Language Teaching Methods - Essay Example

Direct Approach Direct teaching entails teaching entirely in the target language, where the learner has no permission to apply his or her mother tongue. Proper pronunciation emphasizes use of grammar rules. The approach is a reflex to the grammar-translation approach, in a bid to integrate increased use of the target language during instruction. Lessons start with a dialogue through a modern style of conversation in the target language. Material presented orally is through actions or pictures, since the mother tongue is require no translation. The common type of exercise constitutes a series of questions in the target language depending on the anecdotal narrative or dialogue. There is little or no emphasis in developing oral ability, since questions use the target language. Grammar teaching is inductive where rules are generalized owing to a proper practice and experience with the intended language. Verbs use systematic conjugation after some oral comprehension of the target language. Advanced students read literature for understanding and fun. Literary texts do not apply grammatical analysis. Inductive teaching reinforces the culture associated with the target language, in which case the culture is significant in language learning. From the start, a wider reading happens in L2 in which the vocabulary of the initial reading passages and texts is regulated for difficulty. Vocabulary extends very quickly, since vocabulary acquisition is highly significant as grammatical skill. Translation revisits this approach as a respectable classroom code related to understanding of the written text. Audio lingual Method The theory regarding this method embodies learning as a language infers acquiring habits. There is wider practice of dialogues in each situation. Wide drilling happens prior to being in its written form as new language is heard the first time. This method underlies the behavior psychology principles where many principles and procedures adapted the Direct Method, partially as a reaction to the inadequate speaking skills derived from the Reading Approach. New material presentation is in the form of a dialogue, where skills sequence and develop in order like: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Limited vocabulary is learned in the context involving teaching points established by contrastive analysis between L1 and L2. There is sufficient application of language laboratories, tapes and visual aids in a protracted pre-reading period at the start of the course. Great significance provides the precision of a native-like pronunciation. It allows occasional use of the mother tongue by the teacher although discouraged by use among students. It reinforces successful responses while great care helps to minimize learner errors. There is a tendency to focus on the target language manipulation putting little interest to content and meaning. While using Audio-lingual Drills in L2 Teaching it is necessary for the teacher to be careful to ensure that student utterances made falls within the practiced pattern. The drills should be carried out rapidly so as to establish a system and insure automaticity. All but not gross errors of pronunciation when drilling for grammar practice can be ignored. Maximization of shortcut use keeps the pace of drills. In order to cue responses, hand motions, signal cards, notes widely apply. Drill material always has meaning but if the content words are vague, meanings disseminate within interspersed short periods of about 10 minutes with precise brief options to avert fatigue and boredom. It is advisable not to stand in one place but recommended to move about the room while standing near a variety of students so as to check their production. It is easier to know who to give additional practice while on individual drilling. Community language learning (CLL) This approach develops from counseling techniques and adapted to the unique anxiety and threat as well as the individual and language problems encountered by persons learning foreign languages. Learners are clients and not students. Again, the instructors train in counseling skills tailored to their specialization as language counselors but not regarded teachers. The language-counseling relationship starts with the linguistic confusion and conflict from the client. The objective of the language counselor's skill is initially to state empathy for the client's vulnerable inadequate state and to assist her or him linguistically. Then gradually the teacher-counselor focuses on arriving at his own rising independent language adequacy. This process extension by language counselor's capacity determines a warm, understanding, and integral relationship, thus engendering an "other-language self" for the client. This process has five stages of adaptation starting from stage one in which the client entirely relies on the language counselor. First, he or she expresses specifically to the counselor, what he or she is to say to the group in English. Every group member overhears this English conversation but experience little group member interaction. The counselor has the freedom to reflect on these ideas back to the client in a warm, accepting tone, in simple language in phrases using a foreign language of five or six words. The client goes to the group, presents his ideas in the foreign language and receives counselor's aid in case he or she mispronounces or becomes hesitant on a word or phrase. It forms the client's maximum security stage. In the second stage, it has similarities as above where the client turns and starts to speak the foreign language straight to the group. The counselor only guides when the client hesitates or needs help. These entail small independent guidelines which also happen to be signs of positive confidence and hope. In the third stage, the client speaks straight to the group in the foreign language while presuming that the group has now obtained the capacity to comprehend basic phrases. Also, it presumes that the client has increased proportionate insight, confidence, independence, and into the association of phrases, grammar, and ideas. Translation happens if desired by a group member. During the fourth stage, the client is able to speak freely with complexity in the foreign language by presuming group's understanding. The counselor intervenes directly in mispronunciation, grammatical error, or where assistance is required in complex expression. The client is adequately secure to consider correction. In the last stage, counselors intervene not only to provide correction but to inject idioms and other elegant constructions. The client at this stage becomes a counselor to the group in stages one, two and three. Works Cited Christison, M. “Applying multiple intelligences theory in pre-service and in-service TEFL education programs.” English Teaching Forum, 1998:36(2), 2-13.Print Howatt, A. A history of English language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.1984. Print Larsen-Freeman, D. Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2000. Print Pawley, A., & Syder, F. “Two puzzles for linguistic theory: Native-like selection and native-like fluency. In J. Richards & R. Schmidt (Eds.)”, Language and communication. London: longman.1983. print Read More