APPROACHES and METHODS IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

A BRIEF HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING

A BRIEF HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHINGForeign language teaching- an important issue

60 percent of the world population is multilingual

Latin – as a language of education, commerce, religion, and government in the western world

Sts. were introduced to the advanced study of grammar and rhetoric (composition of words)

School experiencing with brutal punishments

A BRIEF HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING

French, Italian and English- a language of spoken and written communication = as a result of political changes in Europe

Same system of Latin teaching

Textbooks with grammar rulesLists of vocabulary to memorizeSentences for translation

A BRIEF HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING

Speaking a foreign language was not the goal

Oral practice was limited to reading aloud long sentences which were translated

Grammatical system of the language was studied with rules of morphology and syntax

Minimum oral work

Maximum written exercises

Grammar Translation MethodThe principal characteristicsThe goal of foreign language learning is to learn a

language in order to read its literature or benefit from the mental discipline

It approaches the language through detailed analysis of grammar rules followed by translating sentences in to the mother tongue

Little attention is paid to speaking and writing, reading and writing are the major focus

Grammar Translation MethodThe sentence is the basic unit of teaching and

language practice. Much of the lesson is devoted to translating sentences

Accuracy is emphasized. Students are expected to attain high standards in translation

The students’ native language is the medium of instruction

Words are taught through bilingual lists, dictionary work and memorization

Learner rolesA student in this method is viewed as a

processor and passive holder for the information given to him.

This means that he does not influence the process of learning or even other students.

In fact learners are totally dependent on the teacher

Teacher rolesThe teacher’s role is central as he controls

and determines everything in the classroom whether it is content, task or else, as well as correcting immediately the errors made by the students.

This makes learners totally dependent on the teacher as the source of information and direction as well.

Reform movement

Communication among Europeans demanded for oral proficiency in foreign languages

The need for speaking proficiency rather than reading comprehension as the goal for foreign language programs

Linguists emphasized that the primary form of language is the speech rather than the written word

Reform movementInternational Phonetic Association (IPA) 1886 was

founded to improve the teaching of modern languagesIt advocated

the study of the spoken languagephonetic training in order to establish good

pronunciation habitsthe use of dialogues to introduce conversational

phrases and idiomsan inductive approach to the teaching of grammarteaching new meanings through establishing

associations within the target language

Reform movementThe Practical Study of Languages by Henry

Sweet

Principles for the development of teaching method

careful selection what is to be taught imposing limits on what is to taughtarranging the four skills as listening, speaking,

reading and writinggrading materials from simple to complex

The reformers believed that…the spoken language is primarythe findings of phonetics should be applied to

teaching and to teacher traininglearners should hear the language first

before the written formwords should be presented in sentences and

practiced in meaningful contextsthe rules of grammar should be taught only

after the students have practiced the grammar points in context- that is, grammar to be taught inductively

translation should be avoided as much as possible