Linguistics and

Language Teaching
Lecture 9

Approaches to Language
Teaching
In order to improve the efficiency of
language teaching, many approaches
have been used.
Language teaching has experienced
great changes in the world. The 20th
century witnessed a dramatic
transformation of the role of the
English language in the world.

Approaches to Language
Teaching
Changes in language teaching methods
throughout history have reflected the
development of linguistic theories.
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, linguistics
was characterized by traditional grammar.
Correspondingly, the grammar-translation
method was widely used in the teaching of
Latin in European schools.
In the grammar-translation method, priority
was given to reading and translation of written
language.

Approaches to Language
Teaching
The natural method (also called the
direct method) of language teaching was
adopted into English language teaching
(ELT) and laid a solid intellectual and
practical foundation for the development
of ELT as an autonomous profession.

Approaches to Language
Teaching
Applied linguists also brought about
the situational approach and the
notional/functional method.
Meanwhile, based on a broader
framework for the description of
language use called communicative
competence proposed by Hymes, the
communicative approach to language
teaching came into being.

The Relation of Linguistics to

Language Teaching
Both linguistics and language
teaching takes language as their
subject.
The bridge between linguistics and
language teaching is applied
linguistics.

Syllabus Design
Syllabus is fundamental to language teaching.
Syllabus refers to the description of the
planning and framework for a course of study,
and may list the learning goals, objectives,
contents, processes, resources and means of
evaluation planned for students.

Grammatical Syllabus
Grammatical syllabus takes grammar
as the basis for (foreign) language
teaching. In this syllabus, grammar is
primary.

Grammatical Syllabus
(a) Stress is laid on the written language rather
than the spoken language.
(b) The instruction of grammar not only focuses
on what is regular but also on what is irregular.
(c) The classroom instructions are presented in
the native language.
(d) The major teaching method is translation
and the mastery of the learned grammatical
rules is checked through large quantities of
written translation and writing practice.

Situational Syllabus
Situational syllabus refers to a syllabus in
which the instruction of language teaching is
planned around the situations in which the
linguistic forms to be taught are normally
used.

Communicative Syllabus
Communicative syllabus focuses language
teaching on the development of the learner's
communicative competence.
Assumption: Language is used for
communication; learning a language is
learning to communicate.
The communicative syllabus emphasizes the
simultaneous development of the learners'
linguistic competence and pragmatic
competence. The linguistic items to be
studied are dependent upon the learners'
purposes of the communication he expects to
participant in.

Language Testing
a) The Feedback Function
Language tests can provide teachers and
students with feedback information so that
they can improve their teaching and learning.

b) The Assessment Function

Tests are often used to assess students'
achievements in language learning.

Language Testing
c) The Backwash Function
The results of language testing can help us
to assess whether the teaching goal is
appropriate, valid and to what degree it
has been achieved.

 validity
Validity refers to the degree to
which a test measures what it is
intended to measure.
content validity, construct validity,
face validity, washback validity,
criterion-related validity.

 Content validity refers to whether the test

adequately covers the syllabus area to be
tested, or in other words.
Construct validity concerns what theoretical
construct on which the test is based.
Face validity deals with not what the test
actually measures, but to what it appears
superficially to measure.

 Washback validity refers to whether the

test can reflect the result of the teaching
and learning that precedes it and throw
light on future teaching and learning.
Criterion-related validity is also called the
"statistic validity". It refers to the validity
represented by the relation between the
test scores and the criterion scores.

 Reliability
Reliability refers to whether a test
produces the consistent results when
given to the same candidates twice
in succession or marked be different
people.

 Efficiency
This involves questions of economy,
ease of administration, scoring, and
interpretation of results. Efficiency is
also related to financial viability.

Types of Language Tests

The discrete point test
A discrete point test consists of many
questions on a large number of linguistic
points, but each question tests only one
linguistic point.
Objective questions are widely used in the
discrete point test.

Types of Language Tests

The Integrative Test
This kind of test is also called the
"pragmatic test".
simultaneous testing of the testee's
multiple linguistic competence from
various perspectives.

Types of Language Tests

a. Cloze dictation
b. Oral cloze test
c. Paraphrase recognition
d. Questions & Answers

Types of Language Tests

The Communicative Test
It aims at testing the testee's mastery of the
target language through accomplishing
certain tasks in real or nearly-real situations.
In this sense, it is a "task-based test."
The skills of listening, speaking, reading and
writing are tested comprehensively.

Types of Language Tests

The
The
The
The

Achievement Test
Proficiency Test
Aptitude Test
Diagnosis Test

Language Test
Development
Designing the test blueprint
the objectives of the test
the type of the test

 the contents of the test

the question types of the test
the proportion of each section in
the test paper
the specification form for the
test
Writing the test paper

Error Analysis
Interlingual transfer
Intralingual transfer