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345 week 2
1. English 345
Week 2 Goals
Develop an understanding of the history of language teaching
methodology.
Know some of the major characteristics of language teaching
methods.
Identify the theoretical background behind each method.
Understand the complexity of finding the best methods.
2. The important issues are not which method to adopt but how to
develop procedures and instructional activities that will enable
program objectives to be attained” (Richards, 1985, p. 42)
Perhaps the best method varies from one teacher to another, but
only in the sense that it is best for each teacher to operate with his
or her “sense of plausibility” at any given time (p. 176)
3. Agenda
• Your Voices: Critical responses to the readings
• Discussion of Brown Chapter 1 and 2
a) Classroom Observation: Your perspectives on the classroom
b) History of Language teaching: An overview of the terms
c) Grammar Translation Method
d) The Direct Method
e) The Audiolingual Method
f) Cognitive Code Learning
g) Community Language Learning
h) Suggestopedia
i) Total Physical Response
• Problemitizing the idea of “best methods” through Prabhu
(1990)
4. Diana says…
• In the second chapter of Brown, he focused on the methodology of
language teaching and how it has changed and evolved over the
years. After reading this chapter and Anthony’s definitions I now
better understand the differences between methods and
techniques. A method is the plan we use for systematic presentation
of a language based on a specific approach and a technique is the
activity in the classroom that is consistent with the method we are
using (14). Those two definitions have been used for years. I
thought it was beneficial that Brown also added more recent uses of
what method means and the chart on page 16. The variety of the
actual definition of ‘method’ is now something that I am curious
about and want to understand more about. The grammar translation
method seems very structured and traditional. When I think of this
method I do not think of modern classrooms and lessons, but more
of a strict lesson and I do not think that it is the most beneficial for
students.
5. Danielle says…
• One of the methods I found quite interesting was TPR, total
physical response, developed by Dr. James Asher. I had never
heard of it before and I think it could be a successful method if
used in the right manner. It is a good way for students to get a
feel for the vocabulary and not feel pressure to speak.
Sometimes shy kids will feel intimidated within the first week
of school because they are forced to participate. TPR is a way
for students to listen to the language for some time before
using it. It is very beneficial for kinesthetic learners but visual
learners might have trouble grasping certain concepts if they
aren't written out. It is a method that one should consider
incorporating but it isn't a theory I would follow completely.
6. Annie says…
• It was interesting to see how many different varieties of these
ideas were made throughout time until present day. I also
liked to analyze the different learning methods and feel that
my personal favorite was the “suggestopedia” that stated
great quantities of material can be processed if the right
learning conditions are given. I really agree with this idea
because I know how I learn, and I am much more prone to
developing and learning if I am in an environment in which I
am comfortable in.
7. Nicolette says…
• When looking through the chapters in our textbook by Brown,
especially chapter two, a common theme I found was how in
almost all of the methods talked about throughout the
chapter they all value comfort, relaxation, listening, and
support. When reading through Prabu’s piece then on there
being no best method I could not help but think that comfort,
relaxation, listening and support were all parts of a method
that carries onto other methods like Prabu discussed….To me
the best method, if there has to be one, is a mixture of all
methods that include such things as comfort, relaxation,
listening, and support, but then include what works within the
context you are teaching. Everything in our learning differs
depending on the person and the content. When in the article
Prabu says “because it all depends,” it is true; it really does
depend on a number of different factors (162).
8. David says…
• I thought the Prabu article was an interesting and appropriate one to start of
this class since it does focus on teaching methods in a language classroom. I
think it is good and refreshing to know that there is not one single method that is
the best or even a handful of them that are superior and could work every time.
I also found it to be a bit overwhelming. As ESL teachers, nothing will be handed
easily to us. We will always have new students coming in with different stories
and from different backgrounds. Some teaching methods that worked in the
past with one group of students might not work as well with a new group of
students. I think the article did a good job of highlighting this and especially
pointing out that there certainly is no, "best" method. The article states,
"Nevertheless, we generally continue to assume, more or less consciously, that
there is a method that is objectively the best, that it is in principle possible to
demonstrate that fact, and that once demonstrated, the superiority of the best
method will lead to its widespread acceptance in the profession…” Though a bit
wordy, as was the entire article, I think this does a good job of explaining how
some teachers are always searching for the best way of teaching, and once they
think they've found it, they can get rid of all other methods they've tried and
failed in the past. As humans, we are trying to find the "best", but this isn't going
to work so well in pedagogy, such as there are so many other factors that come
into play, especially in an ESL language classroom.
9. Amanda…
• The article by Prabhu argues that there is no best language-teaching
method to use. One of the statements that is made is that different
methods are best for different teaching context, but later the author
goes on the say that this idea still raises too many questions since
we would then be looking for the best method for each teaching
context. According to Prabhu, it all comes down to the idea of the
teacher’s sense of plausibility. A teacher’s sense of plausibility is
“how learning takes place and how teaching causes or supports it”
(Prabhu 172). The author concludes that the best method varies
from one teacher to another but only when the teacher is operating
with “his or her own sense of plausibility at any given time” (Prabhu
175). I like the author’s idea of plausibility and also agree with the
argument that there isn’t one best method. A teacher should use
whatever teaching method they believe helps their students benefit
the most.
10. Your questions….
Lisa asks:
• How do we go about choosing a pedagogic method, or do we
have to choose?
Bethany asks:
• What does it look like when a good teacher transfers theory
and research into teaching a classroom of students? Is there
really one best method or is it always changing based on the
learners? How does a teacher know which theories and
methodologies will most benefit his/her students?
11. Reflections on Ms. Lee’s class in South Korea
• What’s going on this this class? What are some of her
pedagogical choices?
• Is language learning taking place? Why? Why not? How do
you know?
• What would you have done differently?
12. Group work on unpacking the
theories behind each method
Please get into group of four. Define the characteristics of one
method in detail. Discuss: the theory of learning, language and
the teacher role, and what you feel about the applicability of
this method into your future teaching context(s).
• Grammar Translation Method
• Direct Method
• Audiolingual Method
• Silent way
• Suggestopedia
• Total Physical Response
• Community Language Learning
13. The Grammar Translation
Method
• The goal of teachers: Able to read literature written in the
target language. Students need to learn grammar rules and
vocabulary of the target language. Learning L2 is a good
“mental gymnastics”
• The role of the teacher: Authority in class. Teachers as
information providers.
• Theory of learning: Translation in the target language.
Grammar is learned deductively through memorization of
grammar rules.
• Theory of language and culture: Literary language considered
superior to spoken language. Culture consisting literature and
fine arts.
14. Some techniques…
• Provide explicit grammar rule of a literary text
• Reading comprehension questions
• Antonyms/Synonyms
• Fill-in-the-blanks
• Memorization, rote learning
• Pick a grammatical point or two contained in the literary text.
Provide explicit grammar rule. Design exercises that require
your students to apply the rule to some different examples
Source: Larsen-Freeman (200X).Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford University press
15. Some questions…
• Do you believe that a fundamental reason for learning a
language is to be able to read literature written in the target
language?
• What underlying principles of learning do you agree with?
• What are some of the techniques of GTM will be useful in
your own teaching? Why?
16. The Direct Method
• The role of teacher: Director of the class activities. The
teacher and the students are like partners in the learning
process.
• Theory of learning: no translation is allowed. Grammar is
taught inductively. An explicit grammar rule is never given.
Students should learn to think in the target language. Students
should self-correct the mistakes.
• Theory of language and culture: Language is viewed as
spoken, not written. Students study common everyday
speech. Students study the culture consisting of the history
and geography of the people who speak the target language.
Students’ native language should not be used.
17. Some techniques…
• Read aloud: Student taking turns reading sections of a text.
• Conversation practice: The teacher asks students questions in
the target language, which the students have to understand.
• Dictation Teacher reading the text three times. 1) Students
only listen 2) students write down what they hear 3) students
check their work.
• Map drawing
18. Some questions…
• Do you agree that the goal of target language should be to
tech students how to communicate in the target language?
• Does it make sense that students native language should not
be used?
• What do you think about self-correction?
• Is dictation a worthwhile activity?
• What techniques of the Direct method would you consider
adopting?
19. The Audiolingual Method
• Goals of the teacher: Encourage students to use language
communicatively mainly though dialogues. Students should learn
the language automatically without stopping to think. Forming new
habits in the target language.
• Roles of the teacher: Orchestra leader, directing and controlling the
language behavior.
• Theory of learning: Imitation and repetition. Explicit grammar rules
are not provided. Learning is habit formation,
• Theory of language/culture: Influenced by descriptive linguistics.
Everyday speech is emphasized. Speaking and listening receive the
most attention. Culture teaching consists of teaching everyday
behavior and lifestyle.
• Role of students’ L1: No use of L1. The habits of L1 interfere
students attempts to learn L2.
Key words: mimicry, memorization, dialogues, repetitive drills, habit
formation
20. Some techniques…
• Dialog memorization: Students memorize the dialogue, and
take roles in the dialog.
• Use of minimal pairs: Students are asked to perceive the
difference between the two words and later be able to
pronounce. E.G. ship/sheep, uncle/ankle, fur/for, live/leave
• Complete the dialog: Selected words are erased from a dialog
students learned. Students complete the dialog by filling the
blanks with missing words.
21. Some questions:
• Should errors be prevented as much as possible?
• Is a dialogue a useful way to introduce new material?
• Which of the principles of ALM are acceptable to you?
22. Chomskian revolution in 1970s: There should be
some conscious awareness to “deep structure of
language”
1) Community language Learning
2) Suggestopedia
3) The Silent Way
4) Total Physical Response
5) The Natural Approach
23. Community Language
Learning
• Developed by Charles Curran who studied adult learning.
• Role of the teacher: Language counselors who treat students
like a whole person.
Stage 1,2,3: the teacher focuses not only on language but also
on being supportive of learners in the learning process.
Stage 4: teacher can now focus on accuracy.
• Theory of learning: Students use their L1. Target language is
given in chunks. Chunks are recorded. Transcript of the
conversation is made, and L1 equivalences are written.
Transcription becomes the primary text.
• Theory of language/culture: Language is for communication.
At the beginning the focus I son building trust and creating a
shared identity.
24. Some techniques…
• Tape recording student conversation: Students says an
utterance in his/her L1. The teacher gives the student the
translation. Each chunk is recorded. After conversation is
recorded, it can be replayed.
• Transcription: the teacher transcribed the recorded language.
Each student is given an opportunity to translate his/her
utterances. Students can copy the transcript after it’s been
written on the blackboard. The transcript provides a basis for
future activities.
25. Suggestopedia: Affective-humanist
approach
Drawing on Lazano, Soviet psychological researcher’s work,
suggestopedia focuses on extrasensory perceptions and create a
relax state for learning foreign languages.
• Role of the teacher: authority in the classroom. Students must
trust the teacher to feel more secure.
• Theory of learning: learning occurs though suggestions, when
learners are deeply relaxed
• Theory of language: memorization of a meaningful text. Non-
verbal messages are important while interpreting the linguistic
messages.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFHPUFguJa0
26. Some techniques…
• Classroom set-up: Bright and cheerful.
• Role play
• Choose a new identity
• Peripheral learning (by putting up signs and posters)
27. Silent Way
• Role of the teacher: Teacher as an engineer who provides
exercises to a) teach b)test c) get out of the way
• Theory of learning: Learning through building language blocs
through pronunciation. Discovery learning which accompanied
by physical objects. Rely on what sounds students already
know from their knowledge of L1. Teachers lead students to
associate the sounds of the target language with particular
colors.
• Theory of language: language specific sound-color chart.
Pronunciation is taught early on.. Teacher starts with what the
students know and builds from one structure to the next.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch
v=85P7dmPHtso&feature=related
28. Total Physical Response
• Roles of the teacher: director of all student behavior.
• Theory of learning: Modeling. The teacher issues commands
to students, then performs the actions with them.
• Theory of language: Vocabular and grammar structures are
emphasized over other areas. Embedded with imperatives.
Spoken language is emphasized over written language.
• Role of students’ L1: usually introduced in L1. After the
introduction, L1 is rarely used. meaning is made through
movements.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMQXFOqyQA
30. There’s NO best method—
WHY?
• Good teaching as an activity in which there is a sense of
involvement by the teacher.
• Teachers need to operate with some personal
conceptualization of how their teaching leads to desired
learning This conceptualization may rise from 1) teachers’
past experiences as a learner and as a teacher, 2) exposure of
one or more methods while training as a teacher, 3) what a
teacher thinks and knows about other teachers’ actions
31. TEACHERS’ SENSE OF
PLAUSABILITY:
• It’s when teachers’ sense of plausibility is engaged in the
teaching that the teacher can be said to be involved. When
the sense of plausibiity is enagaged, the teaching is
productive.
• It’s not about a good or a bad method but whether it is active,
alive or operational enough to create a sense of involvement
for both the teacher and the student
• “The enemy of bad teaching is not a bad method, but
overroutinisation”
• The method, from this point of view, is not good or bad, but
has more or less pedagogic power to influence teachers’
subjective understanding of teaching (p. 175)
32. The myths of methods
1. There is a best method out there ready and waiting to be discovered—the
implementation of any method should take into account language policies,
teacher profiles and learning needs and variations.
2. Methods constitutes the organizing principle for language teaching—
method is too inadequate to explain the complex process of language
learning and teaching. The uncritical acceptance of method has mislead to
believe us that method has the capacity to cater all learners.
3. Method has a universal and ahistorical value—learners across the world
learn languages for the various reasons and follow different paths.
4. Theorists conceive knowledge and practitioners consume knowledge—
Teachers do not simply follow the principles. Teachers develop and follow
context specific sequence of activities.
Canagarajah (1999) called for a pedagogy in which members of the periphery
communities will have the agency to think critically and work out ideological
alternatives that favor their own environments