 The spread of English and its expansion of its

use and learning have generated intense

interest in the teaching of English.
 A lot of teaching theories has emerged
claiming to be the best in Language
teaching.
 Grammar-Translation language teaching
 The Direct Method
 Natural language learning
 The communicative approach
 How did it start?

It started with the learning of classical

languages (Latin and Ancient Greek). Since
they were did languages, there was no need
for aural communication.
 What is the theory behind it?

 A language can be taught through the

learners first language.
 Language teaching methods has been
compared to the swinging of the pendulum.
 What is the aim of using grammar and
translation?
 The teachers thought that it makes the
students in contact with civilizations and
literature.
 Also, it trained the mind in logical thought.
 The best examples of language were its great
writers (i.e. Shakespeare, Dante, Pushkin)
 What activities are used in the classroom?

 Grammar rule explanation and practicing in

the native language.

 Translation of literary passages into the

native language.
 What was the problem with it?

 There is no use of the language in real life

outside of academia.

 Grammar and vocabulary are crammed

without regard to meaning.
 How did it start?
 In the nineteenth century new types of
students immerged (immigrants, business
men, and tourists).

 There is no way that they can be taught a

new language through their own native
language.

 There is a huge need for spoken language as

well as written language.
 What is the theory behind it?

 A reaction to grammar-translation

 In countries like the UK and US, it was

difficult to find teachers that speak every
students native language.
 What kind of activities used in the this kind
of classroom?

 Grammar and vocabulary practice in the

second language.
 What was the problem with it?

 The success was measured in the degree in

which the learner’s language proficiency
approximated to that of a native speaker.
 A lot of research in the 1960’s-1980’s were
about language acquisition. It was theorized
that language acquisition is a natural process
(Natural language learning).
 How did it start?

 The researchers thought that second

language learning is similar to that of
children and no instruction of grammar and
vocabulary is needed.
 Only “meaningful input” is needed.
 What activities are used in this kind of
classroom?

 Lots of imperatives (total physical response)

 No need for the student to participate or talk

in the beginning of his/her second language
learning (silent method)

 Real language situations (exactly the kind of

language surrounds a child)
 What was the problem with it?

 The believers in this approach thought that no

matter what the environment was the learning
of a second language would happen.

 Teaching does not affect learning

 There
are no variations that language learning
depend on.
 The insistence on leaving language learning
to natural processes had left the learners
with no ability to use the language in normal
life activities.

 Learners need analysis showed they needed

language to function in the real world.

 Then, came the COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH

 How did it start?

 Research has found that language is best

used through meaningful interaction and
communication.

 The only use for language is to communicate

with it.
 What kind of activities are used in this
classroom?

 the first approach to attend to all four

language skills (reading, writing, listening,
and speaking).
 What is the problem with it?

 The neglect of language instruction for the

sake of task completion is what may make
this method not worthwhile.
 The need for instruction and the use of
grammar is sometimes neglected in the sake
of communicative tasks (if it is
understandable then there is no need for
grammar).
 Beware of the next swing…

 Choose wisely when it comes to teaching FL

to what suits you and your students needs.