Unit 4: Methods and Approaches

in ELT I

ELT: METHODS AND APPROACHES

In unit 4 we’ll discuss the following approaches:

Total Physical ResponseWhole LanguageMultiple IntelligencesPerson-Centered Approach

Multiple Intelligences

This theory of human intelligence, developed by psychologist Howard Gardner, suggests there are at least eight ways that people have of perceiving and understanding the world. Gardner labels each of these ways a distinct "intelligence"--in other words, a set of skills allowing individuals to find and resolve genuine problems they face.

Source: http://www.funderstanding.com/multiple_intelligence.cfm

Gardner defines an "intelligence" as a group of abilities that:

Is somewhat autonomous from other human capacities.

Has a core set of information-processing operations.

Has a distinct history in the stages of development we each pass through.

Has plausible roots in evolutionary history.

Howard Gardner

http://www.winnpsb.org/TeachersWeb/kjordan/Theorist%20page%201.htm

Practical Implications

Upon learning about Gardner's theory of Multiple

Intelligences, a teacher may be tempted to say that a

student learns only through a specific intelligence and

that this student has that one intelligence. The theory,

rather, implies that educators need to place all eight

intelligences as equally important intelligences in the

classroom and that all people have a little bit of every

intelligence in them. With this understanding, educators

allow every student to shine and succeed!

Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response, or TPR, involves the students listening and responding to commands given by the teacher such as "sit down" and "walk," with the complexity of the commands growing over time as the class acquires more language.

TPR

In TPR student speech is delayed, and once students are willing to talk they begin by giving commands to other students.

Theory predicts that TPR should result in substantial language acquisition.

Its content may not be always interesting and relevant for the students, but should produce better results than the audio-lingual and grammar-translation methods.

A typical TPR activity might contain:

instructions such as "Walk to the door", "Open the door", "Sit down" and "Give Maria your dictionary".

The students are required to carry out the instructions by physically performing the activities.

TPR

Given a supportive classroom environment, there is little doubt that such activities can be both motivating and fun, and it is also likely that with even a fairly limited amount of repetition basic instructions such as these could be assimilated by the learners, even if they were unable to reproduce them accurately themselves.

TPR Advantages:

Whole Language Approach (WLA or WL)

Created in the 1980’s

Emphasis on learning to read and write naturally.

Focus on real communication.

Reading and writing for pleasure.

The approach argues that language should be taught as a “whole”.

Versus the “Decoding” approach (teaching the separate components of literacy)

WLA 1990s’ – popularity as a motivating and innovative way of

teaching language arts skills.

Shares philosophical and instructional perspective with Communicative Language Teaching.

Relates to natural approaches to language learning

WLA Whole Language – approach, method, philosophy or belief?

Approach – based on key principles of language and learning Language is whole Integration of writing, reading, listening, and speaking

Approach: theory of language and of learning Views language organization from an interactional

perspective.

Emphasis of Whole Language Authenticity Engagement with the authors of written texts Conversation.

Example: “Apologizing”

Psycholinguistically - as a vehicle for:Internal “interaction”Egocentric speechThinking

WLA: The Learning Theory

Instead of transmitting knowledge, the teacher works with the student to create knowledge and understanding.

Does not focus on “covering the curriculum”Focus on students’:

Needs Experiences Interests Aspirations

Design: Objectives, syllabus, learning activities, roles of learners, teachers and materials

Principles underlying the Design of WL:• Use of authentic literature vs. artificial• Focus on real and natural events…• Reading of real texts of high interest…• Reading for the sake of comprehension and real purpose• Writing for a real audience…• Writing as a process or exploration and discovery

Design: Objectives, syllabus, learning activities, roles of learners, teachers and materials

Use of student-produced texts vs. teacher generated Integration of reading, writing and other skillsStudent centered learningReading and writing in partnershipEncouragement of risk taking…

Design: Objectives, syllabus, learning activities, roles of learners, teachers and materials

The teacher:

Facilitates learning

Teaches students and not subject matter.

Looks for occurrence of teachable moments

Creates a climate that supports collaborative learning.

Is a negotiator

The learner is:

a collaborator

an evaluator

self-directed

selector of materials and activities

Design: Objectives, syllabus, learning activities, roles of learners, teachers and materials

The MaterialReal World Vs. Commercial TextsNewspapersSignsStorybooksHandbillsWorkplace handoutsStudent produced material

Design: Objectives, syllabus, learning activities, roles of learners, teachers and materials

PROCEDURE:• The use of literature• The use of process

writing• Encouragement of

cooperative learning among students

• Concern for students’ attitude

ACTIVITIES:

• Individual and small group reading and writing

• Ungraded dialogue journals

• Writing portfolios

• Writing conferences

• Student-made books

• Story writing

Whole Language Approach

ADVANTAGES:

Focuses on experience and activities relevant to learners’ lives and needs.

Use of authentic materials

Facilitates the development of a Second Language.

CRITIQUES

Rejection on the ESL approachSeeks to apply native

language principles to ESL

Anti-direct teaching, anti-skills, and anti-materials.

Promotes fluency at the cost of accuracy.

A grateful note:Thanks to:

Jezabel N. Muñoz Cortés

For sharing her knowledge of WLA for this PPT

english.uprag.edu/faculty/michelle/michelle/EDPE4245...Approaches/The%20Whole%20Language%20Approach_Jezabel.ppt

Person-centered approach (PCA)

The Person-centered approach was created by Dr. Carl R. Rogers (1902 - 1987), a famous American psychologist, in the 1950s.

PCARogers developed the PCA after his life-long experience in

counseling, psychotherapy, encounter groups and teaching at several universities.

The theory of the PCA is applicable to all age groups and it is independent of social contexts and/or backgrounds.

Attitudes while implementing PCA:

Realness, with synonyms such as congruence, transparency, genuineness, authenticity;

Acceptance, else referred to as respect, unconditional positive regard, caring attitude, concern for the individual, acknowledgement (Schmid, 2001);

Empathic understanding, a deep form of understanding of the meanings as well as feelings of the learner.

PCAThe final product a teacher wants to get is well-prepared

students that are able to transfer the skills practiced when using the PCA to construct their own learning to another areas in their lives.

PCA

Rogers’ view on personal attitudes and skills of facilitators:

“The better facilitators communicate and learners perceive the attitudes of realness, acceptance, and understanding and the more transparent the whole setting is, the deeper will be the learning processes at all three levels.”

Motschnig-Pitrik, R., & Mallich, K. (2004)