Approaches and methods in language teaching

Introduction:

Approach is an umbrella term which covers all the aspects like methods, procedures and techniques.
Before going to discuss each aspect it is necessary to describe them through a proper definition.

Approach:

The term approach refers to the theories about the nature of language and language learning that
serves as a source of practices and principles in language teaching.

Method:

Method is actually the realization of that source. we see approach as a theory then method is the
practical of that theory.

Procedure:

Procedure refers to the order that prevails throughout the process. It requires that to do things
systematically and in a specific order.

Techniques:

Techniques refers to the activities adopted by the teacher to teach the students.

The concepts mentioned above are interlinked together .They provide a smooth part
of language teaching to move on and get the desireable outcomes.

Important methods in language :

There are sevaral methods in language teaching ,some of them are going to be mentioned below.

Grammar translation method:

It is not a new method at all .It has been used for many years in language teach.It is also called a
classical method because initially it has been used for the teaching of classical languages as Greece
and Latin .Then earlier in the 20th century it was started again to be used in language teach with the
perspective to enable the students to read and appreciate the literature written foreign languages .
It was also hoped that in this way students will also be expert in their own grammar within the
foreign grammar as well.

Principles:

Some important principles of grammar translation method are mentioned below.

Emphasis on reading :

The fundamental goal of this method is to enable the students to read the foreign literature so the
special attention is paid to the skills of reading and writing and speaking and listening skills are
ignored.

Teacher dominance.

The teacher is the symbol of authority in this method where students are bound to respond him
correctly.

Extended use of native language.

This method emphasis on the use of native language in order to translate and understand the target
language.

Memorization of rules:

This method involves the intensive memorization of grammar rules of target language.

Deductive approach:

Deductive approach is applied in this particular method.

Techniques in grammar translation method:

Some important techniques used in grammar translation method are going to be mentioned below.

 Students Translate the passages from foreign to native language.

 The questioned answer session is also done in students native language.
 Students are given a grammar rule for the use of a direct object with two word verbs.

Criticism on grammar translation method:

Critics point out that the method creates a teacher centered classroom where students hardly finds
an opportunity to speak. Learning tedious grammar rules and long lists of vocabulary do not
prepare the students to communicate in the real world.

Direct Method:

Direct method is totally opposite of grammar translation method.It discourages the memorization of
grammar rules and the use of native language in the classroom.It aims that meaning is to be
conveyed directly in the target language through the use of demonstration and visual aids with no
resource to the students native language.

History of Direct Method:

It was established in Germany and France in 1900.It appeared as an answer to the shortcomings of
grammar translation method.

Principles of Direct Method:

Some important principles are going to be mentioned below.

Speaking and listening are emphasised.

More attention is paid to the use of speaking and listening skills. Students are expected to respond
the teachers in target language.

Native language is not allowed.

Direct method restictally avoid the use of native language of the students in the classroom.

Understanding of the target language:

Students are expected to Think in the target language and understand the vocabulary rather than
the memorization of the rules.

Inductive approach.
Inductive approach is applied in the direct method.

Situation oriented syllabus:

The syllabus is based on situations and topics rather than based on linguistic structures.

Role of teacher as a facilitator:

The teacher provides opportunities to the students to correct their errors themselves.

Techniques In Direct Method:

Different techniques used in direct method are mentioned below.

Reading aloud:

Students are expected to read the passages from the text in a louder tone and teacher uses
guesters, Pictures and realia in order to explain the concepts.

Question answer exercise:

The question answer session is also conducted in the target language. Questions are asked in full
sentences so that the students may be experienced new words and grammatical structures.

Conversation practice.

The teacher is expected to indulge all the students in a healthy communication by asking them
different questions in target language.

Dictation:

Specific words from the passages are given to the students to write down on their copies in order to
enhance their writing skill.

Paragraph writing:

Students are also asked by the teacher to write some paragraphs on different situation and the
purpose behind this activity is to expend the vocabulary of the students in the target language.

Criticism on direct method:

The critics hold the view that although direct method is good for teaching a foreign language but it is
also a teacher centered like the GTM and It is not suitable for all the students in the sense that the
students belonging to the rural areas and having an average intellectual ability find it difficult to be
proceeded.

Audio lingual method:

It is an oral based approach . The audio lingual method drills students in the use of grammatical
sentence patterns . It was developed by Skinner the founder of the behaviourist theory with the
view that language is taught through conditioning, stimuli , responses to form new habits of the
second language.

History of the Audio lingual Method:

IT was established in US during the second World War when the government found it necessary to
form a language teaching method for the military to be familarized with the foreign languages.
Principles in Audio lingual method:

Some important principles of audio lingual method are mentioned below.

Little use of native language:

This principle implies that the native language and the target language both have different linguistic
system . So they should be kept apart so that the students native language interferes as little as
possible with the students attempt to acquire the second language.

The role of teacher as a model:

The teacher should provide the students with an accurate model.By listening to how it is supposed
to sound students should be able to mimic the model.

Prevention of errors:

It is necessary to prevent learners from making errors because errors lead towards the formation of
the bad habits.When students make any error they are supposed to correct that immedigately.

Communication seeking:

The basic purpose of this method is to enable the learners the good communicators of the society.

Speaking skill is more emphasized:

In the audio lingual method ,more attention is paid towards the speaking skill than the other skills
are focused

Culture is also emphasized:

According to this particular method language cannot be separated from the culture . Culture is not
the literature and the arts but it also refers the everyday behaviour of the people who use the target
language .So the teacher is expected to make the students familiar with the culture of the target
language as well.

Techniques in Audio lingual method:

Different techniques used in Audio lingual method ,some of them are mentioned below.

Dialogue Memorization:

Students memorize the dialogues through mimicry ,students usually take the role of one person in
the dialogue and teacher the other. After the students have learned the lines of the first person
,they switch roles and memorize the second person's lines.

Backward Build up (expansion) Drill:

This is used when a long line dialogue is giving students trouble. The teacher breaks down the lines
in several parts .Students repeat the part of the sentence usually the last phrase of the line. Then
following the teacher's cue, students expand what they are repeating until they are able to repeat
the entire line.

Repetition Drill :

Students are asked to repeat the teacher's model accurately and quickly as possible. This technique
is used to teach the lines of the dialogue.
Chain drill:

The teacher begins the chain by greeting a particular student , or asking him a question. That student
responds and turns to the student sitting next to him. In this way chain continues until all the
students are involved. A chain drill allows controlled communication although it is limited.

Single Slot Substitution Drill:

The teacher gives a line from the dialogue, next teacher say a word or phrase called the cue. The
students repeat the line the teacher has given them substituting the cue into the line in a proper
place. The major purpose of this drill is to give the students practice in finding and filling the slots in
the sentence.

Transformation Drill.

Sometimes students are given a specific sentence by the teacher and asked to transform it like
positive to negative.

Criticism on Audio Lingual Method:

In the 1960s ,many linguists criticized this method claiming that the theoretical foundation of this
approach is weak and students were found to be unable to use skills learned in the classroom in real
communication.

Communication Language Teaching Method:

It is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction both
as a mean and ultimate goal of learning a language. It is also referred to as a” communicative
approach to the teaching of foreign languages” or simply a communicative approach.

History of Communicative Language Teaching:

CLT is said to have originated from Britain during 1960s. It served as a replacement of the popular

Method known as “Situational Language Teaching” which was based on the structural view of
language.

Principles of CLT Method:

The principles are following;

Build up of a relation:

This principle implies that to create a positive relationship with and among students is very
important.

Students’ confidence:

The teacher should be sensitive to the students level of confidence and give them just what they
need to be successful.

Teacher as a counselor:

The teacher counsels students he does not offer them advice ,rather shows them that he is really
listening to them and understanding what they are saying.

Communication is emphasized:
This principle implies that language is for communication so students should be indulged in a healthy
communication much of the time as possible.

Native Language is permitted:

According to this principle , students native can be used to make the meaning clear and to build a
bridge from the known to unknown.

Teacher as an activity developer:

The teacher should take the responsibility for structuring activities clearly in the most possible way
for successful completion of the activity.

Contrast and comparison:

Students need to learn to discriminate ,for example ,in perceiving the similarities and differences
among the target language forms.

Techniques in CLT Method:

Different techniques used in this method are going to be mentioned below:

Students Recording:

This is a technique that is used to record the student-generated language to give the opportunity for
community learning to come about. By giving students the choice about what to say and when to
say , students are in a position to take responsibility for their own learning. Students are asked to
have conversation in their native language or in a language common to them. In this way all the
students able to understand target language as well as their regional languages .

Transcription:

The teacher transcribes the students's recorded target language conversation. Each student is given
the opportunity to translate his or her utterance and the teacher writes the native language
equivalent beneath the target language words. Students can copy the transcript after it has been
completed on the white board .The transcript provides a basis for future activities.

Small Group Tasks:

Teacher divides the students into small groups and asks them to make new sentences with the
words on the trantript.After that the groups shared the sentences they made with the rest of the
class. Teachers believe that in the form of small group activities students can learn from each other
and get more practice with the target language as compared to work individually.

Criticism on CLT Method:

According to different critics ,CLT method does not put enough emphasis on the teaching of
grammar and instead allow students to produce utterances which are grammatically incorrect as
long as the interlocutor can get some meaning from them.

Natural Method: