A presentation about the postmethod era in language teaching following Brown's 2007 proposal.

1. THE POSTMETHOD ERA:
TOWARDS
INFORMED APPROACHES
La Salle University
School of Education Sciences
BA in Spanish and Foreign Languages
Didactics of EFL
Yamith José Fandiño

2. Content
1. The dysfunction of the theory-practice dichotomy
2. An enlightened, eclectic approach
3. Communicative language teaching (CLT)
4. Other CLT-based methods
THE POSTMETHOD ERA: TOWARDS
INFORMED APPROACHES
5. Reference

3. 1. THE DYSFUNCTION OF THE THEORY-
PRACTICE DICHOTOMY

4. 1. THE DYSFUNCTION OF THE THEORY-
PRACTICE DICHOTOMY
Theory vs. Practice
 Theory (Producer)
Journals and books carry out research, propose hypotheses and establish
methodological applications
 Practice (Consumer)
Classroom teachers accept and follow theoretical guidelines.
 Separation of researchers and teachers // One way communication.
 New perspective= Teachers are researchers in charge of reflecting on
their own practices and helping improve their contexts.

5. 2. AN ENLIGHTENED, ECLECTIC
APPROACH

6. 2. AN ENLIGHTENED, ECLECTIC
APPROACH
 Teacher’s approach (Perspective) (basic principles about language and
language learning) is dynamic and open to change.
 Classroom context is diverse and fluctuating.
 The interaction between teacher’s approach and classroom context
enables the inspiration and innovation of new and better practices,
processes and discourses.
 The continuous inspiration and innovation ignites and illuminates a
teachers’ approach. It becomes:
- Enlighted (informed) as it is designed for specific contexts
- Eclectic (varied) as it has various methods and procedures.

7. 2. AN ENLIGHTENED, ECLECTIC
APPROACH
 An informed and heterogenous combination of tasks,
activities, strategies, exercises, and materials each designed
for different language learners in multiple contexts

8. 3. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING
 1940 ~ 1950: Behaviorism (Language learning as stimulus, response,
reinforcement).
 1960s: Cognitive code (language learning oriented towards information
processing).
 1970s: Affective factors (Language learning mediated by emotional and
internal states)
 1980s: Communication (Language learning focused on social functions and
communicative events)
 1990: Authenticity (Language learning based on real-world simulations

9. 3. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING

10. 3. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING
 Balanced or integrated attention to all of the components of communicative
competence: Receptive skills (listening and reading) and productive skills
(speaking and writing).
 Emphasis on the pragmatic and meaningful use of language and on
authentic and realistic interactions.
 Fluency over accuracy  Use language in unprepared contexts.
 Language learning through their own styles  Learner’s autonomy and
engagement.
 Teachers as facilitators and guides.

11. 3. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING
https://coerll.utexas.edu/methods/
video/mp4/lt/lt-02-04-
communicative.mp4
https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=3kRT-rsKxn4

12. COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING
Collaborative Learning Interactive Learning
Whole Language education Content-Based instruction
Task-Based instruction Learner- Centered instruction
Lexical approach Multiple intelligences

13. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
Task-based language learning
 Meaning first.
 Problem-solving through communication.
 Based on real-world activities.
 Sequence of steps in task completion.
 Target task-what is expected outside class
 Pedagogic task-class task to help practice for target task

14. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
Learner-centered language learning
 Meet learners’ needs, styles, goals.
 Students’ self-control (group work, strategy training, etc.)
 Student input is valued as well as their creativity and
innovation.
 Enhance students’ sense of competence & self-worth

15. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
Cooperative-based language learning
 Cooperative vs. competitive (individual-based) model of
teaching or learning
 Cooperative vs. Collaborative learning:
- who controls the process?
- social constructivist: Issue of power and autonomy, ownership
of learning.

16. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
Interactive-based language learning
 Learning through interaction-importance of negotiation of
meaning.
 Pair work, group work
 Produce language for real purposes
 Long’s interaction hypothesis: Communicative competence is
enhanced when learners interact with each other through
and written discourse.

17. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
Whole-based language learning
 The wholeness of language as opposed to fragmented language.
Language is more than sum of its parts
 The interaction and interconnections between oral language and
written language  Integration of skills
 Cooperative, participatory, student-centered classes.
 Interest in social nature of language and authentic & natural
language use Meaning centered courses and programs.

18. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
Content-based language learning
 Integration of content learning (science, biology, physical
education) with language teaching aims.
 Language becomes a medium to convey information of
interest and relevance to the learner.
 Theme-based CBLL: It focuses on teaching different topics.
 Sheltered-based CBLL: It focuses on making content
approachable to students.
 Sustained-based CBLL: It teaches on single topic over a
of time.

19. 4. OTHER CLT-BASED METHODS
 Lexical Approach
- Words and word combinations are essential in language
learning.
- Lexis plays a central role in courses.
 Multiple Intelligences
- Work with a number of forms of smartness that students
- Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Musical, Spatial, Bodily-
Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal
intelligences.

20. REFERENCE
Brown, D. (2007). Teaching by principles. An interactive approach
to language pedagogy. USA: Pearson Longman.
Chapter 3. The postmethod era. Towards informed approaches.