AUTHOR Doggett, Gina TITLE Eight Approaches to Language Teaching
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 277 280 FL 016 386 AUTHOR Doggett, Gina TITLE Eight Approaches to Language Teaching. INSTITUTION ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, Washington, D.C. SPONS AGENCY Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Dec 86 CONTRACT 400-86-0019 NOTE 7p. PUB TYPE Information Analyses ERIC Information Analysis Products (071) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Audiolingual Methods; *Classroom Communication; *Classroom Techniques; Communicative Competence (Languages); *Educational Objectives; Grammar Translation Method; *Learning Processes; *Second Language Instruction; Student Role; Suggestopedia; Teacher Role; *Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS Community Language Learning; Error Correction (Language); Silent Way (Gattegno); Total Physical Response ABSTRACT Important features of eight second language teaching methods--grammar-translation, direct, audiolingual, the Silent Way, Suggestopedia, community language learning, Total Physical Response, and the communicative approach--are summarized. A chart outlines characteristics of these aspects of the methods: goals, teacher and student roles, the teaching/learning process, student-teacher and student-student interaction, dealing with feelings, view of language and culture, the aspects of language emphasized, the role of the students' native language, means for evaluation, and response to student errors. The report also lists additional information sources. (MSE) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************** EIGHT APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING Gina Doggett ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics December 1986 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research andImprovement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS CENTER (ERIC) MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY 0 This document has been reproducedas ti2cr eived from the person or organization iglnating it. G.1, Tkr Minor changes have been made to reproduction quality. Improve Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. TO THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." CO BEST COPYAVAILABLE 1EPII CLEARINGHOUSE ON LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS Eight Approachesto Language Teaching 111111111111111EZEZIMI111111 Prepared by Gina Doggett December 1986 Where there was once consensus on the"right" way to subject-verb-prepositional phraseis learned, the speakercan teach foreign languages, many teachers now share the belief that substitute words to make novel sentences. The teacher directs a single right way does not exist. It is certainly true that no com- and controls students' behavior, provides a model, and rein- parative study has consistently demonstrated the superiority of forces correct responses. one method over another for all teachers, all students, and all The Silent Way settings. The theoretical basis of Gattegno's Silent Way is the idea that Presented here is a summary of eight language teaching meth- teaching must be subordinated to learning and thus students ods in practice today: the Grammar-Translation Method, the must develop their own inner criteria for correctness. All four Direct Method, the Audio-Lingual Method, the Silent Way, Sug- skillsreading, writing, speaking, and listeningare taught gestopedia, Community Language Learning, the Total Physical from the beginning. Students' errors are expectedas a normal Response Method, and the Communicative Approach. Ofcourse, part of learning; the teacher's silence helps foster self-reliance what is decribed here is only an abstraction. How a method is and student initiative. The teacher is active in settingup sit- manifest in the class oom will depend heavily on the individual uations, while the students do most of the talking and interact- teacher's interpretatit n of its principles. ing. Some teachers prepr to practice one of these methods to the exclusion of the othen Other teachers prefer to pick and choose Suggestopedia in a principled way at, ong the methodological options that exist, Lozanov's method seeks to help learners eliminate psycholog- creating their own uni ue blend ical barriers to learning. The learning environment is relaxed The chart inside pro, ides a brief listing of the salient features and subdued, with low lighting and soft music in the back- of the eight methods. r more details, 'readers should consult ground. Students choose a name and character in the target Techniques and Princip, es in Language Teaching by Diane Lar- language and culture, and imagine being thatperson. Dialogs sen-Freeman, published in 1986 by Oxford University Press in are presented to the accompaniment of music. Students just New York, on which thismmary was based. Also see references relax and listen to them being read and later playfully practice listed on the back page. the language during an "activation" phase. Community Language Learning Grammar-Translatit n Method In Curren's method, teachers consider studentsas "whole per- The Grammar-Translatic n Method focuseson developing stu- sons," with intellect, feelings, instincts, physical responses, and dents' appreciation of fin. target language's literatureas well desire to learn. Teachers also recognize that learningcan be as teaching the language. Students are presented with target- threatening. By understanding and accepting students' fears, language reading passage and answer questions thatfollow. teachers help students feel secure and overcome their fears, Other activities include tr nslating literarypassages from one and thus help them harness positive energy for learning. The language into the other, nrmorizing grammar rules, andmem- syllabus used is learner-generated, in that students choose orizing native-language eq ivalents of target languagevocab- what they want to learn to say in.the target language. ulary. Class work is highly ; ructured, with the teacher control- Total Physical Response Method ling all activities. Asher's approach begins by placing primary importanceon lis- Direct Method tening comprehension, emulating the early stages of mother The Direct Method allows students to perceive meaning direct- tongue acquisition, and then moving to speaking, reading, and ly through the target langt, age becauseno translation is al- writing. Students demonstrate their comprehension by acting lowed. Visual aids and panto' *me are used to clarify themean- out commands issued by the teacher; teacher provides novel ing -of-vocabularyitems-andotIceptS:-Student-S- speaka great and-offeb-hlimordus variaticins of the commands: Activitiesare deal in the target language E nd communicateas if in real sit- designed to be fun and to allow students to assume active learn- uations. Reading and writing are taught from the beginning, ing roles. Activities eventually include games and skits. though speaking and listening skills are emphasized. Grammar The Communicative Approach is learned inductively. The Communicative Approach stresses the need to teachcom- Audio-Lingual Method municative competence as opposed to linguistic competence; The Audio-Lingual Method isbased on the behaviorist belief thus, functions are emphasized over forms. Students usually that language learning is the a,quisition of a set of correct Ian- work with authentic materials in small groups on communica- guaga habits. The learner r4ats patterns until able to pro- tive activities, during which they receive practice in negotiat- duce them spontaneously. Oncta given patternfor example, ing meaning. 3 Eight Approachesto The Audio-Lingual Method Goals Language Teaching Use the target language comniunicative- ly, overlearn it, so as to be able to use it automatically by forming new habits in the target language and overcoming na- The Grammar-Translation Method The Direct Method tive language habits. Goals Goals Roles To be able to read literature in target To communicate in target language; to Teacher directs, controls students' lan- language; learn grammar rules and vo- think in target language. guage behavior, provides good model for cabulary; develop mental acuity. Roles imitation; students repeat, respond as quickly and accurately as possible. Roles Teacher directsclass activities, but stu- Teacher has authority; students follow dents and teacher are partners in the Teaching' Learning Process instructions to learn what teacher knows. teaching/learning process. New vocabulary, structures presented Teaching/ Learning Process throughdialogs,whicharelearned Teaching/ Learning Process through imitation, repetition. Drills are Students learn by translating from one Students are taught to associate meaning and the target language directly. New based on patterns in dialog. Students' language to the other, often translating correct responses are positivelyrein- reading passages in the target language target language words or phrases are in- troduced through the use of realia, pic- forced; grammar is induced from models. to the native language. Grammar is usu- Cultural information is contextualized in ally learned deductivelyonthe basisof tures, or pantomime, never the native language. Students speak in the target the dialogs or presented by the teacher. grammar rule:: and examples. Students Reading, writing tasks are based on oral memorize the rules, then apply them to language a great deal and communicate rules