The document outlines essential principles of language teaching, emphasizing that student learning is more important than teaching itself. It advocates for teachers to engage students actively in the learning process and to prioritize practicality over rigid adherence to textbooks. Additionally, the document stresses the importance of creating a motivating learning environment that is enjoyable, varied, and focused on students' needs and capabilities.

1. SOME BASIC
SOME BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF
PRINCIPLES OF
TEACHING LANGUAGE
TEACHING LANGUAGE

2.  1.
1. Learning is more important
Learning is more important
than teaching.
than teaching.
TEACHING is NOT the terminal
TEACHING is NOT the terminal
objective of what happens in the
objective of what happens in the
classroom, but THE CHANGES
classroom, but THE CHANGES
IN THE STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOUR
IN THE STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOUR
upon which success and failure
upon which success and failure
depend.
depend.

3.  Teachers should not always
Teachers should not always
focus on their own role in the
focus on their own role in the
classroom.
classroom.
 Students and their learning are
Students and their learning are
more important than the
more important than the
syllabus, the book and the
syllabus, the book and the
teacher.
teacher.

4.  2.
2. Teach the students , not the
Teach the students , not the
book.
book.
 The teacher the textbook
The teacher the textbook
the syllabus
the syllabus
[
[Finishing the book in a certain time]
Finishing the book in a certain time]

5.  It may be necessary ;
It may be necessary ;
1.
1. To prepare additional practices
To prepare additional practices
on particolar points.
on particolar points.
2.
2. To go back and study again a
To go back and study again a
unit which has caused particular
unit which has caused particular
difficulties.
difficulties.
3.
3. To abandon the day’s lesson plan
To abandon the day’s lesson plan
becausesome problems occur,
becausesome problems occur,
which neither the teacher nor the
which neither the teacher nor the
book has foreseen.
book has foreseen.

6.  3. Involve the students in
3. Involve the students in
the learning process
the learning process.
.
 If the students are involved in
If the students are involved in
what happens or will happen
what happens or will happen
in the classroom, they are
in the classroom, they are
more likely to enjoy the
more likely to enjoy the
subject.
subject.
 Questionaries will work.
Questionaries will work.

7.  Motivation
Motivation
 When the purpose of an activity
When the purpose of an activity
is clear to the students, they are
is clear to the students, they are
more motivated. They should
more motivated. They should
know why some particular
know why some particular
things are happening.
things are happening.

8.  4.
4. Do not tell students what
Do not tell students what
they can tell you .
they can tell you .
• When it is neccessary to remind
When it is neccessary to remind
of the previous lesson, it should
of the previous lesson, it should
not be the teacher who does this ;
not be the teacher who does this ;
the students could be questioned.
the students could be questioned.
• Students should be given
Students should be given
opportunity to give alternative
opportunity to give alternative
language of their own.
language of their own.

9.  After studying a text, instead
After studying a text, instead
of expaining words, students
of expaining words, students
should be asked first, using
should be asked first, using
concept questions.
concept questions.
 When students are shown
When students are shown
some pictures, let them talk
some pictures, let them talk
about the picture.
about the picture.

10.  5.
5. Show your reactions to what
Show your reactions to what
students say.
students say.
 Your reactions to what students
Your reactions to what students
say must be natural.
say must be natural.

11.  T
T : So, have you seen the film ‘life
: So, have you seen the film ‘life
is beautiful’ ?
is beautiful’ ?
 Ali
Ali: Yes, but only on television.
: Yes, but only on television.
 T
T : And what about you, Can?
: And what about you, Can?
 Can
Can: No, I don’t like dramas.
: No, I don’t like dramas.
 T
T : Oh, don’t you? Have you seen
: Oh, don’t you? Have you seen
it, Ayşe ?
it, Ayşe ?
 Ayşe
Ayşe : Yes, I have. – 18 times.
: Yes, I have. – 18 times.
 T
T : Yes, and what about you,… ?
: Yes, and what about you,… ?


12.  6.
6. Students need practice, not
Students need practice, not
you.
you.
 Teachers should avoid doing
Teachers should avoid doing
the following:
the following:
 1. Explaining when it is not
1. Explaining when it is not
necessary
necessary
 2. Repeating themselves
2. Repeating themselves
unnecessarily.
unnecessarily.
 3. Answering for students,
3. Answering for students,
without waiting for long
without waiting for long

13.  4 Correcting too much and too
4 Correcting too much and too
quickly.
quickly.
 5. Talking unnecessarily about the
5. Talking unnecessarily about the
process of the lesson
process of the lesson
Teacher talk should be minimazed in
Teacher talk should be minimazed in
most cases.
most cases.

14.  7.
7. Don’t emphasize difficulties .
Don’t emphasize difficulties .
Teachers should avoid making the
Teachers should avoid making the
subject seem more difficult.
subject seem more difficult.
English is a very difficult language.
English is a very difficult language.
English is full of many irregularities
English is full of many irregularities
There are no real rules.
There are no real rules.
Preposition are completely illogical
Preposition are completely illogical
Phrasal verbs are difficult to memorize.
Phrasal verbs are difficult to memorize.

15.  8.
8. Vary what you do, and how you
Vary what you do, and how you
do it.
do it.
 Teachers should avoid doing the
Teachers should avoid doing the
things in a monotonous manner.
things in a monotonous manner.
( always in the same way and order
( always in the same way and order
, with the same material, ..etc)
, with the same material, ..etc)

16.  9.
9. Select what you do and how
Select what you do and how
you do it.
you do it.
There may be no opportunity to
There may be no opportunity to
choose the course material and to
choose the course material and to
determine the syllabus.
determine the syllabus.
However, there are things that the
However, there are things that the
teacher could decide on.
teacher could decide on.

17.  10.
10. Activities and relationships
Activities and relationships
in the classroom change.
in the classroom change.
Forms of intearaction in the
Forms of intearaction in the
class change
class change

18.  1. Informal use – T
1. Informal use – T
 2. The teacher sets a pattern and
2. The teacher sets a pattern and
replies. T – T
replies. T – T
 3. The teacher questions the class
3. The teacher questions the class
and invites them to respond. T – C
and invites them to respond. T – C
 4. The teacher questions the
4. The teacher questions the
individual students. T – S
individual students. T – S
 5. Students work in pairs. S – S
5. Students work in pairs. S – S
 6. Group work
6. Group work

19.  The lesson deveops ;
The lesson deveops ;
 *
* from controlled to free production
from controlled to free production
*
* from teacher dominated to student
from teacher dominated to student
dominated activity.
dominated activity.

20.  11.
11. Students need to learn how to
Students need to learn how to
learn.
learn.
The more students understand
The more students understand
about the process of learning the
about the process of learning the
foreign language, the more they
foreign language, the more they
will be able to take responsibility
will be able to take responsibility
for their own learning.
for their own learning.

21.  12.
12. Useful
Useful and
and fun
fun are better
are better
than either alone.
than either alone.
Students are UNLIKELY to be
Students are UNLIKELY to be
very successful at learning
very successful at learning
anything UNLESS they enjoy
anything UNLESS they enjoy
the process.
the process.

22.  13. Language is a natural
13. Language is a natural
activity.
activity.

23.  A: Is Peter shorter or taller than
A: Is Peter shorter or taller than
 Jack ?
Jack ?
 B: Jack is shorter than Peter.
B: Jack is shorter than Peter.
 A: Ah, so Jack is not as tall as
A: Ah, so Jack is not as tall as
 Peter
Peter.
.
This is an example of
This is an example of language-like
language-like
behaviour .
behaviour .

24.  13.
13. Language is a means of
Language is a means of
communication.
communication.
Thus, sometimes, focus on only
Thus, sometimes, focus on only
communication and interaction
communication and interaction.
.

25.  T
T: Good morning everybody. Please
: Good morning everybody. Please
sit down.
sit down.
 C
C : Good morning.
: Good morning.
 T
T : Well, did you watch the game last
: Well, did you watch the game last
 night?
night?
 S1
S1: I didn’t go, but I seed it on TV.
: I didn’t go, but I seed it on TV.
 T
T : You did whattt?
: You did whattt?
 S1
S1: I seed it on TV.
: I seed it on TV.
 T
T : ...
: ...
X

26.  T
T: Seed? Is that right? .... remember, it’s
: Seed? Is that right? .... remember, it’s
irregular... We say watch, watched, but we
irregular... We say watch, watched, but we
don’t say see, seed. What do we say ... ?
don’t say see, seed. What do we say ... ?
 S2
S2: saw
: saw
 T
T: That’s right. Saw. So what did you do S1?
: That’s right. Saw. So what did you do S1?
 S1
S1: I saw it on TV.
: I saw it on TV.
 T
T: Good. Everybody say that please.
: Good. Everybody say that please.
 C
C: I saw it on TV.
: I saw it on TV.

27.  14. Language is
14. Language is what
what,
, how
how,
, and
and
why.
why.

28.  Consider the phrase,
Consider the phrase,
milk and sugar
milk and sugar
as an utterance.
as an utterance.

29.  A: Is there anything else we need?
A: Is there anything else we need?
 B: Milk and sugar
B: Milk and sugar
 A: Milk and sugar?
A: Milk and sugar?
 B: Please.
B: Please.

30.  Think of cases in which
Think of cases in which the
the
phrase
phrase milk and sugar
milk and sugar with a
with a
falling
falling and
and rising
rising tone
tone could be
could be
used
used.
.

31.  15. Use types of activities that can
15. Use types of activities that can
increase motivation
increase motivation
 16. Focus on what students do
16. Focus on what students do
correctly.
correctly.
 17. Language learning is cyclical.
17. Language learning is cyclical.