METHODS AND APPROACHES TO

TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Outline
1.Method – Methodology - Approach
2.The Grammar-Translation Method
3.The Direct Method
4.Audio-lingual Method
What is a teaching
method?
⚫a way of teaching a language which is
based on….
osystematic principles and procedures
oan application of views on how a language
is best taught and learned.
 METHOD OR METHODOLOGY
⚫Method: What experts have conceptualized

⚫Methodology : What teachers do.

⚫Approach: Philosophy

⚫Technique : Classroom Implementation

4
TRADITIONAL METHODS
AND APPROACHES
GRAMMAR TRANSLATION
METHOD
THE GRAMMAR TRANSLATION
METHOD
Background
⚫ It was essential for powers of the mind.
⚫ Used teach Latin and Greek
⚫ Teaching Method in late XIX and early XX

THE GOAL
To teach translation, to read and understand literary texts in
the target language, to make students aware of their native
language structure and vocabulary, and to improve students’
mental capacities with grammar exercises.
 DISADVANTAGES OF GRAMMAR
TRANSLATION METHOD

⚫Students translate but do not produce their own

sentences.
⚫Little contextualization of the grammar for real
communication.
⚫Accuracy is emphasised strictly. Accuracy means
grammatical correctness.
STRATEGIES OF GRAMMAR TRANSLATION
METHOD

⚫ Translation of a Literary Passage

⚫ Reading Comprehension Questions:
⚫ Antonyms / Synonyms
⚫ Cognates
⚫ Deductive Application of Rule
⚫ Fill-in-the blanks
⚫ Memorisation
⚫ Use words in Sentences
⚫ Composition
 CHARACTERISTIC OF A CLASS WITH
GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD

• Teacher is the strict authority

• Students are the passive receivers
• Structural syllabus
• Errors are not tolerated
• The primary skills to be improved are “reading” and “writing”.
• Classes are taught in mother tongue
DIRECT METHOD
THE DIRECT METHOD
Background
⚫ A reaction against Grammar-Translation
⚫ Language is not an academic subject but a tool for
communication
⚫ Effort to integrate more use of the target language in
instruction
THE GOAL
How to communicate in the target language. Teaching of
thinking in the target language.
DISADVANTAGES WITH DIRECT
METHOD

⚫ Practicality:
⚫L2 learned the same way L1 was acquired - by total
immersion technique.
⚫Taken to extreme, teacher never uses one word of L1
⚫ Skills integration:
⚫Rejects reading for input, but students already have
reading/writing skills in L2
STRATEGIES USING DIRECT
METHOD
⚫ Reading aloud
⚫ Question and answer exercise
⚫ Self correction
⚫ Conversation practice
⚫ Fill-in-the-blank exercise
⚫ Dictation
⚫ Drawing (for listening comprehension)
⚫ Paragraph writing.
CHARACTERISTIC OF A DIRECT METHOD
CLASS
• Language is for oral use
• The teacher directs the interactions but is not dominant
• Students are active participants.
• Grammar is taught inductively
• Situational and topical syllabuses
• L1 is not permitted
• Students' self correction
• Speaking, listening, reading and writing are important skills.
AUDIO LINGUAL METHOD
GOOGLE timeline
AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD
Background
� Based on the principles of Behavior Psychology
� The theory of learning is Behaviorism.
� Adapted many of the principles and procedures of the
Direct Method
� Language is a process of habit formation.
� The objective is to empower students to speak and
write in the target language
THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF ALM

⚫ T is like an orchestra leader

⚫ Sts are imitators of the teacher
⚫ Meaning is taught directly
⚫ L1 is prohibited
⚫ Explicit rules are not provided
⚫ Grammar points and sentence patterns in structural
syllabus
⚫ Errors are corrected by the teacher
⚫ Listening and speaking are emphasised
 STRATEGIES IN ALM
⚫ Dialogue Memorisation

⚫ Minimal pairs: (for teaching pronunciation)

⚫ Complete the dialogue

⚫ Grammar Games

⚫ Mechanical Drills: Repetition drill, Chain Drill, Single- slot

Substitution Drill (T gives one cue to be substituted), Multiple-

slot Substitution Drill
DISADVANTAGES
⚫ Communicative competence?
⚫ Language is not ‘acquired’ through habit formation and
‘overlearning’ dialogues in a language lab
⚫ Role of error?
⚫ Errors are a natural part of the learning process.
⚫ Not to be avoided, but used as learning opportunities
⚫ Syllabus?
⚫ Grammar points and sentence patterns in structural syllabus.