PART 3

BACKGROUND
TO
LANGUAGE TEACHING

UNIT 14
APPROACHES, METHODS
PROCEDURES AND
TECHNIQUES

Definitions
+ Approach
+ Method
+ Procedure
+ Technique

approach
+ Refers to theories about the nature of
language and language learning
+ Source of the way things are done in
class with reasons
+ Describes how language is used and
how people acquire their knowledge
E.g.: Grammar-translation approach

method
+ The practical realization of an
approach
+ Includes types of activities, roles of
teachers and learners, kinds of
materials and models of syllabus
organization
E.g.: Direct method

procedure
+ An ordered sequence of techniques
+ Can be described using terms such as
First you do this, then you do that
+ Smaller than a method, but bigger than a
technique

E.g.: Two students come to the board, one

facing the board and one facing the
audience. One explains and the other
answers what is being described.

technique
+ A single activity, not a sequence
+ Part of a procedure
+ One technique may appear in many
approaches, methods and procedures.
E.g.: Two of the major reading
techniques are skimming and scanning

Approaches Methods - Techniques

Grammar-translation
+ Appeared in the 19th century
+ Served the need to bring foreign language
learning into curriculums
+ Involves learning new words and grammar
rules
+ Notable features
Language is treated at sentence level.
Little/No consideration of spoken language
Accuracy is a necessity/of utmost importance.

Direct method
+ Appeared at the end of the 19 th century
+ Result of a reform
+ Teacher and students speak together.
+ Grammatical forms are related to objects and
pictures => meaning
+ Notable features:
Only the target language is used.
Accuracy is still important
Sentence level

Audiolingualism
+ Appeared in the 1920s and 1930s
+ Developed from the Direct method
+ Model: stimulus response
reinforcement
+ Relies heavily on drills to form habits for
learners
+ At sentence level and little relation to real
life contexts

E.g.: A drill with go to for plural subjects

T: They go to bed every day.
S: They go to bed every day.
T: School.
S: They go to school every day.
T: The movies
S: They go to the movies every day.

Presentation Practice Production

+ Came into being after Audiolingualism
+ Resulted from the need to teach
language with clear contexts
+ Three steps: presentation, practice
and production

Presentation
+ The teacher introduces the situation
and asks students some questions.
+ While asking the students, the
teacher can elicit by asking guiding
questions and make a model after that.
+ From this, the teacher points out the
point he/she wants to focus on.

Practice
+ Based on the situation, the teacher
asks the whole class to repeat the
latest sentence they have made.
+ After that, one or two students are
nominated to do that.
+ The same process goes on until the
analysis of the situation is finished.

Production
+ The grammar point is used for
making new sentences.
+ The teacher can ask questions to
create new situations.
E.g.: What are your friends doing
now?

Task-based Learning
+ Performance of meaningful task is
crucial and central.
+ Three stages: Pre-task, Task cycle
(While-task) and Post-task

Steps
1. The teacher introduces the situation and
holds a discussion on the topic.
2. The teacher gives students tasks to do (2 or
more)
3. The students present what they have
discussed in front of the class.
4. The teacher and students discuss any new
language they need for the task.
5. The students do one or two exercises on the
new language.

Communicative Language Teaching

+ Based on the belief that language
learning will take care of itself and
exposure to and opportunities to use
language are vitally important
+ Typically involves realistic communication
through simulation
E.g.: Simulation of a conversation at the
airport with students playing different roles

+ In order for CLT to succeed, students

have to have the desire to communicate.
+ In favor of native-speaker teachers due to
the uncontrolled range of language use by
students
=> under attack
+ However, it leads to the use of
communicative activities in the classroom.

CONSOLIDATION AND REVISION

1. What is an approach?
Answer:
. Theories about the nature of
language and language learning
. Source of the way things are done
in class with reasons

2. What model does audiolingualism

follow?
Answer:
Stimulus Response Reinforcement
3. How many stages are there in
task-based learning?
Answer: 3
Pre-task, While-task and Post-task

4. When did the direct method come

into being?
Answer:
The end of the 19th century
5. What must students have in order
for CLT to succeed?
Answer:
The desire to communicate/talk

6. How many types of motivation are

there? What are they?
Answer: 4
Intrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation
Integrative motivation
Instrumental motivation

7. Phillip is from France. He has just

moved to Italy, and he wants to live
like an Italian. What type of
motivation does he have?
Answer:
Integrative motivation

8. Is the following statement correct

or incorrect? If not, correct it.
In grammar-translation, accuracy is not
necessary.
Answer: Incorrect
In grammar-translation, accuracy is
necessary/important.