Chapter 2- Language teaching methods (historical/alternative)

Audiolingualism (AL)

-conduct oral/aural drills and pattern practice -emphasis on oral skills and communication, appropriate for mixed L1 classes -learning not habit formation, extrinsic motivation, difficult to communicate spontaneously -language teaching can be divided into 4 skills, listening and reading (passive skills) speaking and writing (active skills) -teaching techniques: dialogues, structure drills, exploitation activities goals: getting student to behave in appropriate situations -oral based approach -strong theoretical basis: structure linguistics contrastive analysis -conditioning learners respond correctly to stimuli through shaping and positive or negative reinforcement -techniques: dialogue memorization, repetition drill, chain drill, question & answer drill, use of minimal pairs. general ideas: stimulus response, repetition, class participation

(de)suggestopedia

-desuggest limitations: teach lengthy dialogs through musical accompaniment, playful practice, and the arts -relaxation reduces affective constraints, frees mental resources -significant training required, different L1s?, impact on affect

differences in methods

-different roles for learners (mimic, social and affective being) and teachers (model, drill, conductor, linguist, counselor, facilitator, technician, collaborator) -use of l1: prescribed in others, proscribed in some methods -type of input: more vs. less controlled -treatment of errors: prevent versus ignore

Grammar Translation Method (GTM)

-have students translate from target language (TL) texts to native language -highly controlled, easy to predict success, less need for TL fluency - not for communication, extrinsic motivation, differing L1's -aka classical method, used to teach latin and greek -goal: make students be able to read and translate languages -literacy language is more important than spoke language -Primary skills: reading/writing -techniques: translation, reading comprehension questions, antonyms/synonyms ,deductive application of rules, fill in the blank, memorization, use words in sentences, composition

Community Language Learning (CLL)

-include the elements of security, attention, aggression, reflection, retention, discrimination -relaxation reduces affective constraints, learner ownership of learning, intrinsic motivation -intimidation from teacher standing behind, time consuming, learning outcomes? different L1s? -based on whole person learning -students feel threatened by new learning situations so teachers become languages counselors -language is for communication -teacher is not in the front of the class this is non threatening -students involved in their own learning (what they want to learn and say) -students should become a better person through tl -syllabus is generated by students at an early level

Task Based Learning (TBL) style of teaching

-most popular method in the past few years -a task requires learners to use a language, students are learning the language by using it, taken over from the communicative style -language must come from learner itself, not from the teacher Pre task: teacher sets up task 1. the task cycle: task; the students carry out the task in pairs with the teacher monitoring planning- the students decide how to report back to the whole group -report:the students make their report 2.language focus: analysis: students discuss how others carried out the task on a recording practice: the teacher practices new language that has cropped up typical teaching techniques: meaning-based tasks with definite outcomes goals: fluency, accuracy, complexity weaknesses: lack of wider engagement w/ goals, learner groups etc, lack of role of first language, reliance on a processing model as opposed to a learning model suggestions: use in conjunction with other styles not on its own, useful as a way of planning and prepping lessons

total physical response (TPR)

-physical action reinforcement to memory, exploit similarities of L1/L2A, humanistic -L2A different from L1A in some respects, all complex material through imperatives? speaking? focus on sensory motor actions, difficult to communicate spontaneously -designer method introduced by james asher -built around the coordination of speech and action principles: meaning is conveyed through actions, tl is introduced in chunks, understanding of language comes before speaking, learning behavior is directed through the use of imperative, occurs through performing techniques: using commands to direct behavior, role reversal, action sequence

Silent Way (SW)

-remain silent in order to subordinate teaching to learning, focus student attention, provide meaningful practice -learner ownership of learning, intrinsic motivation, abundant student talking -much training and materials requires, advanced levels, differering L1s -created by caleb gattegno in 1960s -cognitive code approach: students should discover rules on their own goal: for students of develop own criteria for correctness, to be able to use language for self expression -inductive learning instruction -no fixed structural syllabus

Direct Method (DM)

-use spoken language in situations with no native language translation -emphasis on oral skills and communication, appropriate for mixed L1 classes -need for TL fluency, little focus on writing as register meaning of abstract concepts hard to communicate directly

6 main styles of teaching

1. academic style of teaching 2. audiolingual style of teaching 3. communicative style of language teaching 4. task based learning style of teaching 5. mainstream efl style of teaching 6 other styles of teaching

Historical Overview

Grammar Translation Method (<1800s) Direct Method (late 1800s) Audiolinguilism (1950s, 60s) "Designer Methods" (70s): the silent way, community language learning (CLL), (de)suggestopedia, total physical response (tpr)

Modern Approaches to language teaching

cognitive approach: learning is rule governed cognitive behavior affective humanistic approach: learning a foreign language is a process of self realization and of relating to other people comprehensive approach: language acquisition occurs if and only if the learner receives and comprehends sufficient meaningful input communicative approach: the purpose of language (and thus the goal of language teaching and learning) is communication

the communicative style

function: reasons for which people use language notion- general semantic ideas they wanna express (ex time and location) techniques of communicative teaching: -information gap exercise: visuals, tapes, models, point is that students to have improvise dialogue to solve their task -guided role play: students improvise conversations around an issue without the same contrived info gap, aim is to practice assuming particular roles in situations -tasks: students carry out tasks in classrooms, students working together to achieve a task and share conclusion with eachother differences: teacher no longer dominates class, controlling & guiding every minute, hands responsibilities to students- learning language by doing. Students are not required to produce speech with the minimum mistakes in native terms weaknesses: lack of views on discourse processes, communication strategies etc, lack of role for first language type of student: field independent, extrovert, non academic goals: getting students to interact w/ tother people in second language inside and outside of the classroom

similarities in methods

majority emphasis on communication in target language practiced in face to face classrooms- impact of remote learning majority implicit treatment of "little c" culture

the mainstream efl style of language teaching

techniques: presentation, substitution, role play goals: getting students to know and use language classroom assumption: both teacher controlled full classes and internal small groups weaknesses: combination of other styles, lack of role of L1, drawbacks on mixtures of styles