ELT~1

Department Of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji

Bhavnagar University

Name: Bhatt Vidhi Rajeshkumar

Roll No.: 04

SEM: 03

Year: 2012-13

Subject: ELT~1

Assignment Topic: Various Approaches

Submitted To: Heenaba Zala

Various Approaches

What is approach?

ü Approach is an organized way to produce the content material.

ü Houghman has used the word approach this way- “It is a method which is used to introduce English subject”.

ü Approach is wider term than the term method.

ü It deals with assumptions, a concept a point of view.

ü “It is a point of view or philosophy or an assumption which one believes but cannot necessarily prove”.

ü This means, approach is the study of self-evident truths. It is axiomatic. So, in short, we can say approach refers to the different theories of how languages are learned.

ü In short, we can say that approach means perfection of language learning.

Structural Approach

What is Structure?

Structure means pattern of words. The word pattern suggests a model form which many things of the same kind. Take the simplest structure “I am a girl/ happy man/ angry/…..” Here the variety of limitless situational word we can put. So, structure can give to rise to so many dimensions of expression. So, we should know its structures, handle then in various situations and master it for the purpose of various skills. He Structures provides the essential frame-work of the language.

What is structural approach?

·        The structural approach is one of the modern techniques of teaching English. The meaning of the structural approach: - “To learn a language to get mastery over various structure”.

·        This approach is based on the belief that in learning a foreign language, mastery over structure is more important than acquisition of vocabulary.

·        This approach strictly believes that the teaching of language is totally differed from other subjects are giving us only knowledge.

·        While language learning is a skill. And as we know skill is learned by daily practice which requires repetition. And this repetition should always be in meaningful situations.

·        Thus, to teach the language with the help of graded structures vocabulary and other language elements are the main consideration of this approach.

·        In short, structural approach concentrates on the teaching of structures and structural.

·        Structural approach promotes various actions and gestures to achieve the proper meaning of the structure.

Principles:-

o   This approach is based on the teaching of structures and vocabulary in a graded manner.

o   A structural syllabus is a list of language items arranged in the order of teaching (SVO).

o   This approach recognizes the importance of speech in a language learning process, and hence, it gives great importance to oral work for firmly fixing the structures before practicing reading and writing.

o   The structure must be properly graded. The selection of the structure must be based on the usefulness and the teaching ability. The gradation of the structures must be based on the usefulness and the difficult value.

o   This approach expects the teacher that we attempt to teach the language in a very natural manner that means, the way of learning mother-tongue.

Structural approach promotes various actions and gestures to achieve the proper meaning of the structure (Body language)

Merits:-

v It emphasizes on oral or spoken from of the language and therefore there should be plenty of oral work providing more opportunities to learners to practice the use of language. Thus, language learning through oral work, becomes lively and real.

v It provides more opportunities to the learners to express their ideas, feelings and experiences. As such it helps them to acquire more command over the language.

v It is a great helps in teaching basis skill of English language as it brings about a harmonious development of his skills implied in language learning.

Demerits:-

    This approach puts more emphasis on repetition and drill and therefore, teaching learning becomes dull, mechanical and monotonous to some extent.

    Since the approach attaches more importance to the oral presentation and speech, reading, writing and vocabulary expansions are neglected.

    In this approach, the centre of interest is the language material.

Functional Approach

What is functional approach?

    Generally, functional refers to something else to fulfill its purpose or function.

    Dictionary meaning of functional- capable of performing, relating to functions.

    The functional approach is one of the methods in classification of activities that occur in the marketing processes by breaking down the processes into functions.

    The teacher gives the functions and the students have to make a sentence from it and it gets the English language.

    All the approaches are used in speaking English, these became very useful to speak English, and so that teacher should work on it.

    As we know that the meaning of functional approach and that is fulfillment of the aim. Something is that first all three are taught and at least, functional approach is going to teach because the last step or the last fulfillment of dream or aim of the students.

    The students who are not able to speak English, they face many problems in this approach whenever they are working on it.

    The functional approach was developed for a specific need in mind. Learning units were arranged in terms of function and meanings.

    Functional approach focus on language mostly discourse features and also do discourse control. Materials are simplified functionally.

    In the functional approach, the syllabus is meaning based not structure based.

Communicative Approach

Introduction:-

    Language learning was considered as the product of language teaching which mainly involved habit formation.       – Skinner’s view

    ‘A language was a set of habits which children learnt by imitation by the behavior of adults.’ – Skinner

    “Language learning was not merely a habit formation but involved cognitive understanding of rules and structures on the part of learner.”

    As a result of all these experimentation of present, the aim of language learning and teaching Is to develop the communicative competence. So, this theory, put very much stressed on the importance of communicative competence.

Meaning:-

    This approach is based on the idea that the goal of learning second language is to gain communicative competence

    And term ‘communicate’ means to share ideas or to convey messages verbally or non-verbally. It means, this approach emphasizes on the communicative capabilities of the learners.

    Language, being a means of expression and communication, is learnt to communicate throughout the use and therefore any language course ought to provide the learner, the skill of interacting with others

    So, the whole focus is on:

o   Communicate proficiently rather than on more mastery of language.

o   Puts emphasis on communicative competence of the learner rather than on structural competence.

o   Emphasis is on doing activities is the classroom, so students may be able to communicate, to express well.

o   The whole focus is on learners and not on the teacher.

Communicative Competence:-

1.     Grammatical Competence

2.     Discourse Competence

3.     Strategic Competence

4.     Socio-linguistic Competence

o   So, communication is the soul of human interaction. We cannot neglect the importance of communication.

Principles:-

    Pays systematic attention on functional as well as structural aspect of language.

    Advocates the cognitive theory of Psychology in learning a language.

    Meaning based teaching, meaning should find paramount place in this.

    Believes in developing basis language skills in an integrated way.

    Suggests providing maximum opportunities to the learners in order to take part in meaningful communicative interactions.

    Believes in natural acquisition when a learner learns a language through use, he naturally acquires a target language.

Merits:-

    This approach is highly scientific because it promotes learner-centered activities to be carried out in classroom.

    This approach makes learners active participants of classroom activities. (Indirectly motives them to introduce the topic unnaturally)

    It Offers a great deal of practice.

    It can give hidden practice of language points without the students being aware of it.

Demerits:-

ü Too much use of native language

ü During the course of activity, there may be excessive talk resulting in noise.

Situational Approach

Meaning:-

It means the creation of different appropriate real and related situation to teach word or a structure. This approach established a direct relation between the object and idea or thought.

Principles:-

1.     The principles of action-chains: In this approach the chain of related actions are very important

2.     The principle of attention and interest: Because of this situation the teaching process becomes live and it draws the attention and interests the students.

3.     The principle of variety and simplicity: The teacher creates more than one situation to teach a particular topic or structure.

4.     The principle of play: the teacher creates play- way situations and makes the student’s interest.

5.     The principle of hearing: the teacher creates different situation and describe them. So, it draws the attention of the students and provides them the opportunity to hear the spoken language.

Merits:-

    Because of situation the teaching learning process become live and interesting.

    It is useful in teaching of foreign language. Particularly, new structural items and providing practice and drill of those structural items.

    It creates a long lasting effect on the mind of the students. So, they can master the structure effectively.

    Vocabulary introduction becomes interesting and live through this approach. Even abstract vocabulary can be introduced through situations.

    This approach is a psychological approach because it is based on the theory of interest and attention through activities and situations.

Demerits:

    It is benefitted for the lower classes. It is not more informative. So, not useful for higher classes.

    Only some selected and certain language items can be taught through this approach and not all language items.

    Other language forms such as prose, poetry and rapid readers and composition items cannot be taught.

    Only skilled and resourceful teachers can teach through this approach and not average students.

    Only bright and intelligent pupils can take advantage from this approach and average or all the pupils of the class.