The method/approaches this unit covers are called the ‘designer’ methods because of the thorough process they went through while were designed:

1.The Silent Way (or the Silent Method)2.The Natural Approach3.Suggestopedia4.Community Language Learning

It derives its name from the fact that the teacher remains silent for most of the class time.

One main aim is to respect learners’ ‘silent period’, which refers to allow them to produce speech until they’re ‘ready’.

Also. silence is meant to give learners the opportunity to fully exploit precious classroom time.

The teacher’s presence in the classroom is limited to providing a model of the language that the learners are going to work on.

The basic assumption is that the learners will bring their potential and their previous experience of learning their mother tongue to the foreign language classroom.

The structural patterns of the target language are presented by the teacher and the grammar "rules" of the language are learned inductively by the learners.

Cuisenaire rods (small colored blocks of varying sizes originally intended for the teaching of mathematics) are often used to illustrate meaning (the physical objects mentioned above).

New items are added sparingly by the teacher and learners take these as far as they can in their communication until the need for the next new item becomes apparent.

The teacher then provides this new item by modeling it very clearly just once. The learners are then left to use the new item and to incorporate it into their existing stock of language, again taking it as far as they can until the next item is needed and so on.

Source: onestopenglish.com

Translation is not the focus, however it can be used to give instructions when necessary.

To help the student’s pronunciation. To give feedback to the students at least at beginner levels. If any, similarities between the students’ native language and

the target language can be used to build upon new sounds in the target language.

Source: Larsen-Freeman, D. 2000

In the Natural Approach the teacher speaks only the target language and class time is committed to providing comprehensible input for acquisition.

Students may use either the language being taught or their first language.

Errors in speech are not corrected, however homework may include grammar exercises that will be corrected.

Goals for the class emphasize the learners being able use the language "to talk about ideas, perform tasks, and solve problems."

This approach aims to fulfill the requirements for learning and acquisition, and does a great job in doing it.

Its main weakness is that all classroom teaching is to some degree limited in its ability to be interesting and relevant to all students.

Suggestopedia is a teaching method which is based on a modern understanding of how the human brain works and how we learn most effectively.

Suggestopedia was originally applied mainly in foreign language teaching, and it is often claimed that it can teach languages approximately three times as quickly as conventional methods.

Source: http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/brainwaremap/suggest.html

Some of the key elements of Suggestopedia include: a rich sensory learning environment (pictures, color,

music, etc.), a positive expectation of success and the use of a

varied range of methods: dramatized texts, music, active participation in songs and games, etc.

Suggestopedia works better with small groups.

PresentationA preparatory stage in which students are helped to relax and move into a positive frame of mind, with the feeling that the learning is going to be easy and fun.

First Concert - "Active Concert"This involves the active presentation of the material to be learnt. For example, in a foreign language course there might be the dramatic reading of a piece of text, accompanied by classical music.

Second Concert - "Passive Review"The students are now invited to relax and listen to some Baroque music, with the text being read very quietly in the background. The music is specially selected to bring the students into the optimum mental state for the effortless acquisition of the material.

PracticeThe use of a range of games, puzzles, etc. to review and consolidate the learning.

It takes its principles from the “Counseling Learning Approach” developed by Charles A. Curran. It was created especially for adult learners who

might fear to appear foolish The teacher becomes a language counselor , he

understands them and leads them to overcome their fears.

It follows Krashen’s Monitor Theory (Affective Filter Hypothesis) and the Cognitive Theory where the human mind is active .

Native language + translation: The purpose of using the native language is to provide a bridge from the familiar to the unfamiliar.

1. Tape Recording

2. Transcription

3. Reflection on Experience

4. Reflective Listening 5. Small group tasks6. Human Computer

a) teacher stands behind students b) teacher repeats , doesn’t correct c) interaction among students d) students feel in control / responsible

Source: http://members.fortunecity.com/nadabs/communitylearn.html

Rapport: relation; connection, esp. harmonious or sympathetic relation

Competence: the implicit, internalized knowledge of a language that a speaker possesses and that enables the speaker to produce and understand the language

Performance: the actual use of language in real situations, which may or may not fully reflect a speaker's competence, being subject to such nonlinguistic factors as inattention, distraction, memory lapses, fatigue, or emotional state

Source: www.dictionary.com