Methods in Language Teaching

Compiled by
Dea Silvani, M.Pd.
[email protected]
081329865508
 Material Outline
01 What is method?

02 Methods in Language Teaching

03 Technology in Language Teaching

04 Issues to discuss
What is method?
A method is an application of an approach in
the context of language teaching.

In other words, method is an overall plan in

presenting a learning process based on the
selected approach (Edisherashvili, 2014)
Methods in Lan-
guage Teaching
 The Grammar-Translation Method

• A fundamental purpose of learning a language is to be able to read literature written in the target lan-
guage.
• The teacher is the authority in the classroom.
• Students are taught to translate from one language into another.
• Most of the interaction in the classroom is from the teacher to the students. There is little student initiation
and little student–student interaction.
• Vocabulary and grammar are emphasized. Reading and writing are the primary skills that the students
work on. There is much less attention given to speaking and listening. Pronunciation receives little, if any,
attention.
• Written tests in which students are asked to translate from their native language into the target language
or vice versa are often used. Questions about the target culture or questions that ask students to apply
grammar rules are also common.
• If students make errors or do not know an answer, the teacher supplies them with the correct answer.
 The Direct Method
• Goals : students learn how to communicate in the target language.
• Students should learn to think in the target language.
• The teacher and the students are more like partners.
• Students speak in the target language and communicate as if they were in real situations.
• the teacher introduces a new target language word or phrase, by demonstrating its meaning
through the use of realia, pictures, or pantomime; he never translates it into the students’ native
language.
• The initiation of the interaction goes both ways.
• Language is primarily spoken, not written.
• Vocabulary is emphasized over grammar. Although work on all four skills (reading, writing, speak-
ing, and listening) occurs from the start, oral communication is seen as basic.
• The students’ native language should not be used in the classroom.
• Students are asked to use the language, not to demonstrate their knowledge about the language.
• The teacher, employing various techniques, tries to get students to self-correct whenever possible.
 The Audio-Lingual Method

• Teachers want their students to be able to use the target language communicatively.
• The teacher is like an orchestra leader, directing and controlling the language behavior of
the students. Students are imitators.
• New vocabulary and structural patterns are presented through dialogues that are learned
through imitation and repetition.
• Most of the interaction is between teacher and students and is initiated by the teacher.
• Everyday speech is emphasized, where the level of complexity of the speech is graded.
• The natural order of skills presentation is adhered to: listening, speaking, reading, and
writing.
• The students’ native language are considered to be interference.
• Student errors are to be avoided
 The Silent Way
• Students should be able to use the language for self-expression—to express their
thoughts, perceptions, and feelings.
• The teacher works with the student; the student works on the
• language.
• Students begin their study of the language form its sounds and structure
• The teachers is silent. They only give clues, not to model the language. Student–
student verbal interaction is desirable
• The teacher constantly observes the students.
• Languages of the world share a number of features.
• All four skills are worked on from the beginning of the course. Pronunciation and
structured are also emphasized.
• The students’ native language can, be used to give instructions when necessary
• Teachers assesses student learning all the time.
• Student errors are seen as a natural, indispensable part of the learning process.
 Desuggestopedia
• Students learn to use another language for everyday communication.
• More of the students’ mental powers must be tapped.
• The students must trust and respect teachers.
• The course is conducted in a classroom that is bright and cheerful.
• The teacher initiates interactions with the whole group of students and with
individuals.
• A great deal of attention is given to students’ feelings.
• Vocabulary is emphasized.
• The teacher uses the native language less and less. Native language is only
used when it is necessary.
• Evaluation usually is conducted on students’ normal in-class performance
and not through formal tests
• Errors are corrected gently, with the teacher using a soft voice.
 Community Language Learning
• Students learn how to use the target language communicatively and also learn about their own learning
• The teacher’s initial role is primarily that of a counselor. The learners are very dependent upon the
teacher.
• During the course of the lesson, students are invited to say how they feel, and in return the teacher
understands them. It focuses on non-defensive learning.
• The nature of student-teacher interaction in CLL changes within the lesson and
• over time.
• Responding to the students’ feelings is considered very important in CLL.
• Both teacher and students work at building trust in one another and the learning process.
• Particular grammar points, pronunciation patterns, and vocabulary are worked with, based on the lan-
guage the students have generated. The most important skills are understanding and speaking the lan-
guage at the beginning, with reinforcement through reading and writing.
• The purpose of using the native language is to provide a bridge from the familiar to the unfamiliar.
• teachers would encourage their students to self-evaluate—to look at their own learning and to become
aware of their own progress.
• One way of doing this is for the teacher to recast the student’s error, i.e. to repeat correctly what the
student has said incorrectly, without calling further attention to the error.
 Total Physical Response
• TPR believe in the importance of having students enjoy their experience of learning to
communicate in another language.
• The teachers is the director of all student behavior, and the students are imitators.
• The teacher interacts with the whole group of students and with individual students.
• TPR was developed was to reduce the stress people feel when studying other languages.
• Vocabulary and grammatical structures are emphasized over other language areas.
• TPR is usually introduced in the students’ native language. After the introduction, rarely
would the native language be used.
• Meaning is made clear through body movements.
• Teachers evaluate students by observing their actions.
• It is expected that students will make errors when they first begin speaking.
• Teachers should be tolerant of them and only correct major errors.
 Communicative Language Teaching
• The goal is to enable students to communicate in the target language.
• Students need knowledge of the linguistic forms, meanings, and functions.
• The teacher facilitates communication in the classroom. Students are, communicators.
• The most obvious characteristic of CLT is that almost everything is done with a communicative in-
tent.
• Using authentic materials.
• teachers give students an opportunity to express their individuality by having them share their ideas
and opinions on a regular basis.
• Student security is enhanced by the many opportunities for cooperative interactions with their fellow
students and the teacher.
• Language is for communication.
• Language functions might be emphasized over forms.
• Judicious use of the students’ native language is permitted in CLT.
• A teacher evaluates not only his students’ accuracy, but also their fluency.
• Errors of form are tolerated during fluency-based activities and are seen as a natural outcome of the
development of communication skills.
 Content-based Instruction
• Teachers want the students to master both language and content.
• The teacher needs to set clear learning objectives for both content and language.
• The teacher then creates activities to teach both, scaffolding the language needed for study of the
content.
• The students’ role is to engage actively with both content and language, using each to learn the other.
• Teachers must help learners understand authentic texts.
• The teacher guides student learning.
• Students often work collaboratively to understand content while actively using the language they are
studying.
• It is assumed that learning content and language together keeps students interested and motivated.
• The language includes not only vocabulary items and grammar structures, but also how these contribute
to the discourse organization of texts. All four skills are integrated in authentic contexts.
• Students are evaluated on their knowledge of content and their language ability.
• The teacher corrects student errors by giving students the correct form or allowing students to self-cor-
rect.
 Task-based Language Teaching

• The goal of teachers is to facilitate students’ language learning by engaging them in a variety of
tasks that have a clear outcome.
• The teacher’s role is to choose tasks, based on an analysis of students’ needs, that are appropriate
to the level of the students and to create pre-task and task follow-up phases that are in line with the
abilities and needs of the students.
• Learning process is basically divided into three phases : pre-task, task and post-task
• Students often work closely together to help each other accomplish the task and to problem-solve.
• Students are motivated by doing tasks that prepare them for the real world.
• Language is for communicating and for ‘doing.’
• The meaning dimension of language is emphasized.
• The teacher constantly evaluates students in light of task outcomes and the language they use.
• Focus on form is essential to students’ learning.
• Error correction is done through recasts or modeling or by giving brief explanations.
Technology in Language
Teaching and Learning
There are two main ways to think about technology for
language learning:
• Technology as providing teaching resources
• Technology as providing enhanced learning
experiences.

With the use of technology, students are more likely to

use language for:
… ongoing identity formation and personally meaningful
communication in the service of goals that extend
beyond ‘practice’ or ‘learning’ in the restrictive senses
associated with institutional settings. (Thorne 2006: 14)
 Basic Principles in Utilizing Technology in
Language Teaching
• Learning to use technology to support one’s language learning is important
because it makes students more autonomous learners.
• The teacher’s role is to plan activities that students accomplish via techno-
logical means. Then the teacher monitors their work and guides the stu-
dents as they learn the language.
• The students’ role is to be actively involved in using the language, in taking
risks with the language by connecting with others, and in exploring informa-
tion via the target language. Students help each other to learn.
• Learning languages through the use of technology brings learners into con-
tact with authentic language use.
• The teacher guides the process while students enjoy a great deal of auton-
omy over what is focused on and on how the tasks are achieved.
 Continue…

• Students are motivated by online tasks.

• Language is seen as a tool for social interaction, relationship building, and for
• knowledge creation.
• Students learn about the everyday life or culture of speakers of the target language through
their online interactions.
• They can also ‘visit’ and learn virtually about different parts of the world.
• Personal statements, sharing of opinion or facts, reporting and reflecting are emphasized.
• Evaluation is handled via an electronic or virtual portfolio of student work that a teacher
archives.
• Language use is creative and forgiving.
• New forms and uses of language are constantly emerging.
• Students have a record of their interaction and can always return to it to improve it,
 Let’s Discuss
What problems the teachers may face in
utilizing technology in language teaching?

How to choose the appropriate

technology in language teach- What are the possible solution?
ing?

Why technology should be / should

What is your conclusion?
not be used in language teaching?
Thank you