Approaches to language teaching Unit 15

In an EFL classroom, teacher should manage in a fluent way all what about approaches or methods that are used to teach a language, but, nowadays the communicative approaches are popular because their aim is to make students use the language in real situations, by using communicative activities.

Here it is the structural approaches where the language is concentrated on the structures and there are many controlled practice and the oral skill is learn before writing. And in Task-Based learning where the communication is used by functions and discourse, so the language is learn by its use in problem solving tasks. However, we have a variety of methods and approaches to teach like the PPP (presentation, practice and production) were the language is learn in context with guided tasks, inputs. In the presentation stage is a brief introduction to the topic and then the lesson is full of drills, information-gap tasks and other activities. The lexical approaches where chuck, idioms, collocations are taught. Functional approach which the language is aim in the daily needs of the students to communicate. Communicate approaches in where students need to be accurate with the language by using authentic materials in order to force the interaction in the class. And other more like: grammar translation, total physical response, guided discovery, content-based learning and content and language integrated learning. 

In any case they could be useful in the classroom if the teacher uses the correct motivation, resources to complete the students’ expectations. 

Go to these links for more information:

• http://es.slideshare.net/emma.a/language-teaching-approaches-and-methods
• http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/knowledge-database/approach
• http://moramodules.com/ALMMethods.htm
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r-DRmN42fE