The Methods of

Teaching Language Arts

PROF. MERICA D. MAPA
 METHODS
1. Grammar-translation
2. Direct Method
3. Audio-lingual Approach
4. Total Physical Response
5. Natural approach
6. Cognitive-code
7. Suggestopedia and Desuggestopedia
 01

Grammar Transalation Method

Learning a target language to appreciate
classical literature.
 1.GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHOD
Purpose Role Native/ Target Response to Error
Language
A fundamental The meaning of the
purpose of learning a target language is
foreign language is to made clear by
be able to read The roles are very translating it into the Having the students get
literature written in the traditional. The teacher
students’ native the correct answer is
target language. To do is the authority in thelanguage. considered very
this, students need to class. The students do important. If students
learn the grammar as she says so they can Vocabulary and make errors or do not
learn what SHE grammar at greatly know an answer, the
rules and vocabulary emphasized. Reading
of the target KNOWS. teacher SUPPLIES
and writing need to THEM with the
language. work on. Less on CORRECT ANSWER.
pronunciation.
Since the Grammar-Translation Method
was not very effective in preparing
students to use the target language
communicatively, the Direct Method
became more popular.
 02

Direct Method
Students learn target language through
communicating with the help of realia.
 2. The Direct Method
The Direct Method has one very basic rule: NO TRANSLATION
ALLOWED. Meaning is being conveyed directly in the target
language through the use of demonstration and visual aids, with
no recourse to the students’ native language (Diller, 1978).
Purpose Role Native/ Target Response to Error
Language
Teachers who use the Direct The teacher and the The students’ native
Method intend that students students are partners in language should not be The teacher, employing
learn how to communicate in the teaching and learning used in the classroom.various techniques, tries
the target language. To do process.
to get students to self-
this successfully, students
Vocabulary over correct whenever
should learn to think in the
target language. grammar; pronunciation possible.
is given attention at the
very first point.
 03

Audio Lingual Method

Students learn target language when
they overcome habits from their native
language.
 3. AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD

• The Audio-lingual Method drills students in the USE

OF GRAMMATICAL SENTENCE PATTERNS.
• Later in its development, principles from behavioral
psychology (Skinner, 1957; 1982) were
incorporated. It was thought that the way to acquire
sentence patterns of the target language was
through conditioning - helping learners to respond
accurately to stimuli through shaping and
reinforcement.

Purpose
Students need to overlearn
the target language, to learn
to use it automatically
without stopping to think.
Their students achieve this by
overcoming the old habits of
their native language.
3. AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD
Role
The teacher is like an
orchestra leader, directing
and controlling the language
behavior of her students. She
is also responsible for
providing her students with a
good model for imitation.
Students are imitators of the
teacher’s model (speech or
other materials used). They
follow the teacher’s
directions and respond as
accurately and as rapidly as
possible.
Native/ Target Language Response to Error
The habits of the students’ Student errors are to
native language are
thought to interfere with
be AVOIDED if it is
the students’ attempts to possible through the
master the target teacher’s awareness
language. Therefore, the
target language is used in
of where the students
the classroom, not the will have difficulty
students’ native and restriction of
language.
what they are taught
Vocabulary is kept at a
minimum while the
to say.
students are mastering
both sound system and
grammatical patterns.
 04

Total Physical Response

Successful understanding of the
target language is manifested
through physical response.
 4. Total Physical Response

• According to Asher (1965) the fastest, least stressful

way to achieve understanding of any target language
is to follow directions uttered by the instructor (without
native language translation).

• Meaning is made clear through BODY MOVEMENTS.

 4. Total Physical Response
Purpose Teacher/ Students Role Native/ Target Language Response to Error

Teachers who use TPR The teacher is the DIRECTOR TPR usually introduced in It is expected that
believe in the importance of of all student behavior. the students’ native students will make errors
having their students enjoy The students are imitators of language. after the when their first begin
their experience in learning her nonverbal model. introduction, rarely would
speaking. Teacher should
to communicate in a foreign the native language be
At that point there will be a used. be tolerant of them and
language.
role reversal with individual only correct major errors
students directing the Vocabulary and grammar even these should be
The way to do this, Asher teacher and the other are both emphasized over corrected unobtrusively.
believes, is to base foreign students. other language areas.
As students get more
language learning upon the
advanced, teachers can
way children learn their Understanding the spoken ‘fine-tune’ – correct more
native language. word should precede ITS minor errors.
PRODUCTION.
 05

The Natural Approach

The Natural Approach belongs to a tradition
of language teaching methods based on
observation and interpretation of how
learners acquire both first and second
languages in non-formal settings
 Natural Approach
● It attempts to adapt this process of language acquisition to
an adult learning environment.
● This method highlights comprehensible and meaningful
practice activities and introduces the language learner to a
great deal of vocabulary at the beginning rather than
the production of grammatically perfect sentences.
● Basic rules for implementing this method include not using
the learners' native language and not referring to
grammatical explanations.
 5. The Natural Approach
According to Stephen Krashen the Natural approach has the
following stages:
(1) preproduction (listening and gestures),
(2) early production (short phrases),
(3) speech emergence (long phrases and
sentences), and
(4) intermediate fluency (conversation)
 06

The Cognitive Code

The cognitive approach considers the conscious
study of language rules as central to the learning
of a foreign language. One of its most important
concepts is meaningful practice.
 6. The Cognitive Code

• It was intended as an alternative to the

audiolingual method that emphasizes habit
formation as process of language
learning.
• Because of its emphasis on studying a
foreign language as a system of rules and
knowledge, rather than learning it as a set of
skills.
 07

Desuggestopedia
Target language is learned when
learners trust the teacher.
 8. Desuggestopedia
• Celce-Murcia (1991) calls an as affective-humanistic
approach, an approach in which there is respect for students’
feelings.
• Lozanov asserts is that we set up psychological barriers to
learning: we fear that we will be unable to perform, that we will
be limited in our ability to learn, that we will fail.
• Desuggestopedia, the application of the study of suggestion to
pedagogy, has been developed to help students eliminate the
feeling that they cannot be successful or the negative
association they may have toward studying and, thus, to help
them overcome the barriers to learning.
 8. Desuggestopedia
Purpose Role Native/ Target Response to Error
Language
Dessugesting the The teacher is the AUTHORITY in Native-language Errors are
the classroom. In order for the translation is used to CORRECTED
psychological barriers method to be successful, the make the meaning of GENTLY, with the
learning bring with them students must trust and respect the dialogue clear. teacher USING A
to the learning situation her. Vocabulary is SOFT VOICE.

and using techniques to
activate the
“paraconscious” part of
the mind, just below the
Once the students trust the
teacher, they can feel more
secure. If they feel secure, they
can be more spontaneous and less
inhibited.
emphasized; success of
the method is often
characterized by the
number of words
learned.

fully conscious mind.

 REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY

1. How are language teachers’ practices (or

what we regard as "good practices") shaped
by different sets of principles and ideas?

2. What are the various diverse social

contexts in which language teaching takes
place and what effect might it have on our
language teaching practices?