The nature of approaches and methods in language teaching

What is an Approach ? 0. Underlying each Method is a theory

on the nature of language and a theory on the Nature of language learning both of

which comprise the approach.

0. These theories are derived from the areas of Linguisties, Sociolinguistics,

Psycholinguistics, and are the Source of principles and practices of language

teaching.

What is an Approach influenced by ?

Theory of

language

Approach Structural View :

language as a system of Structurally defined

elements

meaningFunctional View : language as a

vehicle of functional meaning

Interactional View : language as a vehicle of

Interpersonal relations and social transactions between

individuals

What is a Method ?0. All methods include prescriptions for the teacher and the learners.

0. All methods are a pre-packaged set of specifications of how the teacher should teach and how the learner should learn derived from a particular theory of language and a theory of language learning.

0. For the teacher, methods prescribe what materials and activities should be

used, how they should be used, and what the role of the teacher should be.

0. For learners, methods prescribe what approach to learning the learner should take and what roles the learner should

adopt in the classroom

Method

Objectives

Syllabus

Types of learning and activities

Objectives0. Objectives of methods vary : oral skills, general communication skills, accurate grammar and Prounciation, basic grammar and vocabulary of a language.

0. Process Oriented ?

0. Measuring stick : degree of emphases on vocab acquisition and how grammatical and pronunciation errors treated.

Syllabus0. Syllabus is the level at which theory is put into practice and which choices are made about the content to be taught, the skill to be developed, the order of the content etc.

0. The theory of language adopted will affect the organisation and selection of language content.

0. Different methods have different types of syllabi associated with them i.e. different ways of selecting and organising content.

Types of learning and activities

0. Teacher’s role0. Student’s roles0. Instructional Material’s

role

Teacher’s role0. Types of functions teachers fulfill.

0. Teacher influence over learning.

0. Degree to which teacher determines the content for learning.

0. Types of interaction between teacher and learners.

Student’s roles0. Planning their own learning program .0. Monitoring and evaluating their own progress.

0. Interacting with others.

0. Tutoring other students.

0. learning from other resources.

Instructional Material’s Role

0. Primary functions of materials.0. The from materials take. (textbook, audiovisual)

0. Relation of materials to other input.0. Assumption made about teachers and students / learners.

0. It’s what really happens in the

classroom, in the actual teaching.0. These techniques must be coherent with the method, and therefore, they must be in harmony with the approach. 0. Some techniques can be found in different methods whereas other ones are specific to a given method.