Lecture 14 Modern methods in Language Teaching

LECTURE 14

Modern methods in Language Teaching

Approaches used

• Communicative Approach
• Lexical Approach
• Task Based Approach
• Blended learning Approach

Methods used

• PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production)
• Total Physical Response
• Guided Discovery
• Test – Teach – Test

Communicative Approach

• Meaningful and authentic language use (often information gap)
• Learners interact with each other (pair and group work, mingles)
• Emphasis on completing task
• Teacher provides feedback

Communicative Approach: example

• Talk to different people and find out:

Name, Job, one interest

• There’s an info gap here. You talked to different people.

Lexical Approach

• Language isn’t divided into grammar and vocabulary. It consists of ‘chunks’.
• More attention to: lexis, listening and reading, L1/L2 comparisons
• Less attention to: sentence grammar, talking in L2 for sake of it

Lexical Approach: example

• Read the text:

I get up at 7am. I wash my face and

then get dressed. After that I have

breakfast and read the newspaper.

• Find word partnerships in the text.

Task Based Approach

• Focuses on students doing a task – fluency based
• Students use language for a particular outcome
• Real life language, meaning is important
• Students generate language
• Get feedback (for accuracy)

Task Based Approach: example

• (see Cutting Edge Int p12-13)
• Lead-in: listening or reading which uses possible language students could use in the task
• Students are given task. Teacher supports.
• Students do task
• Students report back to class
• Language feedback

Blended Learning Approach

• Two facets to learning programme: 1. Face-to-face with teacher

2. Computer-based programme

• The two facets support each other

PPP

• Presentation: language is presented in some way in context (situation, dialogue, reading..) and teacher shows form and meaning
• Practice: students produce the language through controlled exercises
• Production: freer practice of the language presented.
• Useful for introducing language at lower levels or for language you think will be new

PPP: example

PPP: example (continued)

• Andy didn’t take any of these things with him
• What do you think of Andy?
• Elicit ideas
• “He should have taken a map”.
• Elicit more examples
• Controlled practice – gap fill
• Freer practice – Andy talking with rescue team

Total Physical Response

• Students are exposed to language before they are expected to produce it.
• Students learn language through listening and responding
• Limited - useful for ‘action’ verbs

TPR: example

• Teacher asks students to put objects in different places to teach/reinforce Prepositions of Place

Guided Discovery

• Students are exposed to language through a reading or listening text
• Students answer questions about the text which lead them to ‘discover’ the rules of the language
• Good for higher levels

Guided Dicovery: example

• (see Cutting Edge Int p18)
• Lead-in: to get students interested
• Students listen to song and fill in gaps
• Students answer the questions about the grammar
• Follow up practice

Test – Teach - Test

• Test: Students are given an exercise/activity in which they could produce the TL structure
• Teacher monitors and listens
• Teach: Teacher ‘teaches’ as necessary
• Test: Students are given another exercise/activity

Test – Teach – Test: example

An Eclectic Approach

• Most teachers use a combination of approaches and methods
• Why? To create variety and interest in the learning programme and to tailor the programme for the students.
• How to decide? Level, students’ interests, lesson aim, learning styles