APPROACHES

METHODS
TECHNIQUES
TASK 1
REASONS FOR STUDYING
PAST AND PRESENT TEACHING
METHODS:

View of HOW the field of

language has evolved.

Source of well-used
practices, that teachers can
adapt or implement based
on their own needs.

Experience in using
different approaches and
methods can provide
teachers with basic teaching
skills.

WHY STUDYING
METHODS?
1-Methods serve as a soil
for reflection because:
They provide conscious
awareness of the thinking
that underlines their actions.

They make teachers

becoming clearer of WHY
they do WHAT they do.

Teachers become aware of

their own fundamental
assumptions, values and
beliefs.
WHY STUDYING
METHODS?

2- By becoming clear on where

they stand TEACHERS:
Can choose to teach differently

from the way they were taught.

Are able to see why they are

attracted to certain methods and

repelled by others.

Are able to make choices that

are informed, not conditioned.

 May be able to resist, or at least

argue against, the imposition of

a particular method by
authorities
They offer teachers alternatives

to what they currently think and

do.

WHY STUDYING
METHODS?
3- A knowledge of methods is
part of the KNOWLEDGE
BASE OF TEACHING.
Teachers join a community of

practice.

 Teachers learn the professional

discourse that community

members use so that
professional dialog can take
place.
It confers teachers a

professional identity and

connects each other so they are
not so isolated in their practice.

WHY STUDYING
METHODS?
4- A knowledge of methods
helps expand a teacher's
repertoire of techniques.

effective teachers have a large

diverse repertoire of best
practices which presumably
helps them deal more effectively
with the unique qualities and
idiosyncrasies of their students.

Teaching is more than

following a recipe.
(Larsen-Freeman)

Any method shapes

teachers own
understanding, beliefs,
styles, level of
experience.

Teachers are
PROFESSIONALS, who
can make their OWN
decisions.
The issue is not about
methods, but HOW they
are used
They can help teachers
articulate, transform,
etc., their understanding
of the teaching and
learning process.

They can serve as

integration of theory and
practice.
It can encourage
continuing education.

(From Larsen-Freeman, Diane.

Techniques and Principles in
Language Teaching. Oxford. 2nd Ed.
2000)

APPROACH
APPROACH

As regards the
NATURE OF LANGUAGE
or
LANGUAGE THEORY:
Model of language
competence,
an account of the basic
features
of linguistic organization
and language use
APPROACH

NATURE OF
LANGUAGE,
THEORY OF
LANGUAGE

THREE
THEORETICAL
VIEWS:
APPROACH: Theory of the
Nature of Language

APPROACH: Theory of the

Nature of Language
APPROACH: Theory of the
Nature of Language
APPROACH: Theory of the
Nature of Language
APPROACH: Theory of the
Nature of Language
APPROACH: Theory of the
Nature of Language
APPROACH: Theory of
Language Learning

LANGUAGE LEARNING
or

LEARNING THEORY
is concerned with:
the central process of
learning
an account of the
conditions believed to
promote successful
learning
APPROACH: Theory of
Language Learning

LANGUAGE
LEARNING or
LEARNING
THEORY
responds to two
questions:
APPROACH: Theory of
Language Learning

1) What are the

psycholinguistics
and cognitive
processes involved in
language teaching?
2) What are the
conditions needed in
order for these
learning processes to
be activated?
APPROACH: Theory of
Language Learning

PROCESS-ORIENTED
THEORIES:
build on learning
processes:
habit formation,
induction,
inferencing,
hypothesis testing,
generalizations.
APPROACH: Theory of
Language Learning

CONDITION-ORIENTED
THEORIES:

Emphasize the nature of

human and physical
context in which language
learning occurs.

Natural Approach,
Counselling learning,
Total physical response,
Silent way
APPROACH: General
Conclusions
Principles may or may
not lead to a method.

Teachers may develop

their own teaching
procedures, informed by
a particular view of
language and a
particular theory of
learning.
It DOES NOT specify
procedure.
It DOES NOT dictate a
particular set of teaching
techniques and activities

What links theory

with practice
(or approach with
procedure) is
DESIGN
DESIGN
DESIGN: OBJECTIVES

Process oriented
objectives: eg, becoming
a more proficient learner in
whatever one is engaged.

Product oriented
objectives:

grammatical accuracy

perfect pronunciation.

general communication
skills,

ability to express oneself

meaningfully.

DESIGN:
Content choice and
organization; THE SYLLABUS

Choice of linguistic content:

Linguistic matter (how to

talk about it)

subject matter (what to talk

about)

Contents can be specified in

terms of:

FUNCTIONS

NOTIONS

TOPICS

GRAMMAR

VOCABULARY

Design:
Types Of Learning And
Teaching Activities:
Teaching activities can focus
on:

Grammatical accuracy

Communicative skills

Learning activities can focus

on:

Development of specific
psycholinguistic process in
language acquisition

Mastery of particular
features of grammar

Design: Learners roles

Learners contributions to the
learning process.
How is it seen?

Types of activities learners

carry out.

The degree of control

learners have over the
content of learning.

The seating arrangement.

How learners influence

others learning.

The view of the learner as

processor, performer,
imitator, problem solver.

DESIGN: Teacher roles

Their roles are related to the

following issues:

a) types of functions:
director, counsellor, model.

b) degree of control over

HOW learning takes place.

c) determining the content

to be taught.

Interactional patters.

d) types of interaction
between teachers and
learners

DESIGN: Teacher roles

The role of the teacher will

ultimately reflect both the
objectives of the method
and the learning theory on
which the method is
predicated, since the
success of a method may
depend on the degree to
which the teacher can provide
the content or create the
conditions for successful
language learning
(Richards and Rodgers, 2001)

Design: The role of

instructional materials
They will reflect decisions
concerning:

a) the primary goal of material:

to present content,
to practice content,
to facilitate communication

between learners,
to enable learners to practice

content without the teachers

help.

Design: The role of

instructional materials
b) the form of material: texts,

audiovisuals, computer
software)
c) the relation of materials to

other sources of input: if the

serve as major source of input
or not.)

 d) the abilities of teachers

( their competence in the

language or degree of training
experience)

PROCEDURE
It is the last level of
conceptualization and
organization within a
method.

It encompasses the actual

techniques, practices
and behaviours that
operate in teaching a
language according to a
particular method.

PROCEDURE
It is the level where it is
described HOW a
method REALIZES its
approach and design in
classroom behaviour.

It is concerned with HOW

tasks and activities are
integrated in a lesson
and used as basis for
teaching and learning.
PROCEDURE
THERE ARE THREE
DIMENSIONS:
A) the use of teaching activities to
present new language and to
clarify or demonstrate formal,
communicative
aspects
of
language
(drills,
dialogs,
information-gap activities)
B) the ways particular teaching
activities are used for practicing
the language.

C) the procedures and techniques

used to give feedback.

PROCEDURE
The procedure focuses on
the way a method
handles the
PRESENTATION,
PRACTICE AND
FEEDBACK
phases of teaching.