LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY:PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

MARIANNE CELCE-MURCIAIntermountain TESOL Conference

October 12-13, 2012

Presentation OutlinePre-Twentieth Century TrendsEarly & Mid Twentieth Century

ApproachesMore Recent ApproachesCurrent ‘Post Methods’ EraFuture Challenges

PRE-TWENTIETH CENTURY TRENDS

Classical Era (Greek and Latin)—pre printing press

focus on listening and speakingno textbooks-some handwritten

texts and dictionaries 

Rise of European VernacularsGutenberg- invented printing

press-1440J. Belot (l580) Earliest known ESL

textbook; published in England for Protestant refugees.

Comenius- one of the first widely acknowledged teacher-practitioners. (published 1631-1658)

GRAMMAR TRANSLATION (Karl Ploetz, 1819-1881)

Instruction and explanation in L1Little use of target languageFocus on parsing parts of speech,

inflectionsTranslate from L1 to L2 (and vice

versa)Result: inability to use the L2

(Beginning of pedagogical tension: analysis vs. use)

THE DIRECT METHOD F. Gouin-began to publish in l880

No use of L1 allowed (teacher must be proficient)

Use of actions, pictures to give meaning to dialogues and anecdotes

Grammar is learned via exposureLiterature read for pleasure, not

parsingResult: ability to use L2

THE REFORM MOVEMENT (IPA founded 1886): Sweet, Vietor,

Passy, etc.Spoken language is primary- teach

firstApply phonetics to language

teachingTrain language teachers in phoneticsGive learners basic phonetic training

in L2

EARLY & MID TWENTIETH CENTURY APPROACHES

THE READING APPROACHTeach only the grammar needed for

readingControl vocabulary initially then

expandTranslation is once more respectableOnly reading comprehension is

emphasizedResult: Learners can read but not

speak/understand L2.

AUDIOLINGUALISM (U.S.)Begin lessons with dialogues (constructed)Mimicry and memorization are used to

reflect that lg. learning is habit formationGrammar is sequenced; rules taught

indirectlySkills are sequenced (L, Sp, R, Wr)Accurate pronunciation is emphasized earlyVocabulary is very limited initiallyEffort is made to prevent errorsLg. is often manipulated with minimal

attention to meaning or context.

ORAL-SITUATIONAL APPROACH (U.K.)Spoken language is primaryLg. is practiced orally before any reading

or writing occursOnly the target language should be usedThe most useful and general vocabulary

is taughtGrammar is sequenced: simple to

complexNew vocabulary and grammar are

introduced and practiced in situations (post office, bank, dinner table, etc.)

MORE RECENT APPROACHES

THE COGNITIVE APPROACHLg. learning is rule acquisition, not habit

formation  Instruction is individualized and learners are

responsible for their learning Grammar can be taught either deductively or

InductivelyPronunciation is de-emphasizedReading and writing are as important as

speaking and listening Vocabulary is important again, especially for

intermediate and advanced learners Errors are inevitable and useful for feedback and

correction

AFFECTIVE-HUMANISTIC APPROACHLg. learning is a process of self-realizationRespect for each individual’s feelings emphasized

(teacher and students) Class atmosphere is more important than methods or

materials Priority given to personally meaningful

communication  Instruction often involves pair- or group-work Peer support and cooperation help learning Teacher is a counselor or facilitator (instead of the

ultimate source of knowledge) Translation can be used, especially in the early stages 

THE COMPREHENSION-BASED APPROACHListening comprehension is the basic skill that

allows other skills and lg acquisition to develop  Learners begin with an initial silent period so

they can just listen and understand Learners do not speak until they feel ready to  Exposure to meaningful input that expands

their experience in the L2 leads to acquisition Explicit rule learning is helpful in monitoring

and editing one’s L2 production but not for acquisition or spontaneous production 

Error correction is unnecessary if the learner’s message is understandable

THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH Communication is the goal of L2 learning Semantic notions and social functions are as

important as linguistic structure Content (academic or job-related) is often taught

along with lg. Students work in pairs or groups to transfer

information and negotiate meaning Role play and dramatization help achieve register

flexibility and social sensitivity in L2 Tasks often make use of authentic texts and tasks or

involve the completion of projects The 4 skills (L, Sp, R, Wr) are integrated Teacher (1) facilitates communication and (2) offers

feedback and correction

THE 1970’S “DESIGNER METHODS”Silent Way (Gattegno)Community Language Learning

(Curran)Total Physical Response (Asher)Suggestology/Suggestopedia

(Lozanov)

RESEARCH-BASED CONCLUSION

 (Strevens, Richards, Prabhu)◦No single method or approach is

optimal for all learners under all circumstances

CURRENT ‘POST-METHODS’ ERA (A TRANSITION)

Kumaravadivelu Base pedagogy on principles established by

research. He offers 10 ‘macrostrategies’◦ Maximize learning opportunities◦ Facilitate negotiated interaction◦ Minimize perceptual mismatches◦ Activate intuitive heuristics◦ Foster language awareness◦ Contextualize linguistic input◦ Integrate language skills◦ Promote learner autonomy◦ Raise cultural consciousness◦ Ensure social relevance

Teachers should design situation-specific materials and procedures to achieve the above objectives

TEACHER PREPARATION SKILLS (needed for post-methods language teaching) Assess learners’ needs Examine instructional constraints Determine attitudes, learning styles, and cultural

backgrounds of students to tailor materials/activities Identify the discourse genres, speech activities, and text

types students need to learn L2 when designing materials Identify assessment instruments and requirements and

prepare learners to deal with such tasks as part of classroom instruction

  (Note: This is in addition to the traditional teacher

preparation core subjects such as methodology, pedagogical grammar, syllabus/curriculum design, practical phonetics, teaching listening & speaking, teaching reading & writing, etc.)

FUTURE CHALLENGES

How to integrate everything we now know into better, more encompassing practices?

Research into the following six areas could yield new methodological paradigms (Canagarajah):◦ Motivation◦ Learner Variability◦ Discourse Analysis◦ Corpus-based Research◦ Cognitive Processing◦ Social Participation

To this list we can add:◦ New Technologies◦ Second Language Acquisition (new ways to study it)◦ Others?