APPLIED

LINGUISTIC
2 2024
Only the first three methods GTM, DM, and ALM are TEACHING
fully explained in this document.
METHODS
IF YOU FOUND THIS HALPFUL AND YOU WANT ALL THE OTHER
METHODS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I WILL BE MORE THAN GTM, DM &
HAPPIER TO PROVIDE ANOTHER DOCUMMENT. ALM
 TEACHING METHODS
First method

The Grammar-Translation Method . In the 18th century foreign languages

started to appear on the school curricula, requiring a systematic approach to
teaching them. The standard system was similar to the system for teaching Latin.
Rather than speaking, the goal was for students to be able to read literature in the
target language, and benefit from the mental discipline of studying a language.
Textbooks combined abstract grammar rules, vocabulary lists with translations, and
sentences for students to translate. Sentences were chosen to illustrate grammar,
with no relation to actual communication. During lessons, the teacher presented
grammar structures, rules were studied, and the students worked through
translation exercises. Grammar-Translation was influential until the 1950’s. Often
the frustration of language learners who experienced this method is that they spent
years studying, but still could not speak the language.
What is the final goal of the method?

The final aim of the Grammar-Translation Method is to teach students how to read authentic
texts. To do that students undergo extensive exposure to English grammar rules and target
vocabulary.

How do students and teachers interact with each other?

The classroom is built on a pretty strict hierarchy: there is authority of the teacher and the
students who are supposed to follow all the instructions. There is no or almost no
communication between the students as only communication with the teacher is allowed.

What are the key principles of this method?

Any method has some fundamentals that define its nature and the way this method can be

applied. Here are some principles of the Grammar-Translation Method:

1. Understanding the literary language is more important than being able to speak.

Therefore, reading and translating are the main priorities.

2. The final aim is to teach students how to read and write. Thus, almost no space is left for

speaking, listening, and pronunciation.

3. The classroom is totally teacher-centered: the teacher gives instructions and corrects all

the mistakes.

4. The learning process is somehow eased with the constant help and reference to L1.

5. Grammar is taught and practiced explicitly and usually outside the context.

6. Students are constantly focused on the application of certain target language and

grammar rules that are isolated from a more global context.

 7. All the rules must be memorized.

What activities and techniques are used within the

method?

Now, that we have discussed the fundamental principles of the Grammar-Translation method,

let’s look at the typical tasks that are assigned to the students who are taught according to this

method:

Type of the task Characteristic

Translation of the The passage may be an extract from some literary text or a short
chosen passage story that becomes a focus for several lessons. The teacher
assists students in the acquisition of the vocabulary and grammar
presented in the piece of text. Eventually, students may translate
the piece either orally or in a written form showing how well they
have mastered a certain grammar topic or target language.

Questions to check This kind of activity is meant to check students’ understanding of

understanding of the target language, and, therefore, the text. Questions may be
the text divided into checking-the-gist questions, checking-the-detail
questions, and post-reading questions where students are
supposed to refer to their own experience that is somehow related
to the text they have read.

Providing the Students are supposed to look for the definitions, synonyms,
vocabulary item antonyms of the items that have been presented in the text.
Here are some more examples of possible tasks that are done within the Grammar-Translation

Method:

Type of the task Characteristic

1. Grammar 2. Students are expected to complete a significant number

rules’ of activities to master a certain grammar topic presented

application in the text.

3. Fill-in-the- 4. These tasks may focus on the target language or

gaps tasks grammar forms or structures.

5. Memorizing 6. The teacher gives a list of the target language with the

meanings of the words in L1. Students are supposed to

learn this list by heart. In addition, students are

expected to learn the grammar rules and be able to

retell them to the teacher.

7. Making up the 8. Creating sentences or texts is treated as a form of

sentences practicing using certain grammar structures or target

language.
are the advantages of the method?

Professionals differentiate the following pros of the Grammar-Translation Method:

9. This strategy is beneficial in a class with a big number of students.

10. It might be useful in a mixed-ability classroom.

11. Sometimes it may assist teachers in explaining the meaning of a word or sentence to

students by simply translating them into their native tongue.

12. Surely, students quickly grasp the concept with the help of the translation.

13. This method makes it easier to teach elementary students who don’t possess a great

deal of knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar and need much more teacher’s

assistance to compose the sentences.

What are the disadvantages of the method?

What about the cons? Let’s see:

1. This strategy eliminates the need for spoken work in the classroom. Only the teacher is

allowed to talk.

2. Students become extremely teacher-dependent.

3. The primary focus remains on the mother tongue, with the target language playing a

secondary role.

4. There is no space to practice speaking.

5. Students do not gain the ability to think in the target language.

 6. It does not assist students in mastering pronunciation.

7. The emphasis is mostly on the grammar rules.

8. Students eventually attempt to do everything through translation even if it’s impossible.

Second method

The Direct Method achieved worldwide publicity through Berlitz, since Maximilian
Berlitz had created a form of this method. An increase in travel in the second half of the
19th century created the need to speak languages. It was noted (not for the first time) that
children learn to speak with no reference to grammar at all. The Direct Method put
proficiency in speaking the language at the top of the agenda and was the first of many
‘natural’ methods that claim to teach a second language the way first languages are
learned. Lessons were taught exclusively in the target language. Teachers were usually
native speakers and used a lot of demonstration, pictures, gestures, and association of
ideas to make meaning clear. The goal was to build up communication skills through
question and answer drills between teacher and student, and there was a carefully graded
progression from simple grammar structures to more complex. Grammar was taught
through the use of examples chosen to help the student ‘work out’ the rules and there was
a focus on everyday vocabulary. The role of the teachers was very important as they were
expected to go to any length to avoid translation, and there was very little use of textbooks
or the written word in class. In class, there was plenty of drilling and correction, no
translation, and no rules. The Direct Method was influential into the 1950’s and beyond. Its
principles are still significant in language teaching today, but there is now much more
emphasis on student-centered instruction, and a greater understanding of how to build

communicative competence, other than through drilling correct forms.

This method was developed by Maximilian Berlitz, who migrated from Germany to the United
States in 1872. His initial intention was to teach different languages using the traditional grammar
approach. However, hiring a French assistant changed his perspective entirely.

The Berlitz Story

Berlitz hired an instructor to teach to his students, but when he hired the assistant, he found out
that the Frenchman did not speak any English. However, when Beriltz had to go on sick leave, he
left the Frenchman, Nicholas Joly, in charge of his classroom and asked him to do his best
teaching language to the students.

Surprisingly, Berlitz came back to the classroom expecting a disaster and found out that his
students were actively interacting with Joly and had progressed even further than they would have
done learning the material using a nontraditional method.

The teacher communicated with the student through miming and gesturing. Grammar is not the
essential goal because students were later able to discover grammatical rules on their own.

It was at this point that Berlitz realized that the innovative technique used by Joly was more
successful and stimulating. The process used the target language of native speakers.

What are the key characteristics of the direct

method?

the Direct Method has its own principles and rules that need to be followed by anyone who is

eager to try this approach in their own ESL classroom:

1. The purpose of language learning is communication. So, students learn how to

ask and answer questions and apply them in their everyday communication. Therefore,

every lesson contains some speaking element in order for students to practice all
the target vocabulary they have learned in a certain context.
2. This is when realia and generally anything that can be beneficial for language learning
are implemented into the lessons. The teacher gets access to a wider range of
materials and more space for creativity and experimentation with the material
presentation.

3. Reading various texts that contain target language is important. At the same
time, reading skills will be properly developed through the speaking practice, which is the

priority. The texts may refer students to various topics and cultural concepts, as lessons

aren’t really structured around various linguistic phenomena but rather interesting and

useful topics.

1. Pronunciation is an important part that is paid attention to from the beginners’

levels.

2. Grammar is not taught explicitly. The inductive approach is much more

preferable.

3. Writing tasks are also completed from the beginning of the language
learning process.

4. Mistakes aren’t corrected by the teacher. Instead of long and detailed explanations
of the teacher, students are asked to perform self-correction or choose the correct option from the

given sentences. This approach is considered to be much more effective than explicit correction,

which doesn’t require students to be focused and engaged.

5. Translation is not used at all. The main goal is to create an immersive environment and
develop students’ skills of thinking in a foreign language rather than constantly looking for

analogies with their mother tongue.

How effective is the direct method?

The Direct Method is great if the main priority is to learn how to handle common everyday situations.

With such a focus on common phrases and topics, it doesn’t take too much time for your students to

actually be able to speak on these topics using the target vocabulary. Generally, the Direct Method

supports the “natural” process of learning a language, encourages students to think in the target language

as they learn it, and has a rapid positive impact on pronunciation. Therefore, it may be rather effective for

anyone whose goal is to have a chit-chat with colleagues, support conversations with friends and

acquaintances, and generally perform various everyday tasks with ease.

What are the pros and cons of the direct method?

Pros Cons

Students get a chance to try using Getting grammar rules sometimes becomes challenging
the language in practice, not only in due to the fully inductive explanation, especially if
theory. students come from backgrounds where they were
previously taught with the help of the Grammar-
Translation Method.

A great deal of attention goes to the Students are not that proficient in writing because teachers
development of speaking skills. don’t usually have enough opportunities to focus on it
properly.

There is no space for translation. There may be some pronunciation mistakes as these rules
Therefore, students become less are not taught explicitly but rather through the reading
dependent on their native language practice.
while studying their second
language.
What are the teaching techniques of the direct
method?

Finally, you may ask: “What types of activities are the most popular within the Direct Method?”

Here are some ideas of the tasks that the students are likely to deal with:

Reading out loud

Students read the assigned passage in turns, role-play the dialogues through reading.

Afterwards, the teacher takes time explaining important things (vocabulary, functional language)

from the passage that has been read.

QA tasks
The aim of this activity is to practice the target language from the reading task. Both questions

and answers have to be composed using this target language.

Moreover, students are also supposed to care about the correct grammar structures and

pronunciation.

After all, after successful completion of such a task, students basically get ready-to-go

phrases that they can use straight away in the appropriate situation.

Self-correction activities
As we have already mentioned, self-correction is thought to be much more effective than simple

correction made by a teacher.

Therefore, students are going to deal with a lot of self-correction activities based on either some

typical mistakes or those that we made during the speaking task, for example.
Dictation
The teacher is supposed to read the text passage clearly and slowly, using proper

pronunciation, intonation and pausing.

Meanwhile, students should listen to the teacher carefully and write down everything they

hear in the best way possible.

Within the Direct Method, this task is thought to be effective on many levels: students may

practice spelling, listening as well as get to work with a nicely composed authentic piece of

writing.
Fill-in-the gaps tasks
We have already seen this type of task when we were talking about the Grammar-Translation

Method. But these time students are not taught the grammar explicitly and therefore have to see

the patterns and fill in the gaps correctly.

Third method

The Audiolingual Method. In the 1960s both Grammar-Translation and the Direct
Method were questioned as applied linguistics became a mature discipline. US entry into the
second World War created the need to teach oral proficiency in foreign languages quickly to
troops. Behavioral psychology also influenced the development - speech was just another
habit to be acquired. No rules, no need to even comprehend (at least not at first). Dialogues
and drills form the basis of classroom activities according to the Audiolingual Method:
dialogues are used for repetition and memorization, and then specific grammatical patterns
in the dialogue are selected and become the focus of between 10 and 15 possible types of
drill exercise. While the role of the students is almost entirely reactive, and they have little
control over the content, pace, or style of learning, the role of the teacher is central and
active. The teacher models, controls the direction and pace of the lesson, and monitors
responses to correct all mistakes. The teacher would focus on pronunciation, intonation and
fluency, and would correct immediately. Principles of Audiolingualism can still be identified in
the type of “learn-in-a-month” programs that promise “You listen, you repeat, you
understand!” Today there is greater understanding of the student’s role in learning, and the
need for real communication as a key aspect in language learning.

The audio-lingual method is another teaching approach that has been initially focused on

speaking proficiency.

The start of World War II made it more crucial than ever for Americans to learn the languages

of both their enemies and friends.

Consequently, fragments of the Direct Method were taken to create and reinforce this new

approach, the “Army Method,” which eventually became known as the Audiolingual Method in

the 1950s.

The main focus of the method was to shape the habit of using certain structures, patterns and

verbs through repetition and drilling, and general extensive exposure to the examples that

needed to be recreated .
Discovering the key characteristics of the audio-
lingual method
The key principles of the audio-lingual method were the following:

1. The teacher has to present a context which will be worth copying. This usually happens

by role-playing the dialogues or filling the gaps with the information students have heard

in the audio.

2. Teachers must be very attentive to errors and mistakes and do their best to correct them

so that the wrong habit can’t be developed. Nothing is worse than fossilization.

3. The main goal is to teach students how to speak correctly. Moreover, there is a great

emphasis on the pronunciation.

4. All the necessary words and structures should be drilled to the extent of automatic

reproduction without taking any extra minutes to think.

5. No emphasis is placed on the explanation of grammar rules. Audio-lingual methods

followers believe that learning any language is pretty similar to the acquisition of the

native language. Therefore, rules can be induced from examples and practice.

6. Audio-lingual practitioners follow the “natural order” of developing language skills:

listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

 As for the students’ position in such a classroom, it can
be described with the help of the following key
requirements:
1. Students’ native language should be used as little as possible so that they do not lose
focus on the target language.
2. Students are supposed to do their best to mimic the pronunciation of the examples

presented by the teacher.

3. Students have to revise and repeat the target language and grammar structure as

often as possible in order to develop the habit.

4. The vocabulary presentation is limited. Students have to pay much more attention

to learning structural patterns rather than separate words. Loads of new

vocabulary come later.

Rating the effectiveness of the audio-lingual

method
The audio-lingual method was initially created as the improved version of the direct method. It
was supposed to pay much more attention to speaking and embrace the natural process
of language acquisition.
After 1964, its appeal declined, in part due to exposure of its flaws.
Since it downplayed the importance of context and prior knowledge in language learning and
placed an excessive amount of emphasis on memorization and practice, it was unable to foster
communicative competence a lot.
After all, it was found that mistakes were not always so harmful and even wanted, as the
teacher knows where more attention should be paid.
Plus, it was proved that language can’t really be learned by developing a habit in the
way the audio-lingual method puts it.
Looking for the pros and cons of the audio-lingual
method?

Pros Cons

Constant drills make Students overlearn the information but can’t

students remember the materials for a really use it fluently outside of the

very long time. memorized patterns.

Students have very good Not enough attention is paid to the skills

pronunciation as it is taught straight that are not oral. Therefore, writing suffers a

from the beginning. lot. Too little grammar and spelling

exposure leads to a lot of writing mistakes.

Students also get a lot of context Students don’t get an explicit presentation of

about the culture of the language they grammar, which is needed sometimes. Thus,

are learning through exposure to some grammar rules may stay vague.

dialogues and texts.

Almost no L1 is allowed so students Errors are not allowed, and the students are

are focused on the foreign language all pressured to reproduce the examples given by the

the time. teacher with no mistakes.

Using the teaching techniques within the audio-
lingual method

Memorizing the dialogues

Dialogues are considered the best examples to copy within the method as they have both
useful structures and comprehensible context.

That is why dialogues are not only role-played but also learnt by heart.

Various forms of drilling

Drillings are a must in the audio-lingual method.

Therefore, the whole spectrum is actively used: repetition and chain drill, substitution and
transformation drill. You name it!

Fill in the gaps

There is no better way to reproduce certain words within the context than fill-in-the-gaps tasks.

They require understanding of the target language, knowledge of whether the word is

appropriate in a certain structure, an ability to interact with a context, as well as the

right spelling skills.

 REFERENCES

Compartir material. (2008). A brief History of Teaching Approaches and Methods.

https://compartiroposingles.activo.mx/t4-a-brief-history-of-teaching-approaches-and-methods

Grade University. (15/10/2023). The history of method: Grammar Translation Method. https://grade-
university.com/blog/the-history-of-the-method-the-grammar-translation-method

Grade University. (24/10/2023). The history of method: Direct method. https://grade-

university.com/blog/the-history-of-the-method-the-direct-method

Grade University. (11/2023). The history of method: Audio lingual Method. https://grade-
university.com/blog/the-history-of-the-method-the-audio-lingual-method

Abdelhak. [ Abdelhak English Farm. (2023). Language teaching Methods / Top 6 Teaching Methods
| Part 1. https://youtu.be/E1tIQiV7S3o?si=ju_0Di-YaLt1bnQW

 BY HAM 