120H TESOL/TEFL Course

Rabat 2022
Lesson 1:
Approaches and Methods

Teacher Trainer
Lhoussine Qasserras
 Look at the picture and complete the sentence!

Learning is a …………………because…………………………………. .
 Expectations: Suitcase activity
• Draw a suitcase on a piece of paper. Divide the suitcase into 4 parts.
• In the first part write about
• your experience that you think
is relevant to the training.
• 2. In the second part write
about your expectations of the
• training.
• 3. In the third part write any
• questions, worries or concerns
you might have about the training.
• 4. Leave the fourth part of the suitcase empty. You will come back to this at the
end of the training.
Session 1: Approaches / Methods

Aims
Introduction Definitions

Recommendations Approaches and Methods

Observation
What is Didactics?
 Definitions

Didactics:
1. Science of teaching and instructions Teacher

2. Theory of teaching and learning

3. Who should learn what with whom,
where and why?
Learner Content
 How do you learn a language?
1. How many languages do you speak
and how did you learn them?

2. What are the differences between

learning a language naturally and
learning it in a classroom?

3. Do we all learn at the same rate? If

not, why not?

4. What are the characteristics of a

good language learner?

5. Why do some learners find it more

difficult to learn a language than others?
 technique

Approach
procedure

method
 Approach?
• An approach is based on the general assumptions about what language is and
about how learning a language takes places (Richards and Rodgers, 1986).

• It focuses on both the theory of language and the theory of learning. An

approach to language teaching describes:

1. The nature of language

2. How knowledge of a language is acquired
3. And the conditions that promote language acquisition
 Method?
• A method is a practical implementation of an approach. It is a theory which is
put into practice. It includes decisions about:
• The particular skills to be taught,
• The roles of the teacher and the learner in language teaching and learning,
• The appropriate procedures and techniques,
• The content to be taught,
• It also involves a specific syllabus organization, choices of the materials that will
boost learning, and the means to assess learners and evaluate teaching and
learning.
 Procedures?
• Jeremy Harmer (2001) describes ‘procedures’ as “an ordered set of
techniques.”

• They are the step-by-step measures to execute a method. A common

procedure in the grammar-translation method, for example, is to start by
explaining the grammar rules and exemplifying these rules through sentences
that the students then had to translate into their mother tongue.

• According to Harmer, a procedure is “smaller than a method and larger than a

technique.”
 Technique?
• Implementing a procedure necessitates certain practices and behaviors that
operate in teaching a language according to a particular method. These practices
and behaviors are the techniques that every procedure relies on. Techniques, in
this sense, are part and parcel of procedures. They are the actual moment-to-
moment classroom steps that lead to a specified outcome. Every procedure is
realized through a series of techniques. They could take the form of an exercise
or just any activity that you have to do to complete a task.
• Example:
When using videos, teachers often use a technique called “silent viewing” which
consists of playing the video without sound and asking students to figure out what
the characters were saying.
 Approach, method,
procedure & technique

Approach

Method

Procedure

Technique
 It goes like this…
An approach informs methods with both the theory of
language and the theory of learning.

Methods are actual implementations of approaches. They are

theories put into practice.

Procedures, in turn, are informed by methods. They are

ordered step-by-step events that have specified outcomes.

Procedures rely on techniques to achieve desired results.

Standards Based Approach?
Why?
Content Standards

Culture Connections

Standard
Communication Based In/outside the classroom
Approach

Performance Standards
Learner centeredness

Comparison
 Standards-based Approach
• It addresses what learners must know and be able to do with English ( content standards) , and of
how close they are to achieving the aims of the course ( performance standards);
• It addresses communication as being not strictly one skill, but a mixture of the spoken, written,
auditory skills;
• It is based on the premise that cultural understanding is essential in language education;
• It connects English with other subjects areas such as history and geography, philosophy, etc;
• It is based on the view that argues that comparing and contrasting our own languages and
culture(s) with other languages and culture(s) leads to better understanding of ours;
• It stresses the extension of language learning experiences from the classroom to ‘the outside world’
• It is focused on learner learning(i.e. learner-centered);
• It holds all concerned parties accountable for the outcomes of learning;
• It requires performance-based assessment.
Taken from: ENGLISH LANGUAGE GUIDELINES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS: COMMON CORE, FIRST YEAR, AND SECOND YEAR BACCALAUREATE
High Schools
• In Level 4, teachers of English should address five areas:

Communication

…….. ……..

…….. ……..
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE GUIDELINES FOR SECONDARY
SCHOOLS: COMMON CORE, FIRST YEAR, AND
SECOND YEAR BACCALAUREATE
1. Communication----Learners will communicate in both oral and written forms, interpret both oral and written
messages, show cultural understanding and present oral and written information to various audiences for a
variety of purposes .Three modes of communication are involved here: the interpersonal, interpretive, and
presentational communication.

2. Cultures----Learners will gain deeper understanding of their culture(s) and other cultures in terms of their
perspectives (e.g. values, ideas, attitudes, etc.), practices (pattern of social interactions), and products (e.g.
books, laws, music, etc).

3. Connections----Learners will make connections with other subject areas; and acquire information and use
through English for their own purposes.

4. Comparisons----Learners will gain awareness of cross-cultural similarities and differences (in terms of both
language(s) and culture).

5. Communities----Learners will extend their learning experiences from the EFL classroom to the outside world
through activities such as the use of the internet .They will therefore be made aware that we live in a global
world..
 Grammar Translation Method Vs Direct Method

GTM DM (Natural method)

The teacher Authority partner
The student Passive Active
Teaching-learning Translation and Associating meaning with
process memorization the target language

Language used Mother tongue Target language

Interaction T-S T-S / S-S / S-S
Error Correction Immediate correction Self-correction

Grammar Taught deductively Taught inductively

Communicative Language Teaching Vs Audio
Lingual Method
CLT ALM
Meaning/form Meaning is essential Form is important
Dialogues Are practiced Are memorized

Contextualisation a basic premise Not necessary

Drilling May occur, but A central technique

peripherally
Teacher and Learner T. Helps learners T. controls learners
relationship
Language learning To communicate To learn the structure
Errors Errors are parts of Carefully avoided
learning
Can you guess Which approach or
method does the teacher use?
 Total Physical Response (TPR)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TPR
The coordination of speech and action.
(Listen, watch, Talk)

Learners play the roles of listener and performer.

Learners monitor and evaluate their own

progress.

Reading and writing are taught after grammar and

vocabulary.

Grammar is taught inductively.

Learning language by gesture (body movements).

The teacher and the students are the actors. (Low-stress environment)

Students should be more active and talkative.

 The Silent Way
The Silent Way is the name of a method of language teaching devised by Caleb Gattegno. It is based
on the premise that the teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom but the learner
should be encouraged to produce as much language as possible.

1. The teacher must not interfere with the learning process

2. He/she should concentrate on how students learn; not on how to teach.

3. Learners draw on everything that they already know, especially their native language.

4. Imitation and drill are not the primary means by which students learn.

5. Trial and error are very important means by which students learn.

6. The teacher is typically stayed “silent” most of the time, only giving help when it is absolutely
necessary.

So,

A. Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to
be learned.

B. Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects.

C. Learning is facilitated by problem solving involving the material to be learned.

 Suggestopedia
• Suggestopedia is a language teaching method developed by the Bulgarian psychologist, Georgi Lozanov.

• The method draws from insights from yoga and Soviet psychology. From yoga, it draws the importance of relaxation of mind
for maximum retention of material.

• The main features:

• The use of music to relax learners.

• The furniture, decoration, and the arrangement of the classroom.

• Teacher’s authority. The teacher plays a central role and he/she is the source of all information.

• Advantages:

• Through Suggestopedia we learn to trust the power of the mind.

• We can also benefit from the use of music to get students to it back and relax.

• Disadvantages:

• It is not practical for large classes as teachers face the problem of the availability of music and comfortable
chairs.
 Read the situations!
Which one (s) do you agree/disagree with?
Kevin:
“I do believe that the best approach to motive learners to learn better is the
communicative language teaching. It is the best of the best.”
Sophia:
“When teaching kids, I all the time rely on Total Physical Response Method to
keep my learners engaged. They feel so excited.”
Lhoussine:
“I am not in favor of any approach or method; no single one is ‘the best’ or
the ‘right way’. It really depends on your purpose of teaching and learning,
the type of the lesson, the age of learners, the size of the classroom, etc. I
would prefer to integrate more than one approach or method in a lesson or
an activity.”
 Feedback
• There are lots of different methods and approaches to teaching, but no
single one is ‘the best’ or the ‘right way’. Some methods work for some
people and not for other people. The most important things to think about
when you are deciding how to teach are:

1. What is the purpose of learning English? (If the purpose is to communicate

then the method(s) you choose should facilitate this.)
2. What works in a particular context? (If an idea is based on a particular
context i.e. the UK, USA etc. then it might not work in a different context i.e.
Asia, Africa etc. unless it is modified.)
3. What suits the teacher and his/her style?
 Recommendations
• Please NEVER forget that learning how to teach …
• ■■ takes time.
• ■■ takes practice.
• ■■ is an ongoing process.
• Teachers must be creative and flexible to make their classes lively and
effective.
• Including a variety of tasks and topics can be a source of real motivation
for the learners.
• It is also important to remember that your purpose is not to complete the
syllabus but to meet your learners’ needs.
• You must remember that you are teaching the learners, not blindly
following the book or materials.
 Thank you

Email:
Lhoussine_qasserras@yahoo.com