1. Orientations Toward Language Teaching
Lynn W Zimmerman, PhD

2. Orientations
An orientation - a set of assumptions about language and learning that guide teacher practice
Four Orientations Toward Language Teaching
Grammar-based
Communicative
Empiricist
Rationalist

3. Grammar-Based Orientation
Different kinds of knowledge located in different parts of brain.
Need to exercise those parts of the brain
Based on following assumptions about language learning:
Learning a language
means learning the grammar and vocabulary
expands one’s intellect
enables one to translate great works of literature
helps you learn your own language better, especially grammar
Grammar-translation method – goal of translating literature from L2 to L1

4. Communicative Orientation
Goal = communicate 
Based on following assumptions about language learning:
Native language should not be used in the classroom
Students should make direct associations between the TL and the meaning
Language is primarily speech, but reading and writing should be taught from the outset
Purpose of language learning is communication.
Learning a language also involves learning about the culture.
Direct method – no translation allowed.
Goal is to make associations between language and meaning, usually while studying about the language and history of the TL

5. Empiricist orientation
Behaviorist psychology and structural linguistics
Based on the following assumptions about language learning:
Language is speech, not writing.
A language is a set of habits.
Teach the language, not about the language.
A language is what its native speakers say, not what someone thinks they ought to say.
Languages are different.
Structural linguists view writing as secondary to speaking.
Should not focus on teaching grammar.
Contrastive analysis – can learn language by comparing it to another one

6. Empiricist Methods Audio-Lingual Method (ALM)
goal is to create language habits
emphasis on oral language development
dialogs and drills
substitution drills use everyday vocabulary, but out of context
Notional Functional Approach
goal is to learn notions of time/space and functions of language
Dialogs help students develop notions and functions
Suggestopedia
a relaxed setting can help student learn language effortlessly

7. Rationalist Orientation
From Chomsky’s generative grammar and cognitive psychology
Based on the following assumptions about language learning:
A living language is characterized by rule-governed creativity
The rules of grammar are psychologically real
People are especially equipped to learn language
A living language is a language in which we can think
Rules are subconscious rules that speakers develop and use to produce and comprehend language.

8. Rationalist Methods Silent way Community language learning
Students develop language by taking responsibility for their learning
The teacher models something once, then it is up to the students to reproduce it correctly.
Colored charts are used to teach sounds, words and sentences.
Community language learning
Conversations among students are taped and then used as a text for learning
Problem posing
Students and teacher pose a problem to be solved
Lessons designed to equip students with language needed to discuss problem and find solutions
Total Physical Response (TPR)
Students act out commands
Used with beginning level students often as a technique.

9. More Rationalist Methods
Natural Approach
Focuses on making input comprehensible
Students move through a series of stages from preproduction to intermediate fluency
At each stage the teacher uses different techniques
Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA)
Grade-appropriate content
Academic language development
Instruction in learning strategies
Emphasizes cognitive academic language development
Structured Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)
Used with different age groups and different subject areas
Integrate language skills into content teaching

10. References
Freeman, D. & Freeman, Y. (2014). Essential linguistics. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.