Language Teaching
Lecture 9
Approaches to Language
Teaching
In order to improve the efficiency of
language teaching, many approaches
have been used.
Language teaching has experienced
great changes in the world. The 20th
century witnessed a dramatic
transformation of the role of the
English language in the world.
Approaches to Language
Teaching
Changes in language teaching methods
throughout history have reflected the
development of linguistic theories.
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, linguistics
was characterized by traditional grammar.
Correspondingly, the grammar-translation
method was widely used in the teaching of
Latin in European schools.
In the grammar-translation method, priority
was given to reading and translation of written
language.
Approaches to Language
Teaching
The natural method (also called the
direct method) of language teaching was
adopted into English language teaching
(ELT) and laid a solid intellectual and
practical foundation for the development
of ELT as an autonomous profession.
Approaches to Language
Teaching
Applied linguists also brought about
the situational approach and the
notional/functional method.
Meanwhile, based on a broader
framework for the description of
language use called communicative
competence proposed by Hymes, the
communicative approach to language
teaching came into being.
Syllabus Design
Syllabus is fundamental to language teaching.
Syllabus refers to the description of the
planning and framework for a course of study,
and may list the learning goals, objectives,
contents, processes, resources and means of
evaluation planned for students.
Grammatical Syllabus
Grammatical syllabus takes grammar
as the basis for (foreign) language
teaching. In this syllabus, grammar is
primary.
Grammatical Syllabus
(a) Stress is laid on the written language rather
than the spoken language.
(b) The instruction of grammar not only focuses
on what is regular but also on what is irregular.
(c) The classroom instructions are presented in
the native language.
(d) The major teaching method is translation
and the mastery of the learned grammatical
rules is checked through large quantities of
written translation and writing practice.
Situational Syllabus
Situational syllabus refers to a syllabus in
which the instruction of language teaching is
planned around the situations in which the
linguistic forms to be taught are normally
used.
Communicative Syllabus
Communicative syllabus focuses language
teaching on the development of the learner's
communicative competence.
Assumption: Language is used for
communication; learning a language is
learning to communicate.
The communicative syllabus emphasizes the
simultaneous development of the learners'
linguistic competence and pragmatic
competence. The linguistic items to be
studied are dependent upon the learners'
purposes of the communication he expects to
participant in.
Language Testing
a) The Feedback Function
Language tests can provide teachers and
students with feedback information so that
they can improve their teaching and learning.
Language Testing
c) The Backwash Function
The results of language testing can help us
to assess whether the teaching goal is
appropriate, valid and to what degree it
has been achieved.
validity
Validity refers to the degree to
which a test measures what it is
intended to measure.
content validity, construct validity,
face validity, washback validity,
criterion-related validity.
Reliability
Reliability refers to whether a test
produces the consistent results when
given to the same candidates twice
in succession or marked be different
people.
Efficiency
This involves questions of economy,
ease of administration, scoring, and
interpretation of results. Efficiency is
also related to financial viability.
The
The
The
The
Achievement Test
Proficiency Test
Aptitude Test
Diagnosis Test
Language Test
Development
Designing the test blueprint
the objectives of the test
the type of the test
Error Analysis
Interlingual transfer
Intralingual transfer