INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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THEORIES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGIES

Lý luận giảng dạy ngoại ngữ-42030012110_
PROGRESS TEST 1
(submitted on September 5, 2024)

GROUP ___:
Members:
1. Full name – Student’s code
2.
3.
4.
5.
Instructor: Phan Thi Bich Ngoc, M.A.
Topic: Each group is assigned to read materials and write an assignment to compare and contrast
the following teaching method/approach:
- Grammar-Translation Method
- Audio-Lingual Method
- Communicative Language Teaching Approach
- Total Physical Response Method
- Task-based Learning Method

Communicative Language Teaching Approach

1. Teachers’ goals - Teacher’s goals:
and features  Enhancing Communicative Competence: Teachers aim to develop students' ability to
use the language effectively and appropriately in various contexts. This includes not just
grammatical correctness but also the ability to convey meaning, engage in conversations,
and understand cultural nuances, also know how to vary our use of language according to
the setting who.
 Fostering Practical Language Use: The goal is to help students use the language in
practical situations. Lessons are designed around real-life scenarios and functional
language use, such as making requests, giving opinions, or solving problems.
 Creating a Supportive Environment: Teachers work to create a classroom atmosphere
that encourages risk-taking and reduces anxiety, allowing students to practice and make
mistakes in a supportive setting.
 - Features:
 Integration of Skills: CLT often integrates the four main language skills—listening,
speaking, reading, and writing—within activities. This reflects how these skills are used
together in actual communication.
 Student-Centered Learning: The approach often involves student-centered activities
where learners take more control over their learning process. Teachers act as facilitators
rather than just instructors.
 Authentic Materials: Teachers use real-life materials (e.g., newspapers, videos, menus)
rather than just textbooks. This helps students engage with language as it is used outside
the classroom.

2. Roles of - Teachers become facilitators and monitors: The academic instructors create a supportive and
teachers engaging learning environment where students can practice and develop their communicative
skills. They design and organize activities that encourage interaction and collaboration among
students.

- They become feedback providers: Teachers give constructive feedback on language use,
including both fluency and accuracy. They offer praise for effective communication and gently
correct errors, providing explanations and alternatives when necessary.

- Resource Provider: Teachers supply students with resources such as authentic materials,
language tools, and references that enhance their learning experience. They also introduce
students to various strategies for language use and practice.

3. Roles of - Active contributors: Students are expected to engage in communication activities actively. This
student includes participating in discussions, role-plays, and group work to practice using the language in
real-life contexts.
- Self-Directed Learners: Students take responsibility for their own learning by setting goals,
seeking out additional practice, and using resources to improve their language skills.
- Critical Thinkers: Students analyze and reflect on their own language use and that of their
peers. They assess their performance, consider feedback, and think critically about how to
improve their communication.

4. Teacher’s - Being error-tolerant: Constant instant error correction demotivates

response to students especially when it comes to the lower levels where students are
student errors not sure about their skills at all and may be oversensitive to criticism .
- These are minor errors that do not significantly impact the message. Teachers might overlook
these errors in the moment, focusing instead on encouraging the student's communicative efforts.
- Encouraging Self-Correction: Teachers in CLT often encourage students to self-correct. This
can be done by prompting students to think about what they said. This approach helps students
develop self-monitoring skills and become more aware of their language use.

5. Language - Authenticity: CLT emphasizes the use of authentic language materials, such as newspapers,
Focus podcasts, and conversations. This helps students engage with language as it is actually used by
 native speakers, rather than simplified textbook examples.
- Real-life Situations: Language learning is often grounded in scenarios that mimic real-life
situations. For example, role-plays, interviews, and discussions about current events are common
activities that help students practice language in a meaningful context.
- Holistic Approach: Language focus in CLT involves integrating the four language skills—
listening, speaking, reading, and writing—rather than treating them as separate entities.
- Student Needs: The language focus in CLT is often determined by the needs and interests of the
students. Teachers might assess what language areas students struggle with or are particularly
interested in, and tailor activities to address those areas.

6. Teaching- - Setting the context: In CLT, the primary focus is on the meaning and message being conveyed
Learning Process rather than just the form of the language, and on speaking and writing as freely as possible, with
the understanding that errors are a natural part of the learning process.
- Communicative Activities: The core of the teaching-learning process in CLT involves
activities that require students to use the language interactively, and activities are often designed
to mimic real-life situations where students would need to use the target language
- Learner-Centered Approach: Students are the primary agents in their own learning. The
teacher facilitates rather than dominates the classroom, creating opportunities for students to
engage in meaningful communication.
-Performance-Based Assessment: Assessment in CLT often focuses on students' ability to use
language in communicative tasks rather than on their knowledge of discrete grammar points.
Common assessment methods include oral presentations, role-plays, written projects, and group
work
- Feedback Provider: Teachers give feedback that is constructive and aimed at helping students
improve their communicative competence. Feedback is often integrated into the learning process
in a way that does not interrupt the flow of communication.
- Reflection and Adjustment: Both teachers and students are encouraged to reflect on their
learning experiences. Teachers might adjust their methods based on what is working well and
what isn’t, while students might set new goals or strategies for improvement.

7. Some typical - Simulating Real-Life Situations: Students are assigned roles and act out scenarios that mimic
techniques real-life interactions, such as ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or conducting a
job interview.
- Interactive Questioning: Students conduct interviews with each other on various topics, such
as personal interests, experiences, or opinions. This can be done in pairs or small groups.
- Collaborative Learning: students are divided into groups, and each group is given a different
piece of information. They then re-group to share their information and complete a task together,
such as solving a problem or piecing together a story.
- Discussions and Debates: Students engage in discussions or debates on a given topic,
expressing their opinions, agreeing or disagreeing with others, and supporting their arguments
with evidence.
- Authentic Material Use: Teachers use authentic materials, such as news articles, podcasts,
videos, brochures, and advertisements, to expose students to language as it is used in real life.
- Real-World Listening: Activities such as listening to conversations, interviews, podcasts, or
radio shows help students practice understanding spoken language in various contexts.
- Language Games: Fun and Engaging Practice like "20 Questions," "Taboo," or "Charades" are
 used to make language practice fun and engaging. These games often focus on specific language
skills or vocabulary areas.

8. Advantages  Advantages
and
Disadvantages -Increasing students’ speaking ability: Students develop the ability to communicate effectively
in various contexts, improving their fluency and confidence in using the language.
- Overcoming language barrier. CLT definitely drags some students out of their comfort zone.
the earlier students start implementing the target language you learn into their speech, the quicker
they will overcome their inability to speak and get used to “feeling the language in their mouth”.
- Being able to react in various communicative situations: CLT emphasizes language as it is
used in real-life situations, making the learning experience more relevant and immediately
applicable for students.
- Promotion of active, independent and even lifelong learning: Through activities like debates,
discussions, and problem-solving tasks, students develop critical thinking skills and are
encouraged to study anywhere and always seek academic information resources.
 Disadvantages

-The communication according to the ability: The CLT method tries to improve the communication skills of
students, this is not possible to use this method in lower classes where the vocabulary is not enough to express what
students think.
-Resource-Intensive: Preparing lessons that involve authentic materials and communicative
activities can be time-consuming and demanding.
-Classroom Management Issues: In large classes, managing interactive activities like group
work and role-plays can be challenging. It can be difficult for the teacher to ensure that all
students are equally engaged and participating, leading to some students being left out and has the
potential for disruption
- Lack of focus on grammar and vocabulary: CLT focuses more on communication and
meaning rather than grammar and vocabulary, which may lead to inadequate foundational
language skills for some learners.
-Possible Neglect of Writing and Reading Skills: CLT often overemphasis on oral
communication, which might result in less attention being given to developing writing and
reading skills and which could hinder the development of these skills.