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Structural Approach

Chapter 5 discusses the Structural Approach to teaching English, emphasizing the importance of mastering language structures over vocabulary acquisition. It outlines the historical background, objectives, characteristics, and principles of this approach, which focuses on word order, function words, and the formation of language habits through drills. The chapter also highlights the merits of the Structural Approach, including its adaptability for all education stages and its emphasis on oral communication.

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221 views7 pages

Structural Approach

Chapter 5 discusses the Structural Approach to teaching English, emphasizing the importance of mastering language structures over vocabulary acquisition. It outlines the historical background, objectives, characteristics, and principles of this approach, which focuses on word order, function words, and the formation of language habits through drills. The chapter also highlights the merits of the Structural Approach, including its adaptability for all education stages and its emphasis on oral communication.

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CHAPTER 5 Methods of Teaching: The Structural ‘Approach Saecheicelier ennai 1 ane ‘The growing advance in the field of science and technology is ringing about rapid and profound changes in our system of cation. Infact change isthe law of nature change is required Tan'the sake of improvement. Improvement is possible in very {Ring that exsis on this earth. Experiments and researches are crane in this direction, allthis results in some thing better and rthy of name. The Structural approach is also the outcome of weeh continuous efforts made by researchers from time to time, Thee is grovng concern over the slenily deteriorating ane ota tne country. 50 long as English reine aan rer of traction atte edvanced level a import i teaching atthe school level should be of cen enable the student passing ov of school Sanda tng of Englah Te question o teaching foreign aa ep ded seriously not ony in India Btls in dengan ee te wos where Eglsh voy ober foreign any cour tited f be taught In nda this question bas nee ct of much discussions. Educationsts now agree ee civ method ofthe teaching she Structural approach. Historical Background Till 1950 the reading method was the only method of teaching English, whereas in Europe the Direct Method was the main ‘method, When the World War II broke out the U.S.A. began to feel the need for the Americans to become proficient in the language ofthe alien and the enemy country. Thus began the revolution in language teaching. It focused on oral-aural s Methods of Teaching: The Structural Approach 143 and became such as known asthe Army Method. It involved a {ot of oral activity pronunciation, pattern dril and conversation ‘The Structural approach in India is the direct outcome of the efforts and researches done by the British Council in the Central Institute of English Hyderabod. Thebasis ofthis approach {f that in learning a foreign language mastery of structures is {hove important than the acquisition of vocabulary. Structural Epproach means the arrangement of words in such a way a8 to eum a suitable patter of sentences, In India Tamil Nadu isthe fist State to ave this approach in vogue. Afterwards the CLE. Hyderabad, played a leading role to popularize this approach fn the rest of the country. Meaning Structure is an arrangement of words in a particular pattern or order. Structure may be a complete pattern or part Bra patern. A Sentence is a group of words arranged in a [grammatical order, whereas a structure is a group of words [Era particular order. Method isa well thought out plan forthe ‘presentation ofthe subject matte based upon selected approach Or technique. An approach prescribes the axioms or prionty Satements—a method lays down the procedure so within one approach one can use a number of methods. ‘From the above it becomes clear that structures are tools of alenguage. Wemust not confuse them with sentences. Structures Go not need any grammatical background, wheres as sentences fare grammatical order of words. A structure is a group of ‘words that make sense. It differs from a sentence because sentence is a group of words arranged in a grammatical order whereas structure isa group of words arranged in a particular ‘order to convey meaning. ‘An ‘Approach’, Not a ‘Method’ Inthebeginning, when the structural Approach was passing through years of trial, some teachers and even experts expressed doubts regarding its practicability. Some regarded itas ‘method in the same sense as grammartranslation method or direct method and go on. Others regarded it as a technique of practice and drill, anessential element of grammar. By now, the Structural 4a Teaching of English its own merit and has to as itself proved its Z ng since Appon egang experimental Hovever, he stectaet passed eT ecentially what that implies ~ an approach and not arrest er there is scope fr limitless experimentation Tangwmative methods of applying the structural approach in the classroom. 1. Meaning of Structural Approach ‘According to Brewington, “Structural approa study of the fundamental structures of the English language, their analysis and logical arrangement.” In the words of Menon and Patel, “the structural approach is baced on the belie that in the learning of a foreign language, mastery of structures is more important than the acquisition of vocabulary.” In the veiw of CS. Bhandari “The structural approach to English is teaching the leamer certain selected structures in a certain order In the words of B.D. Srivastava, “Structural approach is infact the situational approach to language, it is based on the assumption thatthe language can best be learnt when its need is felt in a situtation. Thus concrete relationship between ‘explanation and content can be established, this is essential in language learning. The Structural approach makes use of situations {in which meaning finds last expression." Prof C.S.Bhandari has ‘ightly r¢marked“Itis not proper and correct to cal the sructural approach a method of teaching. It is an approach, any method can be used with i.” The Objectives of the Structural Approach ‘According to Menon and Patel the following are the objectives of the structural Approach: 4b Tolay te foundation of English by establishing thr A To! mot c ough dri and repetion about 27 graded stantoes, 2. Toensblethechildren vo Vocus eaten to tan mastery over an eset 000 root words for active use. Methods of Teaching: The Structural Approach 145 .) To corzelate the teaching of grammar and composition Oe spieee aaa ,)To teach the four fundamental skills, namely understanding, speaking, reading and writing in the order named 5) To lay proper emphasis on the aural - oral approach, active ‘methods and the condem nation of formal grammar for its own sake, Characteristics of the Structural Approach “The concept of English stctural system depends upon tives main charteristcs which are briefly discussed below in border of importance. 1. Word Order: Word order or the “pattem of form” i of rimary importance in earning Engish language. tis the order St words ina pattern that makes true meaning cles. How far ‘word orderisimportantean be seen rom the folowing examples (0, Please gives me lamp oil, (i) Please give me oil lamp. (@) The hunter killed the fon. (i) The Hi led the hunter. (@. Sokan helped Sham. (i) Sham helped Sokan. (0) A foot tong. (i) A tong fot. (6) The station bus. (Gi) The bus station. From the above examples tis clear that essential meaning is conveyed by the postion or the order that certain words occupy in an uiterance 2. Presence of Function words: The structural devices make use of another important principle. This is the essential use of “function words” or “structural words”. Observe the following. structures: (0) Thal he snake. Gi) 1 shat Kall the snake. (il) T shall be Killing the snake. (iv) shall have Killed the snake. 148 Teaching of Bt (0) Phere alte the snake (oa) There fe Kill the the (i) might have hile the snake. (iii) oem At the snake, Inthe second sentence the word ‘shal’ fells that the action is going to happen and the third and the fourth sentences Grover the meaning of faturty in a different way. The fifth ovtence maker use of ‘have’ which tells us that the action is now cer, Similarly, the meaning is modified by the use of Ructural words ‘have to, ‘might’ and ‘can’ in the sixth seventh and eighth sentence. The structural words which help the construction of utterance with content words are: (@) The pronoun such as J, me, he, hers, their, some, any, ate. (Gi) The preposition such as in, on, of, under, a, form, et. (ii) The helping verbs such as do, have, be, will, cam, may, ete. Gv) The adjectives and adverbs such as this, that, al, each, every, agoagain, also, ever, etc. = 3. Use of a small number of inflections: Another important characteristic is that English language makes use of a small ‘number of inflections as compared to other languages. Inflectional changes are prominent in the following examples: (@ In verbs: I play, be plays am playing, I played. Gi) In nouns: one boy, two boys, that boy's cap; one man. two men, men’s food. (ii) In Adjectives and Adverbs: (0) great ...greater ... Greatest (@) beautiful 4. Types of Structures: In the structural approach there Methods of Teaching: The Structural Agprowh 147 may be four kinds of structures namely ontence pater ree fatten, formulas and idioms i Sentence Patterns: These have been defied by French 1s, "The word pattern mean a model from which rae egy Sf'the same kind and shape can be made like hives which lore fhe same or shoes made alike or a number of lnriey i) the fame size and shape though perhaps of different calury A SSatence pattern i therefore a model for a sentence why wit feof the same shape and construction although made up of different words.” For example: (Two patt pattern -I / sang. (i) Three part patter I / sang /a song. (ii) Four part pattern I /sang / a song / in the function. (iv) Five part pattem -1 /sang / a song / in the function / yesterday, (i Phrase Patterns: Phrase is a word or a group of words which express an idea without its being asentence or lause eg, jh the school, on the desk, with a knfe, into the basket et. (ii) Formulas: Formulas aze those words which are used “on certain occasions eg. How are you?; Good morning; Thank you; ete. (iv) Idioms: Idioms like ‘born with a silver spoon’ ‘to ex is human’, ‘at the eleventh hour’ etc. come in this category ‘These should be taught as a whole. Principles of the Structural Approach “The Principles of the Structural Approach are as under 1, Forming language habits:- The Structural Approach gives due importance to the forming of language habits The eamers should acquire the habit of arranging words in starsasd English sentence pattems through language drills. ln ths way the use of basic structure of English unconsciously and automatically becomes a habit with them. sas ooking of Eth “ rnatane ot epeeh> The S151 APPIN ep 2 Import pecan ep fo Fearing the lange seme rT acto orl The ean Serta tune thrsgh # nuimber of oral drill, . fate eee nee of puis actiiy= The Strctuta Appeog on rete pus ty than onthe tne Pike cht who t the learner, $0 he must actively participate ip Bn amin pees 1 stutionl teaching Siactural approwch fo teaching Fae pe Repel pure, sh cade gator SUN dws He sede ean Eagoh Seta gS SOS hen with he station Multis appreac: Structural approach Is inact a arate opprosl'h gives duc importtee fo all wee2 iExuare wilt ata Istening speaking reading and wae 6 Scketon and gradation: TheSinuctural approach involves the lection and gration of structures, Tre stucneeeee troced one protpleol quency sinplcliyand aceon Fre ampesrucurs are laught fiat and the effet nna ee, fom he hv psy, we bse hat cha cea wo ae he ee esata way. The pose ‘Sons prc in ney acy oocned ase! it kg tag be nee Ost SSs'tetacre beoench RO ence svttthcaip anda ete me baton eae Phe sp-

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