Lecture 1
Approaches, Methods and Techniques in English Language Teaching
Plan for the lecture
1.Objectives
2.What is a Method?
3.Components of a Method
4.A Brief Overview of Major Methodological Trends in English Language Teaching
5.Role of the Teacher compared to Various Language Learning Methods and Techniques
6.Suggested Reading
1. Objectives:
This lecture will enable you to:
differentiate among approach, method and technique in the context of teaching and
learning of languages;
understand the role and rationale behind the various methods used in English
language teaching;
familiarize yourself with some major methodological trends in the history of ELT;
develop insight into the role of the teacher in using various methods and techniques
effectively
2. What is method?
The dictionary defines a method as a way of doing things. Methods deal with the 'how' of
teaching. Methodology indicates the sequence to be followed in a language task/activity and the
role of the learners and the teacher in this sequence. A method can be said to include three
components:
a) Approach
b) Design
c) Procedure
Components of a Method
a)Approach
The practices in language teaching are based on the theories concerning the nature of
language and language learning. These theories together form the first component of a
method. The three main views of language learning are as follows:
The behaviourist view of language learning: Behaviourists believe that learning, both verbal
and non-verbal, takes place through the process of habit formation. Learners are exposed to
the language in their school/college, family and neighbourhood. They try to imitate the
people around them. If the imitation is proper, they are rewarded, which motivates them
further for imitation, leading to reinforcement and habit formation. The behaviourists think
that learners should be corrected as soon as they make mistakes in order to avoid
fossilization. Behavioral learning theory is equated with teacher-centered instructional
approaches in which teachers serve as dispensers of information and structure the learning
environment to help students progress from simple to more complex skills.
The cognitivists view of language learning : Cognitivists agree with the behaviourists that
learners need exposure to language, but they hold that learning does not take place solely by
imitation and repetition. Human beings are born with a built-in device in their brains which
helps them in discovering the underlying patterns of the language they hear, forming their
own hypotheses about the language and constructing new sentences. For them language-
learning is exposure to the language, hypothesis formation, confirmation or re-formulation
of the hypotheses. Cognitivists look at errors as part of the learning process. Teaching
methods based on this perspective are considered student centered because they focus on the
mental processes students use in knowledge construction rather than the external stimuli
teachers use in behaviorist approaches. An important concept in cognitive learning theory is
meaningful learning—actively forming new knowledge structures by (Mayer, 2003):
selecting relevant information,
organizing the information into a coherent structure, and
integrating the information with relevant prior knowledge.
Constructivist learning theory is built on the concept that learners actively build their own
knowledge, that it is based on personal meaning, and that it is guided by prior knowledge
and events. New knowledge and skills modify what is already known, and learning occurs
when the new knowledge is used to engage in problem solving, experiments, and/or
application. In short, without application, information may be received, but understanding
does not occur. In addition, learning is a social activity that involves sharing and
application through the zone of proximal development.
Teaching methods based on constructivism are considered student centered because
constructivism emphasizes the individual’s active role in exploring and socially interacting
within his or her environment.
Cognitive learning involve many techniques (Dennen, 2004; Enkenberg, 2001):
modeling (performing a behavior for others to imitate) by the adult or the more experienced
individual,
planning (discussing one’s reasoning or the need for certain strategies),
coaching (monitoring students’ activities and assisting and supporting them when
necessary),
practicing,
scaffolding (providing support to students so they can accomplish a task) and fading
(gradually withdrawing scaffolding),
exploration (forming and testing hypotheses; finding new ideas and viewpoints), and
reflection (assessing and analyzing one’s learning performance), and articulation (verbally
expressing the results of one’s reflection).
b)Design
The second aspect of a method is Design. In this component the following are clearly spelt out
a) objectives of the course;
b) the syllabus model which the method incorporates;
c) teaching and learning activities;
d) roles of teachers and learners.
c) Procedure
The third and last component of a method focuses on what
happens in the actual classroom situation. It includes practices
and behaviour that operate during the production, practice and
feedback phases of teaching.
A technique refers to the design and procedure components of a
method. It may be described as a implementation sub-process of
a method. It specifies the teaching- learning activities as well as
the roles of the teachers and learners in the language
activities/tasks.
Techniques that give the learner greater autonomy in language
processing are now in vogue in language classrooms. Some of
these are: role play and simulation, information-gap and opinion-
gap activities, language games and puzzles. Techniques for
developing the various language skills (reading, writing,
listening, speaking) will be enunciated in detail in the following
blocks.
3.A brief overview of major methodological trends in English
language teaching
Some methods that have been popular through the history of the
development of English language teaching are as follows:
Method Features / pedagogical Language learning
principles approaches
Grammar translation method •It is a way of learning a Behaviourist view of
(This method is now lan guage by studying the language learning.
Olttdated as opinion in ELT rules of its grammar and
has shifted from con tent- then applying these rules to
based teaching to skill-based the translation of sentences
teaching). and texts from mother
tongue to target language
and vice-versa.
•Vocabulary is taught
through bilingual word lists.
•The method focuses
primarily on reading and
writing skills with little
attention to listening and
speaking.
•The syllabus comprises
prose, poetry, grammar and
written work.
•The texts consist of long
extracts from the, works of
the great writers chosen for
their intellectual content.
The learner is therefore
exposed only to literary
language. Communication
skills are neglected with
little attention to
pronunciation.
Communicative language • The communicative Cognitivist view of language
teaching approach: (Can- approach is based on a learning.
not be called a method as it semantic syllabus like the
incorporates a variety of notional-functional syllabus.
ways for facilit,iting the ac- The concept of a 'notion' is
quisition of language as a close to that of a 'theme; e.g.
means of communication.) transport, food,
entertainment, etc. which are
chosen keeping the learners'
background and age-group
in mind.
A 'function' may be defined
as a 'specific communicative
purpose'. e.g. seeking
information, giving
directions, requesting,
describing, recounting etc.
•There is no 'one'
communicative syllabus
only. A communicative
approach targets at com-
municative competence
(Littlewood, 1984).
Communicative competence
may be de- fined as the
ability to autonomously use
a language to communicate
effectively in authentic
(real-life) communicative
situations.
• The teaching based
on the communicative
approach is eclectic
i.e. it uses a variety of
methods.
• Language is assumed
to be learnt through
exposure and use by the
learners in authentic
communicative situations.
The teacher is a facilitator
who organizes the language
tasks in such a manner so
that the learner has to
process the language content
on his/her own, in order to
help him/her become an
autonomous language user.
Support for performing
language tasks may he pro-
vided through clues in the
content.
Demonstration by the
teacher, peer, support, etc.
help the learner. For
example, the learners may
first be shown the recording
of an interview and then
asked to work in pairs, as-
sume the role of a famous
personality, list down the
kind of questions they
would like to ask and then to
simulate the inter- view.
4.Role of the teacher compared to various language learning
methods and techniques
Various methods and techniques of language learning are only suggestions to the teacher
who should be informed about the rationale behind them and choose or adapt them keeping
in mind the level and needs of her learners.
A teacher, teaching English in school, where exposure to English is limited to the classroom
may need to provide great lexical (vocabulary) and linguistic (sentence patterns) support
through vernacular examples, pictorial support, demonstration, word lists, etc.
For example in a beginner level classroom, while asking learners to describe a given
picture, lexical support may be offered through an illustrated vocabulary list as given below:
Linguistic support may he provided through a substitution table:
I ' happy am
He, She, fat is
It
We, You, thin/sad are
They
Before asking the learners to describe the picture given to them, the teacher may clarify the task
by building up the description of another picture on the board, with the help of the given clues.
Example 2 : To practice adjectives (related to space, size, colour) the child may be asked to
collect different kinds of objects (pebbles, marbles, leaves, etc.) in his/her environment and bring
them to class. The teacher may put up an illustrated chart exemplifying various kinds of shapes,
sizes, colours on the board to provide vocabulary support to the learners.
This activity will engage the interest of the learners as it focuses on the child's natural urge to
share his experiences with others and is closely linked to his/her surroundings. In the above
examples though language tasks are communicative, structural support is also being provided.
Thus these examples illustrate the structural-functional approach i.e., practice of a
chosen structure (sentence pattern) in the context of a communicative content (here 'Describing').
There are no final answers in pedagogy i.e., no one method/technique can be proclaimed to be
the best. Questions arise, even about the most basic issues of teaching, to which solutions
will depend on a host of factors such as the learners' language competence, the human and
material resources of the classroom, the needs and motivations of the learners to learn the
language.
It is the teacher who has to intervene as an informed decision maker and this will become
possible only if we as classroom teachers/practitioners familiarize ourselves with not only
the wide range of techniques mid strategies but also the general language needs of the learners,
and their existing level of language competence.
Check Your Progress
Notes : a) Write your answers in the space given bellow
1. Clarify the relationship between approach, method and techniques of language learning
using a suitable example.
2. Do you think there is a 'best' method for language teaching . Give reasons for your
answers.
Suggested reading
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1997). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. A
description and analysis. Cambridge University Press.
Larsen-Freeman, Diane. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. (Second
Edition). Oxford University.
