Critical Overview of Language Teaching

Methods:Competency-Based Language TeachingNatural Approach

Cooperative Language Learning

Competency-Based Language Teaching

I. Background

A. Competency-Based Education (CBE)B. Standards movement (in the United States)C. Graded objectives movement (in Britain)D. Functional and interactional view (Theory of language)

E. Behavioristic view (Theory of learning)F. Mosaic approach (whole = sum of the parts)

II. Objectives

A. Teaching a set of outcomes derived from an analysis of tasks typically required of students in life role situations. (needs analysis)

B. Enabling students to become autonomous individuals capable of coping with the demands of the world. (survival-oriented or work-related language teaching)

III. Features

A. Based on outcomes and outputs of learning

B. Mastery learning

C. Performance-based instruction (emphasis on overt behavior rather than onknowledge) D. Work-related

E. Focus on successful functioning in society

III. Features

G. Modularized instruction

H. Ongoing assessment. (focus on CRT not NRT)

I. Individualized, student-centered instruction

F. Focus on life skills. (empirical assessment of language required)

IV. Advantages

A. Focus on learner needs

B. Allowing learners to choose relevant and useful competencies

C. Mastering elements one at a time. (serial/mosaic approach)

D. Teaching and testing specific and public competencies; hence the learner knows exactly what needs to be learned.

V. Disadvantages

A. Difficult to operationalize competencies

B. Reductionistic approach

C. Prescriptive

D. Close to "banking" concept of Freire

V. Disadvantages

1 .Freire made distinction between two types of education:

a. Banking concept of education (transmission model of education; person or learner is consumer)

b. Problem-posing education

(transformation model of education; person or learner is producer) 2 .Freire was against banking concept.

Natural Approach

I. Background

A. Natural approach & natural method

1 .Similarities

a. The tradition is a common one

b. Naturalistic principles are conformed

I. Background

2 .Differences

a. Unlike the natural method, natural approach places less emphasis on accurate production.b. In natural approach there is an emphasis on exposure or input rather than practice.c. In natural approach optimizing emotional preparedness for learning is taken for granted.

I. Background B. Linguistics

( Lexical items + Structures (I+1) + Message)

C. Psychology

1 .Acquisition/learning hypothesis

2 .Monitor hypothesis

a. Time

b. Focus on form

c. Knowledge of rules

I. Background  

3 .The natural order hypothesis (Errors are signs of naturalistic developmental processes) 4 .The input hypothesis

a. It relates to acquisitionb. Language is acquired by understanding input slightly beyond learners‘current level of competence (I+1)c. The ability to speak cannot be taught directly; speech emerges.

I. Background

5 .The affective filter hypothesis

a. Motivation

b. Self-confidence

c. Anxiety

d. If there is a sufficient quantity of comprehensible input, I+1 will usually be provided automatically.

II. Objectives

 B. It has the expectation that students will be able to

function adequately in the target language.C. It is designed to develop basic communication skills, both oral and written.

A. It is offered as a general set of principles applicable to a wide variety of situations, as in Communicative Language Teaching, specific objectives depend on learner needs and the skill and level being taught.

III. Features

 1 .Listing some typical goals for

language course

d. Academic learning skills; written

A. Topical syllabus

 a. Basic personal communication skills; oral b. Basic personal communication skills; written c. Academic learning skills; oral

III. Features

 a. Functions are derived naturally from the topics and situations.

2 .Specifying topics and situations

 b. Content selection should aim to create a low affective filter.

 B. Syllabus suggestions not specification (needs analysis) C. Meaning-based (like CLT)

III. Features

 E. Language for communication

D. Stress on vocabulary

 F. Focus on listening and reading (comprehensible input) G. Speech emerges H. No correction of errors (natural-order hypothesis)I. No focus on teaching grammar explicitly

III. Features

 K. Teacher should always speak in L2.

J. Less focus on teacher monologue/ direct repetition/ accurate production

 L. Teacher as generator of input/ creator of relaxed atmosphere

III. Features

 1 .Pre-production stage

M. Learner roles (language acquirer as a processor of comprehensible input)

 2 .Early production stage

3 .Speech emergent phase

III. Features

 O. Realia and visual aids

N. Use of commands (TPR)

 P. Group and pair work/ Role plays/ Games

IV. Advantages

 B. Relaxed atmosphere

A. Comprehension-based

 C. Needs analysis

D. Meaning-based

V. Disadvantages

 B. Generalizing from informal settings to formal ones

A. Evolutionary not revolutionary

 C. Generally for beginners

D. Focus only on input not output

E. Subjectivity of 1 in L+1

F. Difficulty of distinguishing consciousness from sub-

consciousness

Cooperative Language Learning

I. Background

 2 .Vygotsky

 A. John Dewey

( Building cooperation in learning into regular classrooms on a regular and systematic basis)

 1 .Piaget

B. Psychology

3 .Bloom

I. Background

 1 .Premise 1: We are born to talk.

(Communication is the primary purpose of language)

 a. Devising the taxonomy of educational objectives

 C. Linguistics

b. Integrating the teaching of critical thinking( Question Matrix)

2 .Premise 2: Most talk is conversation.

I. Background

5 .Premise 5: One learns how these maxims are realized in L2 through participation. 

3 .Premise 3: Conversation is based on rules/ maxims.

4 .Premise 4: One learns how these maxims are realized in L1 through casual everyday

conversational interactions.

II. Objectives

C. Developing critical thinking

A. To provide opportunities for naturalistic learning

B. Fostering cooperation

D. Developing communicative competence through socially structured interaction activities

E. To enhance learner motivation and reduce learner stress

II. ObjectivesF. To provide opportunities for learner to develop

successful learning and communication strategiesG. Raising the achievement of all students (gifted/ ungifted)

III. Features

 C. Cooperation not competition

A. Supporting structural, functional and interactional models

B. Forms + function

 D. It is used in teaching content classes, ESP, four skills, grammar and vocabulary.

E. Learner as director of his learning

III. Features

 1 .Helping students and groups as

needs arise

F. Learner as tutors/ checkers/ recorders/ information sharers

G. Teacher as facilitator

2 .Giving few commands and imposing less disciplinary control

H. Group work

III. Features

 b. Informal cooperative learning groups

( Lasting from a few minutes to the class period)

1 .Types  a. Formal cooperative learning

groups( Lasting from one class period to

several weeks)

 c. Cooperative base groups (The whole term)

III. Features

 b. Group formation

2 .Key elements of successful group-based learning

a. Positive interdependence( Building a spirit of mutual support

within the group)

c. Individual accountability

III. Features

a. Team practice from common input( Skills development and mastery of

facts)

e. Structuring and structures( Ways of organizing students'

interaction)3 .Tasks

(1 .)All students work on the same material .

(2 .)It follows a traditional teacher-directed presentation.

d. Social skills

III. Features(3 .)Everyone in the group knows the

answer and can explain how the answer was obtained. (4 .)Anyone may be called on to answer.

(5 .)It is good for review and practice tests; each student will eventually do an assignment or take a test individually.

b. Jigsaw( Differentiated but predetermined

input- evaluation and synthesis of facts and opinions)

III. Features

(1 .)Each group member receives a different piece of the information.

(2 .)Students regroup in topic groups. (expert group)

(3 .)Students return to home groups. (jigsaw group)

(4 .)Students synthesize the information.

III. Features

(5 .)Each student produces an assignment of part of a group

project .(6 .)This method is useful in

multileveled class.

(7 .)Information-gap is jigsaw activity in the form of pair work.

III. Features c. Cooperative projects

( Topics or resources selected by students- discovery learning)

(1 .)Topics may be different for each group. (2 .)Students identify the subtopics for each group member and research the information.

(3 .)Each group member plays a part in the presentation .

(4 .)Each group presents to the whole class.(5 .)This method places emphasis on

individualization.

III. Features

4 .Activities

a. Three-step interview

b. Round Table/ Round Robin

c. Think-pair share

d. Solve-pair share

e. Numbered Heads

IV. Advantages

A. Generating interactive language

B. Offering an embracing affective climateC. Promoting learner responsibility and autonomy

D. Individualization (self-discovery)

E. Integrative skills

F. Cooperation

V. Disadvantages

A. Not good for different proficiency levelsB. Teachers cannot monitor all groups at once.C. Students' errors will be reinforced in some groups

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