TEACHING ENGLISH AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE METHODS

A REVIEW ON LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS

BY NORRA DILLA
As an English teacher who teaches English as Foreign Language, we must master some methods
used in language teaching. Mastering various kinds of method will help us to find appropriate way to
deal with teaching learning problem in the classroom. A good teacher is a good researcher who
always eager to find solutions of teaching and learning problems encountered in the classroom. The
quality of the lesson will be much influenced by the teacher appropriate technique, strategy to cope
up with the materials and also the students need and the curriculum demand. Before discussing any
further, let us discuss about teaching methods in more elaborative sense.
Anthony (1963) defines an approach to language teaching as something that reflects a certain model
of research paradigm – a theory if you like. Underlying each method is a theory on the nature of
language and a theory on the nature of language learning both of which comprise the approach.
These theories are derived from the areas of linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics and are
the source of principles and practices of language teaching.
Anthony (1963) defines method as a set of procedures, a system that spells out rather precisely how
to teach a second foreign language. For the teacher, methods prescribe what materials and activities
should be used, how they should be used and what the role of the teacher should be. For learners,
methods prescribe what approach to learning the learner should take and what roles the learner
should adopt in the classroom.
A technique is a classroom device or activity and thus represents the narrowest of the three
concepts. The relationship of these three items are different theories about the nature of language
and how languages are learned are called “the approach’, the implication of different ways of
teaching language is called the method, and different methods make use of different kinds of
classroom activities are called the techniques.
These are the examples of methods of language teaching that are used in the 20th Century until
now. They are:
1. Grammar Translation Method
The characteristics of this method are shown as follow:
a) Long, elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.
b) Medium of instruction was the mother tongue.
c) No provision for the oral use of language.
d) Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in in grammatical
analysis.
e) Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language
into the mother tongue.
2. Direct Method (early 1900’s)
This method is characterized as follows:
a) Posited by Charles Berlitz.
b) Second language learning is similar to first language learning. Emphasis on:
• Oral interaction,
• Spontaneous use of language,
• No translation
c) Little if any analysis of grammatical rules and structures.
d) Classroom instruction was conducted in the target language.
e) There was an inductive approach to grammar.
f) Only everyday vocabulary was taught.
g) Concrete vocabulary was taught through pictures and objects.
h) Abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas.
i) New teaching points were introduced orally.
j) Communication skills were organized around question-answer exchanges between teachers and
students.
k) Speech and listening comprehension were taught.
l) Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.
3. The Audio Lingual Method
The characteristics of this method are:
a) Outbreak of the World War II
b) Heightened the need to become orally proficient.
c) “The Army Method” (an oral-based approach to language learning).
d) Influenced by structuralism and behaviourism:
e) Identify the grammatical structures and the basic sentence patterns.
f) Practice these patterns by systematic attention to pronunciation and intensive oral drilling.
g) New material is presented in dialogue form.
h) There is dependency on mimicry, memorization of set phrases, and overlearning.
i) By constant repetition the learner develops habits. Language learning is seen as acquiring a set of
appropriate mechanical habits; errors are not accepted because the lead to the development of bad
habits.
j) The role of the teacher is to develop good language habits.
k) There is little or no grammatical explanation. Grammar is taught inductively.
l) Great importance is attached to pronunciation.
m) Very little use of the mother tongue by teachers is permitted.
n) Successful responses are reinforced.
o) There is great effort to get students to produce error-free utterances.
Typical audio lingual activities are:
a. Dialog memorization.
b. Repetition drill: Students repeat the teacher’s model as accurately and as quickly as possible to
learn the lines of the dialog.
c. Transformation drill: The teacher gives students a certain kind of sentence pattern. Students are
asked to transform a sentence into a negative sentence.
d. Question-and-answer drill: This drill gives students practice with answering questions.
e. Complete the dialog.
4. Designer Method
a) Influenced by principles of psychology and psychotherapy.
b) Developed in 70’s and 80’s mainly in US.
c) The Silent way.
d) Total physical response.
e) Suggestopedia.
f) Community language learning.
5. The Silent Way
a. Influenced by principles of psychology and psychotherapy.
b. Developed in 70’s and 80’s mainly in US.
c. The Silent way.
d. Total physical response.
e. Suggestopedia.
f. Community language learning.
6. Suggestopedia
a. Characterized by a problem-solving approach.
b. Develops independence and autonomy and encourages students to cooperate with each other.
c. Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what
is to be learned.
d. Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects).
e. Learning is facilitated by problem solving the material to be learned.
f. Learning is facilitated in an environment that is as comfortable as possible, featuring soft
cushioned seating and dim lighting.
g. "Peripheral" learning is encouraged through the presence in the learning environment of posters
and decorations featuring the target language and various grammatical information.
h. The teacher assumes a role of complete authority and control in the classroom.
i. Self-perceived and psychological barriers to learners' potential to learn are "desuggested".
j. Students are encouraged to be child-like, take "mental trips with the teacher" and assume new
roles and names in the target language in order to become more "suggestible".
k. Baroque music is played softly in the background to increase mental relaxation and potential to
take in and retain new material during the lesson.
l. Students work from lengthy dialogs in the target language, with an accompanying translation into
the students' native language.
m. Errors are tolerated, the emphasis being on content and not structure. Grammar and vocabulary
are presented and given treatment from the teacher, but not dwelt on.
n. Homework is limited to students re-reading the dialog they are studying - once before they go to
sleep at night and once in the morning before they get up.
o. Music, drama and "the Arts" are integrated into the learning process as often as possible.
7. Total Physical Response
a. Successful second language learning should be a parallel process to child first language
acquisition.
b. Appropriate activities can produce stress-free learning.
c. Learners are encouraged to speak when they feel ready to speak.
d. Theory of language:
e. A grammar based view of language.
f. Verb in ımperative form.
g. Theory of language learning:
h. A stimulus-response view.
8. Communicative Language Teaching
a. An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language. Authentic
and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom activities.
b. The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
c. The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on the language but also on the
learning process itself.
d. An enhancement of the learner's own personal experiences as important contributing elements to
classroom learning.
e. An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom.
f. Fluency is an important dimension of communication.
g. Communication involves the integration of different language skills.
h. Learning is a process of creative construction and involves trial and error
9. Task-Based Language Learning
a. Task-based language learning (TBLL) is a method of instruction which focuses on the use of
authentic language, and students doing meaningful tasks using the target language; for example,
visiting the doctor, conducting an interview, or calling customer services for help.
b. Assessment is primarily based on task outcome (ie: the appropriate completion of tasks) rather
than simply accuracy of language forms. This makes TBLL especially popular for developing target
language fluency and student confidence.
c. In TBLL the role of the teacher changes from that of an instructor and prosecutor of errors to that
of a supporter and inventor of tasks which her/his learners enjoy doing.
d. It proved useful to divide the learning process in TBLL in three phases: The pre-task phase, the
doing of the task, and the post-task phase. Taken together they form a task cycle. The major role of
the teacher changes from phase to phase.
Linking to my personal experience as a teacher, I apply communicative language teaching and
grammar translation method the most. When I was a student, I acquired my EFL study in the first
grade of Junior High School. My teacher would list 10 until 20 difficult words on white board and
asked us to find the Indonesian Equivalent of each word, then he would provide a reading text and
asked his students to translate the text in to Bahasa Indonesia, or most of the time having us
translating the text together with him. After that, he would give us five until ten essay questions
related to the text and composed the answer using the proper sentences. He instructed us in
Bahasa Indonesia and used very little English with his students. He tended to give us many
grammar lessons in order to help us to make sense the text he gave us. That is why, many of my
friends don’t have any chance to communicate in English in the classroom, they just viewed English
as a school lesson that they must pass the test of it. The assessments worked well in term of
answering essay questions of a reading text and many of us got good score. My teacher was a
discipline English teacher. The successful of his Language teaching in the classroom also influenced
by his strict but charismatic personality that made many students felt comfortable in the classroom.
For my case, I used to like speak in English, it was a self-motivation, even though my English
teacher doesn’t have a good capability in spoken English, I learned to communicate from him by
having him to communicate in English with me during or outside the class. Surprisingly, without any
assistance of proper assessment, I had a good capability of spoken English for my level. My
teacher’s role to facilitate me was also the aspect that supported me. Even he doesn’t like to speak
English with his students, but he always welcome any conversation in English with me. I was so
immersed in English song, so I thought I acquired English using the Audio Lingual approach that I
created the chance by myself. I would like to listen to English song, watching English movies,
imitating the way the actors or the singers’ pronunciation English words and refers to my dictionary if
I found words that I don’t understand. I overcame my own problem in learning English by reading
textbooks and discovered my own solution. Therefore, I can conclude I have through three
approaches during my times, Grammar translation, Communicative and Audio Lingual Method. And
all of them seemed that work well on me.
I really comfortable with the communicative teaching approach as I strongly agree that English is a
language and language is a mean of communication, it is a very classic reasons but I have observed
so many motivations of people around me about their motivation of studying English. Most of them
want to be able to communicate in English. To meet with their motivation, I prefer teaching English in
a communicative way. I emphasize the point of English as a language in social function, thus, I like
the activities like pairing the students in group and communicate using the given topic in English, or
just practicing the dialogue. First, I will be the model of the dialogue reading then they just imitated
the way I read. Then when they are practicing, I like to observe their practice and correct the errors.
My students like this activity because most of them are extrovert type of personalities and
sometimes like to show them up. They also learn English by communication with their teacher or
their friends as I always pester them to make a communication using the target language with me or
their friends during the lesson. This approach is proven to be successful in teaching spoken English,
many of my students are able to speak in English even though not all of them are good speakers.
But I think by the time they learn more English grammar and acquired more vocabularies, they will
improve their abilities. I know that this doesn’t really meet with the curriculum content, but my
language philosophy is strongly suggested me to believe that we as human, are the social creatures
that have language in order to be connected with other human and nowadays English has become a
lingua franca, means that this language rules of the way of modern people to communicate.
The strengths of the Grammar Translation Method that I notice during my classroom experience are
target language is quickly explained, translation is the easiest way of explaining meanings or words
and phrases from one language into another, student will be able to master the appropriate
structures of a language and mistakes made by them in applying speaking ability will not be that
much and it is an effective way for application of grammar and sentence structure.
However, this method also has weakness such as; Language is seen as a collection or words which
are isolated and independent, students themselves are not seemingly able to produce sentences.
Bad effect of this method is on pupil's motivation. Because she or he cannot succeed in learning the
difficult grammar rules of the target language, that leads to the boredom in the classroom.
Furthermore, students cannot master all of four skills of English (listening, speaking, reading, and
writing). The grammar-translation method is the easiest for a teacher to employ. It doesn't require a
teacher to speak good English or make good lesson preparations. So, his knowledge might be lost
into in oblivion.
As its name suggests, the major characteristic of the GTM is a focus on learning the rules of
grammar and their application in translation passages from one language into the other. The GTM is
simply a combination of the Grammar Method and the Translation Method. The main principles of
the method are as follows: The grammar taught is formal grammar. Vocabulary in the target
language is learned through direct translation from the native language. The vocabulary depends on
the texts selected. The teaching begins with rules, isolated vocabulary items, paradigms and
translation. Easy classics are then translated. Vocabulary is divided into lists of words. The words
are to be memorized. Pronunciation is not taught. Grammar rules are also memorized as units and
illustrative sentences are often provided.
The other method that I use is the Communicative language teaching method, which I like the most.
The advantageous that I discover are communicative approach is much more pupil-orientated,
because it is based on pupils’ needs and interests, it also seeks to personalize and localize
language and adapt it to interests of pupils. Meaningful language is always more easily retained by
learners. It also seeks to use authentic resources. And that is more interesting and motivating for
children. Finally, students acquire grammar rules as a necessity to speak so is more proficient and
efficient.
Nonetheless, it also has a lot of disadvantages such as; It pays insufficient attention to the context in
which teaching and learning take place. It also seems to be interpreted as: “if the teacher
understands the student we have good communication” but native speakers of the target language
can have great difficulty understanding students. Another disadvantage is that the CLT approach
focuses on fluency but not accuracy. The approach does not focus on error reduction but instead
creates a situation where learners are left using their own devices to solve their communication
problems. Thus they may produce incoherent, grammatically incorrect sentences.
Overall, there is no perfect method for every teaching purpose, as a teacher we just need to select
the appropriate method to deal with the materials given, the students need and the curriculum
demand. And method is also have a tendency to be developed by an individual (here, a teacher) and
typically very special in term of used that a teacher needs a special training about what method
supposed to use and how he/she uses it in the classroom.