Approach

Purpose (Why/Who)

Content (What)

Practice (How)

Grammar Translation (1880)

Deductive Grammar
Speaking Deemphasized

to teach aristocracy, often rich classical books such as Homer

young men, how to read Latin
and the Bible
and Greek
Long passages of text
to teach culture and morality different genres: poetry, short
language for its own sakeas
story, and novel
an intellectual exercise

translation and back

translation
deductive grammar instruction
reading comprehension
questions
Fill in the blanks
memorization of vocabulary
compositions (writing essays)

Direct Approach (1900)

Inductive Grammar
Speaking Emphasized

to teach students who want to dialogues and conversations

study or visit other countries
passages about how other
to travel
cultures live (geography,
politics, culture)
experience culture: not just
maps, visual aids (objects and
classic literature, but
geography, history, and people
pictures)

to teach students who will

readings that are leveled to the
most likely never leave the
learners knowledge
country
vocabulary words from those
to teach a practical skill
readings
students might actually use
grammatical items from those
to teach by using teachers who
readings
are not native language
speakers

to teach soldiers how to speak dialogues

so they can communicate with language mimicry (without a
enemies and allies
focus on meaning)
to teach anyone who to
visual aids (objects and
communicate orally/aurally
pictures)

habit formation drills:

backward build-up, chain,
single and multi-slot
substitution, transformation
dialog memorization
use of minimal pairs
grammar games
overlearning

Reading Approach (1930)

Deductive Grammar
Speaking Deemphasized

Audio-lingual Approach (1940)

Inductive Grammar
Speaking Emphasized

inductive grammar instruction

reading aloud
conversation practice
map drawing and information
gaps
question and answer
self-correction, when possible
deductive grammar instruction
memorization of vocabulary
translation
oral proficiency not
emphasized
evaluative performance
through testing is emphasized

Cognitive Approach (1960)

Deductive Grammar
Speaking Deemphasized

to understand how languages

work
to research and publish
to recognize the unique
properties of the human mind

Affective Humanistic (1970)

Inductive Grammar
Speaking Emphasized

--to respect student feelings as bright colors and pictures,

they learn a language
posters everywhere
--to increase the speed of
music and fine art
learning
dialogues
games

NOT TRULY A CLASSROOM

APPROACHA WAY OF
UNDERSTANDING A LEARNER

Comprehension Approach (1980) to help make meaning clear (to classroom objects: a door, a

make input comprehensible)
clock, a chair, etc.
Inductive/Deductive Grammar to help learners gain
observable actions: jump, sit,
Speaking Deemphasized
confidence so that they are
walk, run
willing to produce language
chunks of language in novel
combinations

Communicative Approach
(1980)

Inductive/Deductive Grammar
Speaking/Writing Emphasized

to connect people together in

order to create opportunity
and awareness.
to love other cultures and
places
to use a language

carefully leveled books with

high interest themes
books often contain four
skills: reading, writing,
listening, and speaking
books also contain excerpts on
pronunciation, grammar,
culture, learner strategies,
speech acts, and vocabulary

Instead of techniques, experts

focused on characteristics of the
learners brains and strategies they
can use to improve their learning.
Positive reinforcement
choosing a new identity
multiple concerts: reading a
dialogue with music in the
background and playing it
multiple times
spontaneous, creative thought
through dramatic
interpretations, games, singing
and dancing
use of commands
role reversal (now YOU are the
teacher)
action sequence

use of authentic materials

picture strips (comics)
information gap exercises
language games
group and pair work
activities that meet diverse
needs