Let's get technical

Conversation and building communicative competence is usually what I'm hired to do. I'm more of a communicative approach teacher. I do a few task based learning things but if I was teaching ESL, I think I would do much more.

Most of my teaching is with young students. The main objective is speaking. I also use a task to bring multiple language points together. My approach changes depending on the class size/age/ability and my level of energy!

I guess most teachers today use the communicative approach. But how do you address the weaknesses of this approach, i.e. The students is able to communicating but they making many the mistake.

I am more of a repeat after me teacher especially since I have kids mostly. I teach them the target language and then devise some game or activity where they can practice the language and I can walk around and check them. It's a good idea I think but can be difficult with 40 kids in a class.

emile wrote:I guess most teachers today use the communicative approach. But how do you address the weaknesses of this approach, i.e. The students is able to communicating but they making many the mistake.

Good question. I guess it's a matter of the pendulum swinging full the other way. Communicative competence and the communicative approach have been big buzz words for quite a while. We may see a shift back.

Obviously somewhere in the middle will be the goal. The problem is the middle keeps shifting as well.

Good question. I guess it's a matter of the pendulum swinging

full the other way. Communicative competence and the communicative approach have been big buzz words for quite a while. We may see a shift back.

Obviously somewhere in the middle will be the goal. The problem is the middle keeps shifting as well.

...but what usually happens instead of an approach somewhere in the middle is that someone comes up with a whole new approach that 'has addressed the issue for once and for all'.

[QUOTE=emile]What is your main style of teaching?

I teach EFL students. ( any age from 6 to mature..)
I emphasize on the speaking aspect of the language using role plays in various topics. One part is in the native language , I am acting the other part or another student is acting it when I have a group ( 2 or more )sometimes they are in pairs so they can act a lot of role plays in an hour. The role plays are adjusted to their grammar level and then use I use pictures about the conversation they have just had.

With regards to a teaching ‘approach’ or methodology we need to turn to the wonderful research the university linguistic departments have done into language acquisition.

Those in the know have now concluded that there is no single method or approach to teaching or learning a foreign language that actually works. Instead we learn through a mix of methods, hence the new teaching focus on the ‘eclectic’ approach, i.e. using all the methods combined and mixed to best facilitate learning.

The particular approach that a teacher uses at any one particular time will depend on a whole array of factors; the language point being taught, the level of the students, the age of the students, the cultural and educational background of the students, the lesson and activity aim. I find that I use the communicative method, audio-lingual, even grammar-translation (shock, horror!) sometime all in the same 60 minute lesson.

The point is, I think, that as teaches we should be aware of all these methods and approaches, their relative strengths and weaknesses, how they work in practice and how they apply to the students sat in front of you. They are the tools of our trade and we should select the best tool according to need not fashion.

Those in the know have now concluded that there is no single method or approach to teaching or learning a foreign language that actually works.

Well, I agree somewhat, but I feel that somewhere out there, there is a 'best' method, probably not discovered yet. ...maybe I should just use the Force!

Ah... a proponent of suggestapedia!!

lol, had to google that one:

Suggestapedia: an Eastern European methodology that
uses the peaks in classical music to "float" vocabulary into the brain.

I was hoping for something with lightsabers.

Haha suggestapedia, I studied that last week. Seems a bit to cultish for me! I understand that you have to relax your students so that they can learn but that's like trying to make them go to sleep!

What's your style Mr E?

I'm with Emile - lightsabers are much more fun!!