Approaches and Methods in ESL/EFL Instruction and the Purposes of Assessment

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Approaches and Methods in ESL/EFL
Instruction and the Purposes of Assessment

• Douglas Fleming PhD
• Faculty of Education
• University of Ottawa
• Lecture 1 Sunday May 11, 2014
• Yanbu University College, Saudi Arabia

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Purposes of Assessment

• this lecture concentrates on introducing the
  notion of competence through a review of
  historical and current trends within the field.

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• Grammar Translation
• developed out of the ecclesiastic use of Latin
• adopted by educated and class elites
• centered on the memorization of verb forms,
  grammar rules, and vocabulary
• methods concentrated on
• the translation of literary texts
• comprehension questions following a text
• teacher-centered activities.

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• Audio-lingual Approach
• originated out of the U.S. Army Method
• based on the behaviorist belief that language
  learning consists of habit formation
• communication and context not emphasized
• purpose of language use for learner not judged to
  be important
• features repetitive drills and memorization of
  dialogue
• emphasis placed on pronunciation
• activities usually teacher-centered.

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• Designer Methods
• a multitude of techniques developed by specific
  curriculum and materials designers in the
  1960s-1980s
• often spawned dogmatic attitudes
• most were based on the pop-psychology of the
  time
• examples include
• Total Physical Response
• Suggestopedia
• The Silent Way

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Criticisms

• acquisition is not the same thing as learning
  (Krashen, 1982)
• we need to discard simple formulas (Stern, l983)
• tensions exist between conceptions of teachers as
  a) technical implementers of fully developed
  curricula and b) fully developed professionals
  (Pennycook,1989)
• singular methods are irrelevant to most practice
  (Nunan, 1991)

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The Communicative Approach

• the most commonly accepted methodology today
• concentrates on function rather than form
• the goal is to create a realistic context for
  language acquisition in the classroom.
• emphasizes the communicative aspect of teaching
  language, concentrating on function rather than
  form as Allen and Widdowson (1979) stated, the
  approach involves, "the learning of rules of use
  as well as rules of grammar" (p.141).
• The goal is to create a realistic context for
  language acquisition in the classroom through the
  use of pedagogical tasks.

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• however what is the place of grammar?
• new research has shown the need to balance
  explicit treatment of grammar with communicative
  practice, especially in particular situations and
  with specific groups of students
• this balance has to be carefully considered,
  especially in EFL contexts.

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• grammar is heterogeneous, meaning that some
  grammar points are easy to explain and easy to
  apply, and other points are difficult if not
  impossible to apply...
• good pedagogy profitably mixes explicit and
  implicit techniques depending on the grammar item
  and the communicative task (Kennedy, 2004)

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• what is the relationship between explicit
  knowledge of the language and actually using it?
• Ellis (1997) identified 3 positions in the
  research
• Strong Interface Position
• (Biaystok, McLaughlin, Sharwood-Smith)
• Non-Interface Position
• (Krashen, Terrell)
• Weak Interface Position
• (Ellis, Long, Selinger)

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• Focus on Form Approach
• builds on the Communicative Approach
• explicit instruction is a consciousness-raising
  activity the enhances input
• 1) for comprehension, helping the learner to
  intake (recognise and understand features of the
  input)
• 2) for explicit knowledge, helping a learner
  learn about the structure metalinguistically
• facilitates noticing and noticing the gap.

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• Ellis, 1993, p.97

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• Implications
• learners
• should become less dependent on rote learning
  and more adept at understanding and manipulating
  linguistic forms in actual communication.
• teachers and curriculum experts
• should exercise professional agency in the
  interests of a balanced and thoughtful approach
  to curriculum development, lesson planning and
  task design

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• One should distinguish between classroom
  activities that are either
• Meaning focused
• that concentrate on purely communicative
  activities
• Form-focused
• that draw attention to the way language forms
  are used in discourse

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Current Trends in the Field

• conceptualizing English as practical means of
  communication
• moving away from grammatical accuracy
• linking language learning to disciplinary content
  and critical thinking skills
• de-emphasizing native speaker models for language
  and culture
• moving towards electronically based teaching
  resources
• professionalizing and training English teachers.

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• which methods have you experienced as a student
  and teacher?
• how much explicit grammar instruction do you
  engage in?
• how much standard English grammar should form
  part of your assessment criteria?
• how do you assess communicative competence?
• what roles do pedagogical tasks play?
• what alternative forms of assessment have you
  used?
• What alternative forms would you like to use?
• what are the roles of the student/ teacher/
  administrator
• what are the purposes for assessment in the Saudi
  context?