APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHINGStudent: Paolo Cedeño

Applied Linguistic For English Teaching

CHARACTERISTICS OF OPTIMAL INPUT FORLANGUAGE ACQUISITION

1. Comprehensible

2. Interesting/relevant (considering students´ interests)

3. Not grammatically sequenced (conscious rules do not interfere with communication)

4. Great quantity

5. Filter level ("off the defensive")

6. With tools for conversational management ( to help students manage conversations with native speakers)

GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHODLearning

Procedure

•Grammar rule explanation + example sentences.•Vocabulary-bilingual list.•Reading section with emphasis on grammar and vocabulary acquired.•Exercises for reinforcement. •Conscious structure control , mostly classes are taught in student´s first language.

Learning Goals •Helping students to read literature in the target language.•A high emphasis on language structure.

Which optimal

input does it lack?

•It fails to provide a great deal of comprehensible input, the small amount of it is focused on form and not on meaning. •It is highly grammatical sequenced and content fills some kind of students´ interests.•Due to its early production and accuracy expected, an anxiety level is produced.•Very low amounts of acquired competence. As a result, students lack of ability to manage conversations with native speakers.

PRESENT-DAY TEACHING METHODS:

AUDIO-LINGUALISMLearning Procedure •Inductive learning: a dialogue is used to

introduce structures and vocabulary.•Through class practices, the students is expected to memorize it. •Pattern drill (repetition, substitution, translation and transformation) on structures are used to "strengthen habits", to make the pattern automatic.•Some rule explanation: descriptive not performing.

Learning Goals The focus of attention is given to the structure and syntax of language through an over-learnt variety of patterns.

Which optimal input does it

lack?

•Understandable dialogues, grammatically sequenced, input quantity restricted to the lesson-dialogue. •Useful, age-appropriate and natural content. However it falls far short of true interest and relevance.•Anxiety due to early production. Little communicative function

COGNITE-CODE METHOD

Learning

Procedure

Explanation of the rule followed by exercises to practice rule consciously. Then through meaningful situations, communicative competence is promoted.

Learning Goals To develop conscious knowledge automatically with the use of language in meaningful situations.Communicative competence development.

Which optimal

input does it

lack?

Greater amounts of comprehensible input. However it may result then limited when is used to contextualize language structure, and not totally focused on message.Grammar sequenced, with limited creative and relevance material, but with possible conversational management.High affective filter for accuracy production.

THE DIRECT METHOD

Learning Procedure Target language is used through the whole class. Questions and answers, mainly on students´ interests, are the main vehicle for inducing grammar rules and language comprehension. After enough examples provided, the rule is discussed and explained

Learning Goals Language acquisition through conscious knowledge grammar.

Which optimal input

does it lack?

A great deal of comprehensible input is provided through a variety of topics and structures utilized.Grammatically sequenced.Anxiety caused by grammatical accuracy at early stages.

THE NATURAL APPROACH

Learning Procedure The teacher speaks only the target language while students may use either the first or second language. Teachers utilize realia, pictures, and students' previous knowledge to promote speech comprehensible. Semantic activities may involve theuse of a certain structure.

Learning Goals To enable students totalk about ideas, perform tasks, and solve problems.

Which optimal input

does it lack?

Enough comprehensible input, based on students´ interests and feelings, conversational tools provided for managing talks with native speakers.Not grammatical sequenced either deliberate sequencing.Anxiety reduced, production is not promoted until they feel ready.

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

Learning

Procedure

Meaning in the target language is conveyed through observing and performing actions themselves. Once understanding of spoken language is achieved, students are encouraged to participate and initiate speech production. Grammar will be learned inductively.

Learning Goals Having students enjoy their experience in learning to communicate in a foreign language. High emphasis on listening comprehension.

Which optimal

input does it

lack?

•Language learning results effective because it is fun with a grammatical focus through commands contextualization. •Comprehensible input in the form of commands, context is provided.•Students are not asked for speech production until they themselves decide they are ready, therefore lowered student anxiety.

SUGGESTOPEDIA

Learning

Procedure

First a review is done through traditional conversation. Then new material is shown in the form of dialogues based on situations familiar to the students (translation is alllowed). Dialogue is read by the teacher while students are engaged in deep and rhythmic yoga-breathing-listening comprehension mode. Concentration is greatly promoted.

Learning Goals Teachers hope to overcome learning barriers and facilitate communication.

Which optimal

input does it lack?

Learning is facilitate in a cheerful environment, very close to completely matching the requirements for optimal input. Topics are of inherent interest and use. Confidence building is of great importance. Suggestopedia seems to depend on the net of grammatical structures provided by successful communication, not on specific and necessarily sequential points.

MORE RECENT METHODS COMPARISON

Additional methods or improvements to older has been promoted, with the provision of more input and putting grammar-in-its-place:

Total Physical Response: several experiments took place for providing comprehensible input, using different strategies, and do not force early production.

Suggestopedia (with natural principles or control groups): little differences in the ability acquired to express themselves freely within the framework of their lexical capacity.

HOW TO DECIDE WHICH METHOD TO USE?

In general, there is no one way to teach. Based on Asher and some other linguistics research, there is no one method that is clearly the best, but clearly there are some methods which are more effective than others.

What is clearly defined, is that the method selected should satisfy minimal requirements: provide students with enough comprehensible input to bring their second language competence to the point where they can begin to understand language heard "on the outside", read, and participate in conversations.

ALTERNATIVES AND SUPPLEMENTS

Conversation: It will give the acquirer a chance to practice the tools he has learned

and give him perhaps the best opportunity to acquire new ones. Preferably with a native potential friend motivated to facilitate on

you second language acquisition.

Pleasure reading: It needs to be comprehensible and that the topic be something the

student is genuinely interested in. Reading for interest and pleasure increases competence, even more

than ‘pedagogical passages´.

Using subject matter for language teaching (it is not ESP), in which teachers make some linguistic and cultural adjustments.

Complementing with units covering "life situations" topics and case studies.

CONSIDERATIONS IN TEST EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Reliable, results should not vary under different conditions.

Valid, it should measure what it is supposed to measure.

Practical, economical, easy to score, and easy to interpret .

In itself causes more second language acquisition: It should encourage students to engage in activities that will help them acquire more language.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR MATERIAL SELECTION AND EXTRA ACTIVITIES

Materials are supposed to help students in language acquisition, fill a basic need and bring students to the point where they can utilize the outside world.

Comprehensible, interesting/relevant, and not grammatically sequenced themselves.

Laboratory: to supply input or reinforce a skill that is useful for acquisition.

Guest speakers(Ted.com), films, field trips, TV commercial and any multimedia resources that help to encourage English learning and bring students to real situations using second language.

For suggestions: paolo.cedeno.25@gmail.com