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TOPIC 13: THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING: THE…

- - - - Structures are taught within sentences.
      - Accuracy in both pronunciation and grammar is regarded as crucial. Errors are to be avoided.
      - Oral skills are taught first.
      - Learners are not given grammatical explanations
      - The main objective is to teach the basic skill of language.
      - The mother tongue is never used.
      - The method is dependent on both a text book and wisual aids.
    - - Simple forms must be taught before complex ones.
      - Language is always presented and practiced within a context.
      - Language teaching begins with the spoken language.
    - - It was influenced by British structuralism and Saussure Theories
      - Speech is the basis of language and structure: the heart of speaking ability.
      - This approach began in the 1920s and 1930s.
    - - The learner was often unable to use the language for real communication.
  - - - Accuracy in pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation are emphasized.
      - Translation and grammar explanation are avoided.
      - Language structures are learnt through imitation, repetitions and memorization. Drills and dialogues form the basis of a structure-based approach.
      - The use of the mother tongue is not allowed.
      - Language skills are taught in this order: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
      - Tape recorders and audiovisual equipment are essential.
      - The main aim in the aerly stages is oral proficiency, accurate pronunciation and grammar and the ability to react and answer quickly.
    - - Language is practiced orally and the students start with simple repetitions, then go on to simple drills, then to more complex drills
      - It provides the learner with considerable conversational fluency.
    - - It started towards the end of the 1950s.
      - It is based on:
        
        Structural approaches: language was identified with speech, and speech was reached through structure. Learning a language is the learning of the rules by which the elements of a language are combined. These elements are phonemes, morphemes, words and sentences.
        
        Behaviourism: according to it, learning a second language is learning a set of habits. It's a process of imitation and reinforcement. This view comes from Skinner. The main aim is to eliminate errors to the maximum.
        
        The USA army programmes: the entry of the USA into World War II had a great effect on language teaching in America. The aim was for the personnel to reach conversational proficiency. New Methods were necessary to attain this opal. Bloomfield and his colleagues were the developers of these methods.
    - - It is boring and repetitive.
      - Students are often unable to use the language for real communication outside the classroom.
      - Much of this method consist of mechanical drilling.
      - They lack creativity.
  - - - Correct pronunciation and grammar are emphasized.
      - Grammar is taught inductively.
      - Only everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught.
      - Translation is avoided.
      - Listening comprehension and speaking are taught gradually and systematically. Reading and writing can be developed later.
      - Teachers don't follow textbooks, they follow their own plan.
      - Oral communication is the main objective.
    - - More immediate correction is possible, certain in spoken language.
      - Correct pronunciation is emphasized.
      - The language used is more realistic and meaningful.
      - The teaching takes place through demonstration and action.
      - The students are exposed to the spoken language.
      - The learners are encouraged to think in the foreign language.
    - - People learnt languages by hearing them and engaging in conversation.
      - A forieng language could be learnt without translation or the use of the learners' native tongue.
      - Towards the mid 19th century the Grammar Traslation Method started to be questioned in several European countries
    - - It requires native teachers
      - The complete avoidance of the mother tongue by the teacher is often counterproductive.
      - The classroom is an artificial environment where it is difficult to generate natural learning teachers.
- - - - Fluency is prior to accuracy. Errors are seen as normal.
      - Grammar explanation is used if the students benefit from it.
      - Translation may be used where and when students need or benefit from it.
      - A judicious use of the mother tongue is also accepted.
      - Teaching items are introduced in a meaningful context. There are two stages: Pre-communicative stage and communicative stage.
      - Materials have a very important role. Variation is essential: Audio-visual materials, games, realia...
      - The goal of language teaching is for the learner to develop communicative competence.
    - - The role of the learner is emphasized.
      - The role of the teacher is to help learners in any way that motivates them to work with the language.
      - Teaching focus its attention on real world language use
    - - Students must inevitably learn the grammar of the language.
      - Many teachers consider that this approach is not suitable for all levels
  - - - The learner should be encouraged to speak as much as possible
      - Learning Hypothesis:
        
        Physical objects are used in the learning process.
        
        Silence, like avoidance of repetition, encourages alertness and concentration in the learner.
        
        Learning takes place if the learners discover what they have to learn.
      - The teacher should be as silent as possible
      - The Silent Way focuses on the capacity for self-awareness, a capacity that differs from first language acquisition.
      - It was devised by Caleb Gattegno
      - Gattegno claims that first language acquisition and second language acquisition are totally different processes.
    - - The "counselor" is the teacher and the "clients" are the learners.
      - It attempts to give the students only the language needed.
      - It is based on the principle that true human learning is both cognitive and affective. Langauge learning is "person in contact".
      - Procedure:
        
        The teacher translates it into the target language.
        
        The student repeats the message in the foreign language into a cassette.
        
        A student whispers a message in the mother tongue.
        
        Students compose further messages with the teacher's help and the reflect upon their messages and their feelings.
      - The method was devised by Charles A. Current
      - The teacher must be non-directive. There is a lack of syllabus, which makes objectives unclear, and he/she needs to be trained in counselling-techniques.
    - - Like TPR, the Natural Approach gives importance to comprehension and production.
      - Features:
        
        Anything that helps comprehension is important
        
        Focus on listening and reading: speaking should be allowed to emerge. Learners' silent period should be respected.
        
        As much comprehensible input as possible must be presented.
        
        A relaxed classroom atmosphere, which will lower the affective filter.
      - He distinguished between acquisition and learning.
      - Problems:
        
        The acquisition takes a long time.
        
        It doesn't make sense that learnt language doesn't lead to acquisition.
      - Krashen proposed the term Natural, the method conform the principles of how children learn their First Language.
    - - The main aim is to train students to be independent learners.
      - The teacher is a helper.
      - The focus is on the student
      - Learner's autonomy is the goal of learner training, the learner becomes his/her own teacher.
      - Since the 1970s, methodologists claimed that learners had an active role in their learning processes.
      - Advantage:
        
        The students take on more responsibility for their own learning.
      - Disadvantage:
        
        The difficulty in matching individual needs with group needs.
    - - Children respond physically to adults' commands before they produce verbal responses.
      - The principles of this method are:
        
        Teaching should focus on meaning rather than form
        
        Teaching should focus on meaning rather than form.
        
        Comprehension abilities precede productive skills.
        
        Teaching should reduce learners stress.
      - It attempts to teach language through physical activity.
      - Advantages:
        
        The important role of comprehension and the reduction of stress in the learner.
      - It was developed by James Asher
      - Disadvantages:
        
        We must use it with other methods and techniques.