paper:12,English language teaching

Name: Joshi Deepti M

     Sem: 3              

     Paper: English language teaching

     Topic: Two major approaches:

1.     Communicative Approach

2.     Structural Approach

    Submitted to:

                                                Smt.S.B Gardi

                    Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji

                                Bhavanagar University, Bhavanagar

                                                Gujarat (India)

 

Introduction:

                       The language is not to be considered merely as a medium of  instruction or a subject of learning at all levels of education, but as a powerful medium of expression as it plays a vital role in developing intellectual and cultural life of an individual.

The language learning actually becomes a medium of growth in human life as it makes the mind imaginative, widens intellectual interests by way of giving our social and occupational life. Thus the language paves a distinct way and opens the gates of knowledge and wisdom to attain goals of life.

History of English Teaching Methodology:

  The problem of teaching English as a foreign language, particularly from methodological point of view caused a serious concern to the experts and teachers of English. And a history of English teaching methodology can be summarized as-

(a) Prof.Thorndike’s theory of teaching English vocabulary, 1921         .

(b) The theory of Dr. Michael West based on his research in Dacca, 1926.

(c) The experiments and studies in modern language teaching by Coleman, 1934.

(d)Dr.Charles Fries developed an oral approach for teaching and learning English

      As a foreign language, 1945.                         

(e)Dr.I.T Richardson and Miss.G.M.Gibson developed the direct method.

In a way, we can say that by the 1945, English language has been teaching and learning through various approaches and methods. Now let’s see two major approaches of language learning in broad sense:

Communicative Approach:

 At present, as we find students are by and large not able to use the language that they learn in either written or oral form. In other words it is their inability to communicate with each-other. It is may be because of the lacking of old method of teaching. And to overcome from that situation now scholars insists teachers to use communicative approach in language learning as its whole focus is on communicative proficiency rather than on more mastery of language. in simple way communicative approach means LEARNING BY USING. Lerner learns the language by using it.

Principle of CLT:

§  One of the most characteristic features is that it pays systematic attention to the function as well as structural aspect of language.

§  It is not in favor of mere structural teaching. The approach of English language teaching should be shifted from pattern practice to group work and pair work.

§  It is also not in favor of behaviorist theory of psychology but advocates the cognitive theory of psychology in learning a language.

§  English language learning should proceed from linguistic syntax to semantic.

§  There should be meaning based teaching and meaning should find paramount place in communicative language teaching

§  It deals with natural chunks and real discourse, not component.

§  It considers communicative needs of learners and therefore class-room activities are based on communicative activities like information gap, choice, and varieties of language.

§  It tries to develop interpretative abilities in the learners.

§  It believes in developing basic language skills in an integrated way and favors the abolition of tradition distinction of four basic skills.

§  It suggests providing maximum opportunities to the learners in order to take part in meaningful communicative interaction.

§  Student’s mistakes or error may be tolerated during the process of learning and they are not to be discouraged.

§  It believes in learner centered approach. Here learner is in foreground and teacher is in background. Learner’s autonomy in learning is to be encouraged.

§  The teacher’s role is to be limited as initiator, facilator, and guide and co-communicative.

§  Pair-work and Group-work activities should be given priority at all level of learning.

§  The central feature of CLT is to put the learner in situations in order to adjust.

Teacher’s Role in CLT

Teacher of English will have to……………

§  Create non-threatening learning environment in the class room.

§  Approach should be learner oriented and not teacher-oriented.

§  Try to raise maximum learner involment and minimize teacher’s interference during the process of learning.

§  He /she have to provide learners with opportunities to practice their language skills through the process of class-room interaction.

§  The role of teacher should be of an observer, supervisor, councellor, a guide, an informer on an inquirer and a facilitator who facilitate learning by posing problems rather than offering ready solutions.

§  Teachers are expected to create a need for the learners to communicate for real purpose using real language.

Quality and Nature of Learner

§  In most of the class-room the quality and nature of learners are purposive. The learners try to develop inter relationship with another. They form different groups in the class-room.

§  Some groups are known as Heterogeneous and some groups are known as Homogeneous.

§  Learners of this group have some age, skills and alikeness of attitudes for learning a foreign language.

§  They try to learn continuously and get mastery over the foreign language within reasonable time.

§  They adjust well with one another students and teacher.so, interaction takes place very easily and naturally in the class-room.

§  While in the Heterogeneous group, the learners are of different level of their capacities, age and achievement. They also get the opportunity to work with clever learners and to learn from them.

§  Learning interest is also essential for effective learning. It can only take place in response to the felt interest of the learning. When the interest of learner is strong enough and he sets a goal for achievement, learning will be more effective.

§  In short, it is essential that the students must have a healthy attitude. Good quality of the behavior and a strong interest towards learning a foreign language.

The Structural Approach:

Structural approach may be defined primarily as the ‘’Arrangement of words’’ in such a way as to form a suitable pattern. It may also be defined as the syllabus of graded structures and controlled vocabulary taught through aural-oral approach. Shri.Menon and Patel say;

“This approach is based on the belief that in the learning of a foreign language, mastery of structure is more important than the acquisition of vocabulary.’’

The structural approach strictly believes that the teaching of language differs from other subjects like history of geography as language learning is a skill when other subjects are of knowledge nature. Our teaching of language therefor must be based on those activities which are useful in learning the skill. The skill is learned by daily practice which requires repetition. This repetition should always be in meaningful situations and should not process. And structural approach teaches the language through the help of graded structures, vocabulary and other language elements. Selection and gradation of teaching material is therefore the main consideration of this approach.

Principle of structural approach:

§  The importance of speech as the necessary means of fixing firmly all ground work.

§  The importance of forming language habits, particularly the habit of arranging word in English standard sentence patterns. To replace the sentence of the learner’s own language.

§  The importance of learner activity rather than the activity of the teacher.

Merits:

§  The emphasis oral or spoken form of the language and therefore there should be plenty of oral work providing more opportunities to learner to learn the use of language. Thus, language learning through oral work become real and lives.

§  Much importance is given to speech as language is described as speech and not writing. This helps the learner to learn or to acquire a good pronunciation and fluency in speech.

§  With the help of his approach, a suitable environment rather than work-shop environment can be created in the class-room for learning foreign language.

§  It provides more opportunities to the learners to express the ideas, feeling and experience. As such it helps them to acquire more command over the language.

§  It is a great help in teaching basic skills of English language as it brings about a harmonious development of the skills implied in language learning.

§  Due to the maximum activities on part of the learners, they are not to remain passive listeners but that remain as active participant in the teaching-learning process.

         Demerits:

§  Experiences tell that this approach is more suitable and applicable only to the lower or junior classes and it is not found useful in higher classes where students are prepared for the public examination.

§  The condition in school over crowded class-rooms, heavy workload and rigid curriculum make the approach impracticable.

§  Selected and granted structures can only be taught through this approach while other language aspects can’t be taught effectively.

§  The approach puts more emphasis on repetition and drill and therefore teaching-learning becomes dull, mechanical and monotonous to some extent.

§  Since the approach attaches more importance to the oral presentation and speech, reading, writing and vocabulary expansion are neglected.

§  Very few learners can take advantages from this approach. Who are bright and intelligent and the average learner on other hand are not able to take sufficient advantages and that are therefore leg behind in learning.

§  This approach is applicable only to lower level not at higher level.

§  In this approach learner is parroting the language rather to use it in his own way.

§  Learner cannot communicate in other situation. They cannot use language according to situation

                    Comparison between CLT 7 & SLT:

                    

SLT	CLT
·        Attends to structures and form more than meaning.	·        Meaning is given paramount place.
·        Demands memorization and oral practice of structural items dialogue etc.	·        Dialogues and conversation are used around communicative functions and are not memorized.
·        Language items are not necessarily contextualized.	·        Contextualization is a basic need.
·        Language learning means learning structure, sounds and words.	·        Language learning is aimed on learning to communicate.
·        Mastery is sought	·        Effective communication is sought.
·        Repetition and drill is considered as a central technique.	·        Drilling may be used but not important.
·        Native pronunciation is sought.	·        Only comprehensible pronunciation is sought.
·        Communicative activities come after a process of drills experience.	·        Communicative activities are encouraged from very beginnings.
·        The use of mother language is forbidden.	·        Judicious use of mother language is accepted as when needed.
·        Translation is any way is not allowed.	·        Translation may be used when and where students need it or benefit from it.
·        Linguistic competence is the desired goal.	·        Communicative competence is desired goal. Ability to use the language.
·        Verities of language are recognized but not emphasized.	·        Linguistic variation is a central concept in materials and methodology.
·        The teacher controls the learners and prevents them from doing anything those conflicts with theory.	·        Teacher s to keep the learners in any way that motivate them to work with the language.
·        Language is taken as habit formation and errors are to be prevented at all cost.	·        Here language is created by the learner often through trial and errors.
·        Learners are expected to interact with the language.	·        They are to interact with other people through pair work.
Can be used at lower level. Useful to beginners.	·        Can be used at high level. For beginners and old learner too.
·        IT’s a formal way of learning.	·        It’s an informal way of learning.

Conclusion:

  Language learning is a different from other subjects so it requires systematic process. Thus teacher should use all approaches and method in teaching language as every approach has its merits and demerits. Teacher should take advantages of various approach, if it will be used properly than its best way of teaching language, by avoiding all the hurdles of approaches teacher can use all approaches at a time.