Four methods
These four methods are different teaching methodologies which were developed during the 1970s and 1980s. Among other things, they were designed to lower the students’ affective filters because if students are relaxed and feeling positive then their acquisition of new languages is more effective. Nevertheless, these teaching methodologies were criticized because some of them such as The Silent Way and Total Physical Response were seen as teacher-centered and some people doubted the effectiveness of these methods.
Types of Four methods
Community Language Learning (CLL)
Community Language Learning seeks to encourage teachers to see their students as whole persons, where their feelings, intellect, interpersonal relationships, protective reactions, and desire to learn are addressed and balanced. For Community Language Learning students sit in a circle and a counselor or knower who is providing or correcting target language statements stands outside the circle. The process of this activity is that. A student says something in their own language then the knower says to the student they can speak it in English if he or she wants to it. After that the student says again what he or she wants in either English or their own language. If the student uses his or her own language the knower has to translate it into English. After that the student repeats the English used by the knower. The procedure is doing continually the same way. This technique is used until students are able to apply words in a new language with out translations.
In some CLL lessons students’ utterance are recorded and it is analyzed by the students. They comment on how they felt about the activity. During the students are commenting, a teacher offers to the students helping or counseling. So teacher’s role of this activity is facilitating rather than teaching. Now the ideas that students reflect on their learning experience is widely accepted. CLL works well with the student who is lower level and seek to produce spoken English. And from CLL students become aware about their classmates’ strengths and weakness. However some are worried about several things. It is possible to neglect from the students if a teacher let their students become independent learner.
The Silent Way
Caleb Gattegno (1972) who is the founder of this methodology believed that learning is best facilitated if the learner discovers or creates the language rather than being directly taught it. Gattegno said “teaching should be subordinated to learning” and "the teacher works with the student; the student works on the language.” So this methodology advocates that a teacher should say as little as possible. In the Silent Way learners interact with physical objects such as Cuisenaire rods. In a classic Silent Way lesson, a teacher indicates the sounds by pointing at a phonemic chart and the meaning by an arrangement of Cuisenaire rods. Then students produce the sounds and the teacher indicates whether their sounds are correct or not. But the teacher usually does not give verbal feedback; instead they use body language and facial expressions to show whether the language produced is correct or incorrect. After that the teacher indicates that each student should correct their pronunciation. If a student’s pronunciation is not correct, another student may help them. The class continues in the same way.
The teacher indicates by gesture or expression what the students should do and whether their pronunciation is correct or not. However if no student can find the answer, the teacher will give verbal help. But this is done only once. So it is really up to students to solve problems and learn the language. Some people say that Silent Way seems somewhat inhuman and the teacher’s silence does not help students to learn but perturbs them.
Suggestopaedia
Suggestopaedia was developed by Georgi Lozanov. It considers much about the classroom atmosphere to make comfortable, confident and relaxed. Lozanov believed this comfortable atmosphere lower students’ affective filter and enhancing learning.
During the lesson is processing students and a teacher’s relation is like parents and children to remove barriers to effective learning. A Suggestopaedia lesson consists of three main parts: oral review, presentation and discussion of new dialogue material, and séance or concert session. An oral review, students are used the previous lesson materials for their discussion and it is followed by the presentation and discussion of new dialogue material. Finally the séance or concert session, while a teacher read the new dialogue students listen to the relaxing music such as the Baroque period at about sixty beats per minute to lower their affective filter. And after the teacher finished reading they leave the classroom silently. Now Lozanov’s idea which lowers the affective filter is accepted one of important parts of all teaching.
Total Physical Response (TPR)
Total Physical Response was developed by James Asher. This methodology developed based on the thinking adult second language learning develops with similar pattern of the way children naturally learn their first language. When children learn their first language, parents say something with their body language. They said “Look at mommy” and “Give me the ball.” Then children follow their parents telling. So Asher thought if children learn the language from command to perform action, then adults also learn the language from that way. So TPR asks students to response physically to the language they hear. When a teacher uses this methodology in the classroom, they become like parents. The teacher starts with saying a word or phrase and demonstration an action. After that the teacher commands students the action. It is possible to extend their action after students become use to the first action. Also if students feel comfortable and confident with those words and phrases, then each student can command the action to their classmates. TPR is useful to teach some vocabularies which are connected with actions, story-yelling, and imperatives/Instructions such as stand up. However some people critic this methodology. They said it is appropriate just for beginner students and how TPR ties in with any real-world needs. Also it is impossible to teach everything from this methodology. Nevertheless now TPR uses among teachers of foreign languages because it is effective for beginning level students and young learners. Those things are strong points of TPR. First, it gives a lot of fun to the students. Second, it is help students to memorize the word or phrases. Third, it is good for the learner who enjoys the moving. Fourth, it can be using both large and small classes. Fifth, it dose not need a lot of preparation or materials.
References
- Jeremy Harmer. The Practice of English Language Teaching. 4th Edition. Person Education Limited, 2007 (1)
- Teaching English. http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology.shtml
- English raven.com ESL/EFL Resources http://www.englishraven.com/methodology.html