Transcript History of language teaching

History of language teaching
• According to the learners’ needs.
• Change of skills.
Reading and
Writing
Speaking and
Listening
• 18th & 19th century: Modern languages
were taught using the same basic
procedures that were used for teaching
Latin:
– GRAMMAR RULES-LISTS OF
VOCABULARY-SENTENCES FOR
TRANSLATION.
19th century innovations
• Increasing demand for oral proficiency in
foreign languages as Europeans travelled.
• Marcel (1793-1896): child language learning.
Reading
• Prendergast (1806-1886): Children’s use of
situational cues to interpret utterances and
memorized phrases and “routines” in speaking.
First structural syllabus.
• Gouin (1831-1896): Children language. Use of
gestures and actions.
The Reform Movement (around XXth
century)
• New ideas discussed in books, articles,
pamphlets...
• Specialists sought new ideas and advocated:
– The study of the spoken language.
– Phonetic training.
– The use of dialogues to introduce conversational
phrases and idioms.
– An inductive approach to the teaching of grammar.
– Avoidance of the mother tongue.
The Reform Movement
• Henry Sweet (1845-1912):
– The Practical Study of Languages:
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Careful selection of what is to be taught.
Imposing limits on what is to be taught.
Four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Grading materials from simple to complex.
General considerations of the Reform Movement
(Sweet, Viëtor).
• The spoken language is primary.
• Include phonetics in teaching and teachers.
• Learners should hear the lang first, before
seeing it in written form.
• Sentences should be taught in meaningful
contexts.
• Grammar should be taught inductively.
• Avoid translation. Use mother tongue to clarify.
The Direct/Natural Method (until
1920’s)
• Sauveur (1826-1907) in Europe; Berlitz in the
USA: Berlitz Method (commercial lang schools):
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Classroom instruction in Target lang.
Learning based on everyday vocabulary & sentences.
Small and intensive classes.
Oral communication skills in graded progression.
Communicative exchanges between student-teacher.
– Grammar taught inductively.
– Use of demonstration, objects and pictures in class.
Principles of the Berlitz school
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Never translate: demonstrate.
Never explain: act.
Never make a speech: ask questions.
Never imitate mistakes: correct.
Never speak with single words: use sentences.
Never use the book: use your lesson plan.
Never go too fast: keep the pace of the student.
Never speak too slowly: speak normally.
Never speak too quickly/loudly: speak naturally.
Never be impatient: take it easy.
1923: A study concluded that:
• No single method could guarantee successful
results.
• Conversational skills were impractical in
view of the restricted time.
• Limited skills of the teachers.
• Irrelevance of conversational skills for
average American students.
• 1940’s: Audiolingualism, etc.
Issues to form a method
• What goal? What skills?
• What language content?
• How organize, sequence and present a
lesson?
• Role of native language?
• What techniques and activities work best?
• How is SLA accomplished?
• Learn a language to read its literature.
• Grammar Translation: To know the target language
grammar rules (syntax and morphology) and translate
according to the native language.
• Reading and writing are the major focus.
• Learning of vocabulary based on bilingual word lists,
dictionary and memorization.
• Accuracy is emphasized.
• Grammar is taught deductively.
• The student’s native language is the medium of
instruction.
Memorize (=learn by heart) this
list
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Performance
Task
Lechery
Outcome
To mar
Bonfire
Anon
Primrose way
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Actuación
Tarea
Lujuria
Resultado
Estropear
Hoguera
Luego
Caminito de rosas