PIETERSON HAREFA
IKIP GUNUNGSITOLI
METHODOLOGY IN LANGUAGE TEACHING
TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
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English is an international language. It is very important. So, how to teach English well? TEFL focuses on how to teach English (writing, reading, speaking, and listening). As an English teacher (student teacher) we really need to learn about TEFL, because it gives us many methods, approaches, and techniques in teaching English. So, if we re going to teach a topic we may chose one of the methods that is suitable to the topic. Here, I give a little about the principle and method of each Method/Approach such as :
Principle of GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD:
1. Grammar rules are presented and studied explicitly. Grammar is taught deductively and then practiced through translation exercises.
2. The primary skills to be developed are reading and writing.
3. Hardly any attention is paid to speaking and listening skills.
4. Teacher correction is the only one way to make students produce the right forms of the foreign language.
5. The goal of foreign language learning is the ability to understand the texts written in the foreign language.
6. Mastering the grammar of the foreign language is essential in order for students to understand the written target language
7. Vocabulary is learn from bilingual word lists
8. The mother tongue is used as the medium of instruction
9. A paramount use of translation exercise is given
Procedures of Grammar Translation Method :
1. Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language
2. Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words
3. Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given
4. Grammar provides the rule for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words.
5. Reading of difficult classical text is begun clearly
6. Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis
7. Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language in to the mother tongue
8. Little or no attention is given to pronunciation
9. The focus is on accuracy, and not fluency
Principle of DIRECT METHOD:
1. Grammar is taught by situation and through inductive process
2. The syllabus is based on situations and related to everyday vocabulary and structure
3. Grammar and vocabulary is taught orally
4. Concrete meanings are made clear by presenting physical objects and abstract ones through association of ideas, not trough translation
5. Repetition of new material is encouraged to make language learners acquire the language naturally
6. Listening and imitating sounds are drilled so that language learners become automatic in producing the sounds
7. Language learners learn the target language in the class most of the time
8. Sounds of the target language are essential and presented at the beginning of the course
9. Reading follows listening and speaking, and the reading texts are based on the materials of the two skills
10. Many new items are presented in the lesson in order to make the target language
Procedure of Direct Method :
1. Each student has a reading passage in front of him/her
2. The students are called on one by one and they read the text loudly
3. After the students finish reading the passage, they are asked in the target language if they have questions
4. The teacher answers the students’ questions in the target language.
5. The teacher works with the students on the pronunciation
6. The teacher gives questions to the students and the questions and statements are about the students in the classroom
7. The students make up their own questions and statements and direct them to other students in the classroom
8. The teacher instructs the students to run to an exercise in the lesson which asks them to fill in blanks
9. The students read a sentence out loud and supply the missing word as they are reading
Principles of AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD (ALM)
1. Language learners are able to comprehend the foreign language when it is spoken at normal speed and concerned with ordinary matter
2. Language learners are able to speak in acceptable pronunciation and grammatical correctness
3. Language learners have no difficulties in comprehending printed materials
4. Language learners are able to write with acceptable standards of correctness of topics within their experiences
Procedures of Audio Lingual Method (ALM)
1. Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbol used for oral communication
2. Writing and printing are graphic representation of the spoken language
3. Language can be broken down on three major component parts: the sound system, the structure, and the vocabulary
4. The only authority for correctness is actual use of native speakers
5. One cal learn to speak and understand a language only being exposed to the spoken language and by using the spoken language
6. Language can be learnt inductively for some easily than deductively
7. Grammar should never be taught as an and in itself, but only as a means to the end of learning the language
8. Use of the students’ native language in class should be avoided or kept minimum in second language teaching
9. The structure to which the students are exposed to should always sound natural to native speaker
10. All structural material should be presented and practiced in class before the students attempt to study it at home
COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING (CLT)
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a broad approach to teaching that resulted from a focus on communication as the organizing principle for teaching rather than a focus on mastery of the grammatical system of the language. The aim of CLT is :
a) To make communicative competence the goal of language teaching
b) To develop procedures for teaching of the four language skills that acknowledge the independence of language and communication.
Larsen-Freeman names CLT in Communicative Approach. CLT views language as a functional system. It holds that language is a vehicle for the expression of functional meaning. The primary function of language is for interaction and communication.
Principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
1. The main goal is communicative competence.
2. Meaning is paramount.
3. Language learning is to communicative.
4. Effective communication is sought.
5. Drilling may occur, but peripherally.
6. Translation may be used where students need or benefit from it.
7. Teachers help learners in any way that motivates them to work with language.
8. Language is a system for the expression of meaning.
9. The primary function of language is for interaction and communication.
10. Grammar rules are explained when necessary (less systematically)
11. Errors are seen as the natural outcome of the development of communication skills.
12. Teachers’ role is as a facilitator that manages the classroom communicative activities, while students’ role is as communicators.
Procedures in Teaching Language through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
1. Whenever possible language as it is used in real context should be introduced.
2. The target language is vehicle for classroom communication, not just the object of study.
3. Students should work with language at the discourse level.
4. Students should be given an opportunity to express their ideas and opinions.
5. One of the teacher’s major responsibilities is to establish situations likely to promote communication.
6. The social context of the communicative event is essential in giving meaning to the utterances.
The teacher acts as an advisor during communicative activities.
The Disadvantages of Communicative Language Teaching
• Lack of role for L1.
• Lack of structure (not good for some students).
• The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach does not cater to learners who come from cultures with traditional educational systems and different learning styles.
• These students may not see the value in learning English through group work, games and activities and feel that they are ‘wasting their time’ because there isn’t a strong emphasis on grammar.
• CLT does not focus on error correction.
• These students cannot see the value of CLT, become de-motivated and are often reluctant to participate in activities.
• The approach does not focus on error reduction but instead creates a situation where learners are left using their own devices to solve their communication problems.
• The CLT approach is great for Intermediate –Advanced learners.
THE SILENT WAY
The Silent Way is the name of a method of language teaching devised by Caleb Cattegno. In this method, the teacher should talk as little as possible and should encourage the learner to speak as much as possible. Mistakes are considered part of the process of discovering the rules, and the teacher should not interfere in this process by correcting the learner’s mistakes. A language teacher should encourage learners to take a role in learning activities. The time of learning teaching interaction should be given to language learner, not to the teacher. The skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing reinforce one another. Consequently, language teacher has to consider these four skills in dealing with the language materials. The whole of process of correcting errors is that learners are first given the opportunity to figure out the error, peer correction, and then teacher correction.
Principles of Silent Way
1. The teacher should give only what help is necessary.
2. Language learners are intelligent and bring with them the experience of already learning a language.
3. Students need to develop their own "inner criteria" for correctness-to trust and to be responsible for their own production in the target language.
4. The teacher works with the students while the students work on the language.
5. Language is not learned by repeating after a model.
6. If the teacher praises (or criticizes) students, they will be less self-reliant. The teacher's actions can interfere with students' developing their own criteria.
7. Student attention is a key to learning.
8. Language is for self-expression.
9. The syllabus is composed of linguistic structures.
10. The skills of speaking, reading, and writing reinforce one another.
11. Students should receive a great deal of meaningful practice without repetition.
Procedures of Silent Way
A Silent way lesson typically follows a standard format. The first part of the lesson focuses on pronunciation. Depending on student level, the class might work on sounds, phrases, or even sentences. This method begins by introducing the sounds of the target language before attaching them to meanings to prepare learners to learn the target language. The skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing reinforce one another. Language is a substitute for experience. So, it gives meaning to the target language. The teacher functions as a guide, an organizer, a resource, and evaluator. Language learners have to learn the target language from other learners, as well as their teacher, since utterances from other learners can be models of target language. In this method, memorization and repetition are avoided. The ways of correcting learner’s error in term of who corrects the errors: first, the learner who made the error; second, other learner in the class; and last the teacher.
NATURAL APPROACH
As the name implies, the Natural Approach (Krashen, S. & Terrell, T. The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom, 1983) focuses on developing language skills in a natural context. Students acquire language through interaction in authentic and meaningful learning experiences. Teachers provide input in the target language that students can understand. Teachers begin with language input that can be made comprehensible through modeling and visuals and continue to add new learning to that base. In the Natural Approach the emphasis is on the exposure of the target language. The exposure is often called input. The Natural Approach is meant to provide comprehensible input (Krashen, 1985:14). This can be done by discussing topics of interest, games, tasks, and the like. In learning teaching process, language learners may respond in either the first or second language. Language teachers do not concentrate on learner’s errors and their errors are not corrected.
Principles of the Natural Approach
1. Comprehension precedes production. Students are not asked to repeat or produce language until they are comfortable and begin to do so naturally.
2. Production emerges in stages.
3. A syllabus based on communicative goals is more effective. The instructional focus is on meaning rather than correct form in early stages.
4. The student’s anxiety level must be low in order for learning to take place.
5. Communication is as the primary function of language.
Procedures of the Natural Approach
1. Teacher creates a classroom atmosphere that is interesting and friendly.
2. Start with TPR (Total Physical Response) commands.
3. Use TPR to teach names of body parts and to introduce numbers and sequence.
4. Use name of physical characteristic and clothing to identify members of the class by name.
5. Use visuals, typically magazine picture, to introduce new vocabulary.
6. Combine use of pictures with TPR
7. Using several pictures, ask students to point to the picture being described.
Advantages of the Natural Approach
• It incorporates both lexical and grammatical acquisition.
• It clarifies the relationship between comprehension and speed.
• It differentiates between acquired and learned knowledge
Disadvantages of the Natural Approach
• These students may not see the value in learning English through group work, games and activities and feel that they are ‘wasting their time’ because there isn’t a strong emphasis on grammar.
• Does not focus on error correction.
Not all language teachers have English performance which enables them to communicate in the target language
SUGGESTOPEDIA
Suggestopedia is a method of teaching a foreign language in which students learn quickly by being made to feel relaxed, interested, and positive. This method is developed by Georgi Lazanov. In his method, he believes that language learning can be made more efficient if the psychological barriers to learning are lowered. He believes that learners raise these barriers and limit themselves because of a fear of failure. The original method cannot be separated from the use of yoga, hypnotizing, and music. The method considers the function of analytical, linear left hemisphere of the brain and that of the intuitive, spatially responsive right hemisphere in a relaxed way which results in accelerated and highly motivated learning. The potentials of the brain can be activated by using music. Originally, the method cannot be separated from classical music, yoga, and parapsychology.
Principles of Suggestopedia
1. Learning is characterized by joy and the absence of tension.
2. Learning takes place on both a conscious and unconscious level.
3. The learner’s reserve potential can be tapped through suggestion.
Procedures of Suggestopedia
a. Great attention is paid to environment
b. The seating is as comfortable as possible, the lighting is not harsh, and music plays in the background.
c. Suggestopedia teacher’s tone is always calm as students are reassured that language learning is easy and fun.
d. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher briefly presents the vocabulary and grammar.
e. If there is the text, the teacher read it while music plays in the background.
f. The students relax and listen.
