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A brief history of language

teaching.. So far

By Isabel Morales

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METHOD AND APPROACH

• METHOD: It`s more related to the theory aspect of 

teaching. It contains a particular view about teaching in

which there are no contradictions. It tells us how to

teach. (wiki.answers.com) • APPROACH: It’s more related to practical teaching. An

approach may use more than one method while

teaching. It tells us what to teach. (wiki.answers.com)

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Situational Language Teaching 

• Developed by British applied linguists in the

1930s to the 1960s

• Speech was viewed as the basis of language and

structure as being at the heart of speaking

ability

• Behaviorism is the theory of learning underlying

Situation Language Teaching

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Situational Language Teaching 

• THEORY OF LEARNING

 – language learning is habit-formation

 – mistakes are bad and should be avoided, as they

make bad habits

 – language skills are learned more effectively if they

are presented orally first, then in written form

 – the meanings of words can be learned only in alinguistic and cultural context

 –  

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Situational Language Teaching 

• OBJECTIVES

 – a practical command of the four basic skills of a

language, through structure

 – accuracy in both pronunciation and grammar

 – ability to respond quickly and accurately in speech

situations

 – automatic control of basic structures and sentencepatterns.

 –  

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1. 1850s-1950s: Grammar Translation Method

• Language was taught as grammar, a set of rules(after classical languages, Latin and Greek)

•

Practice through written exercises• Mother tongue as a medium of instruction

• Translated lists of vocabulary

• 2L composition was the highest point

• Speaking and listening less important, conversationwas an extra.

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2. 1890s-now: Direct method

• Initially developed as a reaction to the previous grammar

methods

• Specific to Berlizt chain of schools; USA pioneers

• The most important skills are listening and speaking• 2L (English) is the medium of instruction; no translation

• Sequences of strictly chosen grammatical phrases are

learnt

•

Vocabulary: phrases or groups specific to types of situations

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3. 1960s-1970s (USA): Audio-lingual method &

Structuralist view of language 

• ‘Scientificised´ version of the direct method

• Based on principles of behaviour psychology: stimulus-response learning

• Language is a set of ‘structures’ (stating a new science of 

linguistics):E.g.: “This shirt needs + washing, mending, ironing..”; Hehas + washed, ironed, folded,..the clothes

• Grammar rules are an illusion, it’s structure-focused

• Vocabulary learned in context (related to the structures)

• Skills are sequenced: listening, speaking, reading and writingare developed in order; drilling exercises

• Writing exercises, gap fill and multiple choice

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4. 1960s-1980s (UK): Structural-situational

method (aka PPP) 

• A pragmatic version of audio-lingualism

• Difference: language presentation was situationalized

and given social meaning.

• PPP (stands for presentation, practice, production): e.g.Simple Present Tense for routines (target item)

• Now intended to be rubbished and replaced by task-

based methodology.

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5. 1970s-1980s: Humanistic approaches 

• It was born in USA and advocated by Earl Stevick

• Based on the assumption:

‘Classes are places of fear for language learners’ 

•

Closely related to the Silent Way (the teacher’ remains silent);Community Language Learning (teacher’s not a teacher but a

counselor), Suggestopaedia (tender suggestions) and TPR 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikZY6XpB214&feature=relat

ed)

• Precept: students assimilate best when they speak about

themselves; now also known as personalization

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6. 1970s-1990s: Functional syllabuses – 

Communicative Language Teaching 1 

• The first tranche of the communicative revolution

• Emanated from the Council of Europe (in the 60s)

• Grouping of ‘bits of language’ according to communicative

functions (=speech acts USA)

E.g.: ‘my apologies’ for apologizing

‘ do you mind if I + Simple Pres.’ for permission

• Bits = conventional exponents from formal to informal related to

each function• No obvious method was suggested (various forms of drills:

listen-repeat; repeat-extend)

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7. 1970s-now: Communicative methodology – 

Communicative Language Teaching 2 

• Late 70s, (SLA) Second Language Acquisition theory by Stephen

Krashen: ‘classroom becomes an immersive bath of authentic

communication’ 

• Acquisition is an unconscious process whereas learning is a

conscious process.

• A combined processing model (learning-acquisition) is the

current favorite (Bialystok, Long & Rutherford)

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7. 1970s-now: Communicative methodology – 

Communicative Language Teaching 2 

• The second tranche of the communicative evolution (early 80s;

mostly in UK)

• Principle: separate ‘accuracy work’ (=learning new bits of 

language, vocabulary, grammar patterns..) from ‘fluency work’ 

(=getting learners speak freely, in discussions)

• Accuracy-oriented through communicative drills: controlled

practice of daily routines

• Fluency-oriented through free discussion without interruption

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9. 1985-now: Negotiated syllabus 

• Relevant to executive and Business English students

• Design and negotiation of a specific syllabus based on the

analysis of the students’ wants and needs. 

• Different from school-set syllabuses and exam-oriented

syllabuses

• It has to be adapted to specific contexts

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10. 1985-now: Task-based approaches 

• In the mid-90s, it was set in General English (from Business

English teaching)

• Its METHODOLOGY provides ‘communicative  tasks’ rather than

language points.

• The student asks for the language (discussion exponents,

telephoning & arrangement language, lexis..) he needs for the

task.

 – E.g.: ‘plan a recreational weekend in London for a visiting

friend coming to London’ 

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11. 1990-now: Lexical view of language 

• Originated in the 1970s.

• It’s based on the existance of a set of full set phrases (don’t say ;

the knock-on effect of ..)

• Pawley & Syder (1983):

 – ‘these set phrases are part of a memorised store of prefabricated ‘chunks’ 

automatically at the speaker ‘s disposal once learnt ’ 

• It affects ‘what we teach’: lexical chunks rather than single items

of vocabulary:

 – E.g.: To make an appointment, to do business with, to penetrate the

market … 

 – E.g.: should + infinitive (as a lexical chunk, not grammar)

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13. 1995-now: Noticing (aka ‘consciousness-

raising) 

• Mid-80s; W. Rutherford’s idea of  ‘using the classroom to raise students’ 

awareness about the target language’.

• Not to teach language points, but to raise their noticeability in the minds of 

the students.

• We do actually help the student to notice the language in a process of 

‘successive  aproximation’ (the next time & the next time); teaching is not

learning

• Learning is an invisible and unknowable process• We try to build an increasingly firm imprint of the language item into the

language capacity of the learner.

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14. 1999-now: Grammaticisation method 

• Class tasks (very much used in the noticing approach) have

increased the view of grammar in its global and truly

communicative text.

• Motivating, individualized for the learner and very efficient for

the teacher (the teacher only has to clarify problematic language

items; Thornbury 2001)

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14. 1999-now: Grammaticisation approach

AN EXAMPLE 

• PRACTICE with language exercises: semi-authentic & authentic

texts, used to practice with articles, inflections, infinitive

markers taken out, the student put it back….

E.g.: ‘Federal Reserve Bank expect lower interest rate

today eleven time year, drive them to low level 

 four decade’ 

E.g.: ‘The Federal Reserve Bank is expected to lower 

interest rates today for the eleventh time this

year, and drive them to a lower level in four 

decades’ 

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15. 2002: The modern Integrated Teacher 

• Should previous methods be dispensed with?

• The modern teacher is able to use any approach from the past

as long as it is appropriate and useful.

• Eclecticism: picking separate things from a selection

• Integration: everything that comes from what’s been before andremains relevant today

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REFERENCES

Online encyclopaedias: www.answers.com; www.wikipedia.com 

• Bialistok, E. (1980) The role of Linguistic Knowledge in Second Language Use.

OISE, Mimeo

• Krashen, SD. (1977). The Monitor Model for Adult Second Language

Peformance’ in Burt, Dulay, Finnochiaro (eds). Viewpoints on English as aSecond Language. New York: Regents.

• Lewis M (1997). Implementing the Lexical Approach. LTP/Thomson Heinle.

• Moor, P. and Cunningham, S. (1998-2004). Cutting Edge Series. Longman

• Richards, JC. and Schmidt, RW. (1983) Language and Communication.

Longman• Willis, J. (1996) A Framework for Task-Based Learning. Longman