Language Teaching Methodologies
PRESENTATION, PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION (PPP)
What was the main characteristic or the procedure in PPP?
The teacher introduces a situation which contextualizes the language. The language is then presented. The students now practice the language using accurate reproduction techniques. Later, the students, using the new language, make sentences of their own, and this is referred to as production.
What do critics say about PPP?
- It was clearly teacher-centered.
- It seems to assume that students learn “in straight lines”.
- PPP was inadequate because it reflected neither the nature of language nor the nature of learning.
TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR)
How is language taught in TPR?
Language is taught through physical activity.
Who was the inventor?
James Asher, a professor of psychology at San Jose State University, California.
What is TPR?
TPR is a way of moving, gesture, and group dynamics linked with spoken language in the form of commands.
What is the trace theory?
The more often or the more intensively a memory connection is traced, the stronger the memory association will be and the more likely it will be recalled.
How does Asher see successful adult second language learning?
Asher sees successful adult second language learning as a parallel process to child first language acquisition.
What does TPR involve?
It involves game-like movements which reduce learner stress and create a positive mood and so facilitate learning.
What is the central linguistic motif?
The verb and particularly the imperative form.
What are the general objectives of TPR?
The general objectives of TPR are to teach oral proficiency at a beginner level.
What kind of learners does it produce?
TPR aims to produce learners who are capable of uninhibited communication that is intelligible to a native speaker.
How does Asher see L1 and L2 learning?
Asher sees first and second language learning as parallel processes.
What are students required to do?
They are required to listen attentively and respond physically to commands given by the teacher.
How can students learn?
Students can learn through observing actions as well as by performing the actions themselves.
What facilitates learning?
Feelings of success and low anxiety facilitate learning.
What is the teacher’s role in TPR?
- The teacher is the instructor of a stage play in which students are the actors.
- Their role is not so much to teach as to provide opportunities for learning.
What must students be allowed to do?
Students must be allowed to use the language for real communication, taking into account that exercise and drill are neither necessary nor sufficient.
What are the advantages of TPR?
- There is no age barrier.
- TPR seems to work for most languages, including the sign language of the deaf and the language of mathematics.
- TPR can be the major focus of a language program.
TASK-BASED LEARNING (TBL)
What are the characteristics?
- We may have difficulty in pinning down exactly what it means.
- While it may be highly appropriate to base some learning on tasks, it would be unsound to make tasks the basis for an entire pedagogical methodology.
- There is more to language learning than just “work” language.
- While TBL may successfully develop learners’ command of what is known, it is considerably less effective for the systematic teaching of new language.
- Production may force students to pay close attention to form and to the relationship between form and meaning.
What do tasks include?
- Listening
- Ordering
- Comparing
- Problem-solving
- Sharing experiences
- Creative tasks
What are the three stages and what happens in each one?
- Pre-task stage: The teacher explores the topic with the class and may highlight useful words and phrases, helping students to understand the task instructions.
- Task cycle stage: The students perform the task in pairs or small groups while the teacher monitors from a distance.
- Language focus stage: The students examine and discuss specific features of any listening or reading text which they have looked at for the task.
THE NATURAL APPROACH
What are the characteristics?
- Comprehension precedes production.
- Production is allowed to emerge in stages.
- The course syllabus consists of communicative goals.
- Activities done in the classroom are aimed at acquisition.
Name the five hypotheses:
- The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
- The Natural-Order Hypothesis
- The Monitor Hypothesis
- The Input Hypothesis
- The Affective Filter Hypothesis: motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety
Teacher’s Role:
- Is the primary source of comprehensible input.
- The teacher has to create a classroom atmosphere that is interesting, friendly, and makes learning easy.
- Must choose and organize classroom activities.
- Is responsible for collecting materials and designing their use.
- Has a responsibility to communicate clearly and emphatically to students the assumptions, organization, and expectations of the method.
Student’s Role:
- In the pre-production stage, students participate in the language activity without having to respond in the target language.
- In the early-production stage, students respond to either/or questions.
- In the speech-emergent stage, students must get involved in role-play and games.
- They have responsibility to:
- Provide information about their specific goals.
- Take an active role in ensuring comprehensible input.
- Decide when to start producing speech and when to upgrade it.
- Participate in communication activities with other learners.
Advantages:
- The method is thought and learned in a non-formal atmosphere.
- It rejects the formal organization of language as a prerequisite to teaching.
- An adult can effectively be taught by “grammatically unordered materials”.
- The focus is on comprehension and meaningful communication.
- It emphasizes comprehensible and meaningful practice activities.