INTRODUCTION

 One way to measure teachers’ qualifications is by looking into their teaching styles, classroom practices, and implementation, and weighing them appropriate established approaches and methodologies. An approach is a theory about the nature of language, language learning and teaching. It has to do with “correlative assumptions” about how people learn and teachers teach in general. Underlying any language teaching approach is a theoretical view of what language is, and of how it can be learnt. An approach gives rise to methods, the way of teaching something, which use classroom activities or techniques to help learners learn.

Example: The communicative approach is the best-known current approach to language teaching. (Richards and Rodgers, 2014)

 Task-based teaching is a methodology associated with it. Other approaches include the cognitive-code approach, and the aural-oral approach (audiolingual method). Teaching methods are the broader techniques used to help students achieve learning outcomes, while activities are the different ways of implementing these methods. Teaching methods help students: master the content of the course. learn how to apply the content in particular contexts.

DISCUSSION

 Teaching methods are the broader techniques used to help students achieve learning outcomes, while activities are the different ways of implementing these methods. Teaching methods help students: master the content of the course, learn how to apply the content in particular contexts. Instructors should identify which teaching methods will properly support a particular learning outcome. Its effectiveness depends on this alignment. To make the most appropriate choice, an instructor should consider learning outcomes, student needs and the learning environment.

Consider the following example:

• Learning outcome: Solve a complex math equation.
• Learning environment: An in person, upper-level math course with 20 students.
• Teaching method:Guided instruction. First, the instructor facilitates learning by modeling and scaffolding. Students take time to ask questions and receive clarifications. Next, students practice applying these skills together and then independently. The instructor uses formative assessment to check for understanding.

 This example demonstrates alignment of what the instructor wants students to do, and how they are supported in these tasks. If the instructor choses a different teaching method, such as a traditional lecture, students would need to process the lecture’s content and apply principles simultaneously. This is very difficult to do and would lead to less successful outcomes. Choosing the appropriate teaching method brings instruction to life while encouraging students to actively engage with content and develop their knowledge and skills. (Alejandro. Aznar. Alejo.2014)

Teacher-Centered Instruction.

 Recognized as the most conventional approach, the teacher-centered methodology is based on the idea that the teacher has the main responsibility in the learning environment.

With the right teaching methods, educators can create an enjoyable and productive classroom experience for students where they can learn important academic and social skills to last a lifetime. There are many frameworks that a teacher could use to support students with different interests, abilities and learning styles. If you're a teacher or professional in the education field, you might benefit from learning about new instructive strategies in the field to maximize your students’ chances of success in your classroom. In this article, we define what teaching methods are, explore nine types of teaching methods, review the benefits of these methods and provide some tips for doing so successfully. ( Alejandro. Aznar. Alejo.2014)

 Key takeaways:

• Teaching methods are techniques that educators can use to facilitate the teaching process and help students feel engaged and interested in the material.
• Types of teaching methods include differentiated instruction, lecture-based instruction, technology-based learning, group learning, individual learning, inquiry-based learning, kinesthetic learning, game-based learning and expeditionary learning.
• Improve your teaching methods by testing different ones using the same lesson, meeting with other teachers to get their perspectives and remaining flexible. 

What are teaching methods?

 Teaching methods are ways to instruct students in a classroom, helping them to understand and remember what they've learned. Some of the best teaching strategies allow educators to convey information in a clear and concise way while also ensuring students retain it over the long term. If students can comprehend facts on a deep level and practice skills properly in the classroom, they can apply that wisdom and those abilities to their personal lives and their future careers. Teaching methods are opportunities to make learning engaging, inspiring and fun for students. They aid teachers in fulfilling the responsibility of guiding the social and emotional development of children. By using the right strategies, teachers can instill values of respect, empathy and cultural sensitivity into their classroom. They also use teaching methods to prepare students for standardized testing.( Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers , 2014)

  Your classroom philosophies and principles can vary based on your preferences as a teacher, your school mission statement, your subject areas and other factors.

There are many kinds of procedures a teacher can use in a classroom. Many of them are similar in purpose, and educators can use a blend of instruction methods to best fit the needs of their students. What Exactly is Modern Teaching? Modern teaching, in essence, is a particular teaching method that focuses on instructing students to improve their intellect by utilizing new and innovative ideas, as opposed to making them recite information memorized from a syllabus to pass a rigid examination. (Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers , 2014)

Different Language Teaching Methods

• The Direct Method. In this method, the teaching is done entirely in the language being learned. ...
• Grammar-Translation. ...
• Audio-Lingual. ...
• The Structural Approach. ...
• Total Physical Response (TPR) ...
• Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) ...
• Task-based language learning. ...
• The Natural Approach

 Great language teachers understand that there’s no quick fix that they can deploy to help students quickly become fluent in their target language. Instead there are some common, evidence-based language teaching methods which can help make a difference. As our language teaching software tools here at Sanako are designed to allow teachers to use which ever pedagogical method they wish, we thought it would be valuable for our customers and blog readers to have a good overview of different language teaching approaches. (Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, 2014)

 It’s worth noting that none of these teaching strategies should be considered “the best” since every language classroom, educator and student is different. In this blog post, we are looking at these teaching approaches mainly from the perspective of traditional face-to-face classroom teaching instead of including also all of the aspects and characteristics of online language teaching. How to become a language teacher online and which language teaching methods work the best when teaching online are separate topics that we try to answer in our other blog posts. Our advice is rather that educators should try different teaching methods out, tailoring them to their specific context and reviewing the impact they have. (Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, 2014)

Communicative language teaching (CLT)

 This approach is probably now the most popular teaching model for English language teaching globally. In part because it aims to put students in a variety of real-life situations, so that they can learn how to use their language skills to communicate in the real world. Educators therefore tend to focus on fluency of communication rather than accuracy and lessons are more hands-on than theoretical. Interactive and relevant classroom activities characterize this approach along with the use of authentic source materials. Teachers are encouraged to provide the students with as much opportunity to give and receive meaningful communication as possible. The use of personal experience is also common in CLT classrooms. To learn more about this approach see our dedicated blog post on how to apply the communicative language teaching method. Task-based language teaching (TBLT)

 The focus of TBLT language teaching is solely on the completion of a detailed task which interests and engages the learners. Learners use the language skills that they already have to complete the task and work through three distinct phases – a pre-task, the task itself and post-task review.

 Students might, for example, be asked to deliver a presentation about an important environmental issue. In order to complete it, they will need to read / listen to source material, conduct internet research, as well as writing and delivering the presentation itself. Research suggests that students in TBLT classes are empowered and motivated because they ‘own’ the language and can control the nature of the task response. (Johnson, K. E. 2006)

 Language learning can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or tedious! One of the most popular ways to make the experience more enjoyable is to use a variety of different language teaching approaches. The CLIL approach principally involves studying one subject (for example, biology, science or history) and learning a language, such as English, at the same time — effectively integrating the two subjects.The language teaching is organized around the demands of the first subject rather than that of the target language. So it’s critically important to make sure that the integration is clear and that students are engaged. Having said that, the CLIL approach does create significant opportunities for cross-curricular working; it opens up language learning to a wider context and can be used to re-engage previously demotivated students. (Harmer J. 2006)

 Cooperative Language Learning or CLL forms part of a wider teaching approach known as Collaborative or Community Language Learning (CLL). CLL seeks to make the maximum use of cooperative activities involving pairs and small groups of learners in the classroom. As such, it is a student-centered, rather than a teacher-centered, approach to language teaching. ( Harmer J.2006)

 In the CLL classroom, all of the language learning activities are deliberately designed to maximise opportunities for social interactions. Students should accomplish tasks by interacting between themselves and talking / working together. The teacher’s role is to act as a facilitator of and a participant in the learning tasks. (Richards and Rodgers, 1986)

 When using the Direct Method of language teaching, all teaching happens in the target language, forcing the learner to think and speak in that language. The learner does not use their native language in the classroom at all!

As a result, students work out key grammar concepts by practicing the language and by building up their exposure to it. Standard classroom techniques for this approach include Q+As, conversation, reading aloud, writing and student self-correction. (Richards and Rodgers, 2014)

The Grammar-Translation Method (GTM) is a very traditional teaching approach which prioritises translation from the students’ mother tongue into the target language and vice versa. To succeed in this approach, students need to memorize long lists of vocabulary and detailed grammar formats and rules.Grammar Translation was in fact first known in the United States as the Prussian method. (Sears, 1845)

The approach favours accuracy over fluency and tends to favour the development of reading and writing skills instead of communicative or speaking skills. The downside of this approach is that it does not prepare students with spontaneous communication skills. Classroom activities therefore usually include grammar drills, vocab tests and encouraging students to incorporate new grammar concepts in standardised writing tasks. (Stern 1983; 455)

Audiolingualism was developed in response to some of the problems associated with Grammar-Translation. As a result, classes are usually held in the target language as this approach deliberately seeks to prioritise speaking and listening skills. 

Activities typically involve students repeating the teacher’s words (either face-to-face or through headphones in a language lab) until they get the pronunciations and rhythm right. Good work is rewarded by the educator and mistakes are quickly corrected.

 Total Physical Response or TPR is a way of language teaching in which the teacher presents language objects as instructions and the students have to do exactly what the teacher tells them. Students might therefore be asked to sit down, stand up, point to the clock or walk to the front of the class. (Alejandro, 2014)

As students improve, such instructions can become more detailed including additional elements for language comprehension, including adverbs (e.g. talk quickly), adjectives (e.g put on your red jumper) and prepositions (e.g stand in front of the teacher).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, TPR is a versatile and effective language teaching approach that can benefit students of all ages and proficiency levels. By incorporating gestures, actions and real-life scenarios into their practice, teachers can create engaging and enjoyable language lessons that both promote comprehension / retention and bring some joy to language learning. Finally, this multi-sensory style of learning is characterised by high-levels of teacher engagement. Educators should always model any movements and be sure to encourage shy students who might not immediately engage. The approach also requires detailed pre-class preparation, so that students receive clear instruction on what they are supposed to do and why.