Comparing Approaches to Language Instruction

Language Teaching Methods: A Comparison

Theoretical Foundation: Classical assumptions about education as a “discipline”; learning a foreign language is the mark of educated persons.
Goals: Vocabulary memorization, grammar rules, translation of passages, reading proficiency.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Teacher as controller.
Typical Activities: Explaining rules, memorizing vocabulary, translating reading passages.
Strengths: Reading proficiency, familiarity with the written form of a language.
Weaknesses: No oral practice or fluency, reliance on memorization, no SLA research to undergird it.

Theoretical Foundation: L2 and L1 learning similarity, meaningful associations.
Goals: Oral fluency, conversation ability.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Teacher directed, learners respond to modeled language.
Typical Activities: Repeating teacher models, practicing dialogues, whole class.
Strengths: Cognitive associations, real-world relevance, common survival language is practiced.
Weaknesses: Limited in scope, learner creativity is not encouraged, writing not emphasized.

Theoretical Foundation: Habit formation through repetition, primacy of oral communication.
Goals: Oral communication skills, pronunciation fluency.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Highly teacher directed, learners respond to modeled language, learners practice target language on their own.
Typical Activities: Repeating teacher-modeled prescribed dialogues, oral pattern practice, pronunciation drilling, memorized dialogues in pairs.
Strengths: Emphasis on oral language building, learner confidence, use of taped dialogues provides models.
Weaknesses: Little room for creativity.

Theoretical Foundation: Whole-person counseling learning model of education, class members function as a community, inductive learning.
Goals: Oral communicative proficiency.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Teacher is a counselor, a source of information; learner is a client, progressing from dependence to independence.
Typical Activities: Learners initiate desired language in their L1, teacher provides translation into L2, learners request linguistic information.
Strengths: Burden is on the learner to initiate language, they decide topics, class builds community collaboratively, teacher is a resource.
Weaknesses: No set curriculum, so progress is dependent on student initiative, tedious, trial and error process, overly non-directive.

Theoretical Foundation: Relaxed state of consciousness, create low anxiety, power of suggestion.
Goals: Oral communication, conversational exchange, reading ability, acquisition of vocabulary.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Highly teacher directed, teacher initiates concert sessions and oral models, learners acquire subconsciously.
Typical Activities: Concert session with music in background, learners listen quietly in a state of relaxation, repetition drills, role plays, dialogue practice.
Strengths: Low anxiety situations, relaxation states offer optimal reception, appreciation of literary texts.
Weaknesses: Highly structured curriculum, over-reliance on assumptions about relaxation.

Theoretical Foundation: Discovery learning, use of mediating physical objects, problem-solving approach.
Goals: Oral communication, conversational exchange, reading ability, acquisition of vocabulary.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Highly teacher directed, teacher is mostly silent, learners are responsible for initiating questions.
Typical Activities: Teacher modeling of target language items, use of colored objects, charts, diagrams.
Strengths: Learning by discovery facilitates autonomy and collaboration.
Weaknesses: Teacher can become too distant, tedious, trial and error process.

Theoretical Foundation: L1 and L2 learning are similar, comprehension-based approach, language connects with physical action.
Goals: Listening comprehension, oral communicative skills.
Learner-Teacher Roles: Teacher directed, learners respond to modeled language, collaborate on simple routines.
Typical Activities: Imperative commands given, respond with actions, role plays.
Strengths: Low anxiety situations, physical linguistic connections, not forced to speak too early.
Weaknesses: Advocacy of silent period, overemphasis on physical actions, imperatives wear thin after the first few weeks.