Connecting Theory and Practice in
English Language Instruction
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Module # 3
Teaching Practices
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Overview of Module 3
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Goal
Objectives
Competencies
Essential Questions
Lesson 1: Approaches & Methods
Lesson 2: Choosing Methods for Student Characteristics
Lesson 3: Choosing Instructional Techniques Based on Student
Outcomes
• Final Assessment
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Goal:
What is the goal of Module 3?
Module 3 is designed to help you understand how
approaches and methods of teaching ESL are
supported by a variety of instructional techniques that
are tied to specific learner outcomes.
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Warm-Up for Module 3: Gallery Walk
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Objectives:
In Module 3 you will learn. . .
• To be able to describe various approaches and
methods of teaching ESL, including how they reflect
dominant theories in adult English language acquistion
• To match student characteristics and language needs to
the appropriate methods and approaches
• To be able to identify specific teaching practices as they
relate to language learning outcomes
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Competencies:
At the end of Module 3 you will be able to. . .
• List a number of approaches and methods for teaching
ESL to adult learners
• Choose an instructional technique that supports a
particular method or approach
• Match student characteristics and language needs to
an appropriate approach, method, or teaching practice
• Identify how a chosen teaching practice relates to
language learning outcomes
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Essential Questions & Lessons
• LESSON 1:
– What approaches and methods support the teaching of adult
English language learners?
• LESSON 2:
– How do I know what approach, method or teaching practice
to choose for a particular student?
• LESSON 3:
– If I know what I want my student to do, how do I match the
outcome with a specific teaching practice?
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Lesson 1: Approaches & Methods
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Mini-Lesson on Approaches, Methods, and
Teaching Techniques
Overview of Lesson 1:
• The objective of this lesson is to help you to be able to
describe various approaches and methods of teaching
ESL, including how they reflect dominant theories in
adult English language acquistion
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Warm-Up to Lesson 1: Anticipation Guide
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Anticipation Guide
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
The best way to learn a language is to learn
grammar rules and practice over and over again.
In language teaching, a method is a way of teaching
what is believed about how a language is learned.
A technique or teaching practice can be specific to
one particular method.
One approach to learning a language is to consider
the learners’ feelings.
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What are Approaches?
• Approaches to English language teaching involve:
– Theoretical positions and beliefs about the nature of
language
– The nature of language learning
– The applicability of both to pedagogical settings
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What are Methods?
• Methods are:
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A way to accomplish linguistic objectives or the procedures
Concerned with teacher and student roles and behaviors
Include content and language objectives for the lesson
Applicable to a variety of audiences in a variety of contexts
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What are Techniques?
• Techniques are:
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A classroom device or activity
Widely used
Can be found in many methods
Can be specific to a specific method
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General Approaches to Language Teaching
• Approaches to Language Teaching
– Using a language vs. analyzing a language
• Example of an analysis approach:
– Grammar-Translation Approach
• Focus: Analyze the rules of grammar
• Example of a utilitarian approach:
– Direct Approach
• Focus: Immersion into the language
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Summary of Approaches to Language
Teaching
• Summary of Approaches to Language Teaching
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Behaviorist Approach
Cognitive Approach
Affective-Humanistic Approach
Comprehension Approach
Communicative Approach
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Cool-Down for Lesson 1: Create a Chart
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Create a Chart
• What are some specific types of activities you have participated
in during a language class (choral drills, translation, reading
aloud, using a vocabulary word in a sentence, etc.)? What is the
underlying theory (the approach) that supports the activity?
Activity
Classical texts for grammatical parsing
Theory/Approach
Grammar-Translation Approach
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Assessment of Lesson 1
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Lesson 2: Choosing Methods for Student
Characteristics
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Mini-Lesson on Choosing a Method for
Specific Students
Overview of Lesson 2:
• The objective of this lesson is to help you to match
student characteristics and language needs to the
appropriate approaches and methods
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Warm-up to Lesson 2: Collage
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Collage
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Student Characteristics
Some characteristics of the learner:
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Age
Gender
Language background
Motivation
Self-Esteem
Level of education
Anxiety Level
Risk-taking ability
Extroversion
Learning style
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Methods that Match
Elements of teaching are:
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The teacher
The subject or content
The learner
The goals of instruction
Methods of teaching are based on:
• The nature of the language
• The nature of the learner
• The goals of instruction
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The Syllabus
Types of Syllabi and Example Approaches:
• Structural syllabus
– Audiolingual Approach
• Text-based syllabus
– Reading Approach
• Dual-objective syllabus
– Situational Approach
• Notional-Functional syllabus
– Communicative Approach
• Task-based syllabus
– Communicative Approach
• Learner-generated syllabus
– Affective-Humanistic Approach
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Learner Profile #1
The Agricultural Worker
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Learner Characteristics
Learner Needs
Approaches
Syllabus
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Learner Profile #2
The Housekeeper
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Learner Characteristics
Learner Needs
Approaches
Syllabus
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Cool-Down for Lesson 2: Case Study
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Case Study
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Revisit your collage
Choose one of the learners
Imagine this is a student in your class
Create a list of student characteristics
Create a “case study” for yourself imagining what the student
wants to learn English for
• Choose an approach, or approaches, that would match the
learner’s needs
• Save this case study for Lesson 3
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Assessment of Lesson 2
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Lesson 3: Choosing Instructional Techniques
for Specific Outcomes
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Mini-Lesson on Choosing Instructional
Techniques for Specific Outcomes
Overview of Lesson 3:
• The objective of this lesson is to help you to be able to
identify specific teaching practices as they relate to
language learning outcomes
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Warm-Up for Lesson 3: 3-2-1
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3–2–1
Make a list of the following:
3 reasons you took this training for ESL teachers
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2 characteristics of you as a learner
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1 way you like to learn
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Methods Related to Outcomes
Outcomes are:
• What you want the student to know
• What you want the student to be able to do
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Popular Methods for Language Teaching
• Sheltered Instruction
– Communicative approach
– Outcome: Academic language for content
• Total Physical Response
– Comprehension-based approach
– Outcome: Immediate, overt action based on listening; not
reliant on speech production
• Suggestopedia
– Affective-humanistic approach
– Outcome: Lowered affect; neutralize learning inhibitions
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An Ecclectic Approach
A Robbery
• Based on desired outcomes the teacher creates a
lesson using elements of:
– TPR
– Sheltered Instruction
– Suggestopedia
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Cool-Down for Lesson 3: Review, Reflect &
Assess
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Reflection of Teaching Techniques
Teaching
Technique
Desired Outcome
Gallery Walk
“See” an approach (communicative) in
action
Anticipation
Guide
Think about how teaching practices are
reflective of approaches/theories
Create a Chart
Write about your personal experiences
with languages
Collage
Create a visual profile of learners
Case Study
Make the connection between
approaches and learner needs
3-2-1
Relate your personal experiences to
current learning
Reflection
Chart
Review, assess how the activities help
you learn/process
Reflection
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Assessment of Lesson 3
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Final Assessment for Module 3
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