LESSON VI:

APPROACHES, METHODS
AND ACTIVITIES IN
LANGUAGE TEACHING

NINA SARAH OBLIGADO

 THE L ANGUAGE
TEA CHING METHODS
 GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD (FIRST
KNOWN AS CLASSICAL METHOD)

• Grammar Translation Method (first known as

Classical Method) - is a traditional teaching technique
that was used to teach Latin and Greek and was
particularly in vogue in the 16th century. It focuses
on grammatical rules, syntactic, structures, along
with the rote memorization of vocabulary and
translation of literary text.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAMMAR TRANSLATION
METHOD:
• Classes are taught in the mother tongue with the little active use of
the target language.
• Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of words.
• Long elaborate explanations of the grammar given.
• Grammar provides the rules for putting words together and
instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of the words.
• Reading of difficult texts is begun early.
• Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected
sentences from the target language into the mother tongue.
• Little or no attention given to the pronunciation.
This does not enhance students’ communicative ability in a language.
 THE DIRECT METHOD

• The Direct Method – this is premised on the principle

that second language learning should be more like the
first language learning- lots of interaction, spontaneous
use of the language, no translation between first and
second languages and no little or no analysis of
grammatical rules.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF DIRECT METHOD:
• Classroom instruction was conducted exclusively in the target
language.
• Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.
• Oral communication classes were built up in a carefully traded
progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges
between teachers and students in small, intensive classes.
• Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration, objects
and pictures. Abstract vocabulary was taught through association
of ideas.
• Both speech and listening of target language are taught.
• Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.
THE AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD (ALM)
• The Audiolingual Method (ALM) – Like the
direct method, the audio-lingual method advised
that students should be taught a language directly,
without using the students' native language to
explain new words or grammar in the target
language.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF ALM:
• New material is presented in dialog form
• There is dependence on mimicry, memorization of set phrases and
overlearning.
• There is little or no grammatical explanation.
• Vocabulary is strictly limited and learned in context.
• There is much use of tapes, language labs and visual aids.
• Very little use of mother tongue by teachers.
• There is great effort to get students to produce error-free utterances.
Failure of ALM – it didn’t teach long-term communicative proficiency.
Language is not really learned through a process of habit formation
and overlearning.
 THE “DESIGNER” METHOD

• are products of multidisciplinary researches

after ALM waned.
 COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LEARNING (CCL)
THE DESIGNER METHOD

• is a language-teaching
approach in which students
work together to develop
what aspects of a language
they would like to learn. It is
based on the Counselling-
approach in which the
teacher acts as a counselor,
while the learner is seen as a
client and collaborator.
 SUGGESTOPEDIA
T H E D E S I G N E R M ET H O D

• teaching method based on the idea how the

human brain works and how we learn most
effectively. It includes a rich sensory learning, a
positive expectation of success and the use of a
varied range of methods like dramatized texts,
music, active participation in songs and games,
etc.
 THE SILENT WAY
T H E D E S I G N E R M ET H O D

• this method capitalized on discovery

learning.
 LEARNING IS FACILITATED:

• If the learner discovers or creates rather than

remembers and repeats what is to be learned.
• By accompanying physical objects
• By problem solving involving the material to be
learned (Richards and Rodgers, 1986).
 TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE
T H E D E S I G N E R M ET H O D

• Total Physical Response - is a method of teaching

language or vocabulary concepts by using physical
movement to react to verbal input. This method
demands listening and acting. The teacher is the
“director” and the students are the “actors” (Asher
1977).
 THE NATURAL METHOD
• this method aimed at the goal of basic
personal communication skills; everyday
language situations – conversations,
shopping, listening to the radio.
 THIS METHOD INVOLVES THREE
STAGES:
•The Preproduction Stage
•Early Production Stage
•Extending Production
 COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING
(CLT)
• the primary goal of CLT is for student to acquire proficiency
through uses of the target language in speaking, listening,
reading, and writing. To make that happen, teachers make
informed use of authentic text and context. Learning the
target language will empower them to communicate beyond
the classroom, such as self-learning by reading books,
magazines and newspaper.
 FIVE FEATURES OF CLT:
• An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction
in the target language.
• The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
• The provision of opportunities for learners to focus no only on
language, but also on the learning process itself.
• An enhancement of the learners’ own personal experiences as
important contributing elements to classroom learning.
• An attempt to link classroom language learning with language
activation outside the classroom (David Nunan, 1991)
P R I N C I P L E S R E L AT E D
TO
C O M M U N I C AT I V E
LANGUAGE TEACHING
( C LT )
 LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING
• An approach to teaching that focuses on
the learners and their development rather than on
the transmission of content; it addresses the
balance of power in teaching and learning, moves
toward learners actively constructing their own
knowledge, and puts the responsibility
for learning on the learners.
 COOPERATIVE LEARNING
• is an educational approach which aims to
organize classroom activities into academic and
social learning experiences. There is much more
to cooperative learning than merely arranging
students into groups, and it has been described as
"structuring positive interdependence." Students
must work in groups to complete tasks
collectively toward academic goals.
 INTERACTIVE LEARNING
• communication is essentially interactive in nature
and so necessarily, language classes must be
highly interactive. Interactive learning is a hands-
on approach to help students become more
engaged and retain more material. With or
without a form of technology, interactive learning
helps students strengthen problem solving and
critical thinking skills.
 MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND IN INTERACTIVE
LANGUAGE CLASS:
• Most likely to be found in interactive language class:
• Doing a significant amount of pair work or group works.
• Receiving authentic language in real world context.
• Producing language for genuine, meaningful communication.
• Performing classroom tasks that prepare them for actual language
used out there.
• Practicing oral communication through give and take actual
conversation.
 WHOLE LANGUAGE EDUCATION

• Whole Language argues that language should

be taught as a “whole.” Whole Language
instruction is a theory of language instruction
developed to help young children learn to
read, and to the teaching of ESL (English as a
Second Language).
 CONTENT-CENTERED EDUCATION
• is an approach to language teaching that
focuses not on the language itself, but rather
on what is being taught through the
language; that is, the language becomes the
medium through which something new is
learned.
 TASKED-BASED LEARNING
• TBL (Task-based learning), or TBLT (Task-based
language teaching) is an approach in which
learning revolves around the completion of
meaningful tasks. Tasked-based learning has three
phases pre-task, task, and post-task or language
focus.
 THREE PHASES OF TASKED-BASED
LEARNING:

• Pre-task
• Task
• Post-Task or Language Focus
 PRE-TASK
PHASES OF TASKED -BASED LEARNING

• The pre-task phase of a TBL lesson is the

moment when the teacher sets the task,
contextualizes the topic of the lesson, raises
students’ interest and prepares learners to
perform the task.
 TASK
P H A S E S O F TA S K E D - B A S E D L E A R N I N G

• In this stage of the TBL lesson, learners perform the

task proposed. They are supposed to perform the
task in small groups or pairs, and use their existing
knowledge of language to express themselves in a
spontaneous way. As the focus is communication, the
teacher is not supposed to carry out extensive error
correction at this stage, but should monitor and
provide support.
 POST-TASK OR LANGUAGE FOCUS
P H A S E S O F TA S K E D - B A S E D L E A R N I N G

• The post-task stage is when students evaluate their

performance. This might be done by comparing the
outcome of their task to that of a proficient user of
the language. It can also involve feedback provided
by the teacher and subsequent practice of language
items that emerged from the task.