UNIVERSIDAD

TÉCNICA
PARTICULAR DE
LOJA

Unit 1: Teaching English methods

and approaches
 An approach refers to a specific method or strategy used by a teacher to
facilitate learning among their students.

Method, on the other hand, is a set of procedures, i.e., a system that

spells out rather precisely how to teach a language. Methods are more
specific than approaches but less specific than techniques.
Concepts

Methods are typically compatible with one (or sometimes two)

approaches. It involves a set of strategies, techniques, and activities
that a teacher uses to engage students and help them acquire
knowledge and skills.

Some techniques are widely used and found in many methods (e.g.,
imitation and repetition); however, some techniques are specific to or
characteristic of a given method (e.g., using cuisinaire rods = the Silent
Way). The difference between an approach and a method is that an
approach is a broad theoretical framework, while a method is a specific
set of techniques and activities that the teacher uses to implement that
approach.
 PLAN: A method is a plan for presenting the
language material to be learned and should be
Concepts
based upon a selected approach.

ASSUMPTION: An approach is a set of correlative

assumptions about the nature of language and
language learning.

TECHNIQUE==> TRICK: A technique is a very specific,

concrete stratagem or trick designed to accomplish
an immediate objective.

Further information:
https://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/approach-method-procedure-and-
technique/
The direct method
Audiolingualism method

Notional Functional The Semantic Translation

Syllabus method Method

Communicative Language
The Silent Way approach
Teaching approach

Inmersion Learning
approach
 Classroom instruction was conducted in the target language
only.

Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.

Direct method

Oral-communication skills were built up based on questions-

and-answer exchanges between teacher and students.

Grammar was taught inductively.

Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration,

objects and pictures; abstract vocabulary was taught by
associating ideas.

Speech and listening comprehension were taught.

Special emphasis was put in correct pronunciation and

grammar.
 Presentation

Audiolingualism
Drills Practice
method

Repetititon
The Notional Functional Syllabus method

Focuses on the functions of the language in

different contexts.

It is a system of capturing the most commonly

used phrases in a specific situation to learn
them.

Students first notice the situation and then

choose corresponding functions to use phrases
to express them according to the situation.
Notion Function Expression

Customer to shopkeeper Asking for the How much are

price. those pants?
Customer to shopkeeper Negotiating It seems a little
expensive.
Party Introductions Nice to meet you!
 It places students directly in an environment, so
students immerse themselves in the language as if
they were leaving in an English speaking country.

It sees language as the main tool which is used to

Inmersion

approach
learning

immerse students completely within the subject.

The need to communicate forces them to use the

target language to express their ideas.
Students cannot rely on their native language.
Students understand language by context and
leave translation apart, they try to convey
meaning.
The Silent Way approach
Communicative Language teaching
(approach)

Language functions: inviting, agreeing

and disagreeing, suggesting,
complaining, apologyzing, describing,
narrating.

Exposure: Communicating real messages.

 Students use sketch books for
drawing main concepts and write
meaningful phrases related to
those concepts using their first
language.

Teacher then translates

The those phrases into
It joins Conceptual Semantic grammatically correct
Semantics and Grammar ones; those phrases are
Translation Method Translatio copied next to the
n Method drawing and students
repeat them ten times

Once students have accumulated

several phrases, they start to use
them in real-life situations, they
use language while inductively
learn basic grammar.
THANKS FOR
YOUR ATTENTION!