Post method era

1. THE POST-METHODS ERA
Approaches and Methods in
Language Teaching
Richards and Rodgers, 2001
Lemmuela Alvita Kurniawati (136332040)

2. The Nature of Approaches
Having a core set of theories and beliefs
about the nature of language, language
learning, and principles in language teaching
Having a variety of interpretations on how
principles of language teaching are applied
Allowing individual interpretations and
application
Consisting of prescriptions and techniques in
English language teaching
Having a
long shelf
life

3. Approaches in English Language Teaching
Communicative
Language Teaching
Competency-Based
Language Teaching
Content-Based
Instruction
Cooperative
Learning
Lexical Approaches
Multiple
Intelligences
The Natural
Approach
Neurolinguistic
Programming
Task-Based
Language Teaching
Whole Language

4. The Nature of Methods
Are linked to specific claims and to
prescribed practices.
Contain what to teach and how to
teach it.
Are seen as a rich resource of activities,
some of which can be adapted from
one’s own ideology.
Are relatively fixed in time and there is
generally little scope for individual
interpretation.

5. Methods in English Language Teaching
Audiolingualism
Counseling-
Learning
Situational
Language
Teaching
The Silent Way Suggestopedia
Total Physical
Response

6. Questions Affected the Extent to Which a New
Approach or Method is Adopted
1
• What advantages does the new approach or method offer?
2
• How compatible is it with teachers’ existing beliefs and attitudes and with
the organization and practices within classroom and schools?
3
• Is the new approach or method very complicated and difficult to
understand and use?
4
• Has it been tested out in some schools and classrooms before teachers
are expected to use it?
5
• Have the benefits of the new approach or method been clearly
communicated to teachers and institutions?
6
• How clear and practical is the new approach or method?

7. The Disadvantages of Methods and Approaches
Approaches and Methods
Unlikely to be widely adopted
Difficult to understand and use
Lack clear practical application
Post method era

8. Criticism of Approaches and Methods
The Top-down Criticism
Role of Contextual Factors
The Need for Curriculum Development Process
Lack of Research Basis
Similarities of Classroom Practices
1
2
3
4
5

9. 1. The Top-down Criticism
Approaches tend to allow for varying interpretations in
practice, methods typically prescribe for teachers what
and how to teach.
Approaches
Methods

10. 1. The Top-down Criticism (continued)
The role of
teachers
To accept the theory
underlying the method
and apply them
To use method and its
prescribed techniques
and principles
appropriately
The role of
students
To receive the method
passively
To submit themselves to
exercises and activities in
the applied method
Good
teaching
Method
The opposed
view of method
Teaching methods must be
flexible and adaptive to
learners’ need and interest
Students bring different
learning styles and
preferences to the learning
process
Students are consulted in
the process of developing a
teaching program

11. 2. Role of Contextual Factors
In trying to apply approaches or methods, teachers sometimes ignore
what is the starting point in language program design, namely, a
careful consideration of the context in which teaching and learning
occurs.
Richards & Rodgers, 2001
Teaching learning
occurs
The cultural
context
The political
context
The local
institutional
context
The context
constituted by the
teachers and
learners

12. 3. The Need for Curriculum Development Process
Educational
planning
and
implementa
tion
practices
involve:
The careful examination of the teaching objectives
The development and trial use in schools of those
methods and materials which are judged most likely to
achieve the objectives which teachers agreed upon
The assessment of the extent to which the
development work has in fact achieved its objectives
The feedback of all the experience gained, to provide
a starting point for further study

13. 3. Lack of Research Basis
FEW books written by method gurus are
based on second language acquisition
research.
Researchers who study language learning
reluctantly dispense prescriptions for teaching
based on the results of the research.
Researches on language learning do not
support the simplistic theories and
prescriptions found in approaches and
methods.
Lack of research
basis in adopting
methods and
approaches

14. 4. Similarities of Classroom Practices
Some scholars criticized the use of methods believe that
methods:
Are not informative because they refer to a pool
of classroom practices which are used uniformly
(Swaffar, Arens, and Morgan 1982: 31).
Are quite distinctive at the early, and rather
indistinguishable from each other at the
later stage (Brown 1997: 3)

15. Beyond Approaches and Methods
Approaches and methods can still be usefully studied and
selectively mastered in order to:
LEARN how to use different approaches and methods and understand when
they might be useful
UNDERSTAND some of the issues and controversies that characterize the
history of language teaching
PARTICIPATE in language learning experiences based on different approaches
and methods as a basis for reflection and comparison
BE AWARE of the rich set of activity resources available to the imaginative
teacher
APPRECIATE how theory and practice can be linked from a variety of
different perspectives

16. Looking Forward
Government
policy
directives
Factors
influencing
language
teaching
trends
Trends in
the
profession
Guru-led
innovations
Responses
to
technology
Learner-based
innovations
Influences
from
academic
disciplines
Research
influences