TYPES OF LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH

Young Learners

Cecilia Maller

Pgs 43-47

Six common approaches used in primary school

today

Audio-lingual

Also called Audio visual app. (1950´s)Involves:Repetition of new language-often based

on dialogues.

Teacher centred

Out –dated- modified present in several countries.

Lg. practice- whole class ( less demanding)

Lg practice is predictable.

Few demands on the T.

Why still used? The way Ts were taught, very manegeable, for Ts with a fairly low lang. level .

Encourages Ss to listen and memorize chunks( large piece of sth.) of lg.,important part of lg.

Bad aspects:

Too restricting.

Too much emphasis on: memorization, imitation and mechanical exs.

Decontextualized repetition.

After a while Ss get boredNot enough variety to hold learners´interest.

Not a possitive attitude to foreign language learning

TPRTotal Physical Response

Characteristics: Popular YLs.

Develops listening skills

Introduces new lg. in a very visual, contextualized way.

It involves activity and movement

Does not put pressure on YLs to speak.

Depending on the activity some learners may take the part of the T ( instructions,

describe actions for others to mime, etc.)

Forms of TPR :Action songsRhymesStories

The communicative approach

Developed in the mid 1970´s- through the Council of Europe.

Based on social-interactionist theory ( emphasis on the social nature of lg. learning and interactions).

What does it mean for kids?

They are engaged in drawing, acting out, listening, talking, reading, or writing.

Based on meaningful and contextualized tasks using lg carefully prepared for them.

Commonly uses three types of activities:

1. Problem solving activities:

Ex.identifying,

matching,

sequencing,

prioritizing and classifying;

2. Interactive activities: Ex. Making surveys, carrying out

interviews.

3. Creative activities:Ex. Making masks,

birthday cards,etc.

Which is the aim?

To develop learners´communicative competence. Kid´s needs and enthusiasm.

Negative aspect:It focuses too much on communication

and fluency and overlooks grammatical accuracy.

Task- based learningTBL

One of the most recent methodological approaches.

How to recognize it:Aim of the lesson : Ss complete a task=

an activity in which Ss try to achieve something real, and have to communicate to do so.

T starts by holding a discussion on the topic of the lesson ( step 1)

T gives the Ss tasks to do( steps 2,3,4,5)

Then T and Ss discuss any new or problematic lg they needed for the task ( Step 6)

Lastly, Ss do an ex. on the new lg.(step 7)

It has 3 phases:

1. Pre- task preparation:Introduction of new lg. and procedures

2. The task itself:Ss doing the *macro task in pairs with a

final public summary of results.

3. Language Focus:

-Finding, identifying and classifying common words and phrases.

-Practice of classroom lg. and social phrases.

-Keeping personal dictionaries

Macro tasks examples

acting out, recording or writing a story, making a model or board games,Writing a quiz,Making info. booklets with illustrations,Collages,Surveys, etc.

Story based methodology

Storytelling universal phenomenon, central to kids´social, intellectual and cultural development.

Cross-curricular approach

It is linked to other approaches, the TBL. and the activity-based approach. (=communicative app.)

The learning of the L2 linked to other areas of Curriculum.

Arts, PhE, Maths or Nature Studies.

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