Trends in ELT Around The Globe

Trends in ELT
around the Globe
The whys and wherefores of

the paradigm shifts in ELT
Language learning and teaching is
dynamic and fluid.
There is nothing fixed about them
(Larsen-Freeman, 2004: 186).
Unlike the teaching of other subjects
Math, Physics, etc. which have by and
large remained the same, the ELT
tradition
has
been
subject
to
tremendous
change
especially
Approximately, every decade a new approach

or methodology comes into practice.
Particularly, the period from the 1950s to
1980s has often been referred to as The Age
of Methods during which a number of quite
detailed prescriptions for language teaching
were proposed.
All the methods have had their glory days.
As elements of Computer-Aided Language
Learning (CALL) began to grow, the very
need for human teachers came briefly into
question.
Many
theorists,
linguists,
language
researchers,
educational psychologists and
a
sea
of
teachers
have
contributed to our knowledge
and understanding of the
language
teaching
and
learning processes.
A few of the many major events,

trends and theories which shaped
ELT during the past decades include:
i. Many new
approaches are
rediscoveries of old
methods neglected
but re-illuminated.
ii. Gardner (1993) proposed a theory of Multiple

Intelligences in general education but was
later applied to language teaching .
This opened the way to more diversity of
activities focused on the students themselves
and their innate skills, preferences and
abilities.
This consequently led to the concept of
learner centeredness realizing the individual
differences.
Student-centered teaching and learning-based
courses, texts and programs developed at an
increased rate.
iii. Noam Chomskys theory of

Transformational Generative
Grammar (1957) gave us greater
insights into language learning vs.
language acquisition.
His criticism on B.F. Skinners
theory of learning truly brought a
revolution in the arena of general
learning as well as in language
acquisition.
iv. Krashens theory of Second Language

Acquisition deepened our insights
into language acquisition and
learning.
v.
Ashers Total Physical Response

claimed a successful adult second
language learning as a parallel
process to childs first language
acquisition.
vi.
Crossovers
from
the
general
educational
trends
such
as
Cooperative
Learning,
Whole
Language
Approach,
and
Neurolinguistic
Programming
have
Content-based, task based,

problem-based learning and
genre-based emphasized
teaching language through
meaning making.
vii.
Key trends in ELT

today
Networking
With the facility of e-communication, it
has been possible for the English language
teachers/ practitioners to network and
enrich their teaching.
This has enabled the teachers to share
their experiences and develop their
profession.
The Special Interest Group (SIG), Support
Groups, discussion, chat room, etc. have
contributed to the enhancement of
teachers careers.
Networking has also enabled

teachers not to depend upon
theories and methods prescribed
by the methodologists and to try
out as have been practiced by
others.
Online ELT resources are growing
rapidly, newsletters on ELT are
being used more by both the
Method synergetics or
eclecticism
It is crossbreeding of elements of
various methods to find those practices
which best support effective learning.
If we view classroom practices, we find
teachers not blindly depending on a
particular method of teaching prescribed
but the ELT practitioners often practice
the hybrid of more than one method of
teaching.
Strategopedia
Give a man a fish
He eats for a day
Teach him to fish
He eats for the whole life.
A trend in ELT today has been to make the
students independent learners.
Today, a school of thought has developed with
the purpose of equipping learners with
appropriate learning strategies to take the
responsibility for self-direction.
The students are trained in the use of

learning strategies in order to improve
their learning effectiveness.
Learners learn how to learn.
Cooperative Learning Methodologies
and Multiple Intelligences Theory
teach
learners
different
learning
strategies to apply while learning a
language.
Student centredness
English language teachers all over the globe
seem to have realized that gone are the days
when teachers deliver lectures in front of
their pupils who just sit as passive listeners.
Learner centeredness is the demand of the
time.
That is why language teachers have to play
the role of facilitators in the classroom, not
authorities.
As a matter of fact, pupils learn by doing in
Reflective practice
This is about teachers questioning and
exploring their own practice of teaching.
It is a sort of systematic curiosity about
going beyond the edges of what we
know and do, to find out how we could
do
things
differently
or
better
(Underhill, 2007).
Reflecting upon our own way of teaching
tremendously
helps
the
teachers
improve the practice.
Rethinking aim
One key trend in English teaching
profession linked to the growing
interest in global education is
rethinking of basic educational
goals,
the
way
of
English
education.
A growing number of educators are
now starting to discuss what the
aims of English language teaching
should be.
Educators have argued that

there is a need for an approach
to language education that
aims at fostering a sense of
social
responsibility
in
students.
A growing number of educators
are now beginning to discuss
global issues and concerns in
relation to language teaching
What are we doing for the earth?

Global peace and environmental
issues intrinsically affect every
human being on earth.
We, as English language teachers
have
a
mission
of
helping
everyone
in
this
world
to
communicate with each other to
prevent
the
global
disaster
ahead.
Conferencing
Today, English language teachers seem
to have realized that conferencing is
one of the best means of enhancing ELT.
English language teachers in almost all
countries
have
established
their
professional organizations; and they
organize and participate in different
kinds of seminars, workshops, training,
and conventions in order to grow
academically and professionally.
Grammaring
Gone are the days when English
language teachers make the students
parrot the rules of the language and use
them in making sentences either in
speech or writing.
Instead, recently the teachers of English
have begun to involve their pupils in
grammaring rather than teaching
grammar.
Larsen-Freeman (2007) claims it to be

the fifth skill of language that
incorporates
the
ability
to
use
grammar
structures
accurately,
meaningfully and appropriately for
ones communicative purposes.
Here grammar is seen as more of a
process than a product.
Grammar lessons are no longer about
knowing
language
systems
(declarative knowledge), but about
knowing
how
to
use
language
Updating
ELT practitioners today update
their knowledge of the language as
well as the methodology in various
ways such as reading journal,
participating in training, seminar
workshops, enrolling in graduate
programs, etc.
Surfing ELT websites also enables
the teachers to update their
knowledge
of
trends
and
techniques around the world.
Academic
qualifications
once
acquired are not enough for the
teachers in anyway to teach
language effectively forever.
They need to go along the demand
of the time and current practices.
Locally produced
materials
Today, countries around the globe

have realized that instructional
materials produced in one country
may not be effective in other
countries.
Teaching materials in the form of
textbooks work texts and other
reference materials should suit the
users soil, culture, and values.
Imported language
teaching materials are in
no way practicable in the
context where they are
not produced keeping into
consideration the local
needs.
Sharing with a colleague

Informal
discussions
with
a
colleague with whom the teachers
feel easy can add a lot to ones
professional development as well
as heighten his/her morale.
The teacher who wishes to find a
solution to a teaching problem,
speaks in
confidence about a
failure, get an idea as to how to
teach a language item effectively.
Anti-method era
The methodologists have ever been in
search of more effective method of
teaching foreign languages or second
languages.
One method is embraced as an
improvement over the other.
Nevertheless, no method has been a
panacea for the solution of ELT
problems.
This is why, a pessimistic view

has been developed among the
methodologists themselves.
Methods do not matter
because they do not exist.
Thee era of method is over. ELT,
therefore, is now in post
method thinking.
Frustration
Whereas on the one hand, the
ELT practitioners have been
keeping update their profession
going in line with the current
trends in ELT, a large mass of
English language teachers have
not been able to follow the
trends due to lack of resources
available to them, which in turn
have developed a sense of
Particularly, the teachers working

in the hinterlands have been
deprived of the online resources,
conferencing and unaware of the
emerging trends in the field and
consider themselves to be
underprivileged.
Future trend
The future is quite uncertain.
Nevertheless, no one can stop us from
predicting the future.
Pondering on the existing trends and a
wave of change, we can make a sensible
guess that we are moving from
simplicity to complexity, from uniformity
to diversity, from prescriptivism to
eclecticism, from oneness to pluralism,
from customary to embryonic ways of
doing things, more towards flexibility,
practicality and towards refinement of
Conclusion
There is no single most
excellent way of teaching
languages.
The successful language
teacher will not confine
himself/herself to only a
single method.
Nonetheless, ELT
practitioners have not
remained reliant on fixed
prescribed and imposed
practices.
Instead, ELT practitioners
around the globe put into
practice a great deal of
diverse activities to keep
themselves up-to-date and

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Trends in ELT

around the Globe

The whys and wherefores of

Approximately, every decade a new approach

A few of the many major events,

ii. Gardner (1993) proposed a theory of Multiple

iii. Noam Chomskys theory of

iv. Krashens theory of Second Language

Ashers Total Physical Response

Content-based, task based,

Key trends in ELT

Networking has also enabled

The students are trained in the use of

Educators have argued that

What are we doing for the earth?

Larsen-Freeman (2007) claims it to be

Today, countries around the globe

Sharing with a colleague

This is why, a pessimistic view

Particularly, the teachers working

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