elt methods summary

5/27/2018 Elt Methods summary

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Dang Van Hung, Ph.D.

SEAMEO RETRAC

An overview

Language learning principles

Common Language Teaching

Approaches/Methods

Other Teaching Methods

Methodology

Approach

Method

Curriculum/Syllabus

Technique

Methodology The study of pedagogical practices in general (including

theoretical underpinnings and related research). Whatever

considerations are involved in "how to teach" are

methodological.

Approach Theoretical positions and beliefs about the nature of

language, the nature of language learning, and the

applicability of both to pedagogical settings

MethodA generalized set of classroom specifications for

accomplishing linguistic objectives. Methods tend to be

primarily concerned with teacher and student roles and

behaviors and secondarily with such features as linguistic and

subject-matter objectives, sequencing, and materials. They

are almost always thought of as being broadly applicable to a

variety of audiences in a variety of contexts.

Curriculum/Syllabus Designs for carrying out a particular language

program. Features include a primary concern with the

specification of linguistic and subject-matter objectives,

sequencing, and materials to meet the needs of a designated

group of learners in a defined context.

TechniqueAny of a wide variety of exercises, activities, or devices used

in the language classroom for realizing lesson objectives.


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Cognitive Principles

Affective Principles

Linguistic Principles

Cognitive Principles

Automaticity

Meaningful Learning

Anticipation of Rewards

Intrinsic Motivation

Strategic Investment

Cognitive Principles Automaticity

Sub-conscious processing of language with peripheral attention tolanguage forms

Meaningful Learning This can be contrasted to Rote Learning, and is thought to lead to better

long term retention

Anticipation of Rewards Learners are driven to act by the anticipation of rewards, tangible or

intangible

Intrinsic Motivation

The most potent learning "rewards" are intrinsically motivated within thelearner

Strategic Investment The time and learning strategies learners invest into the language

learning process.

Affective Principles

Language Ego

Self-Confidence

Risk-Taking

Language-Culture Connection

Affective Principles Language Ego

Learning a new language involves developing a newmode of thinking - a new language "ego"

Self-Confidence Success in learning something can be equated to the

belief in learners that they canlearn it

Risk-Taking Taking risks and experimenting "beyond" what is certain

creates better long-term retention

Language-Culture Connection


Native Language Effect

Interlanguage

Communicative Competence


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Native Language Effect

A learner's native language creates both facilitating andinterfering effects on learning;

Interlanguage

At least some of the learner's development in a new language

can be seen as systematic;

Communicative Competence

Fluency and useare just as important as accuracy andusage

- instruction needs to be aimed at organizational, pragmatic

and strategic competence as well as psychomotor skills.

Grammar Translation Method

Direct Method

The Audio-lingual Method

The Communicative Language Teaching

Approach

Objectives to give learners access to English literature,

To develop their minds "mentally" through foreign

language learning

Key Features

(1) Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with

little active use of the target language.

(2) Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists

of isolated words.

(3) Grammar provides the rules for putting words

together, and instruction often focuses on the

form and inflection of words.

Key Features (4) Reading of difficult classical texts is begun

early.

(5) Little attention is paid to the content of texts,

which are treated as exercises in in grammatical

analysis.

(6) Often the only drills are exercises in

translating disconnected sentences from the

target language into the mother tongue

Typical Techniques (1) Translation of a Literary Passage

(2) Reading Comprehension Questions

(3) Antonyms/Synonyms

(4) Cognates

(5) Deductive Application of Rule

(6) Fill-in-the-blanks

(7) Memorization

(8) Use Words in Sentences

(9) Composition


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Objectives The basic premise of the Direct Method is that

students will learn to communicatein the targetlanguage, partly by learning how to thinkin thatlanguage and by not involving L1 in the languagelearning process whatsoever.

Objectives include teaching the students how touse the language spontaneously and orally,linking meaning with the target language throughthe use of realia, pictures or pantomime (Larsen-Freeman 1986:24).

There is to be a directconnection betweenconcepts and the language to be learned.

Key Features

(1) Classroom instruction is conducted exclusively in the targetlanguage.

(2) Only everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught. (3) Oral communication skills are built up in a carefully traded

progression organized around question-and-answer exchangesbetween teachers and students in small, intensive classes.

(4) Grammar is taught inductively.

(5) New teaching points are taught through modeling and practice.

(6) Concrete vocabulary is taught through demonstration, objects,and pictures; abstract vocabulary is taught by association ofideas.

(7) Both speech and listening comprehension are taught.

(8) Correct pronunciation and grammar are emphasized.

Typical Techniques

(1) Reading Aloud

(2) Question and Answer Exercise

(3) Student Self-Correction

(4) Conversation Practice

(5) Fill-in-the-blank Exercise

(6) Dictation

(7) Paragraph Writing

Objectives To create communicative competence in learners.

The most effective way to do this was for students to"over-learn" the language being studied throughextensive repetition and a variety of elaborate drills.

The idea was to project the linguistic patterns of thelanguage into the minds of the learners in a way thatmade responses automatic and "habitual".

To this end it was held that the language "habits" ofthe first language would constantly interfere, and theonly way to overcome this problem was to facilitate

the learning of a new set of "habits" appropriatelinguistically to the language being studied.

Key Features

(1) New material is presented in dialog form. (2) There is dependence on mimicry, memorization of

set phrases, and over-learning.

(3) Structures are sequenced by means of contrastiveanalysis and taught one at a time.

(4) Structural patterns are taught using repetitivedrills.

(5) There is little or no grammaticalexplanation. Grammar is taught by inductive analogyrather thandeductive explanation.

(6) Vocabulary is strictly limited and learned incontext.

Key Features (Contd) (7) There is much use of tapes, language labs, and visual

aids.

(8) Great importance is attached topronunciation.

(9) Very little use of the mother tongue byteachers is permitted.

(10) Successful responses are immediatelyreinforced.

(11) There is great effort to get students toproduce error-free utterances.

(12) There is a tendency to manipulate languageand disregard content.


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Typical Techniques (1) Dialog Memorization

(2) Backward Build-up (Expansion Drill)

(3) Repetition Drill

(4) Chain Drill

(5) Single Slot Substitution Drill

(6) Multiple-slot Substitution Drill

(7) Transformation Drill

(8) Question-and-answer Drill

(9) Use of Minimal Pairs

(10) Complete the Dialog

(11) Grammar Games

Basic Features of CLT (1) An emphasis on learning to communicate through

interaction in the target language.

(2) The introduction of authentic texts into thelearning situation.

(3) The provision of opportunities for learners tofocus, not only on the language but also onthelearning process itself.

(4) An enhancement of the learner's own personalexperiences as important contributingelements toclassroom learning.

(5) An attempt to link classroom language learningwith language activation outside the classroom.

CLT ALM

Meaning is paramount. Attends to structure and formmore than meaning

Dialogs, if used, center around

communicative functions and

are not normally memorized.

Demands more memo rization of

structure-based dialogs

Contextualization is a basicpremise

Language items are not

necessari ly contextual ized.

Language learning is learningto communicate.

Language Learning is learning

structures, sounds or words.

CLT ALM

Effective communication

is sought.

Mastery or "over- learning"

is sought.

Drilling may occur, but

peripherically.

Dri l l ing is a c entral

technique

Comprehensible

pronunciation is sought

Native-speaker-like

pronunc iat ion is sought .

Any device which helps

the learners is accepted -

varying according to their

age, interest, etc.

Grammatical explanat ion

is avoided.

CLT ALM

The target linguistic system will belearned best through the process

of struggling to communicate.

The target linguistic system will belearned through the overt teaching

of the patterns of the system.

Communicative competence is thedesired goal.

Linguistic competence is thedesired goal.

Linguistic variation is a centralconcept in materials and methods.

Varieties of language arerecognized but not emphasized.

Sequencing is determined by anyconsideration of content function,

or meaning which maintains

interest.

The sequence of units isdetermined solely on principles of

linguistic complexity.

CLT ALM

Teachers help learners in any way

that motivates them to work with the

language

The teacher controls the learners

and prevents them from doing

anything that conflicts wit the theory.

Language is created by the individual

often through trial and error.

"Language is habit" so error must be

prevented at all costs.

Fluency and acceptable language is

the primary goal: accuracy is judged

not in the

abstract but in context.

Accuracy, in terms of formal

correctness, is a primary goal.


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CLT ALM

Students are expected to interact

with other people, either in the

flesh, through pair and group work,

or in their writings.

Students are expected to interact

with the language system,

embodied in machines or

controlled materials

The teacher cannot know exactly

what language the students will

use.

The teacher is expected to specify

the language that students are to

use

Intrinsic motivation will spring from

an interest in what is being

communicated by thelanguage

Intrinsic motivation will spring from

an interest in the structure of the

language

Interactive Learning

Learner-centered Learning Learner-centered Learning

Learner-centered Learning

Content-based Learning

Interactive Learning: This concept goes right to the heart of communication itself,

stressing the dual roles of "receiver" and "sender" in any

communicative situation.

Interaction creates the "negotiation between interlocutors"

which in turn produces meaning (semantics).

The concept of interactive learning necessarily entails that

there will be a lot of pair and group work in the classroom, as

well as genuine language input from the "real world" for

meaningful communication.

Learner-centered Learning: This kind of instruction involves the giving over of some

"power" in the language learning process to the learners

themselves.

It also strives to allow for personal creativity and input from

the students, as well as taking into account their learning

needs and objectives.

Cooperative Learning: This concept stresses the "team" like nature of the classroom

and emphasizescooperationas opposed to

competition. Students share information and help, and

achieve their learning goals as a group.

Task-based Learning: This concept equates the idea of a "learning task" to a

language learning technique in itself.

This could be a problem solving activity or a project, but the

task has a clear objective, appropriate content, a

working/application procedure, and a set range of outcomes.


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Content-based Learning: This kind of learning joins language learning to content/subject

matter and engages them both concurrently. Language is seen as a tool or medium for acquiring knowledge

about other things, instantly proving its usefulness.

An important factor in this kind of learning is that the content itself

determines what language items need to be mastered, not the

other way around.

When students study math or science using English as the

medium, they are more intrinsically motivated to learn more of

the language.

Community Language Learning

The Silent Way

Suggestopedia

Total Physical Response

The Natural Approach

Key Features (1) Students are to be considered as "learner-clients" and

the teacher as a "teacher-councelor". (2) A relationship of mutual trust and support is considered essential

to the learning process.

(3) Students are permitted to use their native language, andare provided with translations from the teacher whichthey then attempt to apply.

(4) Grammar and vocabulary are taught inductively.

(5) "Chunks" of target language produced by the studentsare recorded and later listened to - they are alsotranscribed with native language equivalents tobecome texts the students work with.

Key Features (Contd)

(6) Students apply the target language independentlyand without translation when they feelinclined/confident enough to do so.

(7) Students are encouraged to express not only how

they feel about the language, but how they feelaboutthe learning process, to which the teacherexpresses empathy and understanding.

(8) A variety of activities can be included (for example,focusing on a particular grammar orpronunciationpoint, or creating new sentences based on therecordings/transcripts).

Typical Techniques

(1) Tape Recording Student Conversation

(2) Transcription

(3) Reflection on Experience

(4) Reflective Listening

(5) Human Computer

(6) Small Group Tasks

Objectives

Teachers using the Silent Way want their students to become highlyindependent and experimental learners.

Making errors is a natural part of the process and a key learning device, asit is a sign that students are testing out their hypostheses and arriving atvarious conclusions about the language through a trial and error styleapproach.

The teacher tries to facilitate activities whereby the students discover forthemselves the conceptual rules governing the language, rather thanimitating or memorizing

In addition to the idea that students become more autonomous learnersand "develop their own inner criteria for correctness" (Larsen Freeman,1986:62), another key objective was to encourage students to work as agroup - to try and solve problems in the target language together.

It was hoped that students would eventually be able to actively use thelanguage for self-expression, relating their thoughts, feelings andperceptions.


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Key Features

(1) Learning is facilitated if the learner

discovers or creates rather than remembers

and repeatswhat is to be learned.

(2) Learning is facilitated by accompanying

(mediating) physical objects.

(3) Learning is facilitated by problem-solving

involving the material to be learned.

Typical Techniques (1) Sound-Color Chart - click here to see an

example (2) Teacher's Silence

(3) Peer Correction

(4) Rods

(5) Self-correction Gestures

(6) Word Chart

(7) Fidel Chart - click here to see an example

(8) Structured Feedback

Objectives To tap into more of students' mental potential to learn, in

order to accelerate the process by which they learn tounderstand and use the target language forcommunication.

Four factors considered essential in this process were

the provision of a relaxed and comfortable learningenviroment,

the use of soft Baroque music to help increase alphabrain waves and decrease blood pressure and heart rate,

"de-suggestion" in terms of the psychological barrierslearners place on their own learning potential, and

"suggestibility" through the encouragement of learnersassuming "child-like" and/or new roles and names in thetarget language.

Key Features (1) Learning is facilitated in an environment that is as

comfortable as possible, featuring soft cushioned seatingand dim lighting.

(2) "Peripheral" learning is encouraged through thepresence in the learning environment of posters anddecorations featuring the target language and variousgrammatical information.

(3) The teacher assumes a role of complete authority andcontrol in the classroom.

(4) Self-perceived and psychological barriers to learners'potential to learn are "desuggested".

(5) Students are encouraged to be child-like, take "mentaltrips with the teacher" and assume new roles and names inthe target language in order to become more "suggestible".

Key features (Contd)

(6) Baroque music is played softly in the background toincrease mental relaxation and potential to take in andretain new material during the lesson.

(7) Students work from lengthy dialogs in the targetlanguage, with an accompanying translation into thestudents' native language.

(8) Errors are tolerated, the emphasis being on content andnot structure. Grammar and vocabulary are presented andgiven treatment from the teacher, but not dwelt on.

(9) Homework is limited to students re-reading the dialogthey are studying - once before they go to sleep at nightand once in the morning before they get up.

(10) Music, drama and "the Arts" are integrated into thelearning process as often as possible.

Typical Techniques (1) Classroom Set-up (2) Peripheral Learning (3) Positive Suggestion (4) Visualization (5) Choose a New Identity (6) Role-play (7) First Concert (8) Second Concert (9) Primary Activation (10) Secondary Activation


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Objectives Learning needed to become more enjoyable

and less stressful. A natural way to accomplish this was to

recreate the natural way children learn theirnative language, most notably throughfacilitating an appropriate "listening" and"comprehension" period, and encouragelearners to respond using right-brain motorskills rather than left-brain language"processing".

Key Features

(1) The teacher directs and students "act" in response - "Theinstructor is the director of a stage play in which the students arethe actors" (Asher, 1977:43).

(2) Listening and physical response skills are emphasized overoral production.

(3) The imperative mood is the most common language functionemployed, even well into advanced levels. Interrogatives are alsoheavily used.

(4) Whenever possible, humor is injected into the lessons to makethem more enjoyable for learners.

(5) Students are not required to speak until they feel naturallyready or confident enough to do so.

(6) Grammar and vocabulary are emphasized over other languageareas. Spoken language is emphasized over written language.

Typical Techniques

(1) Using Commands to Direct Behavior

(2) Role Reversal

(3) Action Sequence

As part of the Natural Approach, students listen to the teacherusing the target language communicatively from the verybeginning.

It has certain similarities with the much earlier Direct Method,with the important exception that students are allowed to usetheir native language alongside the target language as part ofthe language learning process.

In early stages, students are not corrected during oralproduction, as the teacher is focusing on meaning rather thanform (unless the error is so drastic that it actually hindersmeaning).

Communicative activities prevail throughout a languagecourse employing the Natural Approach, focusing on a widerange of activities including games, roleplays, dialogs, groupwork and discussions.

There are three generic stages identified in

the approach:

(1) Preproduction - developing listening skills;

(2) Early Production - students struggle with thelanguage and make many errors which are

corrected based on content and not structure;

(3) Extending Production - promoting fluencythrough a variety of more challenging activities.

Asher, James. 1977. Learning Another Language Through

Actions: The Complete Teacher's Guidebook. Los Gatos, CA: SlyOaks Productions. See alsohttp://www.tpr-world.com/.

Brown, H. Douglas. 1994. Teaching by Principles: An InteractiveApproach to Language Pedagogy. Prentice Hall.

Finocchiaro, Mary & Brumfit, Christopher. 1983. The Functional-Notional Approach: From Theory to Practice. Oxford UniversityPress.

Krashen, Stephen D., & Terrell, Tracy D. 1983. The NaturalApproach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom. PergamonPress. See also Bilingual Education: Arguments For and (Bogus)Arguments Against,Theory of Second Language Acquisition, ASummary of Stephen Krashen's "Principles and Practice in SecondLanguage Acquisition",Why Bilingual Education?.
http://www.tpr-world.com/http://www.tpr-world.com/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jwcrawford/Krashen3.htmhttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jwcrawford/Krashen3.htmhttp://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.htmlhttp://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.htmlhttp://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htmhttp://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htmhttp://gopher.ael.org/~eric/digests/edorc968.htmlhttp://gopher.ael.org/~eric/digests/edorc968.htmlhttp://gopher.ael.org/~eric/digests/edorc968.htmlhttp://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htmhttp://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htmhttp://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.htmlhttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jwcrawford/Krashen3.htmhttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jwcrawford/Krashen3.htmhttp://www.tpr-world.com/http://www.tpr-world.com/http://www.tpr-world.com/


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Larsen-Freeman, Dianne. 1986. Techniques and Principles in LanguageTeaching. New York: Oxford University Press.

Nunan, David. 1991. Language Teaching Methodology: A Textbook forTeachers. Prentice Hall. See also http://ec.hku.hk/dcnunan/

Prator, Clifford H. & Celce-Murcia, Marianne. 1979. "An outline oflanguage teaching approaches." In Celce-Murcia, Marianne & McIntosh,Lois (Ed.),Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. NewburyHouse.

Richards, Jack & Rodgers, Theodore. 1986. Approaches and Methods inLanguage Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Online Resources:

Second Language Teaching Methodologies- Eric Clearinghouse onLanguages and Linguistics

Teaching Techniques- From www.eslabout.com

Whole Language, Whole Person- A Handbook of Language TeachingMethodology
http://ec.hku.hk/dcnunan/http://www.englishraven.com/Second%20Language%20Teaching%20Methodologies.htmlhttp://esl.about.com/cs/teachingtechnique/http://esl.about.com/cs/teachingtechnique/http://www.sbg.ac.at/rom/people/lekt/co/echanger/book.dochttp://www.sbg.ac.at/rom/people/lekt/co/echanger/book.dochttp://www.sbg.ac.at/rom/people/lekt/co/echanger/book.dochttp://esl.about.com/cs/teachingtechnique/http://www.englishraven.com/Second%20Language%20Teaching%20Methodologies.htmlhttp://ec.hku.hk/dcnunan/

elt methods summary

Documents

nature of language learning

language classroom

learners native language

learning interlanguage

learning strategies

rote learning

potent learning rewards

thespecification of