ESL Jobs Forum

[crueckert]

For those of you who have done training with the British Council or other TEFL organizations, it's likely that you were taught to utilize the PPP (Presentation, Practice and Production) method, which, along with Task-based Learning (TBL) is an example of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach.

Another approach is the Humanistic approach, which include Suggestopedia, The Silent Way, Community Language Learning, and Total Physical Response (TPR).

In light of the fact that there are so many different approaches and methodologies out there, should teachers be able to choose the approach they want to use or should they all use the same approach (eg. PPP) so that ESL students have a sense of continuity?
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Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
www.esl-lesson-plan.com
crueckert@eslemployment.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

[sigmoid]

Yes. And I would say that the teaching approach that is used in a given situation should be primarily based on the needs and learning styles of the students.

Also, I think students appreciate variety somewhat more than continuity: different teachers, different styles, different approaches, different activities, different accents, different backgrounds...

Variety is the spice of life.

[Guy Courchesne]

I of course voted yes to choosing your own teaching style. Unfortunately, there are a number of language schools out there that restrict a teacher greatly on style by insisting on their 'method' or 'approach'. McTeaching as such is a big drain on a teacher's creativity I should think.
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Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard

[crueckert]

What about for untrained teachers?
_________________
Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
www.esl-lesson-plan.com
crueckert@eslemployment.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb

[Guy Courchesne]

How could an untrained 'teacher' have an approach? It would be little more than guessing.

I await the day United Airlines lets me fly a plane on instinct alone...what's this big red button for?
_________________
Life is a verb, not a noun - Now Bloggin' and Working Hard

[crueckert]

In other words, sometimes, teachers should not be allowed to choose their own approach.

The reason why I initiated discussion about this topic is that at first glance, it seems obvious that teachers should be allowed to choose their own approach, but really, it's not that simple.

First, there's the issue of the search for the best approach. Some linguists (like Prabhu, as in the TBL Prabhu) would say that though they wouldn't stand behind one approach as a "one-size-fits-all" approach, teachers who use an eclectic approach (eg pick and choose) may not be adding to the situation either.

Second, there's the issue of continuity. There's an argument to be made for schools who require all teachers to follow a certain approach so that there is some kind of standardization in the school. If a students signs up for lessons at a school where he/she could have a variety of different teachers, the students should be able to go in to class with some kind of expectation of how the class will be taught.

Third, there's the issue of trained teachers. The fact is, ESL teachers are not that trained on a whole. With a basic CELTA or TEFL certificate, the Communicative Approach is taught as bible and it leaves many teachers feeling that the PPP model is the one and only way to teach. And then there are the teachers that aren't trained at all...

Anyway, just thought I'd add some more points to this discussion, as I think it's an interesting one.

One of the major implications for this is to do with training. Should British Council and other TEFL organizations put such an emphasis on one approach? Should a basic TEFL or CELTA cert include training on a variety of approaches? Does the training need to be longer in order to do this?
_________________
Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
www.esl-lesson-plan.com
crueckert@eslemployment.com

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." - Chinese Proverb