Methods of Teaching english

Teaching English method

Einglish is such a language which is universally renowned for its power of expression. English language is an easy means of communication in the international sphere of life. It is a language which can be easily understood is different parts of the world. English is the inother longue of 300 million people spread throughout the globe far beyond England from where it was originated. It has also acquired an important place in India and has developed steadily over the last sixdecades or so. Consequently, it has become an integral part of our present educational system. In India, English it taught as a second language in the schools. Characteristics of English Language 1. English is a progressive language. It is not ‘made', but 'evolved'. 2. It is a dynamic language in the sense that nearly half of the world speaks and understands it. 3. It is a flexible language in the sense that its history is chronicle of the tremendous changes in culture and language. 4. As a language, it is systematic, having its own system. Its system is arbitrary having a fixed order of words in a sentence. 5. It has its own phonemes, morphemes and syntax which go to makes its internal structure. 6. It has its own system of writing. 7. It has its own grammar that describes the way in which it ought to function. Importance of English • Now-a-days, English has occupied the most prominent place in the educational system of our country. English as a subject is taught as a compulsory subject in most of the states of India. English anguage even today works as a link language. Most of the new and technical subjects are dealt with in English. The following points state the importance: 1. Language of the International importance. 2. Language of National importance. 3. English-As Lingua Franca as it is spoken, written and understood throughout the globe. 4. English-As a means of acquiring evergrowing

knowledge. English is a rich language regarding

Methods of Teaching english

MEANING AND DEFINITIONS

Thut and Gerberich define a method as, "A method is a well defined pattern or procedure within which a variety of techniques and devices may appear as circumstances may require."
Approach is axiomatic (study of self-evident truths). In the words of Anthony, "It states a point of view or philosophy or an assumption which one believes but cannot necessarily prove."
According to Anthony, "Method is an overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material, no part of which contradicts and all of which is based upon the selected approach."
Thus, approach deals with assumptions and method deals with procedure based on some assumption. In this way, there can be so many methods within an approach. Approach is wider term than a method. Method is an overall plan based on some approach.
Characteristics of a Good Method
1 There are many objectives of teaching
English. All the objective can not be attained by any one method. Best method of teaching English is one through which we can
achieve maximum objectives. 2. The method should be flexible. 3. It should be according to the age and standard of the students.. 4. It should be capable of bringing desirable
changes in the behaviour of the children. 5. It should suit the class size and the material
available.

Methods of teaching English :

In addition to the Montessory method, Kindergarten method and Play-way method which are useful to teach small children, there are some other methods also which have been designed particularly to teach English as a foreign language. We can classify these various methods into two broad heads for our own convenience.
1. Old or classical methods
2. New or modern methods
Text-Book method, Direct method and Translation-cum-Grammar method are traditional, classical or old methods of teaching English.
Dr. West's method, Substitution method and Bilingual method are modern methods of teaching English, In addition to these Structural approach and Situational approach are also in use to teach English as a foreign language.
Text Book method : In this method teaching is done through text books. Translation-cum-Grammar method :This method is based on text-book teaching and on following philosophical assumptions: A. Foreign language can best be learnt
through translation. B. Grammar plays a great and important role
in learning a foreign language. This method lays stress on the use of text-book because this method assumes that: (i) Text-books make a good amount of learning material. (ii) Text-books provide graded vocabulary to
learn.
(iii) Grammar can be best learnt through the
rules given in the text-books. (iv) Each lesson of the text-book gives some new words and grammar-rules to learn. In the words of Champion, "Under the Translation-cum-grammar method, the meaning of English words, phrases and sentences is taught by means of word-for-word translation into the mothertongue."
Merits of translation-cum-grammar method: 1. It is easy to use, economical and saves time and energy 2. It gives clear understanding of words meaning and increases vocabulary. 3. It lays emphasis on grammar and grammar disciplines mind.
4. This method tries to establish strong bonds between new ideas (foreign  phraseology)and old ideas (mother tongue). 5. It gives sufficient knowledge of grammar.
Demerits of the method: pols 1. This method is not so effective and
psychological. 2. It does not give sufficient importance to speaking, reading and writing. 3. It does not teach correct intonation;
articulation and pronunciation. 4. English language has some structures that
can not be translated into Indian language 1 i.e. 'the 5. It gives only bookish knowledge to the students.

Direct method of teaching English :

This method is also known as Natural method. This method came into being as a reaction against translation-cumgrammar method, therefore, this method sometimes is also called as 'Reformed method'. Historically, this method was first developed in France in 1901 and later it was approved and recognised by International Phonetic Association of France."
Felix Flanke defines this method as, "The moment a concept (meaning) and foreign word are immediately brought into contact without the intervention of the native word, we have the direct method
According to Webster's New International nary,, "Direct method is a method of teaching eign language, especially a modern language through conversation, discussion and reading in the "guage itself, without using the pupil's language,
Without translation and without studying the formal Grammar. The first words are taught by presenting objects or pictures or by performing actions.
The main characteristics of the method are:
1.A.V. aids are extensively used to explain
the meaning of words. 2. Sentence, not the word, is the unit of teaching 3. The use of mother-tongue is not allowed.4. In order to form the direct bond between thought and expression, mother-tongue is not used, so the child develops the habit of thinking in foreign language. 5. Grammar is taught inductively, indirectly. 6. Pronunciations are taught on a more or less phonetic lines. Merits of the method:
1. Keeps students more active. 2. Forces students to think in English. 3. It improves pronunciation. 4. It makes understanding of English more easy, 5. It develops reading, writing, speaking and understanding simultaneously, although not equally. 6. Cramming of words and meaning is discouraged.
Demerits of the Direct method are: 1. It gives less importance to reading and writing aspects.2 In this method grammar is not taught systematically. 3. This method consumes too much time in creating natural and real life situations.4 This method requires a lot of A.V. aids, hence, too much money to buy them and a large space to keep them are required. 5. It requires trained teachers. In India there is scarcity of English teachers who are trained to teach English efficiently. 6. In large and over-crowded classes, use of this method is not convenient.

Dr. West's method :

Dr. West, who was the principal of the teachers, training college, in Dacca, and later became the Director of Education in Bengal before partition, invented this method. Dr. West described his method in detail in his two books (1) Bilingualism and (2) Learning to Speak a Foreign Language.

Dr. West says that while teaching a foreign language much importance must be given on the development of reading ability Kirkman supports this idea of Dr. West. Kirkman writes, "Reading a language is by far the shortest road to learning to speak and write it." Dr. West says that reading has a "Surrender value" which keeps the student to continue self-learning by reading English material, hence emphasis must be given to reading particularly 'silent reading'. Reading ability according to Dr. West, can best he developed by reading books in solitude with ease, interest and pleasure. For this he developed books, known as 'New Method Readers' and 'New Method Rapid Readers'. In these books new words and phrases are equally distributed over the pages and the vocabulary is f: non-technical. There is repetition of words again and again in order to make the new words more familiar.
In these books emphasis is given on long and interesting stories. To Dr. West, speaking vocabulary has two types of words:
(i) Form words- These are structures or words we talk with.
(ii) Content words- These are nouns or words we talk about.

Dr. West gave 1158 words and said that these 1158 forms and content words are sufficient for the purpose of speaking.
Dr. West was of the opinion that there should be provision for comprehension test. This test should be taken by the teachers by asking questions but the test should be non-linguistic in nature.
Merits of the method: 1. This method gives importance to self-study and self-activity 2. It enhances pupil's vocabulary in 3. It develops reading habits. 4. Through reading, comprehension can be easily developed. 5. It is economical in both time and labour.
6. No much money is needed to buy A.V. aids.
Demerits of the method:
1. This method ignores or dues not give
proper importance to understanding, speaking and writing aspects of a language. It only emphasises reading. Only reading without understanding is useless and boring. 3. This method is not based on psychological principles. 4 at early stage, readers and rapid readers do not help the beginners. 5. The 'vocabulary is taught without connecting the meaning of words with experiences of the students. Substitution Method : H.E. Palmer adopted this method for the first time. This method is also known as Substitution Table Method'. Palmer says it is a method where as others say it as a technique.
This method was developed to substitute the Direct method. Palmer defines the method as "a process by which ny model sentence may be multiplied indefinitely u substituting for any of its words or other word-groups of the same grammatical family and within certain Semantic limits". Characterisatics of the method: 1. There is one model sentence. This model sentence is used as a framework or mould and into this mould we put other words or phrases. 2.The words of the model sentence are . substituted by other words. 3. These substituted words are of the same
grammatical family to which the model sentence belongs.4. The words or phrases are according to the standard of the students.
Types of substitution :The substitution may be of following three types:
1. Simple substitution: Here words or phrases or variables can not be interchanged. 2. Compound substitution: Here we can interchange the words, phrases or variables. 3. Grammatical substitution: Word to teach grammar is known as grammatical substitution.
Merits
1. Students can learn correct
(1) Pronunciation, (2) Intonation,
(3) Articulation and (4) Fluency in speaking. 2. Students can learn sentences without
memorising the rules of grammar. 3. They can learn phrases, idioms and use of
grammar easily. 4. The unit of teaching is full sentence, not the word. 5. Students can easily can learn the use of new words.
6. The method is interesting and motivational.
Demerits
1. It teaches isolated sentences, not the
sentences in a sequence. 2. It neglects the explanation of grammatical rules.
3. Poetry can not be taught by this method. • While using the method following facts should be kept in mind, in order to make the method more useful :
1. Teacher should not use too many words at a time in a substitution. 2. Words and phrases should be chosen from the text-book of the students. 3. Other suitable methods should also be use alongwith this method.
4. This method is more useful for the beginners.

Bilingual Method :

This method, developed by Prof. C.J. Dodson of Wales, is comparatively a recent and new method. This method is neither the Direct method and nor the Translation-cum-grammar method. This lies in between these two old methods.
Characteristics of the method
1. Like Direct method, this meihod also tries to create suitable situation but here situation is created by giving words of mother-tongue
equivalent to English words. 2. Sentence is the unit of teaching and sufficient
and rigorous practice is done for sentence
construction. 3. It uses mother-tongue to explain the meaning of new words, phrases, idioms and grammar rules etc. 4. Word-for-word translation is done in
Translation-cum-grammar method but this method does not allow word-for-word translation. Here only new and technical words are translated into mother-tongue, Dodson calls this type of translation as
'interpretation.' 5. Translation is done only by the teachers. Students are not permitted to translate the words. 6. Use of mother-tongue translation is allowed at lower classes but gradually the use of mother-tongue translation is avoided and students are expected to think and express only through English.
Merits of the method
1. No need to create real life situation. So time and energy, needed to create such situation, is saved. 2. Emphasis is given to speech practice. 3. Use of mother-tongue at proper places makes teaching more easy and understandable. 4. Much A.V. aids are not needed. 5. This method can be successfully used to teach beginners, middle level and higher level students of both the urban and rural areas.

Structural Approach of Teaching English :

This approach is so known as 'New Approach' or 'Aural-oral approach'. This is an improvement on Direct Mrthod. It is an approach, hence any method can be used with it. Initially it was developed in Institute of Education, University of London. In India it was Initially used in Chennai (Madras) and was popularised at the Central Institute of English Hyderabad.
In this approach, 'Structure or the pattern is the unit of teaching.

Structure or pattern or arrangement of words a sentence may give different meaning to the sentences. This specifie arrangement is called the structures'. Look the following two arrangements of the same words:
1. He is reading. 2. Is he reading ?
In these two sentences all the same three words ne, Is and Reading, are used but in different order. is different order has given different meaning to the sentences. Structures may be four types:
1. Sentence Structure 2. Phrase Structure 3. Formula Structure 4. Idioms Structure
Selected structure is given proper and suitable order. This process is called 'gradation'. Gradation can be done in the following order: First - Structures which identify things and person etc. Second- Structures which are related to the space. Third- Structures which fix them in time.
Menon and Patel have identified 275 graded structures. With the help of these 275 graded structures, students can learn the vocabulary of about 3000 root words.
For teaching English through this method, a structural syllabus for junior and senior level should be framed. A structural syllabus is a graded list of language items to be taught to each class. For junior level the structural syllabus should be of:
1. Two parts patterns e.g. 'I go', 'you eat' etc, 2. Three parts patterns e.g. 'I am going', 'you
are coming' etc. 3. Four parts patterns e.g. 'I like to read', 'He is very fine'. etc. 4. Helping verb interrogative pattern- e.g. 'Is he there?', 'Are you swimming?' 5. Interrogative pattern-e.g. 'Who are you?', Where is the cat?', 'How are you? 6. Pattern with 'There' and 'It'-e.g. "There is a chair.',' It is a pen.' etc.
At senior level advanced and complex pattern should be used.
According to NCERT by the end of Secondary stage, students should have 2500 words of Active vocabutalry and 500 words of Passive vocabulary.

Essentials of grammar should be introduced during last two years of Secondary level.

 Merits of the Approach:

1. It gives more importance to speech aspect. 2. This approach can be best used at all the stages. 3. This approach helps to create environment suitable for learning English language. 4. It gives ample apportunities for drill work. 5. It keeps students active. 6. It is both scientific and psychological.
Demerits of the Approach:
1. It is most suitable to lower classes, and not To higher classes. 2. We can not teach poetry, grammar and pronunciation through this approach easily. 3. Over-crowded classes can not be taught through this approach. 4. It over-emphasises oral drill. 5. It requires well and specifically trained
teachers. •

Situational Approach:

It tries to create natural setting or environment for English teaching. The environment should be as natural as it is found for learning a mother-tongue. It emphasises on the creation of natural situations for English learning. In this apprunch, teacher introduces new words incidently and appropriate A.V. aids are used to create proper situations. This approach also gives ample opportunities for oral work.

• Merits :

1. It emphasises oral work. 2. It tries to arouse interest of the students. 3. It keeps students active. 4. Play-way method can easily be used. 5. It is very useful for lower classes.
Demerits:
1. It is very difficult to create natural setting. 2. All words can not be taught through this approach. 3. Text-book cannot be taught through this approach. 4. It also requires well-trained teachers.