Topic 13 History of thedevelopment of Didactic of Foreign Languages

Topic 13 History of thedevelopment of Didactic of Foreign Languages

1. Traditional Approach

   • The Grammar Translation Method
     • Abstrat grammar rules
     • Translation distintive feature of the method
       • Use of the translation of sentences and bilingual dictionaries
     • Accuracy is emphasised and grammar is taught deductively
     • Strain on students' memory
       • memorise enldess list of vocab and grammatical rules
     • Advantages
       • Easy to apply and useful for understanding literary texts
     • Disadvantages
       • It does not meet the language needs of today's learners.

2. Modern Approaches

   • The Direct Method
     • Language is learning without translation and the use of mother tongue
     • Oral method
       • Listening and speaking are taught gradually and sistematically
     • Grammar (learn deductively) and pronunciation are emphasised
     • Translation is avoided and not use of mother tongue. Classes are conducted in target language
     • Advantages
       • Learner is encouraged to think in foreign language
       • the correct pronunciation is emphasised
       • Teaching takes places through demonstration and actions
     • Disadvantages
       • L1 cannot be recreated (the schematic knowdledge has already been learnt)
   • Oral Approach
     • Speech basis of language
     • Structure is the heart of speaking ability
     • Main classroon activity is the oral practice of structures
     • Structures are taught within sentences and vocabulary
     • Objective is teaching the basic language skils through structures
     • No grammatical explanations
     • Oral skills are taught first. reading and writing are achieved throught¡ speech work
     • Dependent of textbooks and visual aids
     • Mother tongue is never used
     • Accuracy in pronunciation and grammar is regarded as crucial
     • Advantages
       • Language teaching begins with the spoken language
       • Grammar items are taught from simple to complex ones
       • Language is always presented and practised within a situation
     • Disadvantage
       • The learner was often unable to use the language in real situation
   • The Audiolingual Approach
     • This method resulted from the increased attention to Language teaching in U.S.A. received towards the end of 1950s
       • U.S.A. army programmes
         • Army needed persnnel who were fluent in different languages
       • Structured approaches
         • Language was identified with speech. This is reach through structure
       • Behaviourism
         • Learning L2 is learning a set of habits. Process of imitation and reinforcement. The main aim is correct linguistic habit, eliminating errors.
     • The main aim is the oral proficiency
       • Accurate pronunciation and grammar
     • Skills in this order: L, S R W
     • Syllabus is structure-based
     • Language structures are learnt through imitation, repetition and memorisation
     • Translation and gramatical explanations are avoided
     • Mother tongue is not allowed
     • Accuracy in pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation is emphasised.
     • Advantages
       • It provides considerable conversational fluency
       • Language is used orally before being seen and used in the written form.
       • Students proceed in very easy steps: simple repetition, simple drills, more complex drills.
     • Disadvantage
       • Procedures are boring and repetitive
     • Tape recorder and audiovisual equipment are essential

3. Current Approaches

   • The Communicative Approach
     • Proposed by Chomsky
       • Sentencs are not learnt by imitation and repetition but generated from the learner's competence
     • Classroom environment for real communication
       • Simulate real life situations in an English-speaking country
     • fundamental dimension of L emphasised:its functional and communicative competence
     • It is a holistic, authentic, experimental and non-analytic method
     • Its goal the development of communicative competence
     • Contextualisation of language
       • Teaching items are introduced in meaningful situations
     • Functional syllabus, arranging the functions not the forms
     • Translations and grammar explanation may be used where and when students need or benefit from it.
     • Fluency and acceptable language prior than accuracy
     • Jucious use of mother tongue is acceptable
     • Materials important role in promoting communicative language use
     • Advantages
       • Teaching focus on real world language use
       • Learner's role in the teaching-learning process is emphasised
       • Teacher's role is helping students and facilitate communicative process
     • Disadvantagess
       • Functional syllabus is more suitable for intermediate students who have already grammatical basis
       • It is argued that pupils must inevitavely learn the grammar of the language
   • Humanistic Approaches
     • Total Physical Response TPR
       • Teach language through physical activity
       • Developed by James Asher
         • Successful foreign language learning is a paralell process of first language acquisition
         • Children respond physically to adults' commands before they produce verbal responses
       • Principles
         • Comprehension abilities precede productive skills. Speaking is delayed until oral comprehension is established.
         • Teaching focus on meaning not on form
         • Teacher should create apositive mood in the learner bydelaying oral production and by promoting game-like movements.
         • The verb in the imperative is the central linguistic form
       • Advantages
         • Important role of comprehension
         • Reduction of the stress in the learner
     • Natural Approach
       • Propossed by Krashen. Input Hypothesis
         • (i+1) Language is acquired by being exposed to language that is one level higher than the students' level.
       • Features
         • as much comprehensible input as possible must be presented
         • any material that helps comprehension is important
         • Focus on L and R. S and W should be allowed to emerge
         • Relaxed classroom atmosphere.Ss should be focus on meaning rather than on form
       • Disadvantages
         • The FL acquisition takes a long time
     • Silent way
       • Teacher should be in silence
       • Learning through creating rather repetition
       • Objects used in the learnng process
       • Silence encourages alertness and concntration in the leaner
       • Indiect role of the teacher of monitoring learner's performance
     • Community Lsnguage Learning
       • Only gives Ss the language they need.
       • Ss sit in circles whispering in their mother tongue, teacher translates for them. They repeat it
     • Sugggestopedia
       • Sit in circle. Amount of FL. Text is translated. Classical music
       • Grammar and lexis in a playful way
     • The learner-centred Approach
       • Train students to be good learners
       • Three areas involved in learner-. Personal assessment, learning strategies and language awareness
       • Advantage.Ss take more responsibilty for their learning.
       • Disadvantage. Matching individuals needs with the group's needs
     • Task-Based Approach
       • Small tasks culminating in final task or project
       • Tasks: information gaps act, reasoning gaps act and opinion gaps act
       • TBA phases: Pre-task phase, task-cycle phase and the language-focus phase
       • Creates opportunities for language use. Tasks involve students exchanging real meaning for real purpose. TBL methodologists reject presentacion-practice-production
       • Advantages. Attention to meaning. Develops communication strategies. Learner training in solving problem. learrner more aware of learning process
       • Disadvantage. Danger Ss gain fluency at the expence of accuracy.