Language teaching methodologies
Some of the significant language teaching methodologies include the Grammar translation method, community language learning, direct method, community language teaching, audio-lingual method, total physical response, and Content-Based instruction. This paper aims to discuss the major principles of the different techniques in terms of their positive and negative aspects. Lastly, this paper will outline the approaches I am likely to use as a teacher in the future and why I believe they will be of benefit.
In the Grammar Translation method, an essential purpose of learning a particular language is acquiring the ability to read literature written in the language being learned. This requires students to understand the grammar rules of the target language. This is contrary to the Direct method. In this technique, the teacher intends to enable students to learn how to communicate in the target language successfully. A primary principle of this method is that students should think about the language being learned. This is contrary to the grammar-translation method principle that requires students to understand grammar rules. Along similar lines with the direct method, the audio-lingual method, the community language learning, the total physical response, and the communicative language teaching apply the same principle goal of teaching students to use the target language communicatively. However, there are some slight differences in their principles. For example, in the audio-lingual method, students are required to overlearn the target language to use it automatically. Simultaneously, the total physical response concentrates on the significance of students enjoying communicating in the target language. Lastly, the content-based instruction method is somewhat unique because it uses the principle that students should master both content and language.
Another principle of teaching methodology revolves around the role of the teacher and that of the student. The grammar-translation method applies a traditional concept whereby the teacher is the authority, and students follow what the teacher says to learn. Similarly, the audio-lingual method applies the same concept whereby the teacher can be compared to an orchestra as students follow the teacher’s directions, and they respond accurately. On the other hand, the direct method uses a different principle by which students and the teacher act like partners in the teaching-learning course. Nevertheless, it is the teacher who directs the learning activities. For the community language learning, at the beginning of the lessons, students are completely dependent on the teacher, but with time they become gradually independent. The total physical response uses a principle similar to the community language learning. At first, the teacher is the director of the student behaviors, but after several classes, a role reversal occurs where some students begin to direct other students and the teacher. For communicative language teaching, the teacher facilitates communication in the quality and ensures that students are enthusiastically engaged in the learning process. This is not very different from content-based instruction. Students are similarly actively involved in learning language and content.
In addition, the above language teaching methodologies apply different principles that determine the type of teacher-student interaction. In the grammar-translation method, a large percentage of interactions in class is from the teacher to students. There is also very minimal student-student interaction. Conversely, in the direct method, initiation of interactions is done by both parties. Student-student interactions are also very common. Similarly, with the direct method, there is also a lot of student-student interaction in the audio-lingual method. Student-teacher communication is also very common, and it is teacher-directed. This also applies to the context-based instruction method and the context-based instruction method.
On the other hand, for community language learning, student-teacher interaction changes over time, usually student-teacher-centered. Similarly, for the total physical response method, the type of interaction also changes over time. During the first classes, interactions involve the teacher speaker, and the students respond non-verbally. With time, the students develop to be more verbal, and the teacher responds non verbally (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2012).
An additional primary principle of language teaching methodologies revolves around the purpose of the native language. In the grammar-translation method, the target language is interpreted into the native language of the student for it to be understood. This is also related to the community language learning method. The native language is used in the learning process to connect the unfamiliar with the familiar. In contrast, in a direct way, the native language is not used in class. This also applies to the audiolingual method and the content-based instruction method, where there is no apparent use of the native language in class. On the other hand, in communicative language teaching, the judicious application of the native language is acceptable. In the total physical response method, the student’s native language is only used to introduce the target language. After this, the meaning of the target language is made clear using body movements.
The last fundamental principle takes into consideration how teachers in different teaching methods respond to errors made by students. In the grammar-translation method, the teacher gives students the correct answer whenever they do not answer. On the contrary, in the direct method technique, the teacher encourages students to try and correct themselves when possible. On the other hand, in the audio-lingual method, the teacher attempts to ensure that students don’t make any errors. The community learning method and the total physical response method is also different from all the above techniques because the teacher works with the mistakes made by students in a nonthreatening manner. Similarly, in communicative language teaching, teachers are tolerant of students whenever they make errors. Teachers later return to errors with an accuracy based activity. The content-based instruction method applies the principles of the direct method and the grammar-translation method. The teacher may encourage students to self -correct, or they may provide them with the right answers.
In the future, I will use the direct method. This is because it majors a lot on oral practice, which will improve students’ pronunciation. Other than that, this method applies direct relation between expression and thought, which will help students attain good fluency. I also prefer this method because it allows the teacher to proceed concrete to abstract as well as from particular to general. Lastly, I believe this method will be very beneficial to the students as it fashions a suitable environment for learning languages.