Title: Approaches and Methods of Teaching Foreign Language (EFL)

Objectives:

At the end of the report, students are expected to:

 Be familiar of the various approaches and methods of teaching foreign

language
 Express their thoughts about the various approaches and methods of
teaching foreign language

Content:

Definition of Terms

Approach

An approach is a set of assumptions about the nature of language and

language learning, but does not involve procedure or provide any details
about how such assumptions should be implemented into the classroom
setting. Such can be related to second language acquisition theory.

There are three principal “approaches":

1. The structural view

2. The functional view
3. The interactive view

Method

A method is a practical implementation of an approach. A method is a

plan for presenting the language material to be learned, and should be
based upon a selected approach. In order for an approach to be translated
into a method, an instructional system must be designed considering the
objectives of the teaching/learning, how the content is to be selected and
organized, the types of tasks to be performed, the roles of students, and the
roles of teachers.

1. Examples of structural methods are grammar translation and

the audio-lingual method.
2. Examples of functional methods include the oral approach / situational
language teaching.
3. Examples of interactive methods include the direct
method, communicative language teaching, the Silent Way,
the Natural Approach, and Total Physical Response.

EFL

EFL is the teaching of English to people whose first language is not

English. EFL is an abbreviation for 'English as a Foreign Language'.

Discussion

The following are the approaches and methods of teaching foreign language:

1. Grammar Translation Approach

  Traditional way of teaching Latin and Greek. In the 19th century
used to teach French, German and English.
 Typical lesson consisted of:
a) presentation of grammatical rule,
b) specially written text that demonstrated the rule,
c) list of new words,
d) translation exercises,
e) grammar exercises.
 Emphasis on learning to read and write.
 Vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words.
 Long, elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are
given.
 Medium of instruction was the mother tongue.
 No provision for the oral use of language.
 Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as
exercises in in grammatical analysis.
 Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected
sentences from the target language into the mother tongue.
2. Direct Method
 Posited by Charles Berlitz.
 Second language learning is similar to first language learning.
 Emphasis on:
 oral interaction,
 spontaneous use of language,
 no translation,
 little if any analysis of grammatical rules and
structures.
 Classroom instruction was conducted in the target language.
 The mother tongue is NEVER, NEVER used.
 There was an inductive approach to grammar.
 Only everyday vocabulary was taught.
 Concrete vocabulary was taught through pictures and objects.
 Abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas
 New teaching points were introduced orally.
 Communication skills were organized around question-answer
exchanges between teachers and students.
 Speech and listening comprehension were taught.
 Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

3. Reading Approach
 The priority in studying the target language is first, reading ability
and second, current and/or historical knowledge of the country
where the target language is spoken.
 Only the grammar necessary for reading comprehension and
fluency is taught.
 Minimal attention is paid to pronunciation or gaining
conversational skills in the target language.
 Students do not work on speaking or listening comprehension;
rather, they concentrate on building up a large reservoir of
specialized vocabulary.
  Vocabulary is expanded as quickly as possible, since the
acquisition of vocabulary is considered more important that
grammatical skill.
 Translation reappears in this approach as a respectable classroom
procedure related to comprehension of the written text.
4. Audio-lingual Method
 This approach is also known as “The Army Method.” At the height
of the events in World War II, military personnel needed to learn
the languages of allies and enemies alike as they swept through
the fields of Europe and Asia.
 Proponents believe that a language can be reduced to a basic set
of sounds. Combine them and you have spoken words. Those
words, when phonetically joined, become phrases and later
become sentences.
 The theory behind audio-lingualism is that language learning
requires learning habits. Repetition is the mother of all learning.
 This methodology emphasizes drill work in order to make answers
to questions instinctive and automatic.
 There is dependency on mimicry, memorization of set phrases,
and overlearning.
 Great importance is given to precise native-like pronunciation.
 There is a tendency to focus on manipulation of the target
language and to disregard content and meaning.
 There is abundant use of language laboratories, tapes and visual
aids.
 Activities like role playing are dialogues are drilled into students
until they get the pronunciations and rhythm right.
5. Communicative Approach
 Communicative language teaching was actually developed in the
opposition of audio-lingual method which focuses on drilling and
memorization.
 The communicative approach is the most widely used and most
widely accepted approach to classroom-based foreign language
teaching today, and in many ways, is a culmination of those
approaches and methodologies that appeared before.
 Communicative language teaching focuses on developing the
ability of communication in learners in real life situations.
 It focuses on meaning rather than accuracy.
 Interactive activities are the hallmark of this approach.
 Authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of
classroom activities.
 An enhancement of the learner's own personal experiences as
important contributing elements to classroom learning.
 An attempt to link classroom language learning with language
activation outside the classroom
 in favor of the theory that students will naturally develop accurate
speech through frequent use.
 Students develop fluency through communicating in the language
rather than by analyzing it.
6. The Silent Way
  Proponents of this approach believe that teaching too much can
sometimes get in the way of learning.
 Characterized by a problem-solving approach.
 It’s argued that students learn best when they discover rather
than simply repeat what the teacher said.
 The Silent Way uses silence as a teaching tool.
 Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather
than remembers and repeats what is to be learned.
 Develops independence and autonomy and encourages students
to cooperate with each other.
 Teacher uses hands to indicate that something is incorrect or
needs changing - e.g.. using fingers as words then touching the
finger/word that is in need of correction.
7. Community Language Learning
 It’s called Community Language Learning because the class learns
together as one unit.
 Not listening to the same lecture, but interacting in the target
language.
 The teacher’s role is that of a counselor, a guide, an encourager.
 Because the approach is learner-led, there’s no set lesson for the
day. The students decide what they want to talk about.
 This conversation is then transcribed and mined for language
lessons featuring grammar, vocabulary and subject-related
content.
8. Total Physical Response
 Total Physical Response is an approach to language teaching where
gestures, actions and movements play a vital role in language
acquisition.
 TPR believes that when your students see movement and when they
themselves move, their brains create more neural connections that
make for more efficient language acquisition.
 Another pillar of this approach is that learning a language should be
stress free. Pop quizzes and exams are dropped in exchange for fun
activities like “Simon Says” where you ask students to perform actions
like “close your eyes,” “raise your left arm” or “pick up the red ball.”
 TPR is most useful for beginners. TPR is also used for teaching students
with dyslexia or related learning disabilities.
 Successful second language learning should be a parallel process to
child first language acquisition.
 Learners are encourage to speak when they feel ready to speak.

9. Functional-notional Approach
 The Functional-notional Approach recognizes language as
purposeful communication.
 That is, we talk because we need to communicate
something. There’s purpose and meaning behind the sounds that
come out of our mouths
 When we speak, we do it to inform, persuade, insinuate, agree,
question, request, evaluate and perform other “functions.” We do
it to talk about concepts (“notions”) like time, events, action,
place, technology, process, emotion, etc.
 So a teacher’s first stop when using this approach is to evaluate
how the students will be using the language.
 For example, when teaching very young kids, you might want to
teach them language skills that would help them communicate
with mommy and daddy, or with their friends.
 When dealing with business professionals, a different syllabus
would be in order. You might want to teach them formal forms of
the language, how to delegate tasks, how to vocally appreciate a
job well done.
10. Natural Approach
 The Natural Approach takes its cues from how first language is
naturally learned by children. That process is then simulated for
teaching adults a second language.
 Just as there’s a “silent period” when babies don’t utter a single
comprehensible word, the Natural Approach gives time for
learners to simply listen and absorb the language.
 Producing correctly pronounced words and phrases comes later in
the learning curve.
 The emergence of speech isn’t a first priority.
 Listening comprehension is the priority.
 So, early on in the process, students don’t need to speak at
all. They have to observe, to read the situation, to guess the
meanings of words, to make mistakes and self-correct, just like
babies.
 While other methods have teachers leading students in a choral
pronunciation of words written on a board, the Natural Approach
has the teacher bouncing a ball and repeatedly saying
“ball.” She’s also showing them pictures of different kinds of
“balls.” She has the class play a game with the object. Or she
hides the object and says, “Find the ball!”
 The Natural Approach believes that the more the students lose
themselves in the activity, the better their handle on the language
will be.

Question:

 Which of the said approaches and methods of teaching foreign

language do you think is the most effective? Explain.

References:

https://www.academia.edu/36425796/Teaching_English_Language_Methods
_and_approaches

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/efl

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/methods-and-
approaches-of-english-language-teaching-english-language-essay.php

https://opencourses.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/ENL5/Instructional
%20Package/Presentations/PDFs/Unit2_Accessible.pdf

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/language-teaching-approaches/