Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

Approaches, methods, procedures and techniques

In the teaching of language area, there are four terms that are closely related to one
another. They are approaches, methods, procedures and techniques. Each term has their own
meaning and different from each other. An approach is generally a theory about the learning
of language or to some people the philosophy on how people generally learn language. The
process of how language learning takes place in classroom mainly based on approaches.
Approaches explain the way people acquire or learn language. Some of the well known
approaches are the nativist approach, behaviorist approach and more.
Method is the application of the approach in the teaching of language. It derives from
approaches and to suggest ways that teacher should consider using in classroom with their
students. Methods explain the suitable activities in the classroom, teachers roles, students
roles and materials. Some of the examples of methods are grammar-translation, direct
method, suggestopaedia and more.
When the teacher has chosen the suitable method for the students, they need to have
procedures. These are the steps by steps planned by teachers to carry out the method. These
procedures will start from the very beginning where teacher allocate students to read or write
until the very end where reflection happens. The final term is techniques which closely
related to procedures. While procedures are the whole steps taken by the teacher in the
classroom, techniques refer to a single activity in the procedures. Any activity in the
procedures can be called a technique such as students read the passage together and more.
Different and variety of procedures and techniques that carried out in the classroom depend
on the method.

Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

The Approaches
Behavioral Approaches
The behavioral approach believe that children learn their language from a role model
by imitating them. The role model will provide stimulus and rewards to the children. When
the child starts to make a sound to imitate the role model, they usually got praised by the role
model. Behavioral approach has many challenges and one of it was, what if the child does not
have an attentive role model, would the child still be able to speak? And many other
challenges since one of the well known supporter of this theory is B F Skinner whose work
mainly on animals instead of human.

The Nativist Approaches

The nativist approach suggested that children are equipped with genetic ability to
acquire the language innately. Linguist Noam Chomsky believes that human is born with a
set of rules about language in our heads or Universal Grammar. One of the evidence for this
is how a child acquire their mother tongue because they are exposed to the language. The
parents do not force the language to the child and the child does not simple copy all the
language that he or she hears. The nativists also believe that a child does not have a list of
phrases and sentences as the behaviorists believe but they have the grammar to create infinite
numbers of new sentences.

Functional Approaches
The functional approach sees that language is merely a tool and the best way to
analyze the structure is by understanding the functions they carry. The functional approaches
put the emphasize on the way language is used in communication and not just the forms of
the language because to them, by using it in communication that it can determine its

Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

grammatical structure. They believe that through meaning of each communication will
determine whether the structure in grammatical or not.

The Methods
There are nine commonly known methods in the teaching of language which are;
grammar translation, direct method, audiolingualism, community language learning, the
silent way, suggestopedia, total physical response, the natural approach and communicative
language teaching. All these methods will be discussed briefly in this section.

Grammar Translation
Grammar translation is one of the earliest method in the teaching of language.
Following the moves in 19th century where foreign language was brought into school
curriculum, they need something to replace the previous method where foreign language was
learned from grammar and dictionary. This method is carried out exactly as it supposed to be
where the teacher gives explanation on a unit of grammar. Then teacher gives examples to
show how this unit of grammar is used in a sentence. afterwards teacher translates the
sentence to students first language to help them to understand it better. Grammar translation
only deal within sentence level only and it is not dealing with spoken language at all or just a
little bit. Accuracy in using the language is the necessity of grammar translation method.
In the formal set up, teacher that choose to use grammar translation can start the class
by introducing the unit of grammar picked for the class, for example articles. Afterwards,
teacher gives explanation to students on the rules of articles, when to use, how to differentiate
a, an and the and more. Once all the rules being explained, teacher gives example for each
article in a sentence for example This is an apple. Then teacher will translate all the
examples given into students first language thus the example above will be translated into
Bahasa Melayu and becomes Ini adalah sebiji epal. The process continues until students
understand how to use article in sentence level.

Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

Direct Method
At the end on 19th century, a reform movement reacted to grammar translation method
in teaching of language and emerge another method which is the direct method. In this
method, translation to students first language is abandoned and only the target language can
be used in the classroom. Teacher teaches students by speaking to them about all the grammar
units. These units are use by relating it to any objects or pictures to get the meaning. Similar
to grammar translation, this method still deal within sentence level and accuracy is important.
Teacher can carry this method in the classroom by doing suitable activities such as
reading aloud. Since direct method also focusing on pronunciation, by doing this activity,
teacher can correct and help students to improve their pronunciation. Students also encourage
to do self correction while reading aloud.

Audiolingualism
Audiolingualism method derive on behaviorist approach where stimulus response
reinforcement model is use n teaching of target language. There are a lot of drilling activities
happening in the classroom and the teacher will use substitution during the drilling sessions,
so that students can continuously learning something new. It also helps students to make any
mistake in speech. Audiolingualism also only dealing within sentence level only and
emphasize on accuracy.
In the classroom, teacher can use audiolingualism by asking students to repeat after
them. Teacher needs to make sure that the drilling happens in sentence level and can be
substitute over time. For example, I love my mother can be repeated over time and
substitute into I love my father and so on. Once the drilling sessions are over, teacher will
reward students with positive feedback.
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Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

Community Language Learning

Community language learning is a bit different from the other methods since it is
modeled like a counseling techniques. Students that suitable for this method are older
students and they are to be seen as a group that needs counseling for their problems with the
target language. Students will sit in a circle and teacher stands outside of the circle. Teacher
acts as helper and the roles are mainly to translate, suggest and amend students speech. The
session usually to be recorded to be analyzed later on. Then with the teachers help, they all
reflect what they have learned or talked about during the session.
In conducting this method, students will sit in a circle. They decide on the content that
they want to talk about and teacher will be there to help. Teacher will go to the student who is
speaking and help them translate words from their first language, give suggestion of better
words to use and finally make amendment to any mistake made by students.

The Silent Way

The silent way is a method in teaching language where teacher should be silent during
the class and students will be the ones to speak. Students are encouraged to discover or create
the language on their own instead of remembering and repeating what the teacher said.
Students also encouraged to solve the problems they encounter on their own as a group. They
also encourage to use Cuisenaire rods to solve any communication problems.
In the class, teacher will start the session by showing two different things for students
to compare, once the students are comfortable enough, teacher will choose a student to make
another example and to show it to class. Then the class will try to solve the problems on their
own while teacher being a facilitator.

Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

Suggestopedia
In this suggestopedia method, instead of the teacher or the students, it emphasizes on
the physical environment of the class above all. This method requires the students to be
comfortable and relaxed. During the session, teacher is advice to avoid traumatic topics that
could increase students anxiety towards the language.
There are three parts of learning, first, teacher presents the materials. Then teacher
will discuss with the students preferably with the support of classical music especially
Baroque. Later it is time for reflection where everyone to be silent for few minutes and
students to leave the classroom silently as well.

Total Physical Response

Total physical response requires teacher to give commands to students and expect
them to follow the commands. The commands could be anything that is doable in usual
classroom setting. When the students can follow the teachers commands, teacher will choose
another student to give commands to the fellow classmates. The founder of this method
believe that students learn a lot of their first language based on everyday commands and they
maybe can benefit it as well in target language.
In the classroom, teacher plays the most important role as the command giver. Teacher
starts by saying a word stand or a phrase open your book and demonstrate the action. The
teacher then says the command and now students all will do the action. After repeating it a
few times with different commands, teacher now asks the students to repeat the word as they
do the action. When they feel comfortable enough with the word or phrase teacher can then
ask the students to direct each other or the whole class.

Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

The Natural Approach

This approach was developed by Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell in the late 70s
and early 80s. It is meant for beginners of language learners to learn in naturalistic language
acquisition in the classroom. The natural approach put emphasize on communication instead
of studying grammar and to correct students errors explicitly. In this approach, it does not
force the the students to use the language because they believe that the output will emerge
once the students have large amounts of comprehensible input.
If teacher wants to use this method in the classroom, they have to be ready with a lot
of objects or pictures as materials. Teacher can show the object or the picture and repeat the
word for the students. Teacher then put the materials in different places and asks students to
point at the object or the picture that teacher mention. Students are not to speak in class until
they are ready.

Communicative Language Teaching

This method has different meaning to different people. It is an extended version of
few methods that does not go well together. Communicative language teaching places an
emphasize on notions, functions of communication and speaking instead of grammar.
Learners are taught to invite people, to apologize, and to agree and disagree. It also focusing
on the meaning level because they believe that is where the language learning takes place.
Teacher that uses this method usually do a role play in the classroom where students
practice to speak in real life communication for example, booking a flight ticket, making an
order and more. The content is very important in this activity and students need to be accurate
about the content. Students usually will pair with a partner to do this role play activity and the
teacher will act as facilitator.
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Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

The Differences between Methodologies

All these methodologies can be differentiate in few ways such as the roles of the
teacher and students in the classroom, teacher or students centered environment in classroom,
and the part of language that they emphasize on.
The teachers and students role in the classroom are different in these methodologies.
Certain methodologies require teacher to be active as instructor, command giver and more.
Meanwhile the students in the environment play the role as receiver, do all the instructor told
them to do. Example of the methodology that using this arrangement is total physical
response where teacher will give all sorts of commands and students to do exactly as they are
expected to. Other methodologies that use this arrangement is grammar translation and
audiolingual. However, the arrangement might be differ in different methodologies where
teacher plays the role as the helper instead of instructor. Teacher will stand by the side of the
students and help them only when needed while the students conduct activities on their own.
Community language learning methodology and the silent way are some of the
methodologies that use this arrangement.
Some methodologies required teacher centered environment where teacher is the
center of the attention and students have the passive role in it. In teacher centered
environment, teacher is the one to decide on the content of the session, the activities and
more. Students only have to follow what they are told to do. The methodologies that use this
setting is grammar translation, audiolingual and total physical response. Meanwhile in
students centered setting, students will be consult by the teacher on the content they want to
earn, the activities and more. Students are open to do things according to them and teacher

Approaches, Methods, Procedures & Techniques

will prepare the materials. The methodologies that use this setting are suggestopaedia and the
silent way.

All of these methodologies have the part of the language that they emphasize on, for
example grammar translation emphasize on the importance of grammar and a little or no
consideration given to speech or communicative. Other methodologies that put a point on
grammar are direct method and audiolingual. Different from these three methodologies are
total physical response, the natural way and communicative language teaching where speech
or communication is given priority above grammar.
Some small differences between all the methodologies are; grammar translation
promoting the usage of students first language in classroom meanwhile direct method
prohibit it. Community language learning aims to please older students or students with
anxiety in learning the second language while the natural approach aims to please the
beginners in the second language learning. Audiolingual promotes the use of drilling in
learning the target language but the silent way propose that students should discover and
create the language on their own instead of remembering it.
In conclusion, each approach and methodology has their own ways of teaching second
language learning to the students. Thus teachers have to carefully decide on which approach
and methodology to be used in classroom to meet the students goal in learning the second
language successfully.