ACTIVITY: Second language teaching methods.

1.  It has been said that the Grammar - Translation Method teaches students about the target language, but not how to use it. Explain the difference in your own words.

·  The Grammar-Translation Method teaches students about grammatical rules and vocabulary making translation from the first language to the target language and the opposite way. Therefore the students use these rules to translate sentences from their first language to the target language. This is a wrong way to use and to learn English properly. It is very difficult that a person could be communicated with others if he translates everything he wants to say in his native language to the target language and besides he doesn’t know how to talk without thinking in his first language. Consequently, the Grammar-Translation Method doesn’t teach the students how to use the target language although it teaches about target language.

2.     In the Grammar-Translation Method, grammar is treated deductively; in the Direct Method, grammar is treated inductively. Can you explain the difference between deductive and inductive treatments of grammar?

·  Deductive is based on the grammar-translation method. The teacher teaches the rules to the children, later she gives them some examples. This method doesn’t let

·    Inductive is based on direct method. Students learn a new language by listening and by speaking it. It is based on the experimental, trial and error.  The teacher gives inputs to the children, she uses the grammar rules and the students learn by themselves. Making errors is the best way to learn a second language and to know how to use the grammar.

3.  Which of the following techniques follows from the principles of the Audio-Lingual Method, and which ones don’t? Explain the reasons for your answer.

A.  The teacher asks beginning level students to write a composition about the system of transportation in their home countries. If they need a vocabulary word that they don’t know, they are told to look in a bilingual dictionary for a translation.

-   This technique doesn’t follow the principles of the Audio-Lingual Method. This technique follows the Grammar-Translation Method because the students have to look in a bilingual dictionary for a translation. They don’t receive any feedback. They have to work the writing instead of working the speaking.

B. Towards the end of the third week of the course, the teacher gives the students a reading passage. The teacher asks the students to read the passage and to answer certain questions based upon it. The passage contains words and structures introduced during the first three weeks of the course.

-   This technique doesn’t follow the principles of the Audio-Lingual Method. However, it could be a technique to practice the reading method.

C.  The teacher tells the students that they must add an “s” to third person singular verbs in the present tense in English. She then gives the students a list of verbs and asks them to change the verbs into the third person singular present tense form.

-   This technique doesn’t follow the principles of the Audio-Lingual Method either. In this technique the teacher doesn’t have to correct the students. Students learn these rules by listening and improving their skills of communication.

5.  Asher believes that foreign language instruction can and should be modelled on native language acquisition. What are some characteristics of TPR that are similar to the way children acquire their native language?

·    Some characteristics of TPR those are similar to the way children acquire their native languages are: Use of commands. Simple structures. The use of imperative, the children get inputs, a comfortable enviroment, the children imitate and to be silent.

7.    A lot of target language structures and vocabulary can be taught through the imperative. Plan part of a TPR lesson in which the present continuous tense, or another structure in the target language, is introduced.

·        TPR lesson: in which the present continuous tense is introduced.

·    The teacher tells the pupils that they are going to play: Simon says. They should obey him when he says the phrase: Simon says, before an action.

·        He realizes the following steps:

-     Simon says: “Move your hands”. Look! You are moving your hands.

-   Simon says: “Walk in your place”. Oh! You are walking in your place.

-      Simon says: “Girls jump and Boys read a book”. Can you see? Girls, you are jumping and boys, you are reading a bokk.

·     The teacher selects some children to do some actions and she repeats the method to make the pupils to understand that when they are doing something in a particular moment it is used the present continuous tense.