Didactics Summary

* Classroom management is defined as the methods, strategies and

techniques the teacher uses to control and manage his classroom. Which
means how to set the classroom environment and atmosphere to be fitted
with the students needs and to fulfill the learners needs and perform the
lesson effectively.

Parts of Classroom Management

* Respect: mutual respect between the teacher and his students.

*Consistency: organized and cohesive lesson plan and course and a well
ordered procedures makes the session run smoothly.

*Proximity: being proximate and close to students makes the teacher

manage better and well control his classroom, it also makes the students
feel the rapport between the students and their teacher. Walking around in
the classroom and stand next to the students who make noise will make
them silent and it won’t distract the whole classroom. Because standing
in one place will prohibit the teacher from controlling his students and he
will lose the discipline.

*Sitting Arrangement: this will serve the lesson and the classroom
management; each sitting arrangement fits a certain lesson objective and
a teaching style whether teacher-centered or student-centered lesson. In
both cases, the teacher must have the freedom to move around in the
classroom.

*Trial and Error: finding out what works with students won’t come with
only one try, trial and error is a process that all the teachers step by. Same
for students, it takes trial and error to get used to the used teaching
approach and classroom discipline rules.

Approaches and Methods of EFL

*Method: a method is the way a teacher follow to teach and how students
can learn something based on a specific approach or theory. 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.

*Approach: An approach is a way of looking at teaching and learning in

related various perspectives. Underlying any language teaching
approach is a theoretical view of what language is, and of how it can be
learnt. An approach gives rise to methods, the way of teaching something,
which use classroom activities or techniques to help learners learn. These
theories are the source of principles and practices of language teaching.

*Approach is the way you are going to approach a project. Method is the

way in which you are going to complete the project. This is the main
difference between approach and method.

Learning Approaches
 The Behaviorist Approach: which is concerned with learners responding
to some form of stimulus.
 The Cognitive Approach: based on knowledge and knowledge retention.
 The Humanist Approach: based on explanations of individual experience.

What is an Approach Influenced By?

*Theory of language: how language is viewed (structural view of

language or functional view of language) = grammar-based theory.

*Theory of language learning: how do learners learn the language =

stimulus-based theory.

*FLT methods have appeared as a result of the application of the

new theoretical findings.

Eclectic Approach

*Eclectic approach is a method of language education that combines

various approaches and methodologies to teach language depending on
the aims of the lesson and the abilities of the learners. Different teaching
methods are borrowed and adapted to suit the requirement of the learners.

*Eclecticism is a desirable, coherent, pluralistic approach to language

teaching.
*Eclecticism involves the use of a variety of language learning activities,
each of which may have very different characteristics and may be
Derived from various methods and approaches.

*The use eclecticism is due to the fact that there are strengths as well as
weaknesses of single theory based methods. The teacher selects whats
best from different theories, methods, approaches,etc and apply them in
his classroom for better and effective results.

*The teacher decides what methodology or approach to use depending on

the aims of the lesson and the learners in the group.

Advantages of an Eclectic Approach

*Safety: The use of a variety of ideas and procedures from different

existing approaches and methods will increase the chances of learning
taking place.

*Interest: Teachers need to use different techniques to hold the learners'

attention.

*Diversity: Different learning/teaching contexts require different

methodologies.

*Flexibility: Awareness of a range of available techniques will help

teachers exploit materials better and manage unexpected situations.
Informed teaching is bound to be eclectic.

The Grammar Translation Method

*The grammar translation method is a method of teaching foreign

languages derived from the classical method of teaching Greek and Latin.
In grammar-translation classes, students learn grammatical rules and then
apply those rules by translating sentences between the target language
and the native language.

Principles and Techniques of GTM

*It focuses on the translation and application of grammar and correct
sentence structure. This is especially helpful in teaching students how to
write and read in another language rather than how to
speak/communicate, which makes the learners to learn more
interchangeable words and phrases (i.e., different words for different
tenses) more effectively than a verbal teaching method. We can deduce
from that that reading and writing are the main skills. In this method, the
classroom is teacher-centred which means that the teacher is the authority
and the focus is on him a the interactions are T-S rather than S-S. In the
GTM the teacher use the deductive reasoning, students learn the
grammatical rules then they deduce how to apply them.

*The main procedure of an ordinary lesson followed this plan: a

presentation of a grammatical rule, followed by a list of vocabulary and,
finally, translation exercises from selected texts .

The Direct Method

*The Direct Method became popular when students failed to

communicate effectively using The Grammar-Translation Method. It
didn’t allow translation of any kind.

*Students were helped directly to pick up the target language through the
use of demonstration and visual aids without seeking any help from the
native language.

*It’s theory is that learners should learn a second language ‘naturally’

meaning, learning it as children learn their first language.

*The method emphasized oral interaction, spontaneous use of language,

no translation between first and second languages, and little or no
analysis of grammar rules.

Principles of the Direct Method

*Instructions are used in the target language.

*Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.

*Oral communication skills were built up in a carefully traded

progression organized around questions-and-answer exchanges
between teachers and students in small intensive classes.

*Grammar was taught inductively and implicitly; the teacher gives

examples and activities and students deduce the rules, from specific to
general. It is a bottom up process.

*Drilling and exercising is given more importance.

*Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration, objects,

pictures; Abstract vocabulary was taught through association of Ideas.

*Listening and speaking are the most important skills.Correct

pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

Criticism of the Direct Method

*It works only in small classes.

*Teachers exaggerate in using the target language in the classroom and in

not using the mother tongue.

*It demands the accuracy and fluency from the learner while speaking in
the target language, it does not work for false beginners and beginners.
Also, the teacher in DM must be native which is expensive.

*The success of the direct method depends on the teacher's skills and
personality more than on the methodology.

The Audiolingual Method

*The ALM is derived from "The Army Method," the reason of this
naming is that it was developed through a U.S. Army programme
invented after World War II to make the soldiers proficient in the
languages of both friends and enemies.

*The goal of the Audio- Lingual method is, via teaching vocabulary and
grammatical patterns through dialogues, to enable students to respond
quickly and accurately in spoken language.

*The emphasis was on memorization through pattern drills and

conversation practices rather than promoting communicative ability.
*Build on the habit formation model of behaviorist psychology and on a
Structural Linguistics theory of language.

*In the ALM, the focus is on the listening and speaking skills. Which is
an oral-based approach to drills students in the use of grammatical
sentence patterns.

*In ALM, there is no use of the native language in the classroom

( actions, pictures, realia, etc are used to explain the meaning).

*This approach follows the habit formation model of the behaviorist

theory which means that the use of language is a habit that needs a lot of
practice.

*In ALM, the teacher must be able to use the target language in a
communicative manner, and he needs to use his language automatically
without stopping to think. The teacher is directing and controlling the
language behaviour of students and the learning process ( teacher-
centered).

*Following this method, students are supposed to form new habits in

target language. Students are imitators, they follow the teacher’s direction
and respond accurately and as fast as possible.

Characteristics of ALM

*Students learn through imitation, dialog, repetition.

*Reading and written work based on the oral work, drilling is the main
element in the ALM. Vocabulary selection is based on the reading text
used ( strictly limited and learned in context). Students are asked to write
new vocabulary in a sentence.

*Grammar explanations are kept to minimum, it is taught inductively

through presentation and students learn the rules themselves , it is
followed by practice through exercises.

*Structural patterns are taught using repetitive drills.

*Great importance is given to pronunciation and accuracy.

*Very little use of the mother tongue by teachers is allowed.

*Audio-Lingual method to teach the target language directly using four

different elements such as Repetition, Inflection, Replacement and
Restatement. A teacher drills students in the use of grammar by asking
them to repeat a sentences.

*New vocabulary and structural patterns are presented through dialogues

and these dialogues are learned through imitation and repetition.

*Grammar rules are not provided directly ( implicit and inductive

teaching and learning of grammar).

*Students learn the language patterns the way they are presented in the
dialogue.

*The is s-s interaction but the method is mainly teacher-centered.

Criticism of ALM

*students are unable to transfer the habits they have mastered in the
classroom to communicative use outside it.

*the absence of creativity as students repeat and memorize what they do

not understand.

*Languages are not acquired by repetition and imitation, and the

audiolingual method is based on these factors, Chomsky claimed that
languages are generated from the learner’s implicit competence.

The Humanistic Approaches

*The humanistic approach emphasizes the personal worth of the

individual, the centrality of human values, and the creative, active nature
of human beings. The approach is optimistic and focuses on the noble
human capacity to overcome hardship, pain and despair.

Some Humanistic Approaches:

*The Silent Way, Total Physical Response, Suggestopedia,

Communicative language learning.
 The Silent Way

*It is based on the premise( hypothesis) that the teacher should be silent
as much as possible in the classroom but the learner should be
encouraged to produce as much language as possible.which means it
depends on the independence of students in the classroom ( students are
active learners) it is a student-centered approach.

*It focuses on discovery, creativity, problem solving to facilitate learning.

*Encourages students to cooperate with each other ( peer correction and

teamwork/ pair work)

*The teacher is responsible for creating an environment that encourages

student risk taking and that facilitates learning.

*The Silent Way belongs to a tradition that views learning as a problem

solving, creative, discovering activity, in which the learner is a principal
actor rather than a bench-bound listener.

*Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than

remembers and repeats what is to be learned.

* Using realia, word-chart( to build sentences), fidel-chart( for

spelling),sound-color chart( for pronunciation), etc is important to
facilitate the learning process.

*Teacher is generally silent, only giving help when it is absolutely

necessary.Teacher uses gestures to indicate that something is incorrect or
needs changing which then make the students use the self-correction in
the case of mistakes.

*Language is not learned by repeating after the teacher/model, students

need to develop their own ‘ inner criteria’ for correctness.

* STT must be major than TTT.

*The most notable feature of the silent way is the behaviour of the
teacher who says as little as possible. This is because it was believed that
if the students had to “discover” the language for themselves, learning
will be better facilitated than just remembering and repeating what had
been taught.
 Suggestopedia

*It is based on the idea that the human brain works better and give more
effective results when he is in a suitable environment (classroom) state of
relaxation ( soft seats, music, and dim lighting) and giving over the
control of the teacher.

*The method focuses on the sensory learning, Music is central to this

method.

*This method largely focuses on the need for the students to be

comfortable, confident and relaxed in order for learning to be more
effective. Another feature is that the teacher and students exist in a
parent-children relationship; students are given new names and traumatic
themes are avoided.

*The teacher assumes a role of complete authority and control in the

classroom.

*Students work from lengthy dialogs in the target language, with an

accompanying translation into the students' native language.

*•Errors are tolerated, the emphasis being on content and not structure
(focus on fluency not accuracy).

*Grammar and vocabulary are presented and given treatment from the
teacher, but not given much importance.

*Music, drama and "the Arts" are integrated into the learning process as
often as possible.

Total Physical Response

*Total Physical Response (TPR) is a method of teaching language or

vocabulary concepts by using physical movement to react to verbal input.
The process mimics the way that infants learn their first language, and it
reduces student inhibitions and lowers stress.

*TPR is an approach to teaching a second language, based on listening

linked to physical activities which are designed to reinforce
Comprehension.
*The method relies on the assumption that when learning a second or
additional language, that language is internalized through a process of
code-breaking similar to first language development. Which means that
the process of learning a second language is similar to learning the first
language. It is based on how children learn their mother language.

*Students respond with physical movements to commands that require

physical movement.because this method believes that responding
physically to an instruction/input will facilitate the process of
memorizing and will relief stress.

*Learners are encourage to speak when they feel ready to speak.

*Grammar is not taught explicitly but can be learned from the language
input. TPR is a valuable way to learn vocabulary, especially idiomatic
terms, e.g., phrasal verbs. Asher developed TPR as a result of his
experiences observing young children learning their first
language.Grammar is taught inductively.Meaning is more important than
form.

*It works with the behavioristic psychology which holds a Stimulus-

Response model of learning. The stimulus in the TPR method is verbal
and the response is physical. In this respect, Total Physical Response has
many similarities to the Direct Method.

*Language learning must focus on comprehension and the teaching of

speaking must be delayed until comprehension skills are established ( like
children learn 1st language) which means it is similar to the natural
approach.

*A lot of the grammatical structures of language and many vocabulary

items can be learned from the skillful use of the imperative form.

*Relying on humanistic pedagogy, TPR also stresses the importance of a

stress-free environment. In fact,  second language learning often causes a
lot of stress and anxiety. However, if teachers focus on meaning
transferred into physical activity rather than on abstract language forms
students are freed from stress and anxiety.

*The role of the teacher is central. S/he chooses the appropriate

commands to introduce vocabulary and structure.
*The learner is a listener and a performer responding to commands
individually or collectively ( with repeating the input and physically
applying it = visual+auditory+ kinaesthetic reply).

*TPR is teacher centered because students have limited language

knowledge ( this approach is suitable better for young /beginners
learners). The procedures of total physical response method involve the
use of simple directives and visual aids accompanied by movement.

Communicative Language Teaching

*Communicative language teaching (CLT), or the communicative

approach, is an approach to language teaching that emphasizes interaction
as both the means and the ultimate goal of study.CLT also focuses on the
teacher being a facilitator, rather than an instructor.

* CLT Provides opportunities for learners to experiment and try out what
they know. Provide opportunities for learners to develop both accuracy
and fluency. Link the different skills such as speaking, reading, and
listening together, since they usually occur so in the real world.

*The communicative approach focuses on the use of language in

everyday situations, or the functional aspects of language, and less on the
formal structures. There must be a certain balance between the two.It
gives priority to meanings and rules of use rather than to grammar and
rules of structure.

*The use of authentic and engaging material.

*The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on the

language but also on the learning process itself.

*An enhancement of the learner's own personal experiences as important

contributing elements to classroom learning.

*An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation

outside the classroom.

*Fluency is an important dimension of communication.

*Communication involves the integration of different language skills.

*The teacher would do whatever it takes and be eclectic to make sure the
students understands the input/instruction.

Task-based Language Learning

*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. ( major use of role-playing)

*Assessment is primarily based on task outcome rather than simply

accuracy of language forms. This makes TBLL especially popular for
developing target language fluency and student confidence.

*The lesson is based around the completion of a central task and the
language studied is determined by what happens as the students complete
it.

*Task-Based Learning (TBL) is a lesson structure, a method of

sequencing activities in your lessons. Sometimes called 'Task-Based
Language Teaching', TBL lessons students solve a task that involves an
authentic use of language, rather than completing simple language
questions about grammar or vocabulary.

*In TBLL the role of the teacher is a supporter and inventor of tasks
which her/his learners enjoy doing rather than instructor.

*In this method, the focus is more on a task than the language. Students
are given a task to complete. When they have completed the task, the
teacher can, if necessary – and only if necessary – provide some language
study to help clear up some of the problems they had while doing the
task.

*The learning process in TBLL is divided into 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.

Constructivism
*Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct knowledge
rather than just passively take in information. As people experience the
world and reflect upon those experiences, they build their own
representations and incorporate new information into their pre- existing
knowledge (schemas).