GRAMMAR DRILLS

While it sounds tedious and dull, this tried and tested technique has shown to be quite effective, if not entirely creative. It was particularly popular in the mid-sixties and though lost some of its sway in the seventies.

This is how it works. Students are guided systematically through the different grammar rules, from the simplest basics to the most complicated. Students who are patient and preserving will find that they have quite an extensive vocabulary and sense of structure. However, the lack of flexibility did mean that they may not know how to apply it in the everyday setting.

DIRECT METHOD

This technique tends to imitate the way people learn language. The teacher simply starts speaking the language, and the students are forced from the get go to keep up (even if the teacher’s first announcement of ‘Good morning, class’ sounds curiously like, ‘I’m sorry I’m late.’

While this method does enable students to understand a language even in the country where it is originally spoken, but its weakness is that it does not always allow them to speak it comfortably.

DRILLS AND PATTERNS

This systematic process slowly introduces structures as students need it. Grammar still plays an important role but it is not necessarily presented as such. They simply go through different types of sentences until everyone recognizes a pattern. The technique usually employs flashcards.

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING

The heart of this teaching method is interaction. Students go through communication exercises and the test of the success is whether or not students can understand each other. Usually they are divided into pairs and each person is given information. Their role is to ask and answer questions. However, it does need to be beefed up with techniques that provide grammatical and structural accuracy.

TARGET LANGUAGE

The instructor always speaks the language being taught, but unlike the direct method, he consciously chooses what to talk about. It is structured and sometimes simplified. The benefit is that the student gets used to hearing the language and learns coping strategies as well. However it still lacks structure and must be complemented with other teaching techniques.

COMBINATION

Many schools use a combination of these methods. Students can also supplement the classroom strategies with books, exercises, after-class practice sessions and exposure to the language through foreign films or books.

There is no perfect teaching technique and schools have realized that it is best to use a little bit of each, leading to a balanced curriculum. However before you enroll in a language class it’s best to ask which educational method they plan to focus. Another factor to consider is how the school plans to support students who do not immediately understand the lesson or need remedial help.