Unit 15 · Approaches to language teaching

An approach to language teaching refers to our view of language and our view of how language learning takes place, and sometimes also to the ways or methods of teaching we use in the classroom which are based on those views. In this unit the terms ‘approaches’ and ‘methods’ are used interchangeably, as they are in the TKT, for views of language and language learning and the classroom practices that correspond to them.

◆What is an approach to language teaching?

An approach to language teaching may refer to our view of language and our view of how language learning takes place. We may think, for example, that language is a set of grammar rules, and that language learning takes place by learning those rules and using them to work out the meaning of texts through translation. Sometimes approaches also refer to the ways or methods of teaching that we use in the classroom and that are based on these views. Supporters of communicative approachesAn approach to teaching and practising language which is based on the principle that learning a language successfully involves real written and spoken communication rather than just memorising a series of rules. Teachers using communicative approaches try to f… click to keep open · see glossary, for example, believe that language is a tool to communicate meaning, and that, generally speaking, we learn language best by using it in communicative activitiesI.e. activities where learners communicate with each other in speaking or writing click to keep open · see glossary that focus on fluency.

In this unit the terms ‘approaches’ and ‘methods’ will be used interchangeably, as they are in the TKT, to refer to views of language and language learning and the classroom practices that correspond to these views.

◆Key concepts — comparing two approaches

Here are some features typical of two approaches. What differences can you see between them?

You can see that these two approaches differ in their view of language and language learning and in their classroom practices. Approaches involve our beliefs about teaching, language and language learning and how we translate these beliefs into classroom practices.

◆Key concepts — PPP, the Lexical Approach and the Functional Approach

As you can imagine, there are many different approaches to teaching. These reflect people’s different views on what language is made up of, how languages are learnt and what classroom practices effectively bring about learning. Certain approaches have had a great influence on English language teaching practices and materials. Let’s look at some of them and their most typical characteristics:

Presentation, Practice and Production (PPP)

View of language: grammatical structures and functions are the most important aspect of language.

View of language learning: language is learnt by first seeing new language in a context1. The situation in which language is used or presented; e.g. a story about a holiday experience could be used as the context to present and practise past tenses. Photographs can help to provide a context for a magazine article. 2. The words or phrases before … click to keep open · see glossary which shows its meaning, practising it in controlled and guided conditions, then using it in freer conditions which give the learner less language support.

Classroom practices:

• The syllabus focuses on grammatical structures or functions.
• Lessons move from the presentation stage to the practice stage to the production stage.
• Learners should not be allowed to make mistakes during the practice stage.
• The teacher inputs language (provides examples and gives information about it), and guides students.
• The learners are guided by the teacher and do not make decisions about what or how to learn.
• Typical activities are situational presentations and miming at the presentation stage, drillsControlled practice activities in which learners repeat model language, e.g. choral, individual, substitution or transformation drills. click to keep open · see glossary at the controlled practice stage, role-plays and information-gap activities at the production stage.

Lexical Approach

View of language: vocabulary is the most important aspect of language. Vocabulary consists of individual words and different kinds of chunksAny pair or group of words commonly found together or near one another, e.g. phrasal verbs (get on), idioms (it drives me crazy), collocations (make the bed), fixed expressions (How do you do?). See lexical unit. click to keep open · see glossary (see Unit 2) such as collocations, idioms, fixed expressions.

View of language learning: language is learnt by learning chunks as whole and complete units. Chunks need to be noticed by learners in order to be learnt, i.e. learners need to become aware of chunks and focus on them.

Classroom practices:

• The syllabusThis describes the language and skills to be covered on a course, and the order in which they will be taught. The content of a syllabus will be based on the writer’s beliefs about language learning. See curriculum. click to keep open · see glossary focuses on lexisIndividual words or sets of words, e.g. homework, study, whiteboard, get dressed, be on time. Lexical means connected with words or sets of words. See lexical approach, lexical set, lexical unit. click to keep open · see glossary.
• Learners work with authentic written or spoken texts in the classroom.
• Learners are given activities which encourage them to notice chunks in texts, e.g. noting them down, underlining them.
• After noticing chunks, learners are asked to carry out tasks which will involve them in using the chunks.

Functional Approach

View of language: functions are the most important aspect of language.

View of language learning: as for PPP.

Classroom practices:

• The syllabus focuses on functions usually gradedI.e. grammatical structures, vocabulary, skills, etc. are presented in a logical or clear sequence for learning click to keep open · see glossary according to their frequency of use in practical daily life and to learners’ communicative needsThe language, language skills or learning strategies a learner still has to learn in order to reach their goals, which are the things they want personally and professionally which are connected to their learning. For example, a learner might need to have good … click to keep open · see glossary.
• The Functional Approach does not have any typical practices of its own. It often makes use of PPP stages in lessons, or of communicative activities.

◆Key concepts — communicative approaches, Grammar–Translation and Total Physical Response

Communicative approaches

View of language: communication is the most important aspect of language. Meaning is communicated through functions, grammar, vocabulary, discourse and skills.

View of language learning: the best way to learn language is to use it in interactionInteraction is two-way communication between listener and speaker, or reader and text. Interactive strategies are the ways used, especially in speaking, to keep people involved and interested in what is said or to keep communication going, e.g. eye contact, us… click to keep open · see glossary, rather than to learn about it.

Classroom practices:

• The syllabus focuses on tasks, functions and topic areas based on learners’ communicative needs.
• Pair and group work enable lots of interaction to take place in the classroom, so they are a key part of classroom activities.
• Communicating meaning is very important.
• Fluency is more important than accuracyThe ability to do something without making mistakes. Accuracy is the use of correct forms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation. In an accuracy activity, teachers and learners usually focus on using and producing language correctly. See fluency. click to keep open · see glossary. Classroom activities focus on fluency much more than accuracy.
• Authentic materialsWritten or spoken texts which a first language speaker might read or listen to. They may be taken from newspapers, radio, the internet etc. The language in the texts is not adapted or made easier for learners or the language learning process. click to keep open · see glossary (examples of real language used for real communication) provide useful input for learners and are therefore often used in the classroom.
• In the classroom, learners become active users of the language; the teacher’s role focuses particularly on setting up communicative activities, providing correction after fluency activities, and inputting language when needed.

Grammar–Translation

View of language: language is made up of grammatical rules.

View of language learning: language is learnt by analysing and applying grammatical rules.

Classroom practices:

• Studying grammatical rules presented through grammatical terms, then applying them in exercises.
• Working out what language means by applying rules.
• LearningTo think about a lesson after teaching it or to think about learning in order to decide what worked, what did not work, and how to improve teaching/learning in the future. click to keep open · see glossary lists of words by heart.
• Translating texts and/or isolated sentences from L1 to L2 or vice versa.
• EmphasisWhen special force or attention is given to a word or information because it is important, e.g. I want to start the lesson at SIX o’clock, not seven o’clock. click to keep open · see glossary on grammatical accuracy.

Total Physical Response (TPR)

View of language: grammatical structures and vocabulary are the most important aspect of language.

View of language learning:

• Learners learn by being exposed to language. ComprehensionUnderstanding something which is spoken or written. Teachers give learners comprehension tasks to help them understand listening and reading texts or to assess understanding. click to keep open · see glossary comes before production.
• Learners often need a silent periodThe time when learners who are beginning to learn a first (or second) language prefer to listen (or read) before producing the language; e.g. babies have a silent period when they listen to their parents before starting to try to speak themselves. click to keep open · see glossary (a period of time during which learners hear language rather than produce it, as babies do) to take in language, so they should not be forced to speak before they are ready.
• Language is learnt best when it is accompanied by doing things physically.
• Learning takes place when learners are relaxed.

Classroom practices:

• Used mainly with young learners and beginners.
• The syllabus focuses on grammatical structures and vocabulary involved in giving and following instructions.
• Lessons involve the teacher giving instructions and the learners physically carrying out the instructions in the classroom, e.g. ‘Walk to the table’, ‘Open the door’.
• At more advanced stages and after their silent period, learners give one another instructions.

◆Key concepts — Guided discovery, content-based learning and CLIL

Guided discovery

View of language: language has patterns of meaning and use.

View of language learning: learners learn language best if they work out patterns and rules of language themselves rather than being given them by the teacher.

Classroom practices:

• The teacher gives learners examples of a target language1. The language which is the focus of the lesson or a part of the lesson. It could be grammar, lexis, functions or pronunciation, e.g. the present perfect, or vocabulary for parts of the body, or giving advice. 2. The language being studied (often called the L… click to keep open · see glossary area, e.g. a text containing several examples of the past tense, a recording containing several sentences each with different patterns of sentence stressSee stress. click to keep open · see glossary. The teacher then asks the learners to work out what the rules of use seem to be for the target language.
• The teacher often gives the learners the rules after they have worked them out or asks them to complete gapped rules.
• This approach is often used together with PPP, Task-based Learning and the Functional Approach.

Content-based learning

View of language: grammatical, lexical, functional areas and skills are all important.

View of language learning: language is learnt best if presented to learners through interesting topics which help them increase their knowledge of the world.

Classroom practices:

• The syllabus focuses on grammar, lexis, functions or skills.
• Used mainly in primary and secondary schools.
• Language is presented through topics related to school subjects or learning about the world.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

View of language:

• Language serves to communicate meaning.
• All aspects of language help communicate meaning, e.g. skills, discourse, lexis, grammar, functions.

View of language learning:

• Language is learnt mainly through acquisitionTo learn a language without studying it, just by hearing and/or reading it and then using it. This is the way people usually learn their first language. See exposure, pick up (language). click to keep open · see glossary and through using it. Language does not need to be obviously focused on.
• Language is learnt best when you use language to learn something else.

Classroom practices:

• The syllabus is based round learning about the subject matter and cognitiveRelating to thinking and mental processes such as remembering, understanding and solving problems. click to keep open · see glossary (thinking and learning) skills related to a school subject, e.g. maths, history, art.
• The school subject is taught in the L2 (L3/L4).
• The specific kinds of language learnt are the language needed for learning about the subject.
• Lessons focus on the subject rather than on language.

As you can see, the approaches outlined above vary in how specificInvolving one particular thing or one type of thing; e.g. teachers might talk about teaching a specific language point. This means that they are teaching one particular language point, e.g. If I were you, I’d … for giving advice. click to keep open · see glossary they are about views on language and language learning and their typical classroom practices. Some are more developed in some areas than others. While these featuresFeatures such as speed of delivery and accent are part of connected speech click to keep open · see glossary are typical of these approaches, they are not always totally accurate descriptions of them, as approaches change and individual teachers use them differently.

◆Key concepts — the eclectic approach

Many language teachers these days do not use one single approach. They may use one approach one week and a different approach the next, or they may include in one approach practices typical of another. For example, you sometimes see lessons in which the teacher asks learners to carry out a task before giving a PPP lesson on the same area, or you see a communicative lesson in which the learners are asked to do a drill on a common mistake. This ‘mix and match’ approach is called an eclecticUsing a mixture of different methods, approaches or techniques rather than following just one. click to keep open · see glossary approach, i.e. an approach which mixes techniques from different approaches. Many teachers, coursebooks and syllabuses use an eclectic approach because they think that it is not clear exactly how languages are learnt, so it may not be helpful for learners to use only one approach. Also, different learners have different learning stylesThe different ways in which learners prefer to learn, e.g. visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, group or individual styles. click to keep open · see glossary and different ideas about how language should be learnt. Using an eclectic approach can allow the teacher to teach learners more appropriately. Experience shows that some approaches work better in some contexts than others. What works in one teaching context may not work in another.

◆Key concepts and the language teaching classroom

Read these tips and tick the ones which are most important for you.

• Many teachers want to know which approach to teaching is best. But in fact it is difficult to say that one approach is better than another. For example, for a group of motivatedWanting to learn and being willing to make an effort; motivated learners work hard and stay interested. click to keep open · see glossary upper-intermediate 18-year-olds who are learning English for their future jobs in the tourist industry, a communicative approach may well be very useful. However, for another group of 18-year-olds taking a grammar exam to get into university a Structural Approach might be more suitable.
• The best approach to use depends on who your learners are and what your teaching conditions are. Consider learners’ age, level of English, motivationMotivation is the thoughts and feelings which make us want to and continue to want to do something and which turn our wishes into action. click to keep open · see glossary to learn, expectations of learning, previous learning experience. Think, too, about the aimsAims are not the same as procedures. click to keep open · see glossary of the course your learners are on, what resourcesSee aids, reference materials, learning resources. click to keep open · see glossary are available to the classroom, class size and number of hours of English in the course.
• Some people believe in an eclectic approach which uses classroom practices from a variety of approaches/methods. This can be a successful approach, but it needs to be used carefully. If you are constantly changing your methods and approaches, your learners may become confused and begin to think that you are not very sure of your teaching style. It is important to mix techniques in a way which is coherent, so that all activities develop well out of one another and work towards the lesson’s aims.

✎Follow-up activity

💡Reflect

🔍Discovery activities

✎TKT practice tasks

These multiple-choice tasks are exactly as in the book, but interactive: pick your answers, check your score, and retry anytime. The scoring uses the official answer key from the back of the book.

📖Glossary terms in this unit

Key terms highlighted in this unit — study them on the flashcards page.