---WEEK 1---

Video 1: Purpose, Content, and Technique

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In today's video,

we're going to discuss basic elements that will give you a way of understanding

an approach to teaching language. These basic elements are purpose,

content, and technique. Within each of these basic elements or categories, we will also invite

you to ask key questions that will help us answer primary questions

such as who, what, why, and how. The first category we want

you to look at is purpose. When I mention purpose, I mean the reasons

a language is both learned and taught. In other words,

why do you teach a language? While it might seem obvious to you, as to

why a learner might want to learn English. There are actually a number

of very different reasons that people try to learn languages. Through our discussions, you will
see

that different language teachers, over time, have had very different ideas

of why a language should be taught. So, question number one is,

why should we teach languages? The second question doesn't ask

why a language is learned, but rather who is learning a language. The second question, who
should we

teach is also related to purpose. By asking this question, you will see

that different groups of learners themselves have different aims and

reasons for learning a language. And that a teacher's purpose is heavily

influenced by the learners that walk through the classroom door. Let's move on to the category
of content. When we discuss purpose we think of

the question words, why and who. Can you guess what question word we

ask when we think about content? The answer,

as you may have already guessed, is what? What do you need to teach a language? What are
the materials that are required? By asking these questions, we can come to
a better understanding of the nuts and bolts of language teaching. By discussing content, we will
be thinking about the things

you would actually bring to class. Books, diagrams, maps,

audio recording and so forth. You will see that each approach varies in

the kind of content that is considered most useful in class. The third and final category we

wish to impress upon is technique. Technique refers to the strategies and activities that a
teacher uses in

order to convey language forms. Or, in other words, technique refers

to the ways a teacher teaches. While purpose refers to why and

who, and content refers to what, technique refers to how

a language is learned and taught. You can probably guess by now

what our next questions are. The questions are,

how does a learner learn a language? And how should a teacher teach? The last question is

a little less intuitive, but relates to the overall

philosophy of teaching. The question is how do we help

students to remember a language? Before we begin our exploration

of the different methods and approaches to language teaching through

time, let me offer a small word of advice. One of the very fundamental ideas

we want to impress upon you is the idea that purpose shapes

both content and technique. Let me say that again,

purpose shapes both content and technique. What I mean is that often when you uncover

the teacher's answer to the questions of why and who. Many times the reasoning behind

their strategies will become clear. However, just as soon as the purpose

changes, the techniques and content will not only no longer seem

clear, they may seem unreasonable. This insight should help you

realize how important it is to examine your own

philosophy of teaching. Not only what materials you might use and

what strategies you might employ. But more fundamentally,

what is the reason you teach English and what are the purposes that your learners

have for gaining language proficiency. Anyway, it is something to think

about throughout this next course and honestly, throughout your

entire teaching career. In the next video, we will discuss precisely how we are going

to take you on this journey through time. A time machine, you say? Now, that sounds exciting.
We'll see you right around

the bend on Teach English Now. [MUSIC]

--------

Video 2: The Time Machine: Visiting 8

Teachers throughout History
Hi, and welcome back. In this next video, we want to explain a little bit about

this journey we are going to take. It won't require a backpack or supplies. But it will require your
thinking cap. You see, we will be taking you on a trip

back to very specific times in history, such as 1880, 1930, 1945, and so forth. We will travel to
different locations and

drop in on very different people. The thing is each of those we visit will

all be language teachers of some kind, and they're all representatives of each

of the approaches we will show you. The way in which they perform and speak will help
demonstrate some of the

purposes, content and technique that you should learn to identify as distinctive

features of certain approaches. It's going to be a lot of fun. One word of caution, however,

as we take you back in time and visit each caricature. Since these are caricatures

of language teachers, they are both representative and

exaggerated versions of a general truth. While this is useful, this kind of

reductionist view can be limited. We encourage you to read and learn more

about each of these important approaches. Please remember to suspend judgement

until you know enough, and that these caricatures only

serve as background information. Each of these approaches has a rich

history of proper technique and proper content when understood

through the lens of purpose. So why do we create these

caricatures anyway? Well, there are several

educational reasons. First, for

the limited purposes of this short course, we are trying to present as much

history as we can in a very short time. Second, by exaggerating some of

the features of each of these teachers, we are hoping to show you a clear

contrast among approaches. This will help you catch a vision

of what we will refer to later as the pendular swing. You'll learn a little bit

about that in our next video. One more note, as we take you

back in time, thinking cap and all, I want you to do one more thing. I want you to assume

the role of a reporter. Your job at each moment will be to ask each of these teachers the six

fundamental questions. You might even want to take some notes. So remember, we will have
each teacher

answer our six fundamental questions. As they answer these questions, you will

get a greater sense of what these teachers believed about language teaching and what their
classroom instruction

might have been like. In the materials for this module, we have placed a diagram to help

you take notes on each approach. We recommend that you print out and fill in the important
information

as we explore each one. It will serve as a guide

along this journey, so that you can see different approaches

in comparison to each other. You can see that the diagram

contains information about our three primary categories, purpose,

content, and technique. At the end of each visit back in time, you

can compare your notes to the completed diagram we've uploaded to ensure you

didn't miss any important information. See you soon! [MUSIC]

-------
Video 3: The Angel and Devil Debates
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. Peter Elbow,

an English writing theorist and rhetorician recommends that when students

are learning about value judgement such as the kind that we will

find in these approaches. One way to try to

understand each judgement can be examined by doing what is called

the Believing and Doubting Game. The Believing and Doubting Game

suggests that if you take a statement, it is valuable to both agree and

disagree with the statement in order to get a clearer

understanding of your own view. For example, let's take a simple value

statement like dogs make good pets. One of the things you can

do with such a statement is to look at it from

the perspective of belief. Dogs are the best pets and

a perspective of doubt. Dogs are definitely not the best pets. In theory, this helps you get

a greater understanding and vision of both the weaknesses and

strengths of the argument. Let's take a closer look. If you look at our statement from

a position of belief, notice that immediately, you come up with evidence

that justifies your value statement. If you tell yourself,

I believe dogs make good pets, you might consider the fact that you

have known dogs that can play catch, can learn tricks, will come to a door and

wag their tail and other such truth statements to

back up your value statement. However, by looking at the statement from

a position of doubt, notice that you might come up with an entirely different set of

evidences that justify this new position. You might talk about the idea that

dogs eat more than cats and fish. Dogs often require bathing or that dogs,

especially some types of dogs have been known to bite, shed or

mess the rug when they're scared. That's my dog. Now, why am I talking about

the believing and doubting game? Because after we show you

each historical figure, we will spend some time playing it. This will allow you an opportunity to

think about it exclusively in terms of the advantages or

strengths of a particular approach, but then also to question it by taking a hard

look at its possible disadvantages. Although loosely based on Peter Elbow's

game, we will call our game the Angel and Devil Debate with the angel

representing a position of belief and the devil representing

a position of doubt. In the next video, we will introduce

you to the pendular swing and discuss one last bit of advice

before we leave on our journey. Are you getting anxious like I am? Sorry for dragging it out just a
bit. I hate getting ready for trips, don't you? Don't worry,

we're just about ready to begin. See you soon. [MUSIC]

-----

Video 4: The Pendular Swing of ESL History

[MUSIC] Welcome back. Let's talk about believing and

doubting again. But this time, let's talk about it from

the perspective of different theorists. You see, new theorists often get some

of their best ideas by considering the ideas of a previous generation. In fact, it is often the case
that a new approach

is born out of doubting The last one. In other words, often these approaches will demonstrate

sharp contrasts from one another. As a result, what ends up happening is that we often

move from one extreme to another extreme. This concept which exists in fields such

as economics, art, science, music and literature Will be referred

to as the pendular swing, meaning the tendency for

one movement to replace another movement through a reaction of the perceived

deficiencies of the former. For example, in art, we have two movements

at extreme ends of the pendulum. First, we have abstract expressionism This

type of art appeared around the 1940's and 1950's, at the end of World War II, and

focused mostly on various shapes and colors, representing a mixture

of emotions and expressions. Two famous works from this period in

are are Number 1, Lavendar Mist, done in 1950 by Jackson Pollack And Door to the

River, done by Willem de Kooning in 1960. At the other end of the pendulum,

we have the photorealism movement. This type of art came

out in direct contrast to the abstract expressionism movement. This type of art appeared in the
1960s and 70s and focused on creating

recreations of realistic scenes. Often taken from a photograph, and adding artistic
enhancements to make

the scene even more vivid and lifelike. Two famous works from this

movement are Self-Portrait, done in 1969 by Chuck Close, and

McDonald's Pick-up, done in 1970. By Ralph Goings. As you can see, these two movements

represent two extremes in art and the pendulum swung from one

to the other rather quickly. This has been true in

the language teaching for the last 130 years or so but

especially the first 100. From about 1880 to 1980. This moving from extreme to

another is something we want you to pay close attention to

as you form your own ideas and ground yourself in a more

balanced approach. This does not mean that

you can't choose sides. Rather that we want you to gain

as much information as you can. Suspend judgement for a time, and

then make educated decisions about who, what, why, and

how you believe what you believe, to form your own philosophy

about language teaching. At the end of each presentation of

an approach, we will try to show you best practices based on research studies

that come from each of these theories. In other words, rather than swinging

back and forth like monkeys on a vine. We would like you to consider what good

was learned from each approach, and what we can take away with

us through an examination of each period in language teaching history. All right, enough
introduction,
are you ready to go? I am. Put those thinking caps on and get ready. In the next module
[SOUND],

we are going to go back to the 1880s, to discover a very interesting

approach to learning a language. It permeated the United States and

many other parts of the world, and it's called the grammar

translation approach. Thanks for watching Teach English Now,

and I'll see you soon. [MUSIC]

-----

Video 5: Summary (chưa làm)

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now! Let's review what was

discussed in the first module. And take a closer look at how we will

examine each approach to language teaching and learning that will be

discussed in this course. As Shane mentioned in video two, we have placed a blank diagram in

the learning materials for this module. If you download and look at the diagram,

you will see that it has a place for you to write information

about each approach. The information you should write

will be given in future modules, and will focus on the answers to the questions

Shane talked about in video one. As we travel back in time to visit

teachers from each approach, they will answer the questions of why and

who, or the purpose of teaching language. What, or

the content of language teaching and how, or the technique or

practice of language teaching. Pay close attention to what

these teachers say and write down the information

in the boxes on the diagram. At the end of the module we

will review the information and then show you how the two

approaches compare with each other. We will also ask you to make some of your

own comparisons and write down your ideas. Your classmates will be able to review

your response and provide feedback. Giving you the opportunity to share and
collaborate as you develop your own ideas about the purpose, content and

technique of language teaching. See you next time on, Teach English Now. [MUSIC]

-----WEEK 2-----

Video 1: Back in Time: Grammar Translation

[MUSIC] Welcome back to, Teach English Now! The moment has finally come to

make our first trip back in time. Today we are going to examine an approach

called, The Grammar Translation Approach. This approach was widely used

in the United States and Europe by teachers of Greek and

Latin as well as many other languages. I'm setting our time machine to 1880,

are you buckled in? Well than, let's go. [SOUND]

>> What? What is this? Who are you? Impertinence! There was no knock from my door,

no sense of courtesy. How dare you come barging

in here unannounced! What do I see here? Women in my classroom. Highly unusual no

doubt, highly unusual. What, what was that you say? Time travelers? Oh, I see.
[SOUND] Hmm, six questions and you promise to leave. That is a promise. I certainly
expect those who enter my

doors to live up to their promises. Alright. We will see if their morality of the

future is something I can trust, or not. I will answer your six questions if

you promise to leave me in peace. Fine, which young man would like

to ask me a question first? Well, isn't it obvious? We should teach language and,

in fact, all disciplines. Art, science, mathematics, in an effort

to help people become more cultured. The grand end of education

is mortal thinking. We should make sure young

people understand great art, literature, such as that

found in Latin and Greek. We stand on the shoulders of giants. How can students truly
appreciate
the great books of literature if they do not learn their Latin? Students must be taught how

to be model individuals and we must teach them how to speak correctly. If they cannot
speak correctly and understand the rules of language they

will be just like immoral people you find in the streets who are ignorant,

cannot even read the Bible. For shame. Simple question. We should teach young men
from rich

families who can afford the best scholars. I'm not cheap you know. [LAUGH] A teacher
needs books. The best books. Certainly Homer, Cicero, Aristotle,

Plato, and the Old and New Testament. Latin, Greek, Aramaic,

these are the languages that matter. Young men learn languages by studying

the great books in the original language. They learn by engaging in a text,

and pouring over it. Since those texts contain the keys

of understanding within them, Learners also obtain an understanding of

language through disciplined attempt and a systematic and

ambitious amount of instruction. I may be old, but I'm no softy. By giving students large

chapters to translate every night I will give them an entire

chapter in the original Greek. Then I will have them translate

the student's native language. And then I will have the learner translate

back into the original language. Then I will also ask questions to test

their comprehension, so that I am certain that my students are paying attention to

the themes found within the literature. I will also give a small list of verbs,

I don't know, perhaps five hundred They must continue to read

the books again and again. It is their dedicated effort

that makes the difference. Their essays will certainly reflect

that they have indeed learned each work. All I want them to know. [MUSIC]
Video 2: Angel and Devil Debate: Grammar
Translation
[MUSIC] Welcome back from your visit to 1880. Did you enjoy the grammar translation

approach and that dear old professor? Have any of you had this

kind of instruction? Maybe not, but perhaps you recognize

him a bit in teachers you have known. As you could tell from our visit,

the teachers in the grammar translation approach valued the historical and

cultural aspects of languages. And that being able to read and

translate language opened up new worlds of literature they

wouldn't normally have access to. >> [LAUGH] Culture, my eye. Boring, boring. I wanted
to poke my eyes out, or

at least poke someone's eyes out. [SOUND]

>> Of course you would find it boring, you lazy sack of do-nothing. The grammar
translation approach

holds students to high standards. Not only standards of conduct,

such as proper etiquette, but high standards of commitment and a belief

that there is something to learn from other cultures that we can and

should understand. It isn't just about language,

it is about becoming something worthwhile, which is something, let's admit,

you would never understand. We aren't just learning about words,

we are letting these words guide our behavior, and

give us an understanding of human nature. >> Who, what, huh? Oh, were you talking?
[LAUGH] Were you actually agreeing to

be a student in a class like that? It doesn't change anyone's

behavior reading old dusty books that no one relates to anymore. And the very idea of
learning

a language that is dead is ridiculous. Dead. Dead. The language is dead,

and the ideas are dead. And oh my, I am asleep. >> [APPLAUSE] Bravo, bravo. Quite
the performance. You are pretending to be passionate, but what you really are is

exactly the opposite. You don't believe that literature and

art can really move people. And you don't really believe

that learning a language, even a dead language can

be a way to be moved. You are a slug. >> Pretty boy. >> Hater. [SOUND]

>> Teacher's pet. [SOUND]

>> Regardless of your view, the grammar translation approach

presents an opportunity for you to think about language in

terms of a historical lens. Not only is it an older approach, but the approach itself
demonstrates to the

learner a way to look back in history and see what historical

treasures can be found. By looking at language through

the lens of literature, grammar, and culture, we get a sense of what truly

mattered to our dear old professor. In the next video, we'll take a look

at some of the things language teachers have learned from

the grammar translation approach. Believe it or not,

there are things we still do today that have been handed down to us by

those wonderful teachers of yesteryear. See you then. [MUSIC]

Video 3: What have we learned?: Grammar

Translation
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. I hope you were able to see things from

both perspectives in our last video. It is essential that,

as we look at each approach, you are able to analyze each argument and

then make educated decisions about what you want your

language classroom to look like. In this video, we want to take a look at

some of the techniques that have their foundation in the grammar

translation approach. And that may, believe it or not,

prove useful in today's context. There are several techniques that we might

say were originally derived from, or at least in constant use by those using

the grammar translation approach. Did you notice any? To be honest, most teachers
nowadays

don't generally use back translation. That was the technique that our dear

old professor mentioned briefly. In back translation, a learner is asked to

take a text in an original language, turn it into their native language, and then

turn it back into the original language. This was supposed to help learners

precisely understand language forms and vocabulary. The idea was that every

word in one language has a proper substitute in another. This idea, that every word or

phrase as a precise translation, has been challenged in later research. And for most
language researchers,

myself included, that simply isn't true. Reading Comprehension Questions. But now let's
talk about some of

the techniques that we do still use. One of the common activities in

a grammar translation classroom is the use of reading

comprehension questions. And a whole variety of

comprehension question types. The idea is that a well worded question

can help a teacher know if students really understand the meaning of

a vocabulary word, a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire story. Comprehension

questions can engage

students in understanding tone, plot, characterization, and setting. Comprehension

questions can also move

students beyond what is understood, can lead students to apply

the questions to real-life situations. No doubt that comprehension questions

are an essential technique you can put in your teacher toolbox. Use of Antonyms and
Synonyms. Other useful techniques include
the analyzing of vocabulary by looking at antonyms and synonyms. In this technique, a
teacher can

create word lists that has strong associative qualities,

which definitely helps with memory. Use of Cognates. Another technique is to look for
vocabulary that is similar to

the learner's native language. This is often referred to as cognates. Finding cognates
has a way of lessening

the burden of understanding some words. And giving students information for

which they are already familiar. Many teachers today rely on cognates. Especially
teachers who are teaching

students with similar language backgrounds. I myself, don't use cognates much since I
have speakers from many different

language backgrounds in a single class. Fill in the Blanks and

Writing Compositions. Grammar translation

teachers also used other activities that you will

see in today's world. Such as fill in the blank activities. Which I am guessing everyone

has had experience with. And also, writing compositions. Especially as forms of

summative assessment. I definitely do that too. Although, can you imagine writing

a five-page paper in Latin? That sounds tough. All-in-all, my guess is that you may not

see grammar translation as a perfect fit for your teaching style. But please keep in mind

that this doesn't mean that there aren't important takeaways. Thanks for watching Teach
English Now. Oh, I think I hear something. Yep, I guess it's time for our next trip. Buckle
up, next stop,

the turn of the 20th century. Get ready to go back in time to 1910. [MUSIC]

Video 4: Back in Time: Direct Approach

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. Time to make our second trip and learn
about what is commonly

refered to as the direct approach. Theorists in the direct

approach took a different view than those in the grammar

translation approach. They started to examine how languages

are learned among children. And what principles of first language

acquisition might be applied to learning in a second. [SOUND] 1910, here we come.

[SOUND] [SOUND] Hello, I knew you would come. Adventurers always do. They always
find me. So you too would like to taste what this

tongue has tasted, feel the spray of ocean that has hit this face, and see all

the wondrous things these eyes have seen. Well then, come aboard. I will show you of
people and places

that others have only dreamed about. You know as well as I do that

language Is a passageway to culture, alive and waiting for

us just around the corner. Not dead, no never, but alive if we will just get on

the ship that will take us there. Six questions, you say? To keep life to six

questions is a miracle. But I will do my best to speak a simple

pros that will delight you and inform you. I will speak truth, and

the truth is all you will need. Language is a small part of

your larger goal, is it not? Your goal is to immerse yourself. To become one with the
native cultures and

tribes. When I lived among the Ohutu tribes

to the South, they accepted me as one accepts a small child and

I became a child as I lived with them. I learned the meaning of tree and

flower, of root and seed. I learned to become Ohutu, myself. And thus I have been many
men,

and have lived many lives. I learned Spanish from

the sailors that came to port, I learned Dutch from the pirates

off the island coast, and I learned Portuguese from the nights

spent with a Brazilian bar maid. We must teach those who come our way. Who drift in
and out of our lives. Those who come to us from far away. They are those who I know I
must teach. So, please sit down. Let me teach you. I will teach any who make

their way to my door, and any who have come hoping to see
what the world has in store. I was taught the simple

way that a child learns. My wise teacher taught me Ohutu by simply

sitting on the ground, until I also sat. And then he pointed out the sky,

and taught me sky. And then he pointed out the dirt in

his hands, and so I learned dirt. He also opened up maps to me, and

then I understood the shape of the land. I learned colors, objects, and the fact

that the river was between two hills, and that the trees were among the hills. Eventually
my teacher opened up his heart,

and I learned to feel like the Ohutu feel. He asked me what I felt, and

that is the day I spoke and became Ohutu. We all learn as children language learn by

becoming explorers of the world around us. We don't learn from dusty books. We learn
from what we can touch,

and feel, and see. We read and see all around us. Those daily things that were

once considered too low to even be thought of as worth teaching. A teacher needs only
to point

to the world around him. A teacher must make it clear to

the learner that they are in charge of seeing this world and

of expressing and sharing it. A teacher must make it clear that learners

are in charge of their own learning. Even their own mistakes. Teachers must make it
clear that learners

must share what they have learned so that a teacher can see if

they have learned well. In an effort to share culture,

a teacher must realize that it is the daily affairs of men and

women that make us who we are. What we eat, what we drink,

what we see with our own eyes. This is the essence of language. As a learner
understands a culture, there will be no need to remember it

because you will become a part of it. You will become as they are. And your ability to
live in that culture

is the only true test of language. But if I had to judge your ability to
speak another language in my classroom, I would have you speak honestly and

openly. No false grammatical sentences,

but you would speak and I would recognize your ability to understand as

the people of that language understand. Perhaps some day the Ohutu tribe will

make you one of their own as well. Do you wish to run with

the bulls in Pamplona? To dance a carnival in Rio? To truly live, and learn, and speak.
Climb aboard. Let's go on an adventure together. [MUSIC]

Video 5: Angel and Devil Debate: Direct

Approach
[MUSIC] >> Welcome back from your visit to 1910. Here we find a teacher that is

quite the explorer of the world. Would you have enjoyed having him

teach you different languages? What would be attractive about having

someone that wants you to experience cultures so firsthand and so personally? I hope
you get a sense of what

is meant by the direct approach. One of the primary principles

of the direct approach is that language learning should be done

completely in the primary language. Think about just how different that is

from the grammar translation approach. In grammar translation, using both

languages by translating back and forth between languages wasn't

a task that was valued. But in the direct approach,

there is no use of the primary language. Furthermore, you may have noticed also

that while reading might still happen, reading and

writing skills are de-emphasized. And speaking and

listening skills are more of the focus. The idea of travel,

the idea of learning so that you can experience a culture is

much more what we are going for here. While direct approach teachers might not

have actually taken their students on journeys to different countries,

the classroom was created in such a way that students felt like they

could understand the culture and what people might think, feel,

wear, eat, and so forth. The idea was to learn directly

from someone who knows and understands the culture,

as well as the language. >> Well, I can definitely get

behind the idea of learning Portuguese from a Brazilian bar maid,

if you know what I mean. >> You are a vulgar idiot. But the idea behind

the premise does feel sound. Experiencing culture in a first hand, almost childlike way,

does seem attractive. >> All right, let's get real for

a second, if I may. How many people are honestly going

to go visit other cultures with Dr. Jones here, and spend a couple

of years sitting in the dirt? Come on, be reasonable. Teachers don't have time for

learners to sit around staring at maps until they figure out

what questions to ask. >> Are you saying that teachers don't

have time to help learners learn for themselves? Listen, languages are supposed

to connect us to other people. Languages are supposed to allow us to

understand how other people feel and live. Inviting learners to

explore their own ideas. And to explore whole different

culture seems exactly what I would love to do in a classroom. It seems to me that the
direct approach

helps us really get down to the idea of adding culture to the whole equation. Isn't it
exciting to think about

visiting all of these different places. >> So, the purpose of learning a language,

let me get this right, is so that I can have a bowl of gourmet

on the streets of Pamplona, ooh, you have some of the dumbest ideas. >> And you
have some of the darkest ways,

of understanding bright ideas. >> [SOUND]

>> Well, it seems once again that it is a little difficult to

reconcile the different arguments. Certainly the direct approach allowed

us to think of language in terms of child acquisition. And there is no doubt that there

has been a lot of research that has allowed us to examine whether or not second
languages should be taught

in the same way as a first language. What do you think? Is there anything that seems

attractive about a direct, almost childlike approach to you? Would you imagine this to be
a good

approach for certain groups of students? Who would enjoy this method and

who might not? In the next video we'll take a look at

some of the things language teachers still use that might be considered

an homage to the direct approach. See you then. >> [MUSIC]

Video 6: What have we learned?: Direct

Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In this video,

we want to pay tribute to the way in which the direct approach

has informed teachers today. As we mentioned briefly in the last video,

one of the ways in which the direct approach has influenced us is

through an examination of whether or not second language should be

learned like a first language. The answer as you can

imagine is somewhat complex. First of all, through a number of studies

it appears hats learners go through a rather predictable development

sequence just like children. Second of all the use if visual aids and

objects made readily available around a room It's a time-tested technique that

all teachers should feel comfortable with. Supporting your room with pictures,

objects and maps can help support memory and

understanding. On the other hand, it is also true that

learners, especially at later ages, draw on their knowledge of their native

language as they try to learn a new one. This is often referred to as transfer. And one of
the most common

arguments being made, is whether transfer is negative or

positive. Let me explain. Negative transfer might refer to

transferring a linguistic item incorrectly from one language to another. Whereas positive
transfer refers

to the idea of correctly assuming that how it works in one language, presumably your
native language, is

the same way it works in the new language. I definitely transferred, for example, my
knowledge of Spanish

to help me with my Portuguese. And, in fact,

when I don't know a word in Portuguese, I usually attempt the Spanish word and

put a Portuguese accent on it. And quite honestly,

it sometimes works out. Good idea or bad idea? Well, again, it sometimes works.
Ultimately, the idea that an adult

learner should learn exactly like a child probably doesn't hold true. Because an adult
does have resources and understanding that a child doesn't

in order to facilitate learning. However, there are ways that a child

like direct approach can be very useful. Here are some techniques that

I have definitely learned in my language classroom. That are techniques that

are used in the direct approach. Enactments, students can enact a play or a situation in
a way that is fun and

culturally specific. An enactment of a play or a dialogue,

especially with the use of gestures, pictures and visual aides Helps to support an

understanding of both culture and meaning. Student self-correction. Teachers in the

direct method were very

good at putting the responsibility of learning on a learner. A teacher often used the
approach of

repeating an incorrect sentence and then using a questioning voice in order

to help the student catch the mistake. For example,

a student might say I catched the ball. And a teacher might lift a brow and

say questioningly I catched the ball? To see if the student can self correct. The very
concept of self correction

puts learning squarely on the shoulders of the learner and can help the learner develop
the ability

to monitor his or her own language. Draw a picture. Drawing a picture based on a
dictation

can be a fun way to help students pay attention a teacher. A teacher might ask students

to draw a picture of a house with a certain number of windows and

doors, maybe a tree outside. And perhaps something unusual

like a monkey in a tree. After the teacher dictates and

students draw based on the dictation, students can compare their results

with that of other students. Using maps and information gap. The use of maps can help
to draw

students into the geography and culture of where a language is spoken. In addition, it
can be a great tool for

helping students talk to each other. For example, imagine that one student has

a map with all of the rivers labeled, but all of the mountains are unlabeled. Another
student has a map with all of

the mountains labeled, but not the rivers. A teacher could invite students to share

information with each other in pairs. With only one simple rule, students with the river
map are not

allowed to look at the mountain map. And the students with the mountain map

are not allowed to look at the river map. They must complete their

maps with both rivers and mountains by talking with each other and

asking questions. This kind of information sharing

is referred to as information gap. And has become a common ESL

technique all over the world. Thanks for watching Teach English Now. In the next video,
we will summarize some

of the important features of the two approaches you have seen so far. We will also invite
you to compare and

contrast these two approaches. And consider what parts of theses

approaches resonates most with you. See you next time. [MUSIC]

The Berlitz Method

by Jessica Cinco

The end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century brought much excitement
and technological development. Henry Ford introduced his new, affordable Ford Model
T automobile, which enabled the growing American middle class to travel more. The
Wright brothers, and others, were experimenting with flying contraptions which quickly
evolved into air travel vehicles called airplanes. Extensive railroad lines zigzagged
across countries and continents. These were times when people began leaving the
safety and security of their own homes and hometowns to venture out to places that, just
years before, were too expensive or inaccessible to visit.

With so many people traveling out of their comfort zones and discovering more of the
world, the need to practically learn and use languages to communicate when traveling to
new countries was imperative, thus bringing about the birth of the Direct Method of
language learning. One of the masterminds behind this approach was the German-born
Maximilian Berlitz. Upon moving to the United States to teach French and German, he
developed interactive methods for educating his American students (Brown, 2007). In
1878, he founded the Berlitz language schools, which, to this day, continue to offer
language courses using the “Berlitz Method.” This method utilized many of the activities
and the pedagogies of the student-centered Direct Approach. For well over 100 years,
these schools have taught languages whose objective is to emphasize mainly speaking
skills and some listening skills over reading and writing (Stieglitz, 1955).

Berlitz published multiple books on language education and acquisition. The below
excerpt is taken from a text for English language teachers,entitled simply, Second Book.
In its preface, Berlitz states that the dialogues and other activities in the book should be
led by the teacher, with non-native English speakers either repeating dialogues,
enacting them or answer questions only in English. He goes on to explain that teachers
should put posters, or “wall pictures,” on their walls to portray the location of the
conversations in the text. These posters would give the students a visual aid to
understand what they’re discussing (Berlitz, 1906).

Here is one of Berlitz's activities for communicating at the post office. Teachers would
have already discussed some ideas about American post offices and sending letters.
Berlitz instructed teachers to read the dialogues and then students should repeat. Then
students would orally discuss questions and the perhaps act out the scene. All of which
sounds very familiar to the description of the Direct Approach in the video. Readers will
notice some interesting vocabulary used at the time this book was published (Berlitz,
1906).

At the Post-Office

Mr. A – Here is my card. Are there any letters for me?

Clerk – There are two, one is registered. Have you any papers by which to identify
yourself?

Mr. A. – Yes, here is my passport.

Clerk – Sign your name in this register, please.

Mr. A. – Where can I get some postage stamps?

Clerk – Next window.

Mr. A. – (At the other window) What is the postage for a letter to Mexico?

Clerk – Two cents, if it does not weigh over an ounce.

Mr. A. – And for Chili?*

Clerk – Postage to all foreign countries except Canada, Cuba, Mexico and England is
five cents for the first ounce.

Mr. A. – Give me five 2-cent stamps and two 5-cent ones, please. Where can I find a
public telephone station?

Clerk – Across the way, right opposite.

Exercise

1. How do we send a letter to another city?

2. What do we put on the letter to show where it is going?

3. What do we put there to show that the postage is paid?

4. How can Mr. A. prove who he is?

5. Where does Mr. A sign for the letter? (Berlitz, 1906)

(Many more questions were included, but for the sake of brevity, these five questions
are used as just a sample.)

The above situation and following activity helped students understand how to pick up
mail, buy stamps, identify themselves and so on. The dialogue not only taught English
language but also focused on American culture, specifically in a post office. Students
learning English by using this activity can practice this encounter in English, but also
answer oral comprehension questions, heightening their speaking ability. Teachers will
help students with pronunciation and correct accent. Students can also enact this
dialogue and even embellish or change it with other information they’ve learned about
American Post Offices.

* In American English, the South American country is now spelled as “Chile.” Berlitz
used the spelling of the early 1900’s, “Chili.”

Video 7: Summary (chưa làm)

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In this module, we went back to 1880
and visited a teacher from

the Grammar Translation Approach. This teacher told us his purpose in

teaching language was to teach young men of affluence and power to be moral by

examining the literature of the Roman and Greek civilizations. Only by learning the
cultural values

of these civilizations through translation could his students develop

into the men they were meant to be. To him, it was the intellectual exercise

of translation and understanding the deep ideas expressed by these accent writers

that made language learning worthwhile. This teacher taught using classic works

in the the orignal Greek and Latin. Books, such as Homer's Odyssey,

and The Bible, provided ample material for translation. And students spent their time

translating and examining long passages from these works, as well as passages from

plays, poetry, short stories, and novels. This teacher made use of the technique

of translation and back-translation, or having the students translate the original

language into their native language, and then back into the original language. This
technique required students

to understand the vocabulary and the grammar of the original language, and the
nuances of meaning the original

writer was trying to convey. The teacher used reading comprehension

questions to test students' knowledge of the works they were translating. And had
students focus on memorizing
long lists of vocabulary words. To test their knowledge of the language,

he would have his students write essays in the target languages

on a variety of moral topics. Let's contrast

the Grammar Translation Approach with the next approach we visited,

the Direct Approach. This teacher was a world traveler. Someone who understood that
languages were

a way to get to know living people and that only learning about ancient

civilizations was not a way to really get to know the world we live in. Our caricature
mentioned

living among the Uhutu and learning their culture, history and

people by interacting with them. His purpose was to teach his students to

experience life in another culture and to learn language via experience,

and not just sitting in a classroom. His students were people who wanted

to travel the world like he did and experience things for themselves. Our world traveler
spoke about learning

geography by studying maps in the target language and history by hearing his Uhutu

teacher tell stories about their people. He learned languages through dialogues and

conversations with native speakers, and by reading passages about

the people he was visiting. He was completely immersed in

the target language and culture. His techniques mimicked those we might see

parents use in teaching their children to speak their first language. He taught through
conversations,

drawing maps, question and answer sessions, and

reading aloud to student. He expected his students to learn

vocabulary and grammar inductively through experiencing them,

rather than by teaching them explicitly. And he encouraged his students to find and
correct their own mistakes

whenever possible. While each of these approaches may have

had their place in language teaching history, they are very different

ways of thinking about language. Grammar translation essentially ignored

any aspect of speaking the language while explicitly teaching grammar and

vocabulary. On the other hand, the Direct Approach focused almost

solely on speaking the language and learning through experience,

instead of explicit instruction. In the assignment at the end of the

module, we'd like you to take a moment and consider each of these two approaches,
and how you feel about the views they take

on language learning and teaching. Then, we'd like to know if you agree or

disagree with these principles and why. Finally, we'd like to know if you

plan to apply any of these principles in your own classroom, and

which techniques you might use, if any. Once you submit your response, your
classmates will have the opportunity

to review your responses and provide feedback, making this

a truly collaborative experience. We hope you've enjoyed what you've seen so

far. In our next module,

we'll visit two more approaches. The Reading Approach and

the Audio-Lingual Approach. See you next time. [MUSIC]

------------WEEK 3-------------

Video 1: Back in Time: The Reading

Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. Today, we are going back in time

to examine an approach called the reading approach. This approach was mainly seen in

public schools starting the 1930s. The approach came about

partly as a reaction. A move to the other side of

the pendulum if you will, from the direct approach

we saw in Module Two. You see, most people in the 1930's didn't really have
opportunities to

travel all over the world and so communication was not seen as a major goal

of language learning in public schools. It was also hard to find teachers

who knew the language well enough to teach the direct approach. Oh, and one more
thing. A third reason for the emergence of this

approach, was the advent of standardized testing, that became more and

more prevalent around this time. [NOISE] So with that in mind,

let's set the dial to 1930. Are you ready? Okay, here we go. [NOISE] [SOUND] Oh,
seriously these migraines are gonna kill me. Those monsters. Oh, whoa. Hey.

Did the principal send you? Who?

What? Where did you come from? Oh, okay as long as

the principal didn't send you. You don't mind if I

[SOUND] sit down do you? [SOUND] Thanks. I'm sorry if I seem a bit tired, but

I just finished teaching seven classes of French to a bunch of eighth graders who

couldn't care less about learning French. You think my student's

are ever gonna go to France. Heck I only went once and

they made me the French teacher. To be honest I have a degree in economics. But they
closed down that class

because of lack of interest. [LAUGH] Sorry, economics joke. Anyway, what's that?
You're time travellers. You have six questions to ask

about teaching languages. All right, let's get this over with. I have to coach softball in
about an hour. I get an extra 20 bucks for that gig. All right, what's the first question?
What was that? You wanna know why we

should teach languages? Well, listen. As fun as it would be to go all over

the world with Captain Adventure, I'm a real teacher and

I teach normal students. My students are never gonna

travel to a different country. Are yours? No, of course not! They're normal students, so
they don't
need to know how to speak a language with the natives and

get all touchy feely with a culture. Do you wanna know what they do need to do? Pass
the test the administration wants

me to give at the end of the semester. They need that, and the only way they'll

be able to do that is by learning how to read enough, know enough vocabulary

and grammar so they can take that test. And you want a bit more honesty? Can you
close the door? I don't want the principal to hear this. All right. Okay here's the truth.
This is a job and

I get paid to do this job. Am I right? Of course I'm right. I'm a real teacher and I have
bosses and

I have to do what they say. And I do this for money, so sue me. My job is to teach these
monsters of

mine to learn a little bit of French and then just go away and leave me alone. [SOUND]

All right. You wanna know who we should teach? Well, we should teach real students.
Normal students. They're kids who sit in class all day and then go home and

forget everything they just learned. They won't use French when they go home. So they
won't remember most of

what I teach them during the day. Just saying the truth. All right, next question.
Materials. Let's see. Well we need books, of course. Can't read without books and

the administration tells me which books to use, so

I usually teach whatever they give me. We are also given a list of

vocabulary words and grammar so the students can memorize them and

prepare for the test. That's about all I used to teach. What's the next question? Mm-hm.
How do people learn languages? [LAUGH] I don't know. I've got an economics degree.
Well all right, well my students

probably won't learn the language. But maybe I don't know if they

learn a few vocabulary words, and maybe read a book in French,

then I would be thrilled. They can do that by memorizing a bunch of

vocabulary words and grammar patterns and translating from French into English,
you know. Next. How should a teacher teach? That's funny. All right, word of advice,
pace yourself. Seriously. Okay, and obviously teachers should give

students books to read in the language. I have all of my students

reading the same book and they have to read the same chapter each

night, then I give them a quiz, same quiz the next day with the same questions

about the chapter they just read. The quiz is based of the test they're

gonna have to take at the end of the year. All right, last question. Oh man, I don't know. I
guess we help students learn some of

the language by having them keep reading. Who knows, maybe some of them

will take French in college. If I'm lucky. The more they read,

the more language they will pick up. Seriously. I just hope enough of them will pass

the test at the end of the year so I can get my contract renewed. Know what I mean?
[MUSIC]

-------

Video 2: Angel and Devil Debate: Reading

Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back. How was your visit to the 1930s? So, now you've seen what

the reading approach is like. It was an interesting time

in education history, when standardized testing became very

important for a number of things. The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or

SAT, was first developed in 1926 and standardized testing in public

schools became quite prevalent. Also grammar rules are back in style. And even a bit of
translation

came back into focus, as well as the use of vocabulary lists. In the reading approach,
the purpose of

teaching language is very practical and focused on the immediate needs,

abilities, and to put it this way,

the probabilities of the students. They probably aren't going to

travel around the world, but they might be able to pick up enough

language to help them pass the test and use that language they have learned

immediately by reading in that language. >> Practical for students? [LAUGH] How about
practical for

the teacher that doesn't speak French? Or how about practical for the administration that
only has to write

a single test for an entire school system? Oh, it's practical all right. In the most
delightfully

selfish way possible. I love it. Standardized testing, it feels,

mm, positively sinful. [SOUND]

>> Standardized testing is sinful? That's a stretch, even for you. Look, perhaps testing
may not be so

popular, and standardized testing even less so,

but the testing movement helped us actually attempt to know whether any

of our techniques are useful or not. Without this testing movement, we wouldn't

have such a rich number of studies that help us know what techniques to use. >> Sorry
to interrupt your love

affair with tests, but I'm not done. Let's pretend that testing

really is all you say it is, and that we are all bunches

smarter because of it. Are you really going to excuse

an approach to language learning called, The reading approach? Seriously, just reading,
that doesn't

seem a bit short-sighted to you? Reading, that's it? Sit quietly at your desks and read.
[LAUGH] I swear, sometimes I feel like you're defending

things that I should be defending. Sit and read and take tests. Well, if that is what
heaven has to offer,

I think I'll stay right where I am. >> And what's wrong with reading? It was the 1930s.
People couldn't just hop on a plane and fly across the ocean to find

someone who spoke French. Reading was the best way for them to use

the language they were learning, and reading books in a foreign language
let them learn about the culture and other aspects of people

who spoke the language almost as well as if they had

actually visited that country. >> I'll bet you spend most of

your time in the library, hm? What's the matter,

don't have any real friends? Reading is boring. And people who read too much are
boring. Reading doesn't help you learn a language. You learn a language by interacting

with people who speak that language. And if you can't do that,

I suggest you just give up and not learn the language at all. I have several other

activities I can also suggest. >> I have plenty of friends. And if people didn't read,

how could they learn about things? They can't go and visit every

place they want to learn about. You're just saying that because

you don't like to learn, because it just so very hard for you. You're an idiot. >> Touchy,
looks like I'm

rubbing off on you, bookworm. >> I am not a. >> Well,

whether you side with our angel or devil, the reading approach served

it's purpose well back in its day. And it has given us insights

into language learning, as well as several techniques and concepts

that many teachers still follow today. We'll take a look at these

in the next video, and talk about how you can

use the principles and ideas from the reading approach in

your classroom, if you so choose. Thanks for watching Teach English Now! [MUSIC]

------

Video 3: What have we learned?: Reading

Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now! In this video, we want to take a look at
what we've

learned from the reading approach. Specifically, we'll talk about what we've
learned and changed, as well as what we've kept in most language classrooms today

when it comes to the reading approach. First, let's talk about what's changed. Obviously,
contrary to the 1930s, it is a lot easier to interact with people

who speak the language we are teaching. So for most students,

the main purpose is not to learn how to read a foreign language,

but to learn all four skills. Namely, reading, writing,

listening, and speaking. As such, there is not as much focus on reading nowadays as
there

was back in the 1930s. Of course, reading is still a main

focus in academic programs, because those students generally

have to do more reading than, say, students who are learning

English to travel. And because reading has less of a focus,

there is a lesser focus on memorizing lists of vocabulary words and grammar

structures that are only used in reading. Also with some exceptions, there are a lot of
well qualified teachers

out there that can speak a language well. And so a movement away from

a focus on reading makes sense. Still, the reading approach has given

us many techniques that are used today. Let's name a few. Skimming and scanning.
Teachers today still teach and practice

the skills of scanning and skimming. Which are techniques for

getting information from a reading passage without reading the entire

thing carefully. Teaching specific skills such as these,

helps students get what they need from long reading

passages in a short amount of time. And are useful for various types of

learners, from university students, to casual travelers who may

need to learn to read a menu or brochure in a foreign language. Extensive reading.

Another useful technique,

still used today, is extensive reading. A number of studies show that

general exposure to a language, and a lot of it, helps increase understanding

and acquisition of the language. Especially when combined with teaching. In other
words, just reading books in

a foreign language may not be the most effective way to learn that language,

but it certainly doesn't hinder you. And may even help you,

because you see more vocabulary words, more grammar structures, and

more use of the language in context. Many teachers today still ask

students to read something everyday in the language

they are studying. I myself have a library of books in

English that I let students borrow, so they will read more outside of class and,

hopefully, find joy of reading in English. Guided Reading. Sometimes, teachers will use
guided

reading with students to help them more easily comprehend a particular story or

reading material. Guided reading is like

reading with scaffolds. The teacher covers specific vocabulary

that appears in the reading. And that students might not know. They may have
explained parts of

the story in the native language. Or in a simpler language to

help students understand. And of course, they may also give students

tests and quizzes to see how much they understood and learned from

the guided reading activities. Guided reading helps students also

learn different kinds of strategies for language learning, as a teacher shows

a learner how to break down passages into bite-size comprehensible chunks. In short,
while most language teachers

no longer focus only on reading today, there are still many of the techniques

from the reading approach that are useful, especially in academic contexts. You may
find yourself using some

of these from time to time, depending on your answers to

the questions of purpose, content, and technique for

your particular teaching situation. Thanks for watching Teach English Now. In the next
video,

we are going back to the 1940s to look at the audio lingual approach,

should be fun, see you then. [MUSIC]

Video 4: Back in Time: The Audio-lingual

Method
[MUSIC] Hello again, it's good to see

you again at Teach English Now. So far in this module we've focused on the

reading approach which focuses solely on reading because, at that time

in our history, it was assumed that students would not likely travel or

use the spoken forms of the language. Now, we are going to swing to the other

side of the pendulum and take a peak at what was referred to as the audio-lingual

approach, or audio-lingual method. The audio-lingual method came about in the

1940's at the beginning of World War II. It was born out of a need to have soldiers

who could communicate with French allies and interpret German messages. These
soldiers needed to learn

the languages quickly and accurately, and focused mainly on spoken language and

less on the written forms. Audio-langualism was heavily influenced

by the behaviorist theories of B.F. Skinner who was a famous

psychologist at that time. When you think of behaviorism,

think of Pavlov's dogs. Basically, behaviorists believed that

you could train humans to do anything, with the right amount of motivation. So, when the
army needed to train hundreds

of soldiers to speak a language quickly, they turned to Skinner and

other experts to help them out. So, let's take a trip

back to the 1940's and see what an audio-lingual

classroom is like. [SOUND]

All right, soldiers. Repeat after me. [FOREIGN] >> [FOREIGN] >> [FOREIGN]

>> [FOREIGN] >> [FOREIGN] >> [FOREIGN] >> Soldier, you didn't do that right, now
drop and give me ten. That was a sorry excuse, soldier. But stand up and let's do it
again. [FOREIGN] >> [FOREIGN]

>> [FOREIGN] >> [FOREIGN] >> What was that noise? Who are you? And where in the
world did you come from? You don't have authorization to be here. Apparently you do.
Says here that I have been ordered

to answer six questions from you about language teaching in the Army. Looks like I got
no choice,

so what's the first question? Why should we teach languages? [LAUGH] Well, isn't it
obvious? There's a war going on. These men have got to get over

to Europe and save the world. And to do that,

they have got to speak with our allies. And spy on our enemies. And I've got six weeks
to teach them. So, we've got no time for nancying about. Now, give me the second
question. Who should we teach? We teach soldiers. Everyone in the army. If we don't,
how are they going to talk

to the allies when they get over there? Huh, what's the next question? You need me,
soldiers. That's all you need. And I will [SOUND] motivate you to

speak language and do it correctly. If I can't find a teacher who speaks

the language then I've made a recording of my beautiful voice so you can all listen

to my lovely sentences in your free time. If that doesn't work, perhaps I can

inspire you through my handy dandy guide book with lists of words or

phrases I might throw at you at any time. Next question. [NOISE] One more time for
those of you

who apparently are especially slow. Are you listening to me? Repetition, repetition,
repetition. You learn by repetition, saying the words

or phrases over and over until you can say them correctly and automatically

without having to think about it too much. Next question. Why are you giving me a
question

with the same answer? If you were one of mine, I'd. All right. Teachers teach by drilling
the students
over and over until they get it right. I have my students repeat every word or

phrase at least ten times in class so I can make sure they're doing it right. If they don't
get it right in class then,

well, they have to go and practice in

all that free time we give them. Until at last they've got it. The only way for them to learn

the language is through repetition. What's the last question? Help students acquire
language. I don't help you learn the language, I

will make you learn the language, soldier! Believe you me,

by the time I'm done with you, you will be saying [FOREIGN]

like the rest of my solders. Now, excuse [FOREIGN],

I have to get back to my class! One more time ya sorry sacks! Repeat after me,
[FOREIGN]? >> [FOREIGN]

>> [FOREIGN] [MUSIC]

Video 5: Angel and Devil Debate: The Audio-

lingual Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to the present day and

to Teach English Now. Did you like the audio method? As I may have mentioned before,
this method really came about

because of the needs to teach a lot of soldiers foreign languages

in a short amount of time. In fact the audio lingual approach

is sometimes called the army method. [SOUND] Oh yeah, now this is

a method I can sink my teeth into. The whole listen to me or else thing! Very appealing.
Is anyone supposed to learn a language

with someone yelling at them all the time and forcing them to do push ups? Who cares?
I just like the deliciousness of

a system that understand absolute power. Drill and kill, baby. Well. [SOUND] Look, that
drill sergeant. He was a little severe,

I'll give you that but once again, you don't know what you're talking about. Not everyone
who uses the audio lingual
approach is a drill sergeant and I have never seen a teacher in this method,

actually make students do push ups. These teachers simply understood how

repetition helps people learn and they use repetition to help students

learn language faster and easier. Students learn real language they

can use from the very beginning and memorizing the words and phrases help them
communicate

even if they are just beginning. Think of it as creating a bank

full of useful phrases. Phrases that you will be able to

call upon when the time is right. I'm the one that doesn't understand? Look, a memorize
a group of phrases

is not the same as knowing language. What's the point in memorizing a phrase,

if you can't understand all the ways someone may respond to your question or

sentence? Do you know how many answers there are,

even to the simplest question? How are you? I'm fine.

Doing good! Great!

Never better! Not bad! Simply peachy! Out of this world! Unbelievably well! Can't
complain. Look, over time as students learn more

phrases, they can say more complex things. Eventually, they know enough words and

phrases to get by. It's a start. If you have a limited amount of time and you have got to
learn a different

language, it only makes sense that you would be given simple

functional ways to communicate. How is this for simple and functional? Drop dead.
[LAUGH] Well, I never. [SOUND] Well, it's certain that

those two just don't get along. Which do you agree with? Although critics of the audio
lingual

approach give many arguments similar to our devil, we must concede that it worked well
enough to serve

the Army's purposes back in World War II. And the truth is that there are many
aspects of the audio lingual approach that still exist in classrooms today. In the next
video, we'll take a look

at some of the things we've learned from the audio lingual approach. And talk about
what you can do in

your classroom to help students learn using this method. See you next time. [MUSIC]

Video 6: What Have We Learned?: The

Audio-lingual Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now! Let's take a closer look at

the audio-lingual approach and discuss what teachers have learned from

this approach that still applies today. Before we do that, however, we should look at
what principles make the

foundation of the audio-lingual approach, so you can understand how to

apply it to your own teaching. As we said earlier, the audio-lingual

approach is based on the idea of language learning as habit formation. If the vocabulary
and

grammar of the new language is a habit, students won't have to think about

what to say, it will be automatic. Thus, the teacher's job is to help

students form the habits they need by providing practice, repeatedly. The audio-lingual
method also incorporated

behavioral psychology, using rewards or reinforcements to help

students form those habits. In our visit to the 1940s, we saw

the general reinforce habits he wanted his students to form by making sure they

do pushups when they didn't get it right. There was even a concept that is

often referred to overlearning, which was a theory that suggested that

practicing new skills beyond the point of initial mastery leads to durable,

long-term gains. Because of the need to

practice repeatedly, the audio-lingual method relies on several

different types of language drills to help learners form habits. Drills like the single-slot
substitution

drill, where students replace one word or phrase for another in a line

they have already memorized. Or the transformation drill,

where teachers ask students to transform a line they have already memorized

into a different grammatical form. Sometimes drills were turned into games. One
example of this is the chain drill or

chain game. In this game, one student begins by

saying a line, such as, I like swimming. The next student then repeats

the first student's line and adds their own, such as,

she likes swimming. I like watching television. This type of drill allows for

repetition while putting the communication into a specific context

with limited responses. Of course, not everyone agreed that language

acquisition is only forming new habits. Linguists such as Noam Chomsky wrote

articles that criticized the audio lingual method, pointing out that people

understand sentences they never heard before and create new

sentences they have never said before. Eventually, many people considered

the audio lingual approach to be less effective than other methods

available at the time. Still, there are some things

that we have certainly learned. Use of language labs and

habit formation drills. Today, most teachers combine techniques

from the audio-lingual approach with other approaches to teach language. One example
of this can be

found in the language lab. Language labs are typically setup with

technology that allows students to listen to recordings of the language

they are learning. And either practice repeating those same

phrases or applying to those phrases. Some technologies allow students

to record their responses and send them to the teacher for grading. Teachers can have
students do

different types of drills for practice outside the classroom and focus

on other things inside the classroom. Minimal pairs. Teaching pronunciation is another

area where teachers may turn to the audio-lingual approach. Teaching pronunciation
often involves

having the students listen and repeat until they can produce

the phrase or word understandably. Teachers will often use minimal pairs,

which is a pair of words or phrases with only one

sound that is different. Students are often asked to first listen

to one of the pair and point out which one they heard, and are then later asked

to say one of the pair with either the teacher or another student pointing

to which one they think the student said. Dialogues and memorization. Today, many
foreign language

teachers still use dialogues and memorization as a way to introduce

vocabulary and grammar, and to get students speaking

the language initially. Students feel a sense of accomplishment

when they're able to interact with another student using a dialogue they have just

memorized or created on their own. Once the students are more advanced,

however, they will need more interaction with

the language in real situations and authentic context, to help them

progress in their language learning. Gamification. Another thing I would like to point

out has to do with rewards and reinforcement in society today. Most of you are probably

familiar with video games. And there has been a movement in education

to use some of the principles of gaming in educational contexts. A big part of this
involves

reinforcement and and principles of behavioral psychology. Learners are awarded points
for
completing a specific task, and rankings are kept to see who the top students

are in the class of a particular group. Thus, we are seeing a return to some

of the principles that influence the audio-lingual approach even now. Well, that's it for
module three. Thank you for watching. In module four, we'll take a look at two

more approaches to language teaching, the cognitive approach

the effective humanistic approach. See you next time. [MUSIC]

The Navajo Code Talkers

by Jessica Cinco

The Audio Lingual Approach was a direct result of American involvement in World War
II. The United States Army developed the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP),
or more informally, “The Army Method" to help American soldiers quickly learn the
languages of allies and enemies alike so that they could effectively communicate when
sent to the European front. This method laid the groundwork for the Audio Lingual
Approach by focusing on aural/oral skills, especially pronunciation, pattern drills and
practiced conversations (Brown, 2007).

The Second World War also caused the American military to take a closer look at some
of the nation’s native languages. One goal of the Army Method was the make soldiers
proficient in the enemies’ languages to intercept communications. However, the
American military needed to keep its own communications out of enemy hands,
especially after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The solution for this need for secrecy came
in a very interesting package, proposed by Philip Johnston, a civil engineer in Los
Angeles. Johnston was the son of missionary parents, who grew up on a Navajo
reservation. As a result, he spent his youth totally embedded in this Native American
language and culture. His idea, of using the Navajo language to communicate top secret
messages, led to the development of the Navajo Code Talkers (Adkins, 1997).

Originally, 29 Navajo young men were recruited for this communications assignment.
Later, because of the success of the Code Talkers, an additional 400 Navajo men
enlisted to continue this project. These young men were sent to the Pacific Islands
where the American military was fighting. The Navajo Code Talkers successfully sent
and received classified messages from the U.S. to the Pacific Islands, which ended up
saving hundreds of American lives (Mosbacker, 2015).

Here are a few examples of Navajo Code Translation that Mosbacker (2015) include in
her article:

Organizations Navajo Word Translation

Corps Din-neh-ih Clan
Division Ashih-hi Salt
Regiment Tabaha Edge Water
 Battalion Tacheene Red Soil
Officers Navajo Word Translation
Commanding General Bih-keh-he War Chief
Major General So-na-kih Two Star
Colonel Atsah-besh-le-gai Silver Eagle
Major Che-chil-be-tah-ola Gold Oak Leaf
Captain Besh-legai-nah-ki Two Silver Bars
Lieutenant Besh-legai-a-la-ih One Silver Bar
The officers' Navajo literal translations are actually descriptions of the officers' insignia
worn on their uniforms. Even with such simple, literal translations, since the enemies
weren't familiar with Navajo, or any Native American language for that matter, the
Navajo Code was never decoded by America's enemies.

This is just one example of how linguistics played a vital role in World War II. Take a
moment to reflect on how language, either your own or another, has been used as a
method for secret communication.

Video 7: Summary (chưa làm)

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now! This module saw us visiting the 1930s
and the 1940s to look at the reading

approach and the audio-lingual approach. In this video, we'll summarize what

we've learned from each approach and then compare the two approaches to

help you make informed choices about these two opposing views. Our teacher from the
reading approach

seemed like a pretty normal teacher. He taught in a normal public school. His students
were normal students. It was a time when learning a language

became a sign of being an educated person and more and more schools were including

their languages in their curriculum. However, it was hard finding teachers

who spoke the languages being taught because world travel was not nearly

as common or easy as it is today. Thus, his students were not

likely to travel the world but needed the language to read and

pass the test at the end of the year. In other words, to teach a practical

skill that students might actually use. Our reading approach teacher taught

using readings that were levelled appropriately to his students'

knowledge of the language. Students were given lists of

vocabulary words to study and taught explicit grammar structures

that would help them improve their understanding of what they were reading. Students
were asked to memorize

the vocabulary and grammar structures. Sometimes they might have

been asked to read or translate a passage from their

reading into their native language. This was also when testing became

a big part of public education, and as such language students were

evaluated with standardized tests. Then we took a trip to the 1940s to

visit an audiolingual classroom. We witnessed the army general

drilling his students and punishing them when they said

their phrases incorrectly. The general's main purpose was to teach

his soldiers how to speak with their French allies in Europe, and

interpret enemy communications in German. There was a definite focus on speaking

and

oral ability, and reading and

writing were almost completely ignored. The general used dialogues and

list of phrases and vocabulary and focused on having

his students copy their teacher. There wasn't much focus on meaning, but a

lot of focus on mimicry and pronunciation. Students were taught by the use

of lots of repetition drills, backward drills,

build up drills, chain drills, single slot, and multi slot substitution

drills, and transformation drills. They were asked to memorize dialogues and

phrases. Minimal pairs were used to

focus on pronunciation. By overlearning these dialogues and

phrases and focusing on correct pronunciation, these language chunks

became automatic and habitual. As with the grammar

translation approach and the direct approach we saw in module two,

the reading approach and the audio-lingual approach are very

different from each other. And each have their own purposes,

content, and techniques. The reading approach focused on

explicit grammar instruction, while deemphasizing speaking. And the audio-lingual

approach emphasized speaking while focusing on teaching

grammar through dialogues. We'd like to ask you, once again, to consider these two
approaches,

their similarities and differences. In the assignment at

the end of this module, you'll be asked to give your thoughts

of each of these approaches, and whether you agree or disagree with any

of their underlying principles, and why. Then, you'll be asked to determine

which techniques you want to apply in your own classroom. As before, your peers will
have the

opportunity to review your responses and provide feedback. We hope this activity will
help you

form your own opinion on these two approaches and justify your choices

of techniques in your classroom. Well, that's it for module three. In module four, we'll
take a look at two

more approaches to teaching language, the cognitive approach and

the affective humanistic approach. Thanks for watching Teach English Now! [MUSIC]

--------WEEK 4-----------

Video 1: Back in Time: The Cognitive

Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. We are ready to go to a very

interesting period in time. When researchers began to leave their

mark on the language learning world. While behaviorists dominated language

learning thinking in the 40's and 50's, it would be accurate to suggest

that the number of studies produced in the late 60's and early 70's, by cognitive
scientists put language

learning on the university map. And language studies was now

perceived as a serious discipline that could indeed be researched and

understood. This was a time when many universities

established linguistics and language departments, and provided

funding for investigative research. Much of this research focused on how

the brain processes language and how language structures and

knowledge are acquired and remembered. Thus, it was called

the cognitive approach. Let's set the dial to 1960 and

you can see for yourself. [SOUND] The analogical modeling of language would assume
the errors of a learner in terms of a learner himself, and what we can understand

about that learner. Thus, that impenetrable black box,

which we know as the mind, would become understood by recognizing the

response to the stimuli we have given it. I have several computer simulations

I would like to run, and oh, oh, oh. Hello. Wow. That's a lot of humans. I'm not used to
talking to people. I usually just talk to my

handy dandy cath 5272 here. Wow.

And girls. [LAUGH] You sure are pretty. Oh sorry nevermind,

what are you doing here? Six questions. Okay sure, I'll answer your questions. I actually
love investigative research. Investigate away. Do you know what would be really great?
If I could program them with

all of the rules of language. If I could just learn all of the rules,

then we should teach computers, well we could teach computers how to talk. I believe
that if we learn all the rules, we can program a computer

to be just like a human. Wouldn't that be scientific? I could publish. I could publish a
plethora of articles and

books. How about that? I don't like teaching humans. I prefer programming and well, I
do love observing humans, I do collect
data on the errors that they make. In fact, if computers are like people then

I can likely predict not only the errors that humans make, but the rules that

are going inside, inside of their heads. And if people are like

computers then well, we could teach anyone another language

by just programming them correctly. If they make a mistake then I

will teach them the rule and then they won't make

the mistake again I mean right? We need grammar rules. We need to know, really, all
the rules

because people make mistakes so when they make mistakes,

you just need to teach them the rule. And the rule immediately so that you

can give them the corrective feedback. And then you teach them and keep teaching
them until they

don't make the mistakes anymore. Hm, well, they need to know the rules. And we need
to teach them the rules and

then they won't forget. My job is to find all of

the rules of every language. It's a job I take very seriously and I will write books about all
of

the rules and then students will read. Did you know in fact there

are 50 meanings of the word so? Hm. People need to know all the rules. So, one class I
will teach all

of the rules of the word so, just like I was explaining. I'll give all 50 meanings. And that
should help students a lot in how to learn how to

speak a language correctly. And did you know that there

are 150 rules of the comma and I want to teach all 150 rules. In fact, I have a book I'm
rather

proud of that I'm publishing at the end of the month. It's called, The Comma. [LAUGH]
That should help a lot of people to not make the same mistakes they've

been making all the time with that comma. It's a pretty tricky little thing,

don't you think? Any other questions? The more information we give
the learner in terms of corrective feedback and

the more knowledge that we have as we study the language the better

we can serve our students. I guess that's it. Hey, do any of you want to buy my books? I
think I may have a couple

around here somewhere. Well, if any of you would

like to co-publish with me, that also would be great. I'm always looking for

a partner to co-publish. You know what they say, publish or parish. I gotta get out of
here really,

I've been stuck in this basement for a long time, any chance I can

come with you to see the future? It sounds so exciting. Man, I am so bored,

I've got to get a girlfriend. Wait, don't go! >> [MUSIC]

Video 2: Angel and Devil Debate:The

Cognitive Approach
The cognitive approach to language

learning stemmed from larger disciplines, such as those found in the world

of psychology and sociology. You may have noticed in

this language approach there is a rather scientific

understanding of language learning. And, that understanding the mind was

a serious and exciting endeavor. You'll also notice that the metaphor

of the mind as a computer is used to help us understand what these

scientists were trying to understand. Why do language learners make errors? What is
going on in our mental

processes that cause errors? How do certain processes become automatic? Noam
Chomsky, a noted sociologist and

cognitive scientist noted that people possess the ability to produce language

that has never before been produced. And that behaviorist approaches simply

couldn't explain the fact that we say things that have

never before been said. That's a great thought. And what is also worth noting is that the
cognitive approach truly inspired people to learn how languages functioned and

what rules were at play in each language. Linguistics departments all over

the world, became avant garde. Cutting edge places to put

a scientific lens to language study. Leading to publications and an explosion of

interesting research and

fascinating ideas. Fascinating? What in the world is fascinating

about publishing in a journal? Ladies, honestly, any of you find ol'

four eyes here to be a fascinating man? Anyone wanna sign up to hang out

with that guy for an evening. Yeah, I didn't think so. [MUSIC] Do you know what really is
fascinating? The idea that we can actually look at

language from a scientific lens and really learn how people learn and

what people know. The human capacity for

language is amazing. We can learn about principles such

as retrieval, semantic encoding, retention and transfer. We can really get a peek inside
the brain

and figure out what we can do to help people learn better. >> Aah, I have a headache,

listen people are not computers. Do I need to say this slowly so

you'll understand? Okay, people are not computers. You don't just find out what they

are doing wrong and then tell them they're doing it wrong and then expect

that they get it right the next time. The metaphor itself is just so

completely flawed. >> The metaphor may be flawed,

as all metaphors are, but you have to admit that

there are some parallels. If we look at the kinds of

errors our learners make, and if we see that there is

consistency in these errors, we can be better informed in

understanding what errors are normal. What errors resist change and

then what we can do about it. >> Oh what you can do about it. Do you see my point? Of
course you don't. Just because you know that
errors are being made doesn't mean that you can help

people figure out a way around them. And haven't we already learned that

teaching people tedious rules and giving them explicit grammar

instruction is an excellent way to make everyone hate your class? I mean I guess it
doesn't matter

if you're already unpopular. >> I am too popular. Ooh, how do you know that? Did your
mommy tell you

how popular you are? >> Seriously? Mom joke? [SOUND]

>> The cognitive approach truly didn't become an actual teaching approach. Rather it
was more a way to understand

a learner than anything else. However it did inform

learning in key ways and cognitive studies

continue to this very day to help us understand key features

about language learning strategies. In the next video, we'll consider some of

those language learning strategies and discuss ways in which the cognitive

approach can help you. As a language instructor, see you then. [MUSIC]

Video 3: What Have We Learned?: The

Cognitive Approach
[MUSIC] Hello again. Like I said before, the cognitive approach

isn't exactly a teaching approach as much as it is a way

to understand a learner. But that doesn't mean that

there aren't key take aways for teachers in a language classroom. Let's discuss a few of
these ideas now. Language learner strategies. Cognitive and meta-cognitive. First of all,
one of the great concepts

that is directly tied to the cognitive approach is that learners

have both cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies that

they use in order to learn. Teachers that study these

strategies can understand learners. Different learning styles and then try
to accommodate learners as a result. There are entire books, not as boring as a

book about a comma, on learner strategies. And entire disciplines devoted

to the use of learner strategies effectively used in a classroom. These books help
learners and teachers

understand how to plan, organize, and monitor learning. In fact, it wouldn't be entirely
incorrect

to say that cognitive scientists helped us move away from teacher centered

views about language learning, and closer to the student centered

strategies we use today. For those of you who have taken our

first course, Foundational Principles, remember that we discuss certain

strategies such as practice. Cognitive theorists spend a lot of time

discussing the process of practice and they break it down into key components. For
example, one one of former

practice is often termed, rehearsal. A rehearsal might be defined as speaking

practice that can be done by yourself, I often practice in front of a mirror. Or with a
partner or group. And come to fine out, there are several

steps to a successful rehearsal. A rehearsal of language often

involves pre-learning vocabulary. Often enhanced by writing

down vocabulary words to help chunk certain ideas together. Second, learners often
have to slow down

during particularly difficult linguistic structures, like a hard to pronounce

word or difficult grammatical item. Finally students have to repeat the

process so that the difficult sections and the easier sections move together until

it feels more authentic, more automatic. Interestingly enough cognitive scientists

noticed that thinking of location and audience gives the learner

better recall and understanding. Thus cognitive theorist would definitely

recommend extensive practice and practice that involves a clear understanding of the

mental processes associated with practice. Feedback on errors and

explicit grammar instruction. Another important cognitive science

concept that language teachers use today is the need to give student feedback on

their errors rather than punishing or ignoring the use of errors. Errors especially those
that

an entire group of learners makes help give an instructor

information on mental process, thus by examining common errors,

error types can be identified, examined, and then attempts to clarify

those errors can be made. Are errors bad? No! They give you a window to examine
what is

going on in the minds of your learners. And in fact, errors help a teacher understand
what

rules should be explicitly taught. Grammatical rules it is argued can

help learners receive the necessary information to overcome

certain language rules. While the amount of explicit grammar

instruction is debated in today's world, most teachers find themselves in

the position of providing clear grammar instruction to those who

continue to make certain errors. Pre-reading and pre-listening activities. Recognizing

that the mind doesn't

just receive instruction all at once, cognitive scientists would most likely

recommend activating background knowledge, using pre-reading and

pre-listening activities. Pre-reading and

pre-listening activities are very common in most language textbooks, and

can come in a variety of forms. For example, you might see an activity

that shows a simple picture, and asks students to explain what they see. This picture
engages students to think of

language that is likely going to be seen in the reading or listening activity. Thus, if you
were teaching an activity

about going to a restaurant, you might see a picture of a restaurant

featured in the anticipatory activity. The basic concept is that you want
to activate a student's mind. Engage them in ideas and

thoughts that they already know. So that you stimulate the same part of the

brain that you will be requiring them to use in the future reading or

listening activity. Other Cognitive Processes. There are a number of cognitive

processes that we will discuss in our third course about lesson design. In fact, we will
loosely base lesson plan

design on the work of cognitive scientist Robert Gagne, who suggests a number

of different steps of instruction for appropriate learning to take place. In the future, we
will discuss such

concepts as gaining attention, reception, informing

learners of objectives, expectancy, stimulating recall of

prior learning, retrieval, and other steps intended to help

learners retain information. Lesson planning with the learner in

mind is a powerful way to ensure that instruction isn't simply

left to a learner to solve. Rather a wise instructor can

carefully build lesson plans so that students will receive the information

in a way that allows them to hold on to that information. Now, let's do as cognitive

scientists would suggest and do a little predicting exercise,

a great mental process. Anyone have any idea how

the pendulum might swing next? The cognitive approach looked an awful

lot at the mind of a learner, didn't it? And it also focused a lot on research and

studies and got a little bit away

from students themselves. What do you think the next

approach might look like? Let's find out in our next video here

at teach English now, see you then. [MUSIC]

Video 4: Back in Time: The Affective-
Humanistic Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now! Once again, it is time to go take

a look at the historical past. In this video, we are going to

the tail end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s,

to a time in US and world history where a great deal of emphasis was

placed on the student's feelings. Rather than viewing language through

a cognitive space, this approach, the affective humanistic

approach focused on the value of human beings in society and culture. Hold on tight. I
have set the dial to 1970. Here we go. [MUSIC] Oh, you poor things. You look so tired.
Wouldn't you all like to sit down? I have individually rugs for each of you that I have
stitched out of

tree root from my garden in the back. Feel free to sit down there, and

maybe you there, and maybe you there. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, that's better. I also have
some tea. In fact,

Americans in the South call it sweet tea. And I have a wonderful story to explain

the Southern tea tradition a bit later. I might even speak in a Southern accent,

and I'll talk about sweet tea. That's just something I like to do. But first, let's give you all
new names,

why don't we? Let's call you Paul, you Sam. What am I thinking? Why don't you all
choose your own names,

and write it on your name tags. Thank you. You're all so great. Do you feel that? I feel
like we've already bonded. I hear you have six questions for me. [MUSIC] [LAUGH] Let
me do that again,

I love it so much. [MUSIC] Please, what's your first question? Well my dears, why don't
you tell me? I'm very interested in

hearing your feelings and the reasons you have

decided to learn English. I would love to help each of you with

your buried goals and your thoughts. I for one, I love to teach languages so that I can
show you all the ways
that English can touch your heart. Oh, the stories I have to share. That's a good
question. I consider myself a second chance teacher. Do you know what I mean?
Second chance, I mean that sometimes

students come into my class and feel like they haven't

been successful before. They feel like they aren't good learners,

and oh, baby, I like to turn that around. I like them to see how valuable they are,

and how in my place, in my space we're all loved and

we are all equal. We all go through this

experience together. Some of you may feel like

you can't learn a language. And I'm here to tell you that

you need to expand your mind. Because guess what? You can. First, oh, oh, would you
like more tea? Anyway, first there's no

doubt that I will be using, well let me turn on some music, too. What do you think of
Mozart? Fantastic, isn't he? Mind-blowing, just gets

me in the mood to teach. And now, what was the question? And don't you just love the
pictures

behind me and all over? They're just so bright and

beautiful like my shirt. Oh, we'll be discussing these to

discuss some vocabulary words for our story about sweet tea. Do you like it,

do you like the mood of this room? I was hoping you would. Oh, and yes, and feel free to
use the musical

instruments you see all around you. [MUSIC] I really do. I want you to free your mind. I
want you to relax, enjoy. Everyone knows that language takes

place on two planes of consciousness. One is the conscious mind, but

I want to open up your subconscious mind. This will allow you to learn faster and

better. Just stay calm and enjoy. You can do it. How should a teacher teach? Well today
we are going to learn our

story about Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear. These are old stories, Southern stories. And the
great thing about this story
is that we will have a dramatization afterwards. [LAUGH] We'll have auditions. Does
anyone want to be a big strong bear? Anyone want to be a clever rabbit? Just to let you
know he is my favorite,

and he is the hero in our story. But don't worry. You don't have to decide who you want

to be just yet, there will be a song. I'll sing it to you. And it'll help understand who

each of these characters are and then after we can decide. And for those of you that
don't want to

act, I don't want to mess up your groove. Don't worry, if you don't want to

play one of these three characters, you can just join me in singing the song. It's all
groovy. That's a fantastic question too. I feel that. The music and

the movement will help you remember. The colors and the pictures and

the costumes will help you remember. Relaxing will help you remember. You will help
you remember

if you let go and let me show you a whole different world. [MUSIC]

Video 5: Angel and Devil Debate: The

Affective-Humanistic Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now, and

welcome back from your journey to 1970. We hope you enjoyed learning about

our representative teacher for the effective humanistic approach. In this approach, we
see several unique

techniques that might have been used in methods referred to as de-suggestapedia or

the silent way. In de-suggestapedia, which the last video

was loosely based on, the concept was to help the students overcome their fear of

language learning through an environment that would unlock the potential of

their conscious and subconscious mind. The idea was that [SOUND]. >> Oh yeah, I am
freeing my mind. Exactly what was in that tea anyway? Because it looked fantastic. >>
[MUSIC] >> A drug reference. Hilarious. Look, we have obviously swung from one

side of the pendulum to the other. And the easiest thing to point out is

that the cognitive approaches focus on the mind, made certain theorists feel like what
was missing was a recognition
of students' feelings. No doubt it is important to consider

the effective part of language learning. Risk taking, fear of failure, all of these

important principles, we need to consider. >> Oh, my feelings are so important. And it's
just so

scary to learn a language. I need someone to tuck me in to my nice,

warm bed and make all the monsters go away. [INAUDIBLE] Someone help

me with my feelings. Give me a break. This method makes it seem like

your average student is treated like a defenseless baby and

that teachers, seriously, shouldn't you be at a Jimi Hendrix concert

with all the rest of his hippie friends. >> I'm glad you brought up music. Shows you were
at least

paying attention sometimes. Yes, the effective humanistic approach

brought music to a classroom. It brought color. It brought food and story. It helped
teachers be human. And to acknowledge how

humans actually learn. Didn't you love the idea of

posters all over the room or musical instruments or a bag full

of costumes that students can wear. What an exciting way to

keep students interest. >> Well, if wearing bunny ears, or dancing around like a bear is
your idea

of learning a language, count me out. And I certainly don't need a teacher

to tell me about my feelings. >> That's obviously because

you don't have any. >> Ouch. If I had feelings, that attempt

at an insult might have hurt me. See you later Mr. Sensitive. >> Being sensitive is a
good thing, you [NOISE]

>> All in all, the effective humanistic approach brought much needed attention

to the learner as a human being. No doubt there was a gap

in our understanding of how learners interact with language

content, and that there was a significant need to recognize potential psychological
barriers to language learning. But does any of this translate

into how teachers teach today? Find out in our next video, and

thanks for watching Teach English Now. [MUSIC]

Video 6: What Have We Learned?: The

Affective-Humanistic Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back. So what are some of the potential

concepts from the affective humanistic approach that are still useful in

today's modern language classroom? Well, no doubt,

teachers still show general concern for how students might feel

within their classroom. And it is extremely useful to understand

principles of language learning such as the effective filter, which we went over in some
detail in our

first course Foundational Principles. But there are also specific techniques

that are still used today that were popularized by the methods found within

this effective humanistic approach. Positive Reinforcement. While maybe not so

deliberate in today's classes, the idea of positive reinforcement still

resonates among lots of teachers today. Since many language learners, young and old
find it difficult to

learn a new language, helping learners to take risks and be

comfortable, especially being comfortable making mistakes is a powerful way to

engage students in language learning. Multiple Concerts. Again, perhaps not so

deliberately,

but what used to be done to help students receive information was to listen

to a dialogue or reading more than once. The first time through, students would

listen to a dramatic reading with a copy of the script in front of them and

it might even be done in concert with the rhythm and

intonation of a piece of classical music. The second time through, they would
be invited to listen to the dialog at a normal rate of speed and

maybe take some notes afterwords. A third time through, they might be asked

to complete an outline of their notes. They idea is that learning doesn't just

happen with a single pass and that students can get more and more information

through each additional concert. Secondarily, it helps students

recognize that it isn't necessary to capture every single word

the first time through and that success can happen

through repeated effort. Dramatization. Having stories and then acting out those

stories help to reinforce vocabulary and grammatical items, as well as allow learners to
enjoy

the concepts they are learning. Have you ever been in a class where you

were asked to represent someone else? Where you even had to act? In some sense, by
permitting

students to be different people or different characters,

they can lose themselves in a moment and embrace the silliness of a dramatization. No
doubt, it is a time for active learners to

demonstrate their performance abilities. However, one note is that not all learners

tend to enjoy acting out in front of large groups and so accommodations should

be made to allow all to participate. Often, I will have students

join the scriptwriting team or the performance team, which allows

some of them to show their ability to create a performance without

actually having to perform. Just an idea. So modern teacher, you have now been

given some possible techniques you might include in your

own teacher tool box. Positive reinforcement,

multiple readings of a dialogue, sometimes called a concert and

the use of dramatization or other ways to help engage students and especially

get their creative juices flowing. I have found that some of the most
enriching activities are those that allow students to stop learning and

start creating and I strongly encourage you to allow

your students to do the same. See you next time on Teach English Now. [MUSIC]

Video 7: Summary (chưa làm)

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In this module, we visited the 1960s and

the early 1970s to take a look at the cognitive approach and

the affective-humanistic approach. This was an interesting time in

our history, when research and peoples' general attitudes

towards life and others, influenced the way teachers

taught in the classroom. In this video we'll look at the important

ideas from both approaches and then compare them to help

you see both points of view. The cognitive approach was

heavily influenced by researchers in psychology and sociology. Developments in

technology allowed

scientists to run simulations and see images of the brain at work. This fueled the desire
to know how

language was processed in the brain, and how languages were learned. Because most
researchers

are attached to universities, there was also a great need to publish

articles and books about the research. And indeed, some researchers became fairly

well known in their fields and beyond. Noam Chomsky, a famous researcher

of the time, was known for his research in many disciplines

including linguistics. One important thing we need to

stress about the cognitive approach is that it is not a classroom approach. Much of the
research at this time was

done in labs and not in classrooms and very few of the researchers were

actually teachers themselves. People in this approach were more

focused on the characteristics of the learners' brains than they were

on specific materials or content. Similarly, these researchers did not

examine any particular techniques or teaching methods. They focused more on the
learner

characteristics and strategies learners could use to improve their practice and

recall of language information. The affective-humanistic approach

is almost exactly the opposite of the cognitive approach. In the early 1970s, people
began to

focus a lot on learners' feelings, and looking for ways to remove some

of the barriers to language learning that many learners experienced

in the classrooms of the past. The major focus was on making

learners comfortable and providing a soothing learning experience. Our caricature

brought in tea,

music, colorful posters and aromas. He also had students sitting on

mats instead of at desks and talked on a soothing voice. Teachers in this approach used
plays and

customs, told stories and played games with

their students, all the while, respecting their feelings and

striving to make them feel comfortable. Some techniques from this approach

included positive reinforcement, having students choose a new identity

to get them out of their shells and encourage experimentation in the language,

and being spontaneous and creative. Teachers often repeated reading and

listening exercises multiple times, each time focusing on different aspects in

combining these exercises with music or smells to unlock the subconscious mind. They
often had students

create using singing and dancing and

games to help students free their minds. It's time once more for you to

consider each of these approaches and how you feel about the important

points we've discussed form each. Then, you can complete the writing
prompt by sharing which principles you agree with and

which ones you disagree with and why. And by sharing which techniques you

would like to apply in the classroom. As always your peers will be able

to review your responses and provide feedback. Thanks for watching, in our next

module we'll be looking at the last two approaches we cover in this course, the
comprehension approach and

the communicative approach. See you then. [MUSIC]

-------WEEK 5---------

Video 1: Back in Time: The Comprehension

Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. So far we have discussed six different

approaches to language teaching covering almost 100 years of research and

evolving theories. As we discussed earlier, each of these

differing approaches gravitates toward one end of our swinging pendulum. Representing
extremes and theories of how

languages should be taught and learned. As we get closer to the present day,

we will focus on a more balanced approach. Taking what we have learned from each

of the different approaches to form our own philosophy of language teaching. And
answering the questions for

ourselves of who, why, what and how. In this module,

we will cover the final two approaches. The comprehension approach and

the communicative approach. This video will take a look at

the comprehension approach. This approach is based on the research and writings of
Stephen Krashen,

who we have mentioned in other courses. And James J Asher. Krashen asserted that
student's learn

language through comprehensible input. And that teaching should focus on

helping student's comprehend language. Much like a child learns. Asher created a
teaching method

based on the comprehension approach called Total Physical Response. We may see
some of this method when we

go back in time in just a few minutes. This focus on comprehension and giving learners
time to process

language before having to speak. Makes the comprehension approach

somewhat similar to the direct approach. However, for the comprehension approach
there is

a stronger focus on actual language input. And lowering the effective

filter that sometimes inhibits students acquiring language. So, let's set our time machine
for 1980 as we take a closer look at the comprehension approach. [SOUND]
[FOREIGN]. Welcome, it's good to see you. Where did you come from? The future? Six
questions about

the comprehension approach? Well, I'm sure I can answer six questions. I hope I can
help you understand

how the comprehension approach helps students learn languages. What's the first
question? Well, let me see if I can

break this down for you. Of course, we want students to be able to understand

what they hear in the target language. They need to feel confident in their

language ability and increase in their knowledge of vocabulary, grammar,

pronunciation and so on by listening. Listening to real language input and

really understanding it. Eventually, they'll be confident enough

that they will begin to speak and produce language,

as well as understand it. Did any of you learn any of my words

in my invented language of [FOREIGN]? Did anyone understand that I asked

my students to turn to page 44? Oh, very good! Or should I say, [FOREIGN]. Well,
ideally we should teach

whoever wants to learn a language. However, our main goal is to help

learners develop the desire to learn the language for the joy of learning and
not for external motivations. Also, those who learn languages faster

will generally do better in this approach. I hope you saw how my approach attempts

to create some mystery in learning and give its learners a chance

to become curious. Who can become curious? Just about anyone. To teach effectively,
we need lots

of physical objects and realia. Things that students already know and are familiar with,

like objects in a classroom. We also use observable actions to teach

verbs such as jump, sit or open your book. Sometimes these verbs or objects

are combined with chunks of language such as common phrases or greetings. So that
learners can begin to understand

all aspects of verbal communication in the target language. Just like children learn

their first language, students should be allowed to just listen. And begin to understand it
before they

are asked to produce any language. We call this, a silent period, and depending on the
learner,

a silent period can be short or long. During the silent period we

help students gain confidence. By giving them language input that is just above their
current

level of understanding. And using physical actions to make

connections between what they are hearing and what they already know. A teacher
teaches language

by combining commands, such as sit down or open your book. In the target language
with physical

actions that the students can observe and therefore, follow. We may combine these into

sequences of actions. Sometimes we will have students

take on the role of teacher and have them work with students at

a lower level of understanding. This helps students use

the language they know and provide comprehensible input for

those they are mentoring. That's a good question. Students remember the language by
connecting what they are already familiar with to what they are learning. They then have
opportunities to hear and use the language they know

in very specific situations. Which helps reinforce

what they've learned and makes their language

knowledge more automatic. Thanks for visiting. [MUSIC]

Video 2: Angel and Devil Debate: The

Comprehension Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back. We didn't go back as far this time

as we have in other modules and to tell you the truth, the comprehension

approach is still commonly used in many classrooms around the world. This approach is
based on ideas and

research in linguistics and specifically, language

acquisition in children. The silent period our teacher mentioned is

supposed to mimic the time when children are listening to their parents and

others around them and forming connections in their brain with regards to grammar and

vocabulary in their first language. Thus, there is a greater focus on

comprehension and less on production. [SOUND] Silent period? I'll bet that makes
teaching really fun. Come on, children, you're going to sit

here and listen to me talk at you for an hour and hope that you

understand something I am saying. After we do this for a few months, you'll be able to
perhaps

understand the language. Oh, I'm so glad, I am not a teacher

using this stupid approach. [SOUND] Oh, come on. You know perfectly well

that it's not like that. First of all, teachers do not just talk

at students, they help their students. Understand what they are saying without

translation by repeating commands and using physical actions and commands. That
ways, students learn what those commands

are in the language they're learning. The teacher wants them to feel
successful and gain confidence, so they eventually will begin

speaking the language as well. Second, in any given classroom, there are always
learners who're

more advanced than others and teachers can have those learners who've

already begun speaking the language take on the role of teacher and work with those

who are still in their silent period. Sometimes, I wish you had a silent period. I'll have my
silent period

when you have yours, deal? What you're saying makes no sense. Sure, with young
children

learning the first language a silent period may make sense. Children have years to listen
and

build up language knowledge and experience before they actually begin

really communicating in the language. I can't imagine adults learning

a second language to spend years just listening before they want

to start communicating in the language. Well, obviously,

people don't spend years listening. Part of the time, children spend in their

silent period is building those initial language connections and understanding

what grammar and vocabulary are. When working with students,

they already know those things, so they just need to connect what they

are learning to what they already know. That makes things go a lot faster. Teachers can
also make

classes fun by mixing actions to make nonsense commands

that are fun for the students. Oh, like you know about fun. That sounds about as fun as
bingo nights. I bet you have a lot of

fun where you come from. Why don't you come visit me someday and

I'll show you what real fun is. [SOUND] No, thanks. I don't need your help to have fun.
[SOUND] Well, while they didn't agree, they both made some very good points. What do
you think? All in all, the comprehension approach

has given us some very important insights into the language learning process and
what teachers can do to help lower students inhibitions

hen learning another language. In the next video, we'll take a look at

some of the things teachers still use from the comprehension approach and

how you can apply the principles of this approach in your own classroom if you so

choose. See you then. [MUSIC]

Video 3: What Have We Learned?: The

Comprehension Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In this video, we'll look at some

of the underlying principles of the comprehension approach, and

how you can apply them in your classroom. One of the most important principles

of the comprehension approach, is the concept of the silent period. The silent period
refers to

the time when a learner is either not confident enough in

their speaking ability or doesn't know enough of the language to

begin speaking, and so is mostly silent. During this time, learners are exposed to

as much comprehensible input as possible. And are forming connections in

their minds about grammar rules and vocabulary of the target language. As they learn
more and

begin to understand basic grammar and vocabulary, they will begin speaking and

trying to communicate in the language. The theorist behind the comprehension

approach hypothesized that learning a second language is much like

learning a first language. And the silent way, was essential for

the learners to form their own concepts of the language and make those connections

before they began speaking. In addition to the silent period, another important concept is

the idea of the effective filter. Stephen Krashen put forth the idea

that students' emotional state can severely affect their ability to make the

necessary connections in their minds, and keep them from learning a language
as fast as they would like. Situations where the students feel

high amounts of anxiety or stress or where the effective filter is high,

make it difficult for students to focus on the language because they

are more focused on their inadequacies. And limitations than they

are on the language itself. By lowering the effective filter,

or reducing the stress and anxiety students feel, you increase

their ability to focus on the language, and thus their ability

to learn the language. Giving students a silent period,

where they are free to listen and internalize the language before

they are required to speak. Lowers the effect of filter and helps

students acquire the language faster. Of course, depending on

the context you are teaching in, having learners delay the speaking of the

language until they feel they are ready, may have some negative consequences. I don't
think the military would

have found this approach effective. And they may have had soldiers arrive

in Europe only able to listen, because they never felt they

were ready to begin speaking. Still, there are some techniques found in

this approach that you may find useful in your classroom today. Using only the target

language in the classroom. Today, many teachers

feel that you should not use students native

language in the classroom. And many programs have English only

policy, requiring their students to speak only English in the classroom,

if that is the language they are learning. In some situations,

where classrooms are heterogeneous, using the native language of

the student is impractical, because most teachers don't speak that

many languages, to the fluency needed. However, it is common in non-English

speaking countries to find classes where all the students speak

the same native language. In those situations, it is much more common to find use of

the native language in the classroom. By using only the target

language in the class room, teachers can expose their students

to more comprehensible input. And provide more opportunities for their students to
practice

in the target language. But you must be careful, strict enforcement of such policies can

raise students effective filters, and actually make it harder for

them to learn the language. Find a happy balance between using

the target language in the classroom and allowing occasional use of the native

language, where necessary and appropriate. Use of Visual Aids to Convey Meaning. In
the comprehension approach, emphasis

is placed on understanding meaning by connecting physical actions and

situations represented in pictures. To the language input the students

are hearing in the classroom. For example, if the teacher says,

sit down, in the target language while also sitting down,

the students learn the word for sit down. Similarly, they can learn the words for

common household objects by looking at pictures of the objects, while hearing the

teacher say the corresponding vocabulary. Sometimes real objects, also called

realia, are brought into the classroom. For example, if you were teaching a unit

on food names, you might bring in real foods, such as fruits and

vegetables to use during the lesson. Or you may have plastic fruits and

vegetables you can use instead. By combining physical actions,

real objects, and pictures of objects or situations with comprehensible input, you can
help learners make the connection

between these objects or actions, and their corresponding vocabulary

in the target language. This is the very purpose of the total

physical response technique we witnessed, on our visit to 1980. Role Reversal. Once
students have learned enough during
their silent period and are ready to begin speaking, you can have those students

assume the role of the teacher. By having them give commands to

the other students and the teacher. This gives them an opportunity to speak

using language they already know, and to feel successful when their classmates

execute the commands they were given as expected. Use of Simple Questions and
Dialogues. Another way to help encourage

students to begin speaking, is to use simple questions. And other situations, where the
responses

the students need to give are limited. For example, you can use simple yes,

no questions. Or questions where the answer

is chosen from a list. You can ask questions about

a situation in a picture. Where the responses are limited to

what the students see in the picture. By limiting the possible responses and

vocabulary choices, the students do not need to think as

much about what to say which perhaps, lowers the effective filter and lets them

focus on what their currently learning. As students gain confidence

in language skills, you can move on to more

advanced language situations. Well, I hope you have

a clear understanding of the Comprehension Approach, and how you

can apply it in your own classroom. In the next video, we will take a look

at the other end of the pendulum, and focus on the Communicative Approach. Which
focuses on speaking and production of the language

more than just comprehension. See you then. [MUSIC]

Video 4: Back in Time: The Communicative

Approach
[MUSIC] Hello, nice to see you

again at Teach English Now. Today we're going to take

a look at the final approach. It's called the communicative approach. This approach
came about in the 1970s and

early 80s and focused on the overall goal of using

language to communicate meaning. People began to realize that

effective communication required more than just a knowledge of vocabulary and

grammar. And that there were many different

ways to communicate similar meanings. So it made little sense

to teach only one way. Additionally, the world

was becoming smaller. And people were encountering situations

where they needed to speak a foreign language more frequently for

work or for travel. These people didn't have the luxury

of time required by the comprehension approach. And needed to learn to communicate

effectively in the target language. So are you ready for

our last time travel experience? We are heading back to 1980 again. This time to look at

the communicative approach. Let's go. [SOUND]

Well, hello. Welcome to my classroom,

I'm glad you're here. A little bird told me you have

six questions you want to ask me about language teaching using

the communicative approach. Well, as you can tell,

I like using games in class, so I thought we'd play a little game. I'm going to throw one of
these

bean bags to one of you and whoever catches gets to

ask me the first question. Sounds good? Great, here we go. All right, great, all right,

what's your question? I'm a fun loving guy

who loves cultures and meeting people from all over the world. To me, language is a
way to

get to know different people. I want to learn your language so

I can communicate with you and learn more about you. I have always been fascinated

by other cultures, and that fascination has led me into teaching. Of course, now that I
am a teacher

I want you to learn my language, so you can communicate with me and

learn more about me. Really it's all about

connecting people together, in order to create opportunities for

them to interact and grow closer together. It's about learning other

cultures through language. Language is a portal, it's a gateway. It's a way to understand
someone and

create a global society of friends. Okay, can I have that bean bag back? Great thanks,

all right let's try this again. Here we go! All right, what's your question? Well, really we
should teach everyone,

anyone who wants to learn. I mean, I have taught in Korea,

Russia, South America. The world has changed,

in fact, it's shrinking. And we can actually play a part in

helping to globalize the world. Language teachers in that

sense are something else. I guess you could say that I'm an idealist

because I really think I can change the world, don't you? There are different ways

to learn a language. Nobody is the same, right? Some people learn

languages through video and audio, others need to touch

real objects and see pictures. Some others need games for

the classroom to be exciting and fun. Again, everyone's different, people learn

a language when they care about it. And if I care about students

often they will care about me. I am always interested in using

new strategies and new techniques. And so I love to stay up on the latest

in technology and teacher strategy. I read a lot of blogs and even a few journals to make
sure
my techniques are well accepted. Sometimes though, I feel like I don't really have
enough

time to learn what's out there. Kind of under a lot of pressure. All right, give me that
back, thanks. Okay, who's going to ask

the next question, let's see. Oh, dropped that one. A teacher should make learning fun
and

interesting. I've been teaching for a long time. In fact, I've been teaching for

almost three whole years. What I have learned is that the teacher

can use games, high interest topics, field trips, mobile devices, and websites. Whatever
it takes to keep students

engaged and interacting in the language. Teachers need to know about lots

of different things as well. I have been asked to teach pronunciation,

grammar, vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture. I help students
prepare for

tests like the toefl, toeic, and ielts. I teach college students, military,

aviators, adults, children, whoever. A teacher needs to know a lot, and

use that to help students learn language. Hey, I'm always finding

ideas from other people. I just wish I knew which ones were best. It seems like, for me,

there's almost too much to choose from. Okay, there's one more question, right? Why
don't you ask it? You help people remember a language

by making your lessons memorable. You choose things they are interested in, and use
those to help

them learn a language. You make it fun, if students are having

fun, hopefully they are engaged. They are motivated with the language,

and that will help them to learn. [MUSIC]

Video 5: Angel and Devil Debate: The

Communicative Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to, Teach English Now. What did you think of
the communicative approach? Wasn't the teacher fun and exciting? The communicative
approach is so broad that what you see in the classroom

really depends on how you understand, and apply the principles of

the communicative approach. So, to be honest, two communicative

classrooms could look very different. This gives teachers using this

approach a lot of freedom in what they do in the classroom and how

they help their students acquire language. >> Broad. Broad!

[LAUGH] That's an understatement. It seems to me that the communicative

teacher tries to teach everything, so that what really he ends up

teaching [LAUGH], is nothing. With such a broad approach,

how is a teacher supposed to know if he or she is applying the principles correctly? I am

a tofu teacher, pronunciation teacher, grammar teacher,

business english teacher. Seriously he's been teaching three

whole years, he won't last five. And if he says he's and expert at everything,

you know what that really means. It means, he's an expert at nothing. he can't even
figure out which

techniques are actually sound ones and which ones are just,

well as he says just fun. [SOUND]

>> Teachers in the communicative approach don't teach everything. They focus on the
goal of using

a language, communication. And they understand that

differences among students require different resources and

different techniques, and I'm trying to be nice, so

let me agree with you about something. Gamification and fun techniques have

become a staple of the communicative approach, but that doesn't mean that

it takes the place of sound education. Learning should always come

before entertainment in a sound, communicative approach. But the communicative

approach,
like other learner-centered approaches, recognizes that students learn better

when they are properly motivated, and yes, having a bit of fun. >> Oh, and they are
properly motivated

when they get to play a game of Jeopardy. [LAUGH] Right.

>> That is not what I am saying. I am saying that engagement and

understanding learners, and yes, perhaps using games that

students are familiar with can often help students

participate better. It reduces the effective filter and

allows language learners to engage and understand in the classroom language. Think of
it this way. Just learning vocabulary and

grammar doesn't help students communicate. So teachers focus on aspects

of engaging topics and activities to really help

the students communicate. That means they may have to teach

multiple ways to use a single phrase or to put their teaching in to

particular communicative, in order to help students

learn to communicate better. I love the use of materials that are as

close to real world as possible. Communicative teachers call

these authentic materials. >> Hold on! Sir, when a communicative teacher

brings a menu to class, from Japan, that means that suddenly, you are having

an authentic Japanese experience. You can't expect communication in

the classroom to be authentic. The classroom is not the real world. So could you use the
materials

in the classroom and then suddenly have it spring into being

authentic and besides you can't expect beginning learners to understand anything

from authentic materials unless you are using children's materials which,

by the way, is really boring. And might I add, a bit condescending. Authentic materials
just won't work for

everything. Only an idiot would think so. >> I don't need to respond,
I don't need to respond. Just breathe. I am above this. Okay. I suppose you sort of have
a point. For authentic materials to really work

they have to be leveled appropriately. But when things are given to

students at the correct level, it truly engages them and

helps them want to learn. The communicative approach allows teachers

to see how real language situations and communication principles can be given

to learners through carefully planned games and activities at the level. I would think
even you know that. Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have insulted. I'm trying to do better. I'm
so sorry. [SOUND]

>> Glad to see I'm rubbing off on you. Just remember to keep up those insults! We
always have room for one more. [LAUGH] [SOUND]

>> Well, those two sure get heated sometimes. At any rate, I hope you have a chance

to look at the communicative approach from both angles and examine your feelings

and beliefs about these principles. In the next video we'll take a look at the

techniques you can apply in your classroom that are based on

the communicative approach. See you then. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

Video 6: What have we learned?: The

Communicative Approach
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. In this video, we're going to take

a closer look at what we have learned from the communicative approach,

and give you some ideas on how you can apply the principals of this

approach in your classroom. In truth, we are still learning

from the communicative approach. Some people might say that we have moved

on to a different approach that is similar to the communicative approach in some way,

and pulls from the other approaches we have

discussed as needed to fit the purpose, content and technique of each of

the specific teaching contexts. We have, in a way,

swung the pendulum more toward the middle of all of the approaches,
taking from each as we need to. That being said, however, most teachers today still
align

themselves with the commutative approach. And it forms the basis of many teacher's

philosophy of language teaching. As you saw in video four, the purpose of

the communicative approach is to connect people together through language. And many
teachers would say, that this is

their main purpose for teaching language. The content for this approach then is anything
that will

help people connect through language, books magazines, movies, news papers,

advertisements, even restaurant menus. And the techniques used are just as broad,

like the demo mentioned in our last video, the communicative approach is so broad

that perhaps, one of its biggest problems is that no one can definitively say,

what it's techniques and practices are? Furthermore, there is so much information today
that it

is hard to know where to look. And yet one more difficulty is

that teachers are given not only many different strategies, but many different groups with
different

purposes, different learning styles and teachers are expected to be experts

of all of these different contexts. So some people feel

the communicative approach really doesn't have clear boundaries. And those within it,
don't have a clear concept of what

to do within their classrooms. Still, teachers today are obviously

doing something in their classrooms, or this approach wouldn't exist today. So let's take
a look at some of

the common techniques that fall under the communicative approach. Keeping in mind
that there may be

many others we don't mention and that any activity or exercise that

gets your students communicating in the target language, maybe considered part of this
broad understanding of

the communicative approach. Authentic Materials. One of the biggest problem in any
educational setting is getting students to take what they learned in the classroom

and apply it in the real world. And the same holds true for

language teaching. How many students actually

transfer the knowledge they gained during classroom practice and activities, to language
situations

they face outside the classroom. In order to aid in this

transfer of language skills, teachers in the communicative approach

try to make the language practice in the classroom as close to

the real world as possible. Sure, you can write a reading passage for your students that
includes all of the

vocabulary words they've been studying. But how natural will the language be? Thus,
teachers try to find authentic

materials that incorporate the vocabulary and

grammar they are teaching. Or base their vocabulary and grammar instruction on the
authentic

materials they have available to them. As the angel mentioned in our last video,

however, sometimes teachers may have to adapt authentic materials to

fit the level of their students, or find authentic materials that don't

have a lot of language in them. But that can be used for communicative

activities, like restaurant menus or newspaper, weather reports. Sequencing Activities.

An integral part of communication is

understanding queues in the language. How do you know when it is

okay to respond to someone or when someone is finished with their idea? To help
learners understand and

use these types of communication cues, teachers give students dialogues or

paragraphs with the sentences mixed up. And have them put the sentences or

utterances back in the correct order. For grammar instruction,

you may do this with single sentences. Having the students put the words back

in order, to understand how the sentence is arranged according to

a particular grammatical principal. These types of activities, help students

understand that language is not a bunch of words and sentences just thrown together,

but a group of ideas connected for purpose and how those ideas flow together.
Language Games. Let's face it, learners are more

engaged when they are having fun, but we don't want teachers to play games

just because they're having fun. I'm sure basketball is a fun game, but

how does it help someone learn language. When you play games in your classroom,

make sure they are for the purpose of teaching language. As well as having fun. For
example, structure the game so

that students have to work in teams and communicate with each other

in the target language. This helps students increase

their engagement and give them opportunities to

practice the language as well. In some games, the focus of the game

may be the language itself. For example, you may give students

a set of cards with words on them and they have to put the words together

to form a variety of sentences. Or cards with pictures and the students

have to use the pictures to tell a story. In other games, you may just be reviewing

principles already covered in class. The desperate structure of the game

provides communicative opportunities for the students. Information Gap. One of the
important tenets

of the communicative approach is that the communication must be for

specific purpose. If there is no reason for the communication,

then it isn't real communication. Many times, people communicate to get information
from

another person, using information gap. This is an activity that we've

already introduced to you. But is certainly something that

communicative teachers use today. Role Plays. Another important communicative

activity is the role play. Students are given a specific

communicative context, such as ordering in a restaurant, and are each given specific
roles,

such as waiter, customer, manager or chef. The students must communicate with

each other in the given context, acting out the role they've been given. For lower level
students, the teacher

may give them specific language to use, like a written dialogue, whereas,

more advanced students may be asked to create the language

themselves on the spot. As with information gaps, it focus,

is more on the communication and being understood by their fellow students,

than on the language itself and any errors they might make. Thanks for watching Teach
English Now. In our next video,

we'll summarize the main points from both the comprehension approach,

and the communicative approach. And then, compare them to help you

finish filling out the diagram. We'll see you then. [MUSIC]

Bringing the Communicative Approach to a

Predominantly Grammar Translation System
by Jessica Cinco

For years, the majority of Chinese schools have taught English using a combination of the Grammar
Translation Approach and the Reading Approach. English courses are teacher- and textbook-
centered, focusing primarily on learning specific grammar, reading and writing. Lessons are geared
towards passing government-created standardized English tests. Classes often have well over 50
students, who may never even visit any English speaking country (Anderson, 1993). This reminds
me of the painful stories my parents told me of their childhood Latin classes in the 1950’s, made up
of strict teachers, boring material and copious amounts of memorization to pass standardized tests.
As both a language teacher AND student myself, I cringe to think about either teaching in this
manner or having to sit in class and endure this means of instruction. It just isn’t practical….or fun.
I’ve seen the effects of this style of education, when students who’ve been taught English in this
manner, whether from China or other countries, are placed in my English classes at ASU. They are
withdrawn and often resent being in class. My goal is, and always will be, to bring life back into these
burned-out language learners.

This past summer, I participated in the Jiangsu Teacher Training Program, in the Jiangsu Province of
China, located just outside of Shanghai. The Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education has been
striving to revolutionize their English education program in public schools since 2004 (JESIE
Program, 2016). Every summer, native-speaking English teachers journey to the Jiangsu Province to
help the government conduct a ten-day English teacher training program for its public school English
teachers. This program brings together two amazing groups of teachers: the Chinese teachers who
struggle to prepare massive classes of students who don’t want or care to learn English to take
government-created standardized tests and native English speaking educators who’ve been utilizing
techniques from the Communicative Approach in their own classrooms.

I was placed in Kunshan, an industrial suburb of Shanghai, for the Jiangsu Teacher Training
Program this past July and worked with 22 English teachers from around the city, most of whom
didn’t know each other. When I met the teachers on the first day of this course, on a hot, humid July
morning, most of the teachers were not particularly engaged. They were exhausted, overworked and
resentful of the fact they had to spend 2 weeks of their summer vacation in a teacher training
program full of strangers. Could I blame them? Absolutely not. But my goal was to engage them,
rekindle their passion for language education and hopefully send them back to their own classrooms
in the fall with new ideas and techniques for language education.

Throughout the ten-day course, I introduced these teachers to many different methods of language
education, all focused around the ever-broadening Communicative approach. I emphasized the
importance of creating engaging, student-centered classes, fluency over accuracy, and partner and
group work. I not only explained, but also demonstrated through my own teaching style, the
importance of making the English classroom a “safe zone,” a warm, comfortable environment where
students feel they are able speak and make mistakes without being judged or reprimanded. We sang
songs, wrote and performed skits, gave presentations, created poems, used grids to create and
organize paragraphs, played language games, had a food day where students brought in their
favorite food and discussed why they liked it and how it was made, and even watched an episode of
Friends so that we could analyze some of the differences between American and Chinese culture. All
of these simulated possible activities and techniques for them to use in their own classes.

At the end of this course, the resentful, withdrawn strangers I met on the first day of class had
transformed into warm, vibrant, vivacious friends eager to return to their classes in the fall. We
shared a tearful, loving goodbye, with promises to keep in touch on the last day of the course.

These incredible teachers provided me with so much positive feedback: they felt like our original
group of “strangers” had melded into a big, happy “family;” they felt comfortable making mistakes and
learning from each other; they had new ideas to introduce to their students; their confidence in
themselves and their English abilities had risen astronomically. My heart was warmed and overjoyed
by their responses.

However, they also had one major concern: How can they implement these new, student-centered
Communicative Approach ideas when they still had to administer the reading/writing/grammar-based
standardized tests?

So, here are some questions for you to ponder: What would you do if you were put in this situation?
What advice would you give to these teachers? Have you, or someone you know, been in a similar
educational situation? How was the situation handled? Would you suggest the same solution or a
different approach?

Video 7: Summary (chưa làm)

[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now. You're almost to the end of the course,

hasn't this been an exciting ride? We hope you've enjoyed traveling

back in time with us, and learning about these different

approaches to teaching language. In this video, we'll summarize the main

points from our last two approaches. The comprehension approach and
the communicative approach. Remember to fill in any missing

information in your diagram to help you see the bigger picture and consider all

the approaches you've learned about. You'll need that diagram

in our last module. Let's consider now

the comprehension approach. In our trip back in time, you saw our

teacher using the technique called total physical response, or TPR,

which involves using only the target language combined with physical

actions and visual aids to teach language. The main purpose of this technique, and
indeed any of the methods that fall

under the comprehension approach, is to help make meaning clear or

to make input comprehensible. As learners have success in understanding

input in the target language during their silent period,

they will gain confidence and eventually begin speaking in

the target language as well. Teachers in the comprehension approach

try to help students understand target language input by

using physical objects, like desks, chairs, walls,

doors, clocks, etc. They may also use

representations of real objects, like plastic fruit or

pictures and other visual aids. Teachers also use observable actions like

jumping, sitting, opening the door, ect. They combine these actions and

objects in new and, sometimes nonsense ways to make language

input that is fun for students. They typically use command forms of the

language, and may string several commands together to form a sequence of actions for

students to perform. Once students have begun to

speak in the target language, teachers may ask students to give

commands, called role reversal, but the main focus of the comprehension

approach, is on understanding input. In the communicative approach

there is a focus on speaking right from the very beginning. Because the purpose of

the communicative approach is to help learners communicate

in that target language. Teachers want their learners

to love people, cultures, and places by connecting with

them through language and the use of language for

meaningful communication. They teach by using books with high

interest themes that have been leveled appropriate for their students. A lot of these
books contains lessons

that focus on all four skills. Reading writing, listening and speaking. Many books also
contain additional lessons

or components on pronunciation, grammar, presentation skills etc.,

that help our students communicate better. Techniques in a communicative approach

involve the use of authentic materials, information gaps,

language games and role plays. Activities and exercises put students

in situations where they have opportunities to communicate

using the language for meaningful purposes such

as getting information. Well, that's all for now. In our next module we'll

summarize what we have learned from the eight different

approaches we have visited. And help you make informed choices

about what your purpose, content, and technique are for your specific

language teaching situations. Drawing from each approach to form

your own philosophy of teaching. Thanks for watching Teaching English Now. [MUSIC]

---WEEK 6-----
Course Summary Video
[MUSIC] Welcome back to Teach English Now!. Thanks for

joining us on our journey throughout time to discover different approaches to

learning and teaching a language. In this last video, we wanted to give

you an overview of the information we have presented so that you can have a

clear idea of what you will be tested on. Let's review how these approaches

swing from one idea to the other. Shane? >> Thanks, Jessica. First of all, we looked at

a teacher who adopted principals of the grammar translation approach. Here we

discovered a teacher whose

purpose for teaching language was, to teach young men, scholars,

how to read Latin and Greek. His job was to give his students

a classical education and be rooted in the morality that

came with time tested literature. He used long passages of poetry,

short story, plays and novels and helped students to engage in these classic texts

through careful and thorough readings. He also taught these students

through the use of back translation. That technique that moves students from

the second language to their primary and then back to the second language. He also
taught grammar explicitly,

used reading comprehension questions, fill in the blanks,

memorization of vocabulary, and he wasn't afraid of assigning a writing

essay to determine how much students knew. Jessica. >> Thanks Shane. In our second
trip, we visited an adventurous teacher that

adopted features of the direct approach. This teacher wanted to teach students who

would travel or visit other countries. He wanted students to

truly experience culture. Not just classic literature. But geography, history, and people.
He used dialog, conversations,

passages about other cultures, maps and visual aids, he wanted you to know what

it was like to be completely immersed in a culture and made his classroom

feel like an immersive experience. He didn't really teach grammar

deductively, rather he taught you as if you were learning a first language by

reading out loud, conversation practices, map drawing, question and answers,

and self-correction wherever possible. Shane. >> In our third trip,

we learned about a teacher and the reading approach who had the practical

need of getting students ready. For tests, he taught students would

likely never leave the country. Since this teacher wasn't a native

speaker of the language himself, he relied on readings that would

level to the learners knowledge and taught vocabulary and

grammatical items from those readings. Once again, deductive grammar

instruction became fashionable. As did the memorization of vocabulary,

and a certain amount of translation. As opposed to the direct approach,

oral proficiency was not emphasized and evaluative performance through

testing was a major focus. Jessica? >> Thanks. Our fourth journey, landed us in

the middle of military action. As military personnel, were required

to teach soldiers how to speak so that they could communicate

with enemies and allies. By learning on principles taught by

behaviorist, this teacher taught using dialogues, language mimicry,

repeat after me, and visual aids. He was a true believer of habit formation

drills, including backward buildup, chain, single and multi slot

substitution and transformation drills. He believed in dialog memorization,

the use of minimal pairs, grammatical games and

a concept called Overlearning. Shane? >> Thanks Jessica. We then travel to a time
when

we found the cognitive approach. This scientist looked to understand

how languages worked, and often wanted to research and publish, all with the aim of
understanding

the unique properties of the human mind. While it was not truly a classroom

approach, it attempted to peer into that impenetrable black box that

we think of as the brain. Something Noam Chomsky called

the Language Acquisition Device, what a mysterious name. Cognitive scientists tried to
uncover

the processes, cognitive and metacognitive that learners used as they tried to

gain and retain information Jessica? >> Thanks. What got left out at the equation,

in the cognitive approach, was a discussion of anything

outside of the brain. Thus, the pendulum swung again,

and we found approaches that discussed the importance of

focusing on a holistic view of people. A special emphasis on feelings. This teacher

sought to respect student

feelings as they learned a language and believed that by understanding

student feelings, there was a chance to increase

the speed of learning. The teacher used bright colors, pictures,

music, fine art, and dialogues, and games, all in an attempt to help learners become

more comfortable with the environment. Students were constantly given positive

reinforcement, given new identities, and when they listen to a reading, they

would listen with music in the background. And listen several times. Time was spent
developing plans that

allowed students to be creative, either through dramatic, interpretations,

games, singing, or dance. Shane.

>> Thanks. Comprehension based approaches such as

total physical response soon followed. These approaches sought to

help make meaning clear by giving students confidence so that they

would be willing to produce language. While the effective humanistic approach

asks students to speak, and act, and create, TPR and other comprehension based

approaches such as the natural approach lets students be silent participants,

at least at the beginning. Classroom objects and observable

objects were an important part of the student experience and chunks of

language and novel combinations are used. TPR itself had quite

a number of commands and used role reversal to help

students give commands as well. TPR also allowed students to think

in terms of action sequences to help guide them to understand

language through chronological events. Jessica.

>> Thanks. Finally, we have arrived to

the communicative approach, which is an approach

still widely used today. Here, the purpose of the approach

was to connect people together, to create opportunity. Sometimes educational,

sometimes

political, and sometimes financial. The communicative approach demonstrated

a high value on loving other cultures and places and somehow shortening

the distance from one place to the other. Book publishers created carefully leveled

books with high interest themes and these books often contained

a variety of skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Books also contained
excerpts on

pronunciation, grammar, culture, learner strategies,

speech acts, and vocabulary. In some sense, the communicative approach sought to
learn

from all of the approaches in the past, in order to avoid swinging from one

side of the pendulum to the other. It could use authentic materials. Picture strips,
information gap,

language games, group and pair work and listener strategies to meet diverse

needs of individuals in each class room. >> So did you see any swing from one

side of the pendulum to the other? Did you notice the swing from the use

of deductive to inductive grammar? How about the use of speaking

as a primary component? Notice how the grammar

translation approach, for example, had no speaking really. Direct?

Yes, speaking. Reading? No.

Audio-lingual? Absolutely. Cognitive? Not really. Effective humanistic, yes.

Comprehension and then,

you see what I mean. It's a lot of swinging. However, I'm happy to state that

the comprehension based and communicative approaches tend

to not swing nearly as much. While different practitioners may

have differing amounts of speaking or grammar in their class, nearly all

practitioners have recognized the need for at least a certain amount. We could discuss
this in

some detail later, but the point is that it appears we aren't

swinging nearly as much as in times past. And that's a good thing. >> One final note,
while there's been a

lot of swinging back and forth We want you to keep in mind the tremendous difference

there is in understanding of your purpose. If you encounter students who really

need to pass a test, then some of the strategies learned in the reading

approach might be very attractive and even recommended. If learning just enough
language to

communicate quickly is attractive to you, there is still commercial products

that use a lot of audio-lingual drills to allow you time to practice and practice

quickly before your airplane lands. So, before you judge any of

these approaches too harshly, please consider what your purpose and

the purpose of your learners is first. >> Great insight Jessica thanks. We have got to
stop swinging back and

forth and our ability to choose techniques and materials based on our

purposes makes a lot of sense. I would also add that taking a careful

look at language studies can also be a way of grounding ourselves in reality, instead

of just choosing techniques because we find them fashionable, fun, or because

they fit our particular personality. We have a great wealth of information in

our field that should inform our decisions as we move forward as

language instructors. All right, ready for your test? Make sure you review all the
materials and

go over the videos and your worksheet before you begin. Good luck. Let me set the time
machine to

a date in the not-so-distant future, your future success. We'll see you then. >> Thanks
for watching Teach English Now. [MUSIC]