General Approaches
to the Teaching of
the English
Language
Kristel C. Suelto
Topics
1. Grammar-translation Method / Classical Method
2. Audio-lingual Method
3. Communicative Language Teaching
4. Task-Based Language Teaching
APPROACH
METHOD
PROCEDURE
refers to theories about
the nature of language
and language learning
that serve as the source
of
practices
and
principles in language
teaching.
advocates the use of
certain types of teaching
activities
as
a
consequence
of
its
theoretical assumptions
about
language
and
learning.
Example:
Example:
Classical Method
encompasses the actual
moment
to
moment
techniques,
practices,
and
behaviors
that
operate in teaching a
language according to a
particular method. It is
the level at which we
describe how a method
realizes its approach and
design
in
classroom
behavior.
Behaviorism
Example:
Translation of a Literary
Passage
Classical
Method
• first
used
in
the
teaching
of
the
classical
languages
(Latin & Greek)
• helped students read
and appreciate foreign
language literature
• also called GrammarTranslation Method
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
1.
A
Students read an excerpt
entitled “The Boys’ Ambition”
from Mark Twain’s Life on the
Mississippi.
fundamental
purpose
of
learning a foreign language is to
be able to read its literature.
Literary language is superior to
spoken language. Students’ study
of the foreign culture is limited to
its literature and fine arts.
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
2.
An important goal is for students
Each student is called on to
read a few lines and translate it
to Spanish (native language).
Teacher helps him with
vocabulary.
to be able to translate each
language
into
the
other.
If
students can translate from one
language into another, they are
considered successful language
learners.
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
3.
The ability to communicate in
Teacher asks if they have any
the target language is not a
questions. One girl asks, “What
goal
is a paddle wheel?”. Teacher
instruction.
replied and explained.
of
foreign
language
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
4.
The
The students answer three
developed are reading and
types of comprehension
writing. Little attention is given
questions using the target
to speaking and listening, and
language.
almost none to pronunciation.
primary
skills
to
be
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
5.
The teacher is the authority
Student checks their work. If he is
in the classroom. It is very
correct, the teacher calls another
important that students get
to answer the next question. If
incorrect, the teacher selects a
different student or the teacher
herself gives the answer.
the correct answer.
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
6.
It is possible to find native
Teacher gives another activity. The
language equivalents for all
students are given a list of
vocabulary words. They are to give
the Spanish equivalent. Another set
of words are given and they
students are directed to give the
opposites.
target language words.
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
7.
Teacher discusses the similarity of
grammar.
Learning is facilitated through
English “-ity”
:
possibility
Spanish “-dad” & “-tad” : posibilidad
Exhaustion of all cognates found in the
passage.
attention
to
similarities
between the target language
and the native language.
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
8.
Learning is facilitated through
A list of cognates are given
attention
which the students are to
between the target language
translate to Spanish.
and the native language.
to
similarities
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
9.
It is important for students
Activity:
to learn about the form of
Translation of two-word or
the target language.
phrasal verbs. Rule for the use
of direct object with two-word
verbs are given.
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
10.
Deductive application of an
Activity:
explicit
Fill-in-the-blanks using the
useful
phrasal verbs.
technique.
grammar
rule
is
pedagogical
Sample Lesson Plan
Principle
11.
Language learning provides
Homework:
good mental exercise.
Memorize the Spanish
translation of given words and
write a sentence in English.
AudioLingual
Method
• Army Method
• Applied structural
linguistics
to
language
teaching
• Structure is the starting point where structure of the
language was identified with its basic sentence
patterns and grammatical structures
• Systematic attention to pronunciation and by
intensive oral drilling of its core sentence patterns
• General form: lesson began with the work on
pronunciation, morphology, and grammar, followed
by drills and exercises
• It entails
blocks of
by which
phoneme
sentence
mastering the elements or building
the language and learning the rules
these elements are combined, from
to morpheme to word to phrase to
• Classroom practices: dialogues used
repetition and memorization, and drills
for
Drills
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Repetition
Inflection
Replacement
Restatement
Completion
Transposition
Expansion
Contraction
Transformation
• Integration
• Rejoinder
• “Be Polite”
• “Answer the Question”
• “Agree Examples”
• Restoration
Sample
Lesson Plan
Procedures
1. Students first hear a model dialogue (either read or on tape).
They repeat each line individually and in chorus. Teacher pays
attention to pronunciation, intonation, and fluency. Correction of
mistakes is direct and immediate. The dialogue is memorized
eventually. Dialogue is read aloud in chorus, one half saying one
speaker’s part, and the other half responding. Students do no
consult a book throughout this phase.
Procedures
2. Dialogue is adapted to the student’s interest or situation, through
changing certain key words of phrases. This is acted out by the
students.
Procedures
3. Certain key structures from the dialogue are selected and used
as the basis for pattern drills of different kinds. These are first
practiced in chorus and then individually. Some grammatical
explanation may be offered at this point, but this is kept to an
absolute minimum.
Procedures
4. The students may refer to their textbook, and follow-up reading,
writing, or vocabulary activities based on the dialogue may be
introduced.
Beginning level
–
writing is purely imitative and
copying out practiced sentences
Proficiency increases – variations of structural items
Procedures
5. Follow-up activities may take place in the language laboratory
where further dialogue and drill work is carried out.
Community
Language
Teaching
•
an approach to the
teaching of second and
foreign
languages,
emphasizes interaction
as both the means and
the ultimate goal of
learning a language
•
referred
to
“Communicative
Approach”
as
Communicative Language
Teaching
1. Meaning is paramount.
2. Dialogs, if used, center around
communicative functions and
are not normally memorized.
3. Contextualization is a basic
premise.
4. Language learning is learning
to communicate.
5. Effective communication is
sought.
Audio-lingual Method
Attends to structure and form
more than meaning.
Demands memorization of
structure-based dialogs.
Language items are not
necessarily contextualized.
Language learning is learning
structures, sounds, or words.
Mastery, or ‘over-learning” is
sought.
Communicative Language
Teaching
6. Drilling may occur, but
peripherally.
7. Comprehensible
pronunciation is sought.
8. Any device which helps the
learners is accepted – varying
according to their age,
interest, etc.
9. Attempts to communicate may
be encouraged from the very
beginning.
Audio-lingual Method
Drilling is a central technique.
Native-speaker-like pronunciation
is sought.
Grammatical explanation is
avoided.
Communicative activities only
come after a long process of rigid
drills and exercises.
Communicative Language
Teaching
10. Judicious use of native
language is accepted where
feasible.
11. Translation may be used
where students need or
benefit from it.
12. Reading and writing can start
from the first day, if desired.
13. The target linguistic system
will be learned best through
the process of struggling to
communicate.
Audio-lingual Method
The use of the student’s native
language is forbidden.
Translation is forbidden at early
levels.
Reading and writing are deferred
till speech is mastered.
The target linguistic system will
be learned through the overt
teaching of the patterns of the
system.
Communicative Language
Teaching
14. Communicative competence
is the desired goal (i.e. the
ability to use the linguistic
system
effectively
and
appropriately).
15. Linguistic variation is a central
concept in materials and
methodology.
16. Sequencing is determined by
any consideration of content,
function, or meaning which
maintains interest.
Audio-lingual Method
Linguistic competence is the
desired goal.
Varieties of language are
recognized but not emphasized.
The sequence of units is
determined solely by principles
of linguistic complexity.
Communicative Language
Teaching
Audio-lingual Method
The teacher controls the learners
17. Teachers help learners in any
and prevents them from doing
way that motivates them to
anything that conflicts with the
work with the language.
theory.
18. Language is created by the
“Language is habit” so errors
individual often through trial
must be prevented at all costs.
and error.
19. Fluency and acceptable
language is the primary goal: Accuracy, in terms of formal
accuracy is judged not in the correctness, is a primary goal.
abstract but in the context.
Communicative Language
Teaching
20. Students are expected to
interact with other people,
either in the flesh, through
pair and group work, or in
their writings.
21. The teacher cannot know
exactly what language the
students will use.
22. Intrinsic motivation will spring
from an interest in what is
being communicated by the
language.
Audio-lingual Method
Students are expected to interact
with the language system,
embodied in machines or
controlled materials.
The teacher is expected to specify
the language that students are to
use.
Intrinsic motivation will spring
from an interest in the structure of
the language.
Variables
Communication: activities that involve real communication
promote learning.
Tasks: activities in which language is used to carry out meaningful
tasks supports the learning process.
Meaning: language that is meaningful and authentic to the
learner boosts learning.
Principles
 Make real communication the focus of language learning
 Provide opportunities for learners to experiment and try out
what they know
 Be tolerant of learners’ errors as they indicate that the learner is
building up his or her communicative competence
 Provide opportunities for learners to develop both accuracy and
fluency
 Link the different skills such as speaking, reading, and listening
together, since they usually occur so in the real world
 Let students induce or discover grammar rules
Sample Activity
Students are divided into A-B pairs. The teacher has copied
two sets of pictures. One set (for A students) contains a
picture of a group of people. The other set (for B students)
contains a similar picture but it contains a number of slight
differences from the A-picture. Students must sit back to
back and ask questions to try to find out how many
differences there are between the two pictures. Students
practice a role play in pairs.
Sample Activity
One student is given the information she/he
needs to play the part of a clerk in the railway
station information booth and has information
on train departures, prices, etc. The other needs
to obtain information on departure times,
prices, etc. They role-play the interaction
without looking at each other’s cue cards.
Classroom Activities
 Role-play
 Jig-saw activities
 Interviews
 Task-completion activities
 Information gap
 Opinion-sharing activities
 Games
 Information-transfer activities
 Language exchanges
 Reasoning gap activities
 Surveys
 Role plays
 Pair-work
 Learning by teaching
1 SNAPSHOT
 Have you seen any of these movies? Did you enjoy
them?
 What’s the most popular movie playing right now?
Have you seen it? Did you plan to?
 Are there many movies made in your country? Name
a few of your favorites?
Task-Based
Language
Teaching
• Focus is primarily on
meaning exchange and
to use the language for
real-world, non-linguistic
purposes.
• Task is an activity or
goal that is carried out
using language, such as
finding a solution to a
puzzle, reading a map,
giving directions, etc.
Nature
Communicative Approach
•
Language is a tool for expressing meanings
Analytic Approach
•
Begins with analysis of the communicative need of the learner
•
Learner has to analyze or break down naturalistic chunk of language.
Experiential Model
•
Teacher creates conditions for learning.
•
Learner-centered
•
Learning by doing
Example of Activities
Cognitive
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Classifying
Predicting
Inductive reasoning
Taking notes
Concept mapping
Inferencing
Discrimination
Diagramming
Interpersonal
•
•
Co-operating
Role Playing
Affective
•
•
•
Personalizing
Self-Evaluating
Reflecting
Example of Activities
Linguistic
Gap filling
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Conversational Patterns
Practicing
Using Context
Summarizing
Selective Listening
Skimming
Creative
•
Brainstorming
Information - gap activity
Reasoning - gap activity
Opinion – gap activity
Example of Activities
Listening and speaking activities such as:
•
•
•
•
•
jigsaw
information-gap
problem-solving
decision-making
opinion exchange tasks
Example of Tasks
1. Taking tourists to the hotel for check in
2. Taking tourists on a day tour
3. Spot the difference
4. Listening to directions and drawing a route on a map
5. Designing personality quiz
6. Preparing for an oral examinations and doing problem-solving tasks
7. Doing web-based project
8. Sharing about experiences
Sample Lesson Plan
Sample Lesson Plan
1.
Teacher greets class and conducts a quick review of the content dealt within
the previous class.
2.
Teacher checks homework orally with students.
3.
Teacher Elicits information from the students (using realia, games, flashcard, etc.)
4.
Teacher sets a pre-task (questions, gap-filling, exercise, tick the words your hear,
etc.) for the listening
5.
Tape is played a number of times as more challenging comprehension tasks are
presented to learners. Learners get both the teacher and peer feedback (pair
work) during the process.
Sample Lesson Plan
6.
Teacher reads aloud follow-up dialogue in the textbook (intended for pair work)
and drills it with students
7.
Learners are then asked to practice it in pairs.
8.
Teacher walks around providing learners with feedback on pronunciation.
9.
Learners are given a handout with an oral information-gap task based on the
information dealt with so far, in which they have to talk to several peers and gather
information.
10. Teacher monitors learner’s work to help out and try to minimize the use of the
native language.
11. Learners are called on to share some of the data collected with the rest of the
class.
Sample Lesson Plan
12. Teacher explains some of the grammar in the unit and asks them to do a
written exercise (in the textbook) on that, either individually or in pairs.
13. Teacher corrects exercise orally.
14. Teacher brainstorms following topic on the board, eliciting information from
learners.
15. Teacher gives learners strips of paper with parts of an authentic reading
excerpt related to the topic of the book unit and asks them to, in groups, put
the pieces together.
Sample Lesson Plan
16. Learners are then asked to devise comprehension questions about the reading
to be assigned to other groups. Teacher monitors learners work to help out
and to try to minimize the use the native language.
17. Groups get the questions devised by the other groups and answer them.
Questions are then returned to the groups that initially devised them for
correction.
18. Teacher visits groups to check their corrections.
19. Teacher assigns a piece of writing related to the work done in class.
Principles
1. Scaffolding – a supporting framework
2. Task Dependency – tasks are link together and step-by-step
3. Recycling – must be reintroduced to the items
4. Active Learning – learners learn best through doing
5. Integration – relationship between form and meaning
6. Reproduction to Creation – to reproduce the language models
provided
7. Reflection – opportunities to look back on what they have learned
and think about how they are doing
Reference
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and
methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge
University Press.
Thank you!

Kristel C. Suelto