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M ethodology. What is methodology?. What is meant by the terms ”approach”, “method” and “technique”?.
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What is meant by the terms ”approach”, “method” and “technique”? The concepts of approach, method and technique represent three levels of all analysis and teacher’s decision making for teaching and learning English in the classroom. An approach is the broadest and most abstract of all three concepts. An approach to language teaching is something that reflects a certain model or research paradigm- a theory if you like.
An approach refers to the linguistic, psycho- and sociolinguistic principles underlying methods and techniques. Actually every teacher has some kind of theoretical principles which function as a frame for their ideas of methods and techniques. • An approach encompasses a set of views and assumptions about the nature of language and language learning and teaching. It also comprises the philosophy and beliefs that guide the instructional behavior.
Moreover, it provides theoretical knowledge of linguistics and psycholinguistics which guide in developing and selecting the techniques and strategies in language teaching. • An approach is a way of looking at teaching and learning. Underlying any 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.
An approach should be a general, a macro-level term used to refer to a set of beliefs about language and how people learn languages, especially in classroom settings. • A language study approach consists of the following three elements: • Views around the nature of vernacular, • beliefs about expressions, learning, and • thinking about the above should be applied • practically to verbal communication, • learning and culture.
Methods are between approaches and techniques, just the mediator between theory ( the approach ) and classroom practice. • Methods are conditional by educational philosophy, approaches about language nature and how it can be taught and learnt, and conceptions about classroom interaction.
A method, on the other hand, is a set of procedures, i.e., a system that spells out rather precisely how to teach a language. Methods are more specific than approaches but less specific than techniques. Methods are typically compatible with one (or sometimes two) approaches. • The term “method” is a procedural plan for presenting and delivering a certain language material for instruction. It is established on the basis of the selected approach.
Method is an overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material, no part of which contradicts, and all of which is based upon, the selected approach. • A method is a plan for presenting a certain language material to be learnt. It should be based upon a selected approach. • A language study method is an overall plan of learning a second talking, based on the thoughtful approach selected. It involves the design of a syllabus for the course, which consists of learning objectives and techniques for achieving those objectives.
A technique is, On the other hand, the narrowest of all three; it is just one single procedure to use in the classroom. A language learning technique is an explicit procedure or stratagem used to accomplish an exceptional learning target or set of objectives. • A technique is a procedure or skill for completing a specific task.
A technique is a classroom device or activity and thus represents the narrowest term of the three concepts. • The term ”technique” refers to such activities and instructional practices which the teacher actually adopts in a specific classroom in order to achieve better results of his instruction. The technique goes in consistence with both the assumption and plan of the instruction, i.e., approach and method.
Description of language teaching method: EFL teachers should be aware of many variables included in different teaching-learning processes. These variables can be grouped into four major ones: the learner, the language (English language), language learning setting and teacher. 1-The learner: To say whether a learner is good or bad, many factors need to be taken into account, for example:
What are their backgrounds (their past learning)?, learning experience, why are they in the classroom, their proficiency in the mother language (Arabic)?, why is a teaching method appropriate for student A but not for student B?, In fact, each student is a unique personality to the classroom. Yet, some learners can take advantage of what is going on in the classroom more than others. In other words, they are more engaged with the process of learning the foreign language than their colleagues.
Successful FL students possess some or all of the following characteristics: A willingness to listen: Good learners listen to what’s going on in terms of listening to the English that is being used, soaking it up with eagerness and intelligence. 2) A willingness to experiment: Many good learners are prepared to take risks, to try things out and see how it works. The urge to use the language (loudly or quietly) is an important one.
3) A willingness to ask questions: The urge to find out why is part of a successful learner’s equipment. Good teachers frequently invite students to ask if they don’t understand something. Good learners do this, judging when it is appropriate to do so and when it is not. 4) A willingness to think about how to learn: Good learners bring or invent their own study skills when they come to a lesson. They think about the best way to write vocabulary in their own wordbooks, for example,
the best way to read a text (slowly, translating every word, or quickly, trying to get a general understanding, the best method of drafting and redrafting a piece of writing. 5) A willingness to accept correction: Good learners are prepared to be corrected if it helps them. They are keen to get feedback from the teacher and act upon what they are told. This only works where teachers are able to offer constructive criticism rather than blaming them for being wrong.
Giving feedback involves praising students for things they do well, and offering them the ability to do things better where they were less successful. It involves teachers in judging their students’ responses to correction so that they can act accordingly. The English Language “English language” for English language teachers has a dual meaning : a language for use; they should have competence in speaking, reading, writing and understanding spoken messages ( listening ).
In other words, English language teachers should be “ good language users” simultaneously. “English language” is a subject or a science to study. Here, English language teachers should be language analysts. In this case, they need necessary tools:” awareness of language aspects”. They need to be aware of technical terms (terminology; e.g., verbs, pronouns, tense, article…..etc.)
In fact both students and teachers need to know how to talk about language at various points during learning and teaching. Briefly, both teachers and learners need to know how to describe language components so that they can talk about language. Your awareness of terminology requires understanding the concepts and the meanings conveyed by different terms.
When a second or foreign language is taught, a number of major steps must be taken. First , elements of the language or its use, or skills such as learning strategies must be brought into the classroom and presented or highlighted. The teacher has to arrange matters and events to bring this about. Third, the teacher must provide knowledge of results, that is, correction or feedback, to the students.
3- The teacher English language teacher as a “professional” has not only to acquire certain skills, but also to be able to take courses of action that are based on knowledge and thought. Besides, he or she has to understand the principles underlying some teaching actions, be able to articulate and explain them and also innovate. This is the core of what English language teachers require, that is, mature pedagogical awareness. This means that pedagogical awareness required for English language teachers can be described in terms of content and process.
Therefore, you as English language teachers require knowledge and teaching skills for teaching different language aspects; namely language elements: phonology (phonological aspects such as sounds, stress and intonation), vocabulary and grammar; and Language skills: Listening, speaking, reading and writing. Furthermore, you need to have an idea about the teaching models (approaches) which have influenced current teaching practice.
Language Teaching Methodology Methodology in language teaching has been characterized in a variety of ways. A more or less classical formulation suggests that methodology is that which links theory and practice. Theory statements would include theories of what language is and how language is learned or, more specifically, theories of second language acquisition (SLA). Such theories are linked to various design features of language instruction.
These design features might include stated objectives, syllabus specifications, types of activities, roles of teachers, learners, materials, and so forth. Design features in turn are linked to actual teaching and learning practices as observed in the environments where language teaching and learning take place. This whole complex of elements defines language teaching methodology.
Theories of Language and Learning Instructional Design Features Observed Teaching Practices Language Teaching Methodology
Within methodology a distinction is made between methods and approaches, in which methods are held to be fixed teaching systems with prescribed techniques and practices, whereas approaches represent language teaching philosophies that can be interpreted and applied in a variety of different ways in the classroom. • Language teaching methodology refers to a systematic set of teaching practices based on a particular theory of language and language learning.
2 - Heterogeneous classes: We teach English in heterogeneous classes where different kinds of learners come to learn. These classes are sometimes called “mixed ability” classes. Yet, the first term is preferred as it reflects that learners are different from one another in many aspects such as language – learning ability, language knowledge, learning styles, attitudes to the language, intelligence, word knowledge, gender, motivation, educational level …….etc.
Best of luck Dr. Nissrein Abdel Bassett El-Enany
