History of Language Teaching

The Ancient Times

❖ Language teaching has been around for many centuries, and over the centuries, it has changed.

❖ The history of the consideration of foreign language teaching goes back at least to the ancient Greeks. They were interested in what they could learn
about the mind and the will through language learning.
❖ The Romans were probably the first to study a foreign language formally. They studied Greek, taught by Greek tutors and slaves.

❖ Their approach was less philosophical and more practical than that of the Greeks.

The 17th Century

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

❏ Teaching foreign languages using ❖ Children learn through association. 1. Language is taught
Johann Comenius as a practical way to
A Czech scholar and teacher;
the mother tongue. ❖ Inductive Approach
communicate but
published books on teaching
❏ He recommended that teachers ➢ The use of language instead structure and
employ the students' native language of the analysis of grammar. grammar is not
as a necessary frame of reference for
unfamiliar words to become
➢ The use of imitation instead of directly instructed.
rules Hence, fluency and
meaningful. (Nature's Way - learning
➢ Repeat after the teacher independence in
about things and not grammar.)
using the target
❏ Children are spiritual beings. ➢ The use of pictures in language is not
❏ Conceptualizing ideas using objects teaching words and to achieved.
practice reading and 2. Learners rely on
instead of words
speaking. repeating after the
❏ Making learning pleasant instead of
chore teacher and are not
motivated to explore
the target language
further.
3. The inductive
approach is
effective in teaching
beginners in the
 target language.

The 19th Century (1840’s to 1940s)

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

❏ The translation of passages from ❖ Grammar Translation Approach 1. This approach is

Karl Plotz limited to the
A professor
the native language into the target ➢ included paradigms, knowledge of
language consistent translation of
Grammar rules of
❏ Based on learning the strict rules of sentences and mirror
the target language
grammar of the target language, to comparisons and grammatical
in order to translate
compare the syntax of the native and rules.
it into English, and
target language, and to extract ➢ Rote learning (learning by compare the rules of
specific sentences or paragraphs to habit in patterns and orally) grammar in English
be translated back and forth. and breaking down words into in order to translate
❏ Focused on instruction in vocabulary lexemes and morphemes. the passage back
and grammar, followed by translation into the native
activities from the L1 to L2 and from language.
L2 to L1. 2. It is not a
❏ The medium of instruction was the particularly good
students' L1. The assumption was method as there is
that students would naturally pick up no evidence that
the ability to use the language if they students actually
obtained a full and explicit learn languages
understanding of language rules. through memorising
grammar rules.

❏ Focuses on text-based ❖ Direct Method (also known as the 1. Learning L2 is NOT

F. Gouin comprehension Natural method) like learning L1. The
Maximillian Berlitz (German)
De Sauze
❏ F. Gouin ➢ Based on the idea that child learning L1
- Oral skill is more important than other learning L2 must imitate the has no previous
skills natural way humans learn any language-learning
language, that is, the child’s experience, but the
 learning of L1, which takes
learner learning L2
place without the interference
does.
of any other language.
2. There is little
➢ The primary goals of the systematic structural
method were for learners to practice.
communicate and to think 3. Students get
entirely in L2. confused about
➢ Practitioners of this method grammar rules,
use L2 exclusively and never since they are only
use translation. learning it
➢ Everyday vocabulary and inductively (they
structures are taught, and could be inducing
grammar is learnt inductively incorrect rules).
by generalising from 4. The method can be
examples. effectively used only
by teachers who are
➢ Oral communication skills are native speakers.
taught by question and 5. The learner is
answer exchanges between confronted with
teachers and learners, with all unstructured
new learning points being situations too soon.
introduced orally. 6. A great deal of
➢ Concrete vocabulary is taught teacher-energy is
through realia, pictures and required.
demonstration, abstract
vocabulary by association of
ideas.
➢ Emphasis is placed on correct
pronunciation.
➢ Self-correction of errors is
encouraged.
➢ The role of the teacher is to
direct class activities, but
students and teachers are
partners in the learning
process, and there is a large
amount of Learner-Learner
interaction.
The 20th Century

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

❏ Relies on the structural view of ❖ Situational Language Teaching 1. This method is

A.S Hornby teacher-centered as
“Linguistic Adviser of the
language. ➢ The method aims to ensure a the teacher designs
British Council”
❏ Key elements are "vocabulary practical command of the four
situations based on
control" and “grammar control”. basic skills of a language,
structural patterns
❏ The mastery of vocabulary would through structure, accuracy in
and students are
greatly aid learners’ reading both pronunciation and
only expected to
comprehension. grammar, ability to respond
respond using the
quickly and accurately in
❏ The second element emphasises the
speech situations and an
patterns taught in
sentence patterns most commonly class.
automatic control of basic
found in speech. 2. Its emphasis is
structures and sentence
more on oral skill as
patterns.
the prominent input
➢ emphasis on accuracy and and output, less the
avoidance of repeated errors, outcome for other
and also values drilling, macro skills.
though in a context of
situation

The 1950s

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

 ❏ Based on behaviourist theory, which ❖ Audio-lingual Method 1. Lessons are built on
B.F Skinner repetition drills in
professes that humans can be ➢ Based on the premise that which the students
trained through a system of students can be taught a
reinforcement. have little or no
language directly, without
control over their
❏ Stimulus-response feedback using their native language to
own output; the
❏ Forming new habits explain new words or
teacher is expecting
grammar in the target
❏ drills
language
a particular
response and not
➢ In audio-lingualism, there is providing it will
no explicit grammar result in a student
instruction. receiving negative
➢ Everything is simply feedback.
memorized in form. 2. This is a spoon
➢ The idea is that students feeding method
practise a particular structure where teachers
until they can use it become the sole
"spontaneously". source of
knowledge.
3. Reinforcement is
good if the feedback
is positive but if the
teacher’s feedback
is negative, the
affective part of the
students will not be
filtered. Hence, they
will have difficulty to
express and allow
learning for
themselves.
4. Based on
Krashen’s
Affective filter
hypothesis,
students learn better
when they are
relaxed. Their
comprehensible
input is blocked
 when they feel
tense, hence
blocking the
learning process as
well.
5. Having reward as
the positive
reinforcement, the
learners will only
focus on getting the
prize and not
anymore on the
language itself.

The 1970s

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

❏ Emphasizes interaction and problem ❖ Communicative Language 1. CLT approach

Michael Halliday solving as both the means and the Approach focuses on fluency
Linguist (based on the theory but not accuracy.
of Noam Chomsky)
ultimate goal of learning English - or ➢ An emphasis on learning to The approach does
any language communicate through
not focus on error
❏ Emphasis activities such as role play, interaction in the target
reduction but
pair work and group work. language.
instead creates a
➢ The introduction of authentic situation where
texts into the learning learners are left
situation. using their own
➢ The provision of opportunities devices to solve
for learners to focus, not only their communication
on the language but also on problems. Thus they
the learning process itself. may produce
➢ An enhancement of the incoherent,
learner's own personal grammatically
experiences as important incorrect sentences.
contributing elements to
classroom learning.
 ➢ An attempt to link classroom
language learning with
language activation outside
the classroom.

James Asher ❏ One of the assumptions behind TPR ❖ Total Physical Response 1. Although Asher
Professor of psychology, is that "the human brain has a stresses that his
San Jose State University biological program for acquiring any
➢ A methodology for teaching method “if applied
language by involving
natural language on earth - including with skill, will enable
students in physical activity.
the sign language of the deaf" everyone, children,
(Asher, n.d.a) ➢ The first goal of a teacher teens and adults, to
❏ TPR aims for an unconscious using TPR is to help the enjoy instant
process of language acquisition in students develop listening understanding”
the same manner that children learn fluency (Asher: 1969, p. 5). (n.d.b), in reality
their first language without any The other language skills, TPR is “rarely used
conscious effort. speaking and writing, are beyond beginner
supposed to be learned in a level” (Knight, 2001,
later stage p.154). Presumably
this is because
there is a limit to
how much students
can learn from being
told to stand up and
sit down.
2. Students will only
acquire limited
vocabulary.
3. Does not encourage
fluency and
accuracy in the
target language.

Caleb Gattegno ❏ The Silent Way ❖ Humanistic Language Teaching 1. The Silent Way is
(The Silent Way, 1960s) ❏ Suggestopedia not an effective way
❏ Community Language Learning for beginner
Georgi Lozanov
➢ The Silent Way - “a foreign
language learners to
language can only be learnt in
(Suggestopedia, 1960s) communicate using
schools by artificial methods,
the target language
employing materials
Charles A. Curran as they have very
(Community Language constructed for the purpose” little and limited
Learning) ➢ As the name already vocabulary.
suggests, the method is built 2. Instructions and
upon the hypothesis that feedback from the
inside the classroom the teacher will be
teacher should be as silent as vague to the
possible, whereas the students as there is
students/learners should be less interaction
encouraged to produce as between the learner
much language as possible, and the teacher.
participate actively in class
and in this way become 1. Suggestopedia
autonomous learners. is an approach
that can be used
➢ Suggestopedia - This
if the teacher
method includes elements
wants to
such as the use of relaxing
integrate
music, art and the additional
language in
importance that is given to the
teaching music
learning environment as well
or art and vice
as the authoritative behaviour
versa.
of the teacher.
2. This method
➢ The most distinguishing does not teach
feature of Suggestopedia, structure but
however, is the aim to “help more on the
the students achieve [...] appreciation of
childlike openness, plasticity the language.
and creativity” by putting them 3. Teachers should
into a state called make the
“infantilization” objectives clear
➢ It is also claimed to act by to the students
lowering a learner's "affective about language
filter" - in other words by learning
removing distractions or because
negative feelings which may learners might
inhibit language learning. focus more on
➢ Community Language their relaxing
Learning - the teacher acts than learning.
as a facilitator whose job it is
to be an empathetic helper in
the learning process and so
lower the affective filter. The
students are perceived as 1. The
being a "group" receiving counselor/teach
counselling rather than a er can become
"class". too non-
directive.
Students often
need directions .
2. Translation is an
intricate and
difficult task. The
success of the
method relies
largely on the
translation
expertise of the
counselor.
Hence, teachers
should be highly
proficient in both
native and target
languages.
3. Teachers might
neglect to guide
the students in
using the target
language and
just focus on
translating the
native language
which is also
very time
consuming.
https://www.scribd.com/document/358777506/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-a-TBL-Approach

The 1980s

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

N. Prabhu ❏ Uses real communication activities to ❖ Task-based Language Teaching 1. There is a

question on the
carry out meaningful tasks, and ➢ TBL lessons students solve a appropriateness
stresses the importance of targeting task that involves an
these tasks to the individual student of this approach
authentic use of language,
as much as possible. to the language
rather than completing simple
skill level of
language questions about
students since it
grammar or vocabulary.
demands little
focus on
accuracy and
requires
language skills
above the level
of many,
2. The task is for
all that’s why
some students'
capability and
interest might
not be targeted
resulting in lack
of interest and
motivation to do
the task.

Scott Thornbury ❖ Dogme 1. This is not a

● Teaching should focus on the recommendable
learner's needs and objectives. ➢ A communicative approach to method if the
● As far as possible, resources should language teaching that
student and teacher
be provided by or generated by the encourages teaching without
are still getting to
students or whatever happens to be published textbooks and
know each other
in the classroom or to hand at the focuses instead on
since the teacher
 moment.If you want to do a lesson on conversational and students should
trees then go outside, a lesson on communication among first build a
cars then go to the car park. learners and teachers. comfortable
● The teacher should be simply one environment before
more participant in the process at the they get into the
same level as the student. topics for their
● Real language and communication dogme class.
should be used at all times. There 2. This approach is
should be an actual need to unstructured and
communicate something of interest might be difficult for
between all the parties. both the teacher
● Grammar explanations should arise and the student to
naturally out of the lesson and not be track their progress
the reason for the lesson. in learning the target
language.

The 1990s

Proponent Highlights Methodology Weakness

David Marsh (1994) ❖ Content and Language Integrated 1. This approach is

CLIL approach offers many advantages to demanding for
Learning
learners or teachers in the language teachers in terms of
classroom. ➢ An approach where students adjusting practice
learn a subject and a second
and developing
● A natural way of learning a language language at the same time.
competences and
and a real way of approaching a that require prior
content/subject. training.
● It enhances students’ motivation to 2. Subject/Content
learn what is being taught in the teachers need to be
classroom. able to present and
● It enables students to learn more explain concepts
quickly and easily to improve overall clearly and
and specific language competence. accurately. They
● The students will develop a stronger must check their
understanding of cultural context as a pronunciation of
result of CLIL instruction in order to subject-specific
 differentiate language and society. terms and their
● Through this instruction students meaning and usage
build confidence in their abilities and in different contexts.
academic skills are encouraged. And also they must
● It is suitable for students who have be able to use
different learning styles. appropriate
● By using a wider range of task types classroom language
in this approach may help students to present new
understand better. topics/concepts in
● Students are involved in more English.
cognitive effort. 3. The language
● Students develop multilingual teacher lacks
interests and attitudes. expertise both in
● CLIL creates opportunities for natural content areas and in
language learning. the discipline-
● Teachers have liberty to change specific pedagogy
teaching methods and employ a within which
diversity of instructional tools in the language teaching
classroom. is fixed. They must
● At the end, a good way of develop their
approaching the curriculum in the knowledge of
classroom. content vocabulary
and its
pronunciation.
4. Finding appropriate
material for content
classes.