Teaching Techniques

           ESL has evolved over the last several decades. The evolution has been from an emphasis on strict form to functional communication. The most outdated method ESL method is the old grammar translation method-the one I was taught when I was studying Spanish in high school. Think of a dried up prune face professor teaching verb tenses with this method. Tragically, this is concept still linger, especially among Korea parents. When I first came to Korea I had adult students who couldn’t carry on three sentences of conversation, but knew what the subjunctive tense was!

            
              After grammar translation came the audio-lingual technique. This was officially discredited somewhere in the 1960s, but believe me it is still alive and well0it just goes by different names. The audio-lingual technique is when students are presented with phrases and are asked to memorize them, and then apply them in slightly different situations. In fact one of the aliases of the audio-lingual technique uses is the abbreviation SOS-The Structural-Oral-Situational Method. If any of you have used the book Side by Side-you have taught using this method. I can’t entirely discredit this methodology, because it can be used as a good warm up-especially with Asian students who are very uncomfortable in an unstructured environment, but make sure to use it sparingly. I also understand that the vaunted CELTA program employs the PPP approach, which again is another variation of the audio-lingual method. If you have just gone through this course, I gently suggest that you use what they taught you, but also look at other methodologies

WHAT IS NEW TODAY

              Again, no one has all the answers in ESL, but the latest thing, which does make sense is something called Task Based Learning. This is where the students are to work primarily in the target language and where they do most of the work, and the teacher’s primary job is to monitor their progress. For those so inclined, I strongly recommend the book, “Task Based learning” by Jane Willies. It is full of good ideas, which you can incorporate into your teaching. However, as a warning I must tell you that at the beginning of her book she states that for any ESL program to be effective students need two things.

1.       Lots of exposure

2.       Motivation

You would..