1. STARTING OUT
Chapter 2

2. Chapter Overview The Subject Matter of Language Teaching
First Lessons –hints and strategies
3. Method? What method?

3. The Subject Matter of Language Teaching
Typically classified under two main headings
Teachers typically classify the key subject matter of language teaching under two main heading
Language Systems
Language Skills

4. Phonology Grammar Discourse Functions
Refers to the study of phonemes, intonation, word stress, sentence stress, rhythm and aspects of connected speech
Grammar
Refers to how the words interact with each other within the sentence
Language
Systems
Discourse
Refers to a unit of language, especially spoken language that is longer than the sentence
Lexis
Refers to the meaning of the individual words or groups of words
Functions
Refers to the things people do through language, e.g., apologizing, complaining, etc.

5. LANGUAGE SKILLS Receptive Skills Productive Skills Listening Reading
WHAT WE DO WITH THE LANGUAGE
Receptive Skills
Productive Skills
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Writing

7. Changes of Emphasis in Language Teaching through History
Interest in all language skills, especially listening and speaking
Grammar with an emphasis on communication of meaning rather than purely mechanical practice
Grammatical Syllabus (language taught according to structure)
Functional Syllabus (language taught according to purpose)
60’s
late 70’s & 80’s
Nowadays
Concentrated on grammar and vocabulary
Reading and writing used to reinforce grammar and vocabulary
More lexically oriented view of language
Growing influence of CEF (Real-World Tasks)

8. The Communicative Purpose of Language Learning
The purpose of learning a language is usually to enable Ss to take part in exchanges of information
Neither skills nor language systems exist in isolation
Traditional teaching methods have seemed to:
emphasize the learning of language systems as a goal in its own right
fail to give learners an opportunity to gain realistic experience in using the language knowledge gained

9. Other Areas that are Part of Language Learning
Students may be learning…
new ways of learning (specific study skills and techniques)
about the other students in their class, and exploring ways of interacting and working with them
about themselves and how they work, learn, get on with other people, cope with stress
a lot about the culture of the countries whose language they are studying (target culture)
how to achieve some specific goal (passing an exam, making a business presentation at an upcoming conference,etc)

10. Key Hints when Planning your First Lessons
Use the coursebook (if there’s one)
A lesson is a sequence of activities
Learn something about your students
Plan student-focused activities
lead in
set up the activity
students do the activity
close the activity
5. Make a written plan of the running order of your activities
6. Consider aims
7. Fluency or accuracy?
8. Get the room ready; get yourself ready
9. Have at least one emergency activity

11. Key Hints when Teaching your First Lessons
Talk to the students as they come into the room
Learn names as soon as possible
Be yourself
Teaching doesn’t mean “talking all the time”
Teaching doesn’t mean “teaching” all the time
Slow down

12. Key Hints for Starting to Teach Better (once you’ve gotten past the first few classes)
Start to tune in more to the students, and be less self-focused (ask for comments and feedback on things you do)
Don’t teach and teach instead teach then check
Teach the class, not one person

13. A Method is…. a way of teaching
A Method is…. a way of teaching. Your choice of method is dependent on what you believe about:
what language is
how people learn
how teaching helps people learn
Based on such beliefs, you will then make methodological decisions about:
the aims of a course
what to teach
teaching techniques
activity types
ways of relating with students
ways of assessing

14. Some Well-known Methods & Approaches
The Grammar-Translation Method
The Audio-Lingual Method
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Total Physical Response (TPR)
Community Language Learning (CLL)
6. The Natural Approach
7. Task-Based Learning (TBL)
The Silent Way
Person-Centered Approaches
Lexical Approaches
Dogme

15. Designed as a companion for “Learning
Teaching” Methodology I by C. Moscoso Office of Academic Research - ICPNA