Approach
Grammar-translation
(classical) approach
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Reading approach
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Rationale
emphasize translation &
grammar
to read literature written
in the target language
deductive learning: give
rules first & practice later
by using examples
use ss’ native language in
class mostly
intensive reading (read
difficult texts)
emphasize reading skills
focus on extensive
reading (reading for
content rather than
intensive
reading/grammatical
analysis)
acquire vocabulary from
the context
Advantage
 improve reading and
writing skills
 learn grammar rules
and vocabulary
 few demands on
teachers (teachers
speak L1)
Disadvantage
 heavy emphasis on
rule memorization
 less attention to
speaking and
listening
 less motivation
 read extensively
based on learners’
correct level and
interest
 not easy to forget the
content of text
 learn grammar
inductively
 expand vocabulary
quickly
 train ss to get main
points
 build up confidence
 critical thinking
 get a lot of
information
 speed up reading
 train to form reading
habit
 emphasize situations
and topics in class
 focus on
communicative
purposes
 practically use the
knowledge due to
using realia
 fail to use
communication in
real life situations
 hard to control
individual ss’ needs
& levels
Direct
 emphasize oral skills
approach/psychological  no use of ss’ native
approach/series
language
approach/phonetic
 directly use visual aids,
approach
realia, pictures, actions,
gestures, situations, etc.
 teach grammar
inductively
 accurate production
Audiolingual approach  Emphasize oral skills
 grammar is learned
(Behaviorism)
before reading & writing
inductively (rule
 focus on situational-based
summaries)
dialogues and pattern
 improve
drills
pronunciation
 cognitive/conscious
 useful for beginning
learning via practice
level students due to
 intensive communicative
building confidence
training (see p. 14)
& guiding them
 learn dialogue through
appropriate patterns
imitation and repetition
to follow
based on patterns given
 habit formation
 mistakes should be
avoided
 may confuse
beginning level
students
 teachers may not be
proficient in FL
 spend too much
time preparing for
the materials
 wrong spelling due
to no use of printed
materials
 slow rate for form
habit
 inductive learning
is not suited for all
learners
 just repeat the
patterns without
understanding
 less creativity due
to focusing on
forms
 not real
communication,
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Oral-situational
approach
Cognitive approach
Suggestopedia
(Affective-humanistic
approach)
Community language
learning
 Emphasize oral skills
before reading & writing
 Teacher-centered
 Only use target language
in class
 Teach/grade grammar
from simple to complex
(systematic planning)
 Practice situational topics
(e.g., at the post office, at
the bank, etc.)
 Learn language by rule
acquisition, not habit
formation (meaningful
practice)
 Individualized learning
 Teach grammar
deductively or
inductively depending on
individual ss)
 Use L2 in class
 Not emphasize perfect
pronunciation
 Extensive grammar
teaching
 Correct errors
constructively in the
learning process
 Teachers should be good
models and have good
proficiency
 respect ss’ feelings
 decrease ss’ negative
feelings toward learning
 integrate fine arts, music,
posters
 infantilization
 emphasize
“whole-person” learning
(intellect, feeling,
physical reactions, etc)
 “counseling-learning
approach”
 Teacher’s role is
counselor
 Humanistic approach
 Client-counselor and
just memorization
turn ss into parrots
boring and reduce
motivation
Hard to teach
grammar from
simple to complex
Similar with
audiolingual
method
 Useful for those
general and useful
topics
 Scheduled progress
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 Learners can
determine their own
learning pace
 Ss don’t feel
ashamed if corrected
directly
 Build confidence
 Hard for ss to
manage their own
learning
 Teachers’ pressure
to be good models
 increase ss’ mental
powers by
decreasing barriers in
learning
 bright and cheerful
classroom by doing
role playing, songs,
games
 enhance ss’
self-confidence &
motivation
 understand ss’ fears
and help to overcome
their negative
feelings
 build good
relationship with ss
 want ss to be
responsible for their
own learning
 provide free-pressure
 if too relaxed and
comfortable, hard
to facilitate learning
 unuseful for
advanced-level
adults
 not really useful to
apply it to all
subjects
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 hard to control the
learning process if
ss are too passive in
learning
 hard to run the class
for the relaxing
environment
Total physical response
(TPR)
learner-knower
relationships
 focus on listening
comprehension
 similar with Natural
approach
 emphasize “meaning” not
“form”
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Comprehension-based
approach
(Natural approach)
Communicative
approach
Task-based approach
 Similar to L1 acquisition
 Emphasize listening
comprehension
 Get comprehensible/
meaningful inputs (i+1)
 Don’t push output if not
ready
 Unnecessary to correct
errors
 Use language for real
communication (more
open-ended answers)
 Not necessary to use
exercise and drills
 Use authentic materials
(e.g., real newspaper
article, listen to a live
radio, CNN news, ICRT)
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 for functional purpose
 “Listen and do” sth based
on the information
received
 Consciousness-raising
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environment in
learning
develop basic
communication
skills, listening and
vocabulary through
comprehensible
messages
more interesting to
use realia & pictures
allow silent period
no requirement for
many preparations
on materials
Useful for beginning
learners
Silent period is
acceptable to
decrease anxiety
 hard to control the
appropriate time to
give ss modeling
and commands
 hard to judge ss’
learning due to
different
personalities
 lack of reading &
writing training
 Hard to judge ss’
performance if they
are not ready for
output
 Hard to learn
correct forms
 Hard to prepare for
the teaching
materials
for real
 hard for beginning
communication, ss
level ss to express
should know
target language
knowledge of
with foreigners
linguistic forms,
 ignore the training
meaning, functions,
of reading &
background
writing
information
 no environment of
produce real
ESL
language in daily life  difficulty in
evaluating ss’
performance
Make functional use  hard for beginning
of the lg immediately
level ss
Develop higher
 focus on meaning,
cognitive &
instead of form
metacognitive
(manage own
learning) strategies