Method, as a unified, cohe- sive, finite set of design features, is now given only minor attention." The profession has at last reached the point of maturity where we recognize that the diversity of —_— "While we may have outgrown our need to search for such definable methods, nevertheless, the term “methodology” continues to be used, as it would in any other behavioral science, to refer to the systematic application of validated principles to practical contexts. You need not therefore subscribe to a particular Method (with a capital M) in order to engage in a“methodology’ 3940 cuprer 3 The Present: An Informed “Approach” language learners in multiple worldwide contexts demands an eclectic blend of tasks, each tailored for a particular group of learners in a particular place, studying for particular purposes in a given Tanount of time, David Nunan (1991 228) sums it up nicely: “It has been realized that ‘here never was and probably never will Pe ‘a method for all,and the focus in recent Years Ihas been on the development of class room tasks and activities which are consonant with what we know about second language acquisition, and which are algo in keeping with the dynamics of the class: room itself” AN ENLIGHTENED, ECLECTIC APPROACH tt should be clear from the foregoing that 28 enlightened, eclectic” teacher, you think in terms of a number of possible methodological options at your disposal for tailoring classes to particular contexts. ‘Your approach, of rationale for langucBe Tearning and teaching, therefore takes on great importance. Your approach includes a number of basic principles of learning nnd teaching (such as those that will be elaborated on in the next chapter) on which you can rely for designing and evalu: ating classroom lessons. Your approach to language-teaching methodology is a the- oretically well informed global vederstanding of the process of learning and teaching. Itis inspired by the interconnection ofall your reading and observing and discussing and teaching, and that inrerconnection underlies everything that You do in the classroom. ‘Bat your approach to language pedagogy is not just a set of static principles get in stone” It is, in fact, a dynamic composite of energies within you that change (or should change, if you are a growing teacher) with your experiences in Your OWT Jearning and teaching. The way you understand the Ianguageiearning process qwhat makes for successful and unsucc eful iearning—may be relatively stable across months or years, but don’t ever feel too smug, ‘There is far too much that We do not know collectively about this process, ‘and there are far too many new cesearch findings pouring in, t0 allow You fo ‘asgume that you can confidently assert that you know everything you already need to know about language and language learning. “The interaction between your approach. and your classroom practice is the key to dynamic teaching, ‘The best veachers always take a few calculated risks the Gaseroom, trying new activities here and there. ‘The inspiration for such innovation comes from the approach level, but the feedback that these teachers gather from setual implementation then informs their overall understanding of what earning, and teaching is. Which, in turn, may give Fise £0 & new insight and more innovative possibilities, and the cycle continues If you have little or no experience in teaching and are perhaps now ina teache! education program, you may feel you cannot Yet describe your own approach to fal guage learning and teaching, On the other hand, you might just surprise yourself at‘CHAPTER 3 The Present: An Informed “Approach” 41 the intuitions you already have about the foundations of teaching. Look at the fok lowing selected list of potential choices you have in designing a lesson. On the basis of what you know so far about second language acquisition and the pedagog- ical process, think about (a) which side of a continuum of possibilities you would generally lean toward, (b) why you would lean that way, and, most important, (c) what contextual variables might influence a change away from your general incli- nation. For example, the first item below asks you to choose between “meaning” and “grammar” for a focus. While you might lean toward meaning because you know that too much focus on form could detract from communicative acquisition, certain classroom objectives and tasks might demand a focus on grammar. Here is the list: 1. Language classes should focus on a. meaning b. grammar 2. Students learn best by using plenty of a. analysis b. intuition 3. It is better for a student to a. think directly in the 12 b. use translation from LI 4. Language learners need a. immediate rewards b. longterm rewards 5. With new language learners, teachers need to be a. tough and demanding b. gentle and empathetic 6. A teacher's feedback to the student should be given a. frequently b. infrequently, so Ss will develop autonomy 7. A communicative class should give special attention to a. accuracy b. fluency pe Were you able to respond to these items? If you could choose an (a) or (b) for © ich, it indicates that you do indeed have some intuitions about teaching, and pes lips the beginnings of an approach. Your approach is guided by a number of fac- _ tors: your own experience as a learner in classrooms, whatever teaching experience You may already have had, classroom observations you have made, books you have : nd previous courses in the field. But more important, if you found that in Almost every choice you wanted to add something like “but it depends on ll are on the way toward developing an enlightened approach to language leitening and teaching. Our approaches to language teaching must always be