HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF LANGUAGE
TEACHING METHODS
Teachers and experts meet at one common point that language teaching methods and techniques are very crucial for students in learning a foreign language. Teaching techniques have been renewed and have changed over the years according to the kind of changes that occur in youth culture. Reasons for these changes can be that teachers have even obscurity about the history of the methodological options that they are using. On the other hand, it has been estimated that some sixty percent of today’s world population is multilingual (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p.1). Thus, the importance of knowing a foreign language is rising up day by day.
This paper examines the historical background of three language teaching methods and compares them with one another. These methods are; “Grammar-Translation Method”, “Direct Method” and “Audiolingual Method”.
1. GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHOD
Initially, Grammar-Translation method was used in the teaching of the classical languages Latin and Greek. It is also called as “Classic Method”. The principles of “Grammar-Translation Method” are the followings:
• The aim in learning a foreign language is to be able to read its literature.
• There are no benefits for students in improving their ability to communicate.
• Reading and writing are the most important skills required to improve; No or little significance is given to listening or speaking.
• When a text is being read by students, unknown words are presented with their translations in the mother tongue and translation exercises are the most applied technique by teachers during the lesson. Grammar rules are also presented and explained to the students the way they will be able to comprehend.
• During the lesson, the target language is not usually preferred.
• Instructions are given in student’s native language.
• Complicated and well-structured texts are read in a silent way before starting to the topic.
• It focuses on accuracy rather than fluency.
• It gives students the feelings such as boredom, frustration, indiscipline etc.
• Student’s native language is applied to clarify new items and to enable students make comparisons between the foreign language and student’s native language.
• It is not compulsory for teacher to be able to speak the target language.
• It is an obligation for the teacher to do a translation containing no mistakes.
• Language is regarded as a stack of words.
2. DIRECT METHOD
It is a reaction to the Grammar-Translation method. It is also referred as “Natural Method”. It criticizes GTM in terms of not being able to produce learners who were not able to use the foreign language they had been studying. It drew considerable attention by the end of the nineteenth century and in the early years of the twentieth century. It was most widely applied in private language schools where there were highly motivated students and where native-speaking teachers were employed. To this day, “Berlitz” is a household word: Berlitz language schools are increasing in almost every of the world. Nonetheless, almost every method can be achieved when clients are willing to pay high prices for small classes, individual attention, and intensive study (Brown H. D., 2001, p.49). But DM was not regarded as reasonable. Because some factors such as constraints of budget, classroom size, time, and teacher background made the method difficult to use. By the end of the first quarter of the twentieth century, the use of the Direct Method had lost its significance both in Europe and in the United States. Majority of the languages changed their curricula to “Grammar-Translation Method” or to a “reading approach” that emphasized the reading skills in foreign languages. Enthusiastic supporters of the Direct Method introduced it in France and Germany (it was officially approved in both countries at the turn of the century), and it became widely known in the United States through its use by Sauveur and Maximilian Berlitz in successful commercial schools (Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p.9). The principles of the “Direct Method” are the followings:
• Students are prohibited from using their mother tongue.
• Concrete words are taught by demonstrating pictures and acting, whereas abstract words are taught by unity of ideas.
• Conversation and listening comprehension skills are paid attention to a great extent.
• Both accurate pronunciations of the words and grammar are also paid attention to a great extent.
• Both grammar and the target culture are taught inductively.
• In the beginning of the lessons, conversation dialogues are made in the target language in an exchange with student-student or student-teacher.
• New teaching points are presented orally.
• There is an obligation for teachers to be a native speaker or native-like proficiency in the target language.
• Instructions are merely given in the target language.
• Everyday vocabulary and sentences are the things only taught.
3. AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD
It is a reaction to the reading approach and its lack of emphasis on oral-aural skills; this approach became dominant in the United States during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s; it takes much from the direct approach but adds features from structural linguistics and behavioral psychology (Marianne Celce-Murcia, 1991, p.4). The outbreak of World War II caused the United States to participate in a worldwide conflict. Accordingly, Americans demanded to become orally proficient in the languages of both their allies and their enemies. Afterwards, the U.S. military opened courses that focused on aural/oral skills. These courses are also known as the “Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP)”, or more colloquially the “Army Method.” The principles of the “Audiolingual Method” are the followings:
• Teachers are permitted to use very little of the mother tongue.
• There is little or no grammatical explanation. Instead, grammar is taught inductively rather than deductively.
• Listening and speaking skills are more important than reading and writing skills.
• In the beginning of the lessons, conversation dialogues are made in the target language in an exchange with student-student or student-teacher.
• Language is often tried to deduct without not regarding to meaning or context.
• New material is presented in the dialog form.
• A great effort is made by teacher to prevent the students from making errors.
• Skills are learnt in spoken form rather than written form.