The Whole Language theory emphasizes teaching foreign languages in a natural, holistic way without dividing the language into separate components like grammar and vocabulary. It focuses on authentic activities like reading real texts and writing for a genuine audience. Learning is student-centered, with the teacher as a facilitator rather than expert. The goal is for students to use the language in meaningful, real-world contexts. While popular in the 1980s, critics argue it rejects principles of traditional ESL teaching by not directly teaching language skills.

1. WHOLE LANGUAGE
Based on Richards and Rodgers

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3. Whole language
• The “Whole Language” theory was created in the 80s by
a group of American educators to help children learn how
to read, but it was extended to foreign language learning.
This theory is based on the principle that a foreign
language must be taught as a whole, without being
divided into its components, such as grammar and
vocabulary, emphasizing that students must learn how to
read and write in a natural way, the same way they learn
their native language, and giving more importance to
activities which are relevant to the students.

4. • There has been lots of discussion if this theory is an
approach, a method, a philosophy or a belief. A research
shows that “Whole Language” is considered more as an
approach, but each teacher implements the theory in their
classroom according to their interpretation and their
students characteristics.

5. Holism
It is based on the belief that it is not possible to understand
learning of any kind by analysing small chunks of the
learning system.
According to Ken Goodman (1967)
Whole language practitioners teach to develop a
knowledge of language including:
• Grapophonic
• Syntactic
• Semantic
• Pragmatic

6. APPROACH
· Language theory: Language is seen through an interactional
perspective, i.e., it is considered a vehicle of personal relations.
It is always used in a social context and applied in real
situations which are relevant to the students.
. Learning theory: There is an emphasis on learning authenticity,
because, only applying what has been learned in a real
situation, the subject or topic will be internalized. Learning in
“Whole Language” must be authentic, personalized, student-
directed and collaborative. Students’ experiences, their needs,
interests and aspirations are also important.

7. DESIGN
Objective: To learn applying the language in a real context.
Syllabus/Curriculum: Always using what was learned in real
situations. Content is organized according to the students’
needs to communicate.
Activities: Reading authentic texts, writing to a real
audience, using texts produced by the students and
always interact “writing”, “reading” and other skills.

8. Students’ roles: Learners are collaborators and also
evaluators of their own and others’ learning, with the
help of the teacher.
Teachers’ roles: As it is a student-centered approach,
The teacher is seen as a facilitator and an active
participant in the learning community rather than an
expert passing knowledge.

9. Materials: literature
pieces, newspapers,
signs, handbills,
storybooks... – brought
to class by the students.

10. PROCEDURES
- The use of literature
- The use of process writing
- Encouragement of cooperative learning among students
- Concern for students’ attitude
- Activities that are often used in Whole Language instruction
are:
- Individual and small group reading and writing
- Ungraded dialogue journals
- Writing portfolios
- Writing conferences
- Student-made books
- Story writing

11. - Many of these activities are also common in other instructional
approaches, such as Communicative Language Teaching, Content-
Based Teaching, and Task-Based Language Teaching.
- What differs in Whole Language teaching is not the incidental use of
such activities based on the topic of the lesson or an item in the
syllabus but their use as part of an overall philosophy of teaching and
learning that gives a new meaning and purpose to such activities.
- The Whole Language movement is not a teaching method but an
approach to learning that sees language as a whole entity.
- Advantages claimed for Whole Language are that it focuses on
experiences and activities that are relevant to learners’ lives and
needs, that it uses authentic materials, and that it can be used to
facilitate the development of all aspects of a second language.

12. - Critics, however, see it as a rejection of the whole ESL
approach in language teaching and one that seeks to apply
native-language principles to ESL.
- Whole Language proposals are seen as anti-direct teaching,
anti-skills, and anti-materials, assuming that authentic texts are
sufficient to support second language learning that skill
development will follow without special attention.