Approaches to language teaching (Part 1)

Approaches to language teaching (Part 1)

The first question for the beginning is what an approach to language teaching is.

In English language teaching, an approach is a method of teaching which is based on a particular theory of how languages are learnt. It depends on teachers’ view of language and how language takes place.

There are a variety of approaches to teaching English as a second or foreign language. In the 21st Century the learner’s needs are not the same as the ones in the 20th century. Nowadays teachers are facilitators of students’ learning and creators of productive classroom environments in which students can develop the skills.

We would like to represent some approaches, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, and their typical characteristics. But it is difficult to say that one approach is better than another.

Task-based Learning (TBL). Teachers have been using tasks for hundreds of years. The traditional way that teachers have used tasks is as a follow-up to a series of structure/function or vocabulary based lessons. Tasks have been 'extension' activities as part of a graded and structured course. But in task-based learning, the tasks are central to the learning activity. Language is learnt by using it. Classroom activities are based around problem-solving tasks, thus students need to communicate. In TBL tasks are a way to promote the use of authentic and genuine language with a focus on meaning and communication. Teachers need to be prepared to design relevant and meaningful tasks, adopt a number of roles in the classroom and possess the linguistic competence to deal with emergent language and provide students with useful feedback and practice.

Communicative Approach (CLT) Of course, communication is the most important aspect of language. The Communicative Approach is based on the idea that learning a language successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning. In the Communicative Approach, the main objective is to present a topic in context as natural as possible. Thus, as everyone agrees, the best way to learn language is to use it in interaction, rather than to learn about it. But classroom activities focus on fluency much more than accuracy. The main teachers’ role is setting up communicative activities.

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Nowadays teachers are facilitators of students’ learning and creators of productive classroom environments in which students can develop the skills.

There are a variety of approaches to teaching English as a second or foreign language.

We would like to represent some approaches, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, and their typical characteristics.

But it is difficult to say that one approach is better than another.