History of language teaching

According to the learners needs.

Change of skills.

Reading and
Writing

Speaking and
Listening

 18th & 19th century: Modern languages

were taught using the same basic
procedures that were used for teaching
Latin:
GRAMMAR RULES-LISTS OF
VOCABULARY-SENTENCES FOR
TRANSLATION.

19th century innovations

Increasing demand for oral proficiency in
foreign languages as Europeans travelled.
Marcel (1793-1896): child language learning.
Reading
Prendergast (1806-1886): Childrens use of
situational cues to interpret utterances and
memorized phrases and routines in speaking.
First structural syllabus.
Gouin (1831-1896): Children language. Use of
gestures and actions.

The Reform Movement (around XXth

century)
New ideas discussed in books, articles,
pamphlets...
Specialists sought new ideas and advocated:
The study of the spoken language.
Phonetic training.
The use of dialogues to introduce conversational
phrases and idioms.
An inductive approach to the teaching of grammar.
Avoidance of the mother tongue.

The Reform Movement

Henry Sweet (1845-1912):
The Practical Study of Languages:

Careful selection of what is to be taught.

Imposing limits on what is to be taught.
Four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Grading materials from simple to complex.

General considerations of the Reform Movement

(Sweet, Vitor).
The spoken language is primary.
Include phonetics in teaching and teachers.
Learners should hear the lang first, before
seeing it in written form.
Sentences should be taught in meaningful
contexts.
Grammar should be taught inductively.
Avoid translation. Use mother tongue to clarify.

The Direct/Natural Method (until

1920s)

Sauveur (1826-1907) in Europe; Berlitz in the

USA: Berlitz Method (commercial lang schools):

Classroom instruction in Target lang.

Learning based on everyday vocabulary & sentences.
Small and intensive classes.
Oral communication skills in graded progression.
Communicative exchanges between student-teacher.
Grammar taught inductively.
Use of demonstration, objects and pictures in class.

Principles of the Berlitz school

Never translate: demonstrate.

Never explain: act.
Never make a speech: ask questions.
Never imitate mistakes: correct.
Never speak with single words: use sentences.
Never use the book: use your lesson plan.
Never go too fast: keep the pace of the student.
Never speak too slowly: speak normally.
Never speak too quickly/loudly: speak naturally.
Never be impatient: take it easy.

1923: A study concluded that:

No single method could guarantee successful
results.
Conversational skills were impractical in
view of the restricted time.
Limited skills of the teachers.
Irrelevance of conversational skills for
average American students.
1940s: Audiolingualism, etc.

Issues to form a method

What goal? What skills?
What language content?
How organize, sequence and present a
lesson?
Role of native language?
What techniques and activities work best?
How is SLA accomplished?

THE GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION
METHOD (1840s-1940s)
Learn a language to read its literature.
Grammar Translation: To know the target language
grammar rules (syntax and morphology) and translate
according to the native language.
Reading and writing are the major focus.
Learning of vocabulary based on bilingual word lists,
dictionary and memorization.
Accuracy is emphasized.
Grammar is taught deductively.
The students native language is the medium of
instruction.

Memorize (=learn by heart) this

list

Performance
Task
Lechery
Outcome
To mar
Bonfire
Anon
Primrose way

Actuacin
Tarea
Lujuria
Resultado
Estropear
Hoguera
Luego
Caminito de rosas