Techniques and Principles in Teaching English.doc

Reflection of Grammar-Translation Method Many teachers use this way to teach grammar and do get a good fruit! Not only can this way help students improve their target language, but also help students understand and use their native language better. During the class, the teacher only used target language to ask students questions, and all exercises are about translation, student are put into a native language and target language environment. They are able to freely and adeptly use the two languages in class. The teacher used almost ten techniques in his teaching, such as translation of a literary passage which can help students learn target language culturally and literately, reading comprehension questions which enables students better-understand the passage and so on. As to-be teachers, for some of us, we may use this way to teach grammar, I think this is helpful for students to obtain a new language. Like it says in conclusion part translation is a valuable exercise which trains language learners ability to transform two language and comprehend the literature written in the target language. But there is still one advantage, that is its not effective in letting students use target language communicatively. Reflection of the Direct MethodThis method is not like the previous one, it focuses on communication. When teacher use this way to teach students, the class is an English-only zone. Student are involved into a total English environment. And the interaction between the teacher and students was good, teacher asked questions first, then students asked questions, this can help students experience the leadership of the class and improve their thinking ability and oral English.However,the teacher only used inductive method, indeed, like it says in the book that grammar should be taught inductively. But sometimes we need to help students or lead students to walk out the first step, I think deductive method should be used here too, only if the teacher properly control it. This teacher also used so many teaching techniques, some of them are authentically worth borrowing to our teaching. To sum up, this method is suitable for Middle School students or higher grade ones who are having enough vocabulary so that can understand the teacher who hardly speak their own language.The reflection of The Audio-Lingual MethodAs English majors, we all know that how important the listening is for a language learner. Well, listening is a input process, like it says in reviewing the principles, teachers want their students to use the target language to communicate, so the students have to overlearn the target language, now, listening can help students obtain the rules of speaking and form a new habit of expressing.This method is combined with the direct method, teacher merely speak English in the class session, teachers use more materials and let students listen to the tape for many times, to let students absorb the target language automatically and overlearn it. Here, the word overlearn again mentioned and emphasized as its so crucial that can stimulate students to accept the target language.This chapter is suitable for teaching speaking and listening, or sometimes grammar, and many techniques listed on the paper are really good for helping students remember the sentence structures and their logic thought. The reflection of The Silent WayThe title does surprise me, after all, usually learning language is coherent to read aloud, read more., these all are voiced activities, but this chapter is about silence! I think many of us have been chocked by the title. But,do not get rush,lets see what is this chapter going to say!Reading through the class will clearly tell us how the silent way works. The teacher hardly speak, students are the talkers of the whole class! Teacher does not use the sound, but he can use gestures to show students how to pronounce the target language. Honestly, this way is not utilitarian for our children, thats a little bit difficult. However, teacher who used this way just wanted to let students be able to use the language for self-expression, and to develope their independence of learning things, and their own inner criteria for correctness. The techniques and materials that the teacher used in class are bound together, so if we want to use the silent way, the materials must be properly matched with this teaching way. The reflection of Desuggestopedia This chapter tells us a new way to help students study target language. One of the main goals of this method is to decrease anxiety related to learning a new language, so that students can naturally and calmly produce the language.The atmosphere in this language learning method is extremely important as a tool to make the environment conducive to language learning. It has following steps:1. Presentation. A stage in which students are helped to relax and move into a positive frame of mind, with the feeling that the learning is going to be easy and fun. 2. First Concert“Active Concert”This involves the active presentation of the material to be learned. For example, in a foreign language course there might be the dramatic reading of a piece of text, accompanied by classical music. 3. Second Concert“Passive Review”The students are now invited to relax and listen to some Baroque music, with the text being read very quietly in the background. The music is specially selected to bring the students into the optimum mental state for the effortless acquisition of the material. 4. Practice. The use of a range of games, puzzles, etc. to review and consolidate the learning. Personal opinion: Advantages:It provides a cozy study environment. Students have new status in study, it also can arouse students interest, and release students and help students input lots of language materials at the same time. Comprehensively stimulating students positivity.Disadvantages: It requires a good teaching environment, teaching facilities, and highly qualified teachers. And this method kind of ignored the instruction of language points and language principles during the teaching. The reflection of Community Language Teaching The CLL method was developed by Charles A. Curran, a professor of psychology at Loyola University in Chicago.Curran believed that a way to deal with the fears of students is for teachers to become 'language counselors'. Community language learning (CLL) was primarily designed for monolingual conversation classes where the teacher-counselor would be able to speak the learners' L1(mother tongue). It's a method that is based on English for communication and is extremely learner-focused. Although CLL is primarily meant as a 'whole' approach to teaching ,it equally useful for an occasional lesson, by working together they overcome their fear of speaking,it's a good idea to evaluate the method.but their success is determined by the teacher's translation expertise, and there is too much reliance on an inductive strategy of learning. But we must pay more attention to following points: 1.The Communicative Approach holds that when we communicate,we use the language to accomplish some functions,such as arguing,persuading or promising.2. Communication is insufficient for students to simply have knowledge of the target language forms,meanings and functions.3. The goal of communicative language teaching is to have students become communicatively competent.4. The basic assumptions of the Communicative Approach si that students will be more motivated to study a foreign language if they are learning to do something useful with the language they study. Personal opinion Advantages of Communicative Approach1. In communication,the speaker has a choice of what he will say and how he will say it.2. A speaker can thus evaluate whether or not hid purpose has been achived based upon the information he receive from his listener.3. Authentic materials is considered desirable to give student an opportunity to develop strategies for understanding language as it is actually used by native speakers.Disadvantages of Communicative Approach1. In their communicative task ,they will inevitably produce errors ,mistakes and much inappropriate language because they use whatever language they have at their disposal .2. The way of communication is controlled. The reflection of Total Physical Response Total Physical Response is a language learning method based on the coordination of speech and action. This method of learning was developed by James Asher, a professor of psychology at San Jose State University, California. TPR(Total Physical Response) is linked to the trace of theory of memory, which holds that the more often or intensively a memory connection is traced, the stronger the memory will be.According to Asher, the language learning theories are similar to those of other behavioral psychologists. The principals that help elaborate his idea are:1.Second language learning is parallel to first language learning and should reflect the same naturalistic processes. 2.Listening should develop before speaking.3.Once listening comprehension has been developed, speech develops naturally and effortlessly out of it. 4.Adults should use right-brain motor activities, while the left hemisphere watches and learns.Personal opinion:1. It is fun and easy. Students will enjoy getting up out of their chairs and moving around. 2.Simple TPR activities do not require a great deal of preparation on the part of the teacher. However, some other more complex applications might. 3."TPR is aptitude-free." according to Asher. It is inclusive working well with a mixed ability class. 4.It is good for kinesthetic learners who need to be active in the class. 5.It is a good tool for building vocabulary. 6.It is memorable. Actions help strengthen the connections in the brain. Disadvantages: While it can be used at higher levels TPR is most useful for beginners. It is also at the higher levels where preparation becomes an issue for the teacher. Students are not generally given the opportunity to express their own thoughts in a creative way. It is easy to overuse TPR. "Any novelty, if carried on too long, will trigger adaptation." Asher writes, "No matter how exciting and productive the innovation, people will tire of it."The teacher may find that it is limited in terms of language scope. Certain target languages may not be suited to this method. It can be a challenge for shy students. The reflection of Communicative Language Teaching This teaching approach has three principles: 1.activities that involve real communication promote learning 2.activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning 3.language that is meaningful to the learner promotes learning And it emphasize on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language. Also the introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation (Authentic material is a must, because students cannot extrapolate to the real world from their learning on made-up material) Communicative language teaching uses almost any activity that engages learners in authentic communication. The concept is supposed to be language teaching ideas, not an approach or method. It has functional communication activities: ones aimed at developing certain language skills and functions, but which involve communication, and second one is social interaction activities, such as conversation and discussion sessions, dialogues and role plays.