EFL approaches and methods

1. Based on Richards and Rodgers

2. Whole language
 The “Whole Language” theory was created in the 80s
by a group of American educators to help children
learn how to read, but it was extended to foreign
language learning. This theory is based on the
principle that a foreign language must be taught as a
whole, without being divided into its components,
such as grammar and vocabulary, emphasizing that
students must learn how to read and write in a natural
way, the same way they learn their native language,
and giving more importance to activities which are
relevant to the students.

3.  There has been lots of discussion if this theory is na
approach, a method, a philosophy or a belief. A
research shows that “Whole Language” is considered
more as na approach, but each teacher implements the
theory in their classroom according to their
interpretation and their students characteristics.

4. APPROACH
· Language theory: Language is seen through an
interactional perspective, i.e., it is considered a vehicle
of personal relations. It is always used in a social
context and applied in real situations which are
relevant to the students.
. Learning theory: There is an emphasis on learning
authenticity, because, only applying what has been
learned in a real situation, the subject or topic will be
internalized. Learning in “Whole Language” must be
authentic, personalized, student-directed and
collaborative. Students’ experiences, their needs,
interests and aspirations are also important.

5. DESIGN
· Objective: To learn applying the language in a real
context.
· Syllabus/Curriculum: Always using what was leaned
in real situations. Content is organized according to
the students’ needs to communicate.
· Activities: Reading authentic texts, writing to a real
audience, using texts produced by the students and
always interact “writing”, “reading” and other skills.

6. · Students’ roles: Learners are collaborators and also
evaluators of their own and others’ learning, with the
help of the teacher. They select learnign materials and
activities.
· Teachers’ roles: As it is a student-centered approach,
the teacher is seen as a facilitator and an active
participant in the learning community rather than an
expert passing knowledge. The teacher has the
responsibility of negotiating a plan of work with the
learners.
· Whole Language instruction advocates the use of
real-world material rather than commercial texts.
Materials: literature pieces, newspapers, signs,
handbills, storybooks... – brought to class by the
students.

7. PROCEDURES
- The use of literature
- The use of process writing
- Encouragement of cooperative learning amont students
- Concern for students’ attitude
- Activities that are often used in Whole Language instruction are:
- Individual and small group reading and writing
- Ungraded dialogue journals
- Writing portfolios
- Writing conferences
- Student-made books
- Story writing

8. - Many of these activities are also common in other instructional
approaches, such as Communicative Language Teaching,
Content-Based Teaching, and Task-Based Language Teaching.
- What differs in Whole Language teaching is not the incidental
use of such activities based on the topic of the lesson or an item
in the syllabus but their use as part of an overall philosophy of
teaching and learning that gives a new meaning and purpose to
such activities.
- The Whole Language movement is not a teaching method but an
approach to learning that sees language as a whole entity.
- Advantages claimed for Whole Language are that it focuses on
experiences and activities that are relevant to learners’ lives and
needs, that it uses authentic materials, and that it can be used to
facilitate the development of all aspects of a second language.

9. - Critics, however, see it as a rejection of the whole ESL approach
in language teaching and one that seeks to apply native-language
principles to ESL.
- Whole Language proposals are seen as anti-direct teaching, anti-
skills, and anti-materials, assuming that authentic texts are
sufficient to support second language learning that skill
development will follow without special attention.