Approaches to Language Teaching

1. Approaches to
Teaching

2. The Century-
Long Search
for the Ideal
Language
Teaching
Method
In the century spanning the mid-1880s
to the mid-1980s, the language
teaching profession embarked on a
continuous search. The objective was
to find a single, ideal method that
could be applied across diverse
audiences, effectively teaching
students foreign languages in the
classroom. Historical accounts describe
a succession of methods, each
adopted and, to some extent,
discarded over time as new methods
took their place.

3. Understandin
g Language
Teaching
Methodology

4. A Century-Long Journey
TIMELINE

5. Audiolingual
Method
Early 1960s
Cognitive-Code
Learning Method
Turn of the Century
Direct Method
Late 1940s
Grammar-translation
method
Up until the late 19th
Century

6. Post-method era
1980s
Critique by H. H.
Stern
1990s
Designer Methods:
Community Language Learning, the Silent Way,
Suggestopedia, and Total Physical Response
1970s

7. Why are language teaching methods no longer considered the
central focus or guiding principles in language education?
• Methods are criticized for being too prescriptive, meaning they make
assumptions about the teaching context before fully understanding it. This
tendency leads to overgeneralization, where a method is applied broadly
without considering the specific practical situations it might encounter.
Prescriptive
Nature
THEORY
PRACTICE
Theorist
Top
down
Teachers

8. •Methods are quite distinctive at the early, beginning stages of a language course and
rather indistinguishable from each other at later stages.
Lose of
Distinctiveness
•In the past, it was thought that methods could be empirically tested by scientific
quantification to determine which one is “best.” Now it is discovered that something as
artful and intuitive as language pedagogy cannot ever be so clearly verified by empirical
validation.
Challenges in
Empirical Validation
•Methods may reflect biased perspectives, known as "interested knowledge," influenced
by political motives. Recent research on English language teaching reveals that methods,
often shaped by powerful entities, can contribute to linguistic imperialism, favoring the
powerful center and potentially disadvantaging the periphery.
Political motives

9. David Nunan summed it up nicely:
It has been realised that there never was and probably never will be a method for all,
and the focus in recent years has been on the development of classroom tasks and
activities which are consonant with what we know about second language acquisition,
and which are also in keeping with the dynamics of the classroom itself.

10. A Principled
Approach
As we bid farewell to familiar teaching methods, now the
emphasis is on a principled approach that takes into account the
evolving understanding of language learning and pedagogical best
practices.
• The focus should be on designing effective tasks and
techniques.
• It is the cumulative body of knowledge and principles that
enables teachers, as “technicians” in the classroom, to
diagnose the needs of students, to treat students with
successful pedagogical techniques, and to assess the outcome
of those treatments.
• An approach to language pedagogy is not just a set of static
principles “set in stone.” It is, in fact, a dynamic composite of
energies within a teacher that changes (or should change, if one
is a growing teacher) with continued experience in learning and
teaching.
• The interaction between one’s approach and classroom practice
is the key to dynamic teaching. The best teachers are able to
take calculated risks in the classroom: as new student needs
are perceived, innovative pedagogical techniques are
attempted, and the follow-up assessment yields an observed
judgment on their effectiveness.

11. 1. AUTOMATICITY
2. MEANINGFUL
LEARNING
3. THE
ANTICIPATION OF
REWARD
4. INTRINSIC
MOTIVATION
5. STRATEGIC
INVESTMENT
6. LANGUAGE EGO
7. SELF-
CONFIDENCE
8. RISK TAKING
9. THE
LANGUAGE–
CULTURE
CONNECTION
10. THE NATIVE
LANGUAGE EFFECT
11.
INTERLANGUAGE
12.
COMMUNICATIVE
COMPETENCE
Effective language teaching approaches are guided by certain
fundamental principles

12. DIAGNOSIS
,
TREATMEN
T, AND
ASSESSME
NT
• A principled approach to
language teaching encourages
the language teacher to engage
in a carefully crafted process of
diagnosis, treatment, and
assessment.

13. DIAGNOSI
S
The initial steps of the diagnostic phase start with overall plans and
structure of the language curriculum. After the initial planning, the
diagnostic process doesn't stop; it continues as an ongoing monitoring
process. The teachers regularly observe, assess, and adapt their teaching
methods in response to the needs and progress of the students.
The process of diagnosis involves considering:
• Situational Needs
Considering factors like the country, students’ socioeconomic and
educational background, specific learning purposes, institutional
constraints.
 Is language proficiency perceived by students as intrinsically
motivating?
 To what extent will the language in question involve students in
wrestling with a “new identity” and therefore imply a language ego
issue?
 What is the relationship between the target language and the
native culture of the students?

14. • Linguistic or Communicative Needs
The specification of linguistic – sometimes called “communicative” – needs: the specific language
forms and functions that should be programmed into a course of study.
 To what extent are native-language and target-language contrasts important to consider?
 How should interlanguage systematicity and variation affect curriculum designs?
 What do studies of contrastive analysis, interlanguage, and communicative competence tell us
about the sequencing of linguistic forms and functions in a curriculum?
 How can the curriculum realize the principle of authenticity?

15. TREATMENT
Some might believe that if a diagnostic phase identifies learners who prefer
physical activity, minimal language explanation, and a directive teaching style, then
Total Physical Response (TPR) is the ideal treatment.
The problem with this conclusion is that it is over-generalized and much too restrictive.
While some learners might benefit from TPR-like techniques, the complexity of language
learning suggests that a single method is too restrictive for an entire curriculum.

16. Instead of a single method, a multiple-treatment, multiphase approach is advocated for language courses.
Treatments are considered as courses of study or sets of learning experiences designed to address learner
needs identified in diagnostic assessments.
The profession offers an extensive array of options for treatments.
 For instance, language teaching techniques:
• Controlled techniques (e.g., drills, dialogues, reading aloud).
• Semicontrolled techniques (e.g., questions/answers, cued narratives, information gap activities).
• Free techniques (e.g., role-plays, problem-solving, interviews, discussions).
 Whole-class, group-work, and pairwork activities provide additional diversity.
The choices are vast and varied, providing flexibility for different learning preferences.

17. Teacher's Role in
Treatment
It is the teacher’s task to carefully and deliberately
choose among these many options to formulate a
pedagogical sequence of techniques in the classroom.
And this is where a teacher’s choices must be
“principled.”
One way to make principled choices is by evaluating
how well a technique aligns with a desired goal.

18. Assessme
nt
The traditional methods of language pedagogy lacked effective
assessment techniques, pushing us toward a new era of improved
approaches and evaluation methods.
Today, the language-testing field has evolved significantly, expanding into
a sophisticated domain with numerous facets.
One prominent facet is the heightened emphasis on ongoing assessment,
commonly known as formative evaluation, throughout a student's course
of study.
Formative processes empower teachers to make midcourse adjustments
for more effective pedagogical outcomes.
The conventional notion that evaluation is limited to end-of-term or end-
of-unit tests is fading, replaced by a diversified philosophy that covers
both production and comprehension skills. Offers a range of assessment
techniques, individualized tests, and a focus on communicative properties

19. Theories of
Teaching
in Language
Teaching
Chapter 2

20. Introduction
The field of TESOL is significantly influenced by how language
teaching is perceived.
• Language teaching can be seen in various ways – as a science,
a technology, a craft, or an art.
• These conceptualizations lead to different views on what
skills are essential for teaching.
• The way language teaching is perceived affects the
approaches taken in teacher preparation.

21. Categorizations of
teaching conceptions into
Understanding different conceptualizations is crucial for
shaping
TESOL practices and enhancing second language teacher
education.
Science-
Research
Conceptions
Theory-
Philosophy
Conceptions
Art-Craft
Conceptions

22. Science-Research Conceptions
Science-research conceptions of language teaching are derived from research
and are supported by experimentation and empirical investigation
The ideas are not just theoretical but are derived from actual research studies
and experiments.
It relies on empirical investigation, meaning that it's based on observable and
measurable evidence.
operationalizing learning principles, following a tested model, and doing what
effective teachers do, are examples of science-research conceptions.

23. Operationalizing Learning Principles
This approach involves
deriving teaching
principles from research
on various aspects of
learning, such as memory
and motivation.
The goal is to transfer
insights from learning
research into practical
teaching strategies.
In TESOL (Teaching English
to Speakers of Other
Languages), examples
include Audiolingualism
and Task-Based Language
Teaching,

24. Examples
Audiolingualism:
• Derived from behavioral
psychology research.
• Learning is habit formation
through memorization and
repetition.
Task-Based Language Teaching:
• Derived from second language
acquisition research.
• Emphasizes negotiation of
meaning for successful
language learning

25. Following a tested model of teaching
This approach involves integrating empirical or experimental research
findings into teaching practices. Good teaching, according to this model, is
defined through logical reasoning and previous research, focusing on
specific actions. An example involves researching teachers' question
patterns and wait time, applying these findings to develop a training model.
Doing what effective teachers do
This approach involves deriving teaching principles by studying the practices of
teachers who are considered effective.

26. Theory-Philosophy
Conceptions
Theory-philosophy conceptions as a distinctive approach to theories of teaching. Unlike
approaches based on empirical conditions or practical effectiveness, these conceptions find
their truth in what ought to work or what aligns with moral principles.“
Within theory-philosophy conceptions there are two key components:
Theory-based or Rationalist Approach:
• Conceptions derived from what ought
to work.
• Grounded in theoretical principles or
rationalistic thinking.
Values-based Approaches:
• Conceptions derived from beliefs
about what is morally right.
• Rooted in ethical considerations and
values."

27. Theory-based approaches
Theory-based approaches mean that the method's foundation is built on reason and
rational thought. The theory supporting the method is not derived from empirical
investigation but rather from systematic and principled thinking.“
"In TESOL, think of Communicative Language Teaching and the Silent Way as prime
examples. Communicative Language Teaching reacted to grammar-based approaches,
justifying itself through critiques of linguistic theory. The Silent Way, rooted in a learning
theory, draws on specific claims about adult learning.“
"Communicative Language Teaching operationalized communicative competence across
language programs, relying on the theory itself for justification. Meanwhile, the Silent Way,
based on Gattegno's learning theory, considers its principles self-evident without empirical
verification."

28. Values-Based Approaches:
Unlike theory-driven methods, values-based approaches create teaching models based on personal beliefs about
teachers, learners, classrooms, and education's role in society.
• Examples of Values-Based Approaches:
• Team Teaching: Collaborative teaching with the belief that teachers work best when working in
collaboration with a peer.
• Humanistic Approaches: Emphasizing the development of human values, self-awareness, understanding
of others, and active student involvement in learning.
• Learner-Centered Curriculum: Based on the belief that learners are self-directed, responsible decision
makers, with a focus on providing efficient learning strategies and addressing individual needs.
• Reflective Teaching: Grounded in the belief that teachers can improve their understanding and teaching
quality by critically reflecting on their teaching experiences.

29. Art-Craft Conceptions
Viewing teaching as an art or craft, emphasizing the teacher's individual
skill and personality.
At its core, good teaching in this perspective involves a teacher's keen
assessment of the unique needs and possibilities of a situation, coupled
with the ability to create and implement practices tailored to that specific
context.

30. Thank You