LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Darío P. Chanaluisa T.

CHAPTER V: Approaches to Language Teaching

Present- day Teaching Methods

Explanation of a grammar rule, with example sentences

Vocabulary: a bilingual listExercises which include translation in both

directions: from L1 to L2 and L2 to L1

1. GRAMMAR TRANSLATION

CharacteristicsThe model sentences are usually

understandable, but the focus is entirely on form, and not meaning.

The used information could be relevant and interesting.

Grammar- Translation is grammatically sequenced.

This method fails to provide a great deal of comprehensible input.

It doesn’t help to students to manage conversations with native speakers.

The students are supposed to listen to a dialogue and mimic it and eventually memorize it.

It contains different structures and vocabulary.

2. AUDIO - LINGUALISM

CharacteristicsThis method provides comprehensible input.The contain of the dialogue should contain

useful and interesting language.It is clearly grammatically sequenced based

usually on linguistic simplicity.The goal is the memorization of the

dialogue, not the comprehension of a message.

Audio- lingual method teaching results in inductive learning, not a conscious learning.

This method has certain similarity to grammar- translation, but also differs in some ways.

It attempts to help the students in all four skills.

It provides very little comprehensible input.This method is grammatically sequenced.It talks about a communicative competence.Error correction on all output is part of this

method.Rulea are learnable and a conscious

knowledge should be available.

3. COGNITIVE- CODE

This method focusses on inductive teaching of grammar.

The goal is the students guess or work out the rules of the language.

This method insists on accuracy and errors are corrected in class.

It is strictly gramatically sequenced.A conscious control is necessary for

acquisition.It demands full control of late- acquired

structures in oral production

4. THE DIRECT METHOD

The teacher speaks only the target language in the classroom.

The goals are to enable students to talk about ideas, perform tasks, and solve problems.

It uses different materials to make the speech comprehensible (pictures, students’ previous knowledge)

It encourages discussion on topics of personal interest to the students.

Students do not have to produce in the second language until they feel ready.

5. THE NATURAL APPROACH

It consists of obeying commands given by the instructor that involve a physical response.

Example: “Stand up, sit down, open the door, etc.”

It could make the class interesting and it could produce excellent results.

It has a grammatical focus.Grammar will be learned inductively, the

students will work out the correct form of the rule during the class activity.

It allows an active participation of students.

6. TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

It suggest three elements: an attractive classroom, a dynamic teacher and a state of relaxed alertness in the students.

Example: each member of the class is given a new name and role to play.

The most of situations are based on situations familiar to the student and the use of the students’ first language.

The goal is to find an excellent and pleasant environment for the student.

7. SUGGESTOPEDIA

APPLIED LINGUISTICS RESEARCH

It talks about solving a problem, with or without reference to an underlying theory. Besides this topic consists of empirical comparisons of language teaching methods.

For example differences between older and newer methods.

Basically, these differences could be noticed within different views or situations, for example: number of students, age, previous knowledge, materials, etc.

Here a table which shows many differences among four methods.

Differences among methods

Alternatives to MethodsCONVERSATION:

Conversation with native speakers.

PLEASURE READING: Analyze and understand a text.

USING SUBJECT MATTER FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING.

EVIDENCE FOR SUBJECT MATTER TEACHING: The immersion programs:

TestingDifferent ways and situations which help both

students as teachers. Teachers can know the knowledge level of the students and the students how much knowledhe they have acquired.

MaterialsA lot of things which improve the

language teaching or learning. Example: laboratories, books, posters, worksheets, Cds, Videos, flascards, etc,