teaching methods history

1. Language Teaching
Methods and Approaches
By Mahmoud Ghadimi

2. Grammar Translation Method (GTM)
(Seidnstucker and Plotz) in Germany 1800s
 Teaching was equal to learning Latin or Greek
 Classes were taught in the mother tongue
 No oral production
 Vocabulary was taught in Isolated words or word lists
 Grammar was taught deductively
 Long grammar explanations (Focus on Form not on meaning)
 Drills: Classical Texts (Literary or religious)
 Translation or disconnected sentences regardless of their context
 No attention to pronunciation at all.

3. The Series Method (SM)
Francois Gouin (late 1800s)
 Learning directly from L2
 No Translation
 No grammatical explanation
 Series Method > I go to the door. I get the
door. I open the door,….
 Didn’t last long

4. Direct Method (DM)
Pearlitz (early 1900s)
 Learning L1 =L2
 L1 not allowed in classes
 Only everyday sentences
 Small classes
 Q’s and A’s exchanges
 Inductive Grammar
 Concret vocabulary > through demonstration
 Correct pronunciations and grammar emphasized
 Coleman report in 1929 (Go back to GTM)

5. Audiolingual Method (ALM)
Army Method (1942)
 Military intense courses focused on auditive and oral skills
 Systematic attention to pronunciation
 Grammar (Form) was presented as dialogues
 Set phrases and structures memorized intensively in long hours (mimicry
and repetition) (rote-learning)
 Inductive Grammar
 Vocabulary was taught in Context
 Little use of mother tongue
 Error-Free utterances
 Reinforcing and praising successful responses

6. The Designer Methods in 1970s
CLL,SM, SW, TPR, NA
1. Community Language Learning (Charles Curran)
2. Suggestopdia (Georgie Lazanov)
3. The Silent Way ( Caleb Gatengo)
4. Total Physical Response (James Asher)
5. The Natural Aproach (Stephan Kranshen and Terrel)

7. 1.Community Language Learning (Charles
Curran)
 Group interact in an interpersonal relationship >
lessening Anxiety in community
 Sat in a circle with a counselor or a teacher outside
the circle
 First the client(the student) said something in his L1
then the counselor (the teacher) translated in L2
 Gradually the learner became able to make utterance
directly in L2

8. 2. Suggestopdia (Georgie Lozanov)
 Emphasized on relaxed state of the mind so …
 Use of soft comfortable chairs,Baroque Music,Dim lighting
 Teachers read a translated text
 Activities were carried out in soft comfortable seats with
music
 Teacher says you won’t need to try to learn. Learning will
come naturally.
 The methods includes desegestion and suggestions
 The teacher read the new text which was translated in L1

9. 3. The Silent Way ( Caleb Gattengo)
 In teacher-student interactions the teacher is
silent so the students work more
 The teacher speaks only to give clues
 Only applicable for elementary levels
 Only appropriate for adults
 No teacher correction only peer correction

10. 4. Total Physical Response (James Asher)
 Memory is increased if stimulated through
physical association with motor activity
 Motor activity is a right-brain function that should
precede left-brain language processing
 Heavily utilized the imperative mode of language
 Effective in the beginning levels
 Standard for young learners ( they mostly learn by
commands)

11. 5. The Natural Aproach (Stephan Kranshen
and Terrel)
 Learners should relax so that learning and acquisitions happen
 Developing basic communication skills
 Lower levels > every day situations like shopping,……..
 Higher levels > more academic skills like listening to lectures and
writing,…
 Comprehensible input
 Focus on context and meaning
 Students are allowed to use their L1 alongside the target language

12. Communicative Language Teaching
from 1980s up to now (eclectic approach)
 Language is viewed as a system for the expression of
meaning
 It’s main function is interaction and communication
 Activities> real communication (interaction)
 Objectives and syllabus> learners’ need
 Teacher > the facilitator of the communication process
 Teacher> teach based on the students’ needs