THE DIRECT METHOD
v Classroom instruction was conducted exclusively in the target language.
v Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.
v This is question and answer method.
v Grammar was taught inductively.
v Modeling and practice were used.
v Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration,abstract vocabulary was taught through association of ideas.
v Speech and listening comprehensions were taught.
v Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.
v New teaching points were introduced orally.
v It has monolingual approach.
v The teacher replaced the textbook in the early stages of learning.
Why was DM successful in private schools?
Private schools aren’t as crowded as public schools.In private schools there is intensive hours opportunity.There are native speaker teachers in private schools.Parents have money to provide essential opportunities for DM in private schools.
What about public schools?
It isn’t possible for public schools to find native speakers.Teachers aren’t proficient in target language.Public schools are too crowded to provide intensive hours opportınity.
What are the drawbacks of DM?
It required teachers who were native speakers or who had native-like fluency in the foreign language.It was largely dependent on the teacher’s skills rather than on a textbook.Not all teachers were proficient enough in the foreign language to adhere to the principle of the method.
What is Sweet’s criticism to DM?
According to Sweet;
v It had limitations
v It lacked a thorough methodological basis.
v It failed to address many issues that Sweet thought more basic.
THE NATURE OF APPROACHES AND METHODS IN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Approach and Method
v A scheme was proposed by the American applied linguist,Edward Anthony.He identified three levels of conceptualization and organization:
· An approach is a set of correlative assumptions dealing with the nature of language teaching and learning.
· An approach is axiomatic.
· An approach describes the nature of the subject matter to be taught.
· Method is an overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material,all of which is based on the selected approach.
· A technique is implementational-that which actually takes place in a classroom.
· Techniques must be consistent with a method,and therefore in harmony with an approach as well.
· An approach is axiomatic,a method is procedural.
· Within one approach,there can be many methods.
v According to Anthony’s model:
· Approach is the level at which assumptions and beliefs about language and language learning are specified.
· Method is the level at which theory is put into practice and at which choices are made about the particular skills to be taught.
· Technique is the level at which classroom procedures are described.
· His model is useful and simple.It distinguishes the relationship between underlying theoretical principals and the practices derived from them.
Approach
At least 3 different theoretical views of language and its nature exist that explicitly or implicitly inform current approaches and methods in language teaching.
Theory of Language
- Structuralist view
v Language is a system of structurally related elements for the coding of meaning.
v Learning a language is equated with mastering these elemens.
- Functional View
v Language is a vehicle for the expression of functional meaning.
v Semantic and communicative aspects are emphasized rather than merely the grammatical characteristics of language.
v Language learning includes topics,notions and concepts a learner needs.
- Interactional View
v Vehicle for the realization of interpersonal relations and for the performers of social transactions between individuals.
v Language content may be specified in terms of moves in conversational exchanges.
v Focus on patterns of moves,acts,negotiation and interaction found in conversational exchanges.
v Task-Based Language teaching draws on an interactional view.
THE THEORY OF LANGUAGE LEARNING
v Process oriented: build on learning processes such as habit formation, induction, inferencing, hyphotesis testing.
v Condition oriented: emphasize nature of human and physical context in which language learning takes place.
DESIGN
Design for an instructional system is needed if approach is to lead to a method.
A.The objectives
Different theories of language and language learning influence the focus of a method.
Specification of particular learning objectives,however,is a product of design not of approach.
B. Syllabus
When teaching a target language,one has to decide what to talk about and how to talk about it.
Language content is cosidered secondary.
Notional-funtional syllabuses specify the communicative content of a course in terms of functions,notions,topics,grammar and vocabulary.Such syllabuses are usually determined in advance of teaching and so they are referred to as a priori syllabus.
C. Types of Learning and Teaching Activities
The activity types that a method advocates often serve to distinguish methods.Since methods make different assumptions about learning processes, syllabuses and learning activities; they also attribute different roles and functions to teachers, learners and instructional materials.We can deduce from how much emphasis is placed on vocabulary acquisition and grammatical proficiency, and how grammatical or pronunciation errors are treated that a method has process-based or product-based objectives.
D.Role of Learner
A method reflects explicit or implicit responses to questions.This is seen in:
v The degree of control learners have over content.
v The patterns of learner groupings that are recommended or implied.
v The degree to which learners influence the learning of others.
v The view of the learner as a processor, performer, initiator, probşem solver.
E. Role of Teacher
v They are similarly related to assumptions about language and language learning at level of approach.
v Some see the teacher as a source of knowledge and direction
v Others see the teacher’s role as a catalyst, guide, consultant and model for learning.
Teacher’s roles in methods are related to those issues:
· Types of functions teachers fulfill
· Degree of teacher’s influence over learning.
· Degree to which the teacher determines the content of learning
· Types of interaction between teachers and learners.
F. Role of Instructional Materials
1) The primary goal of materials to present content, to practice content, to facilitate communication between learners.
2) The form materials take textbooks, computers
3) The relation of materials to other sources of input
4) The abilities of the teachers: their competence in the language or degree of training and experience
PROCEDURE
v Encompasses the actual moment-to-moment techniques practices and behaviours operating in teaching a language according to a particular method.
v There are three dimensions to a method at level of procedure:
1. use of teaching activities to present new language and to clarify and demonstrate formal, communicative or other aspects of the target language.
2. The ways in which particular teaching activities are used for practicing language.
3. The procedures and techniques used in giving feedback to learners concerning the form or content of their utterance or sentences.
Stevick(3P)
Presentation:The teacher points at meaningless symbols on a wall chart.They represent the syllabuses of the spoken language.Students read the sound aloud.
Practice:After the students can pronounce the sounds, the teacher moves to a second set of charts containing words frequently used including numbers.The teacher lead the students to pronounce long numbers.
Production:The teacher uses colored rods together with charts and gestures to lead the students into producing the words and basic grammatical structures needed.
