Major approaches to English language teaching

1. Major approaches to English language teaching TSE, Pui Yan Penny (10401571) YAU, Wai Po Ivory (10401296) LEE, Sze Ling Sheera (10401520) HUNG, Po Yan Alyssa (10404090)

2. Are there alternatives to CLT and TBL for Hong Kong schools’ context?

3. The answer is… Postmethod

4. The development of ELT methodology in Hong Kong 1980s – Communicative approach (CLT) 1950s-60s – Direct method Present – Postmethod? Prior to 1950s – Grammar-translation 1970s – Oral-structural approach 1990s – Communicative approach + Task-based learning (TBL)

5. Postmethod condition refers to the qualities of the contemporary era in English language teaching in which previously well trusted methods are put under serious scrutiny and in which a body of methods and techniques collected from all previous methods and approaches are used pragmatically with a belief that such an eclectic practice leads to success. (Arikan, K) Online Submission, Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies v2 n1 Apr 2006

6. The postmethod condition signifies: • A search for an alternative to method rather than an alternative method. • Teacher autonomy • Principled pragmatism

7. What are the ten macrostrategies suggested in postmethod teaching?

8. Ten macrostrategies

9. Teachers have two roles First role of teacher: creators of learning opportunities Duties: Willing to modify their lesson plans based on feedback to suit the needs of target learners Second role of teacher: utilizers of learning opportunities (created by learners) Duties: Shouldn’t ignore contributory discourse from learners Must bring learners’ problems to the attention of the class Macrostrategy 1:Maximize Learning Opportunities

10. Macrostrategy 2: Facilitate Negotiated Interaction Student-Student, Student-Teacher interaction Clarification Confirmation Comprehension checks Requests Repairing Reacting Turn taking - e.g. Design some small group activities

11. Macrostrategy 3: Minimize Perceptual Mismatches • Reduce the miscommunication between teachers and students • 10 sources of perceptual mismatch:

12. Macrostrategy 4: Activate Intuitive Heuristics • Provide adequate textual data so that students can infer grammatical rules. • Encouraging self-discovery and self - learning

13. Macrostrategy 5: Foster Language Awareness • Language awareness (LA) : a person’s sensitivity to and awareness of the nature of language and its role in human life (Hawkins, 1984; James & Garret, 1991) • How to achieve? (Teacher’s role) • Draw learners’ attention to the formal properties of L2 deliberately • Lessons should be learner-oriented, cyclic & holistic • Strategies adopted: Understanding, general principals & operational experience

14. Macrostrategy 6: Contextualize Linguistics Input • The practical study of language should be connected texts (Sweet, 1899, 1984) • Words sentence, sentences meaningful contexts • The nature of language is integrated • shouldn’t be taught in discrete items • How to achieve? (Teacher’s role) • Classroom teacher takes more responsibility than textbooks authors / syllabus writers • Succeed / fail in creating contexts for meaning making within classrooms ( language learning scenarios, problem-solving tasks, simulation & gaming role plays)

15. Macrostrategy 7:Integrate Language Skills • Traditional sequencing & identification of language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing (=remnant of audio-lingual era) • Fragmenting language skills runs counter to the parallel & interactive nature of language and language behaviour • Must integrate language skills effective language teaching • Knowledge & language ability are best developed when it is learned and used holistically

16. Macrostrategy 8: Promote Learner Autonomy • Help learners learn how to learn • Equip them with the means necessary to self-direct their learning • Raise the consciousness of good language learners about the learning strategies they seem to possess intuitively • Make the strategies are explicit & systematic so • the strategies are available to other learners and improve their language learning

17. Macrostrategy 9: Raise Cultural Consciousness • Culture teaching aims at helping the learners gain an understanding of the native speaker’s perspective. • Both teachers & learners can be the cultural informants • Enables ‘cultural versatility’ & raise learners’ self-esteem

18. Macrostrategy 10: Ensure Social Relevance • Learning/ teaching is not a discrete activity • Embedded in the larger societal context • Social context shapes learning / teaching issues including: • Motivation for L2 learning • The goal of L2 learning • The functions of L2 at home & community, etc • “The learner is not becoming an imitation native speaker, but a person who can stand between the two languages, using both when appropriate.”

19. Concept of CLT and Context Approach

20. Advantages of Postmethod Context Approach

21. Advantages of Postmethod Context Approach

22. Advantages of Postmethod Aspects of the Context Approach Individuals Classroom culture Local culture National culture

23. Advantages of Postmethod Aspects of the Context Approach

24. Requirements for Implementation of Postmethod Teachers constant self-reflections Teachers centrality in developing English language teaching Teachers education and development program

25. Forum Time (15 minutes) • Do you think postmethod is feasible in your own classroom teaching? • State your reasons.

26. Conclusion • There is no single method that is the best for ELT • Limitations of different methods  postmethod • 3P  Particularity, possibility, practicality • There are always alternatives instead of one single method