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Comparative Teaching Methodologies There are several different methodologies used by Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). I was not aware of many of these methodologies before taking this course. Among the many methods mentioned in this course are Grammar translation; Audio-lingual; Presentation, practice, production; Task based; Communicative; the Silent way, Suggestopaedia; and the Lexical approach. These different methods have opened my mind to having different approaches to teaching English. The first step for the teacher should be to know his/her theory of language teaching and learning. The teacher should have a firm grasp on the material and cater to his or her students and the environment. If learning English is taking place in an English-speaking country, the method will be different from the study of English in a non-English speaking country. Also, the number and length of the class periods affects the method. To many teachers today, the emphasis should be on communication in the new language and understanding the culture. Its difficult to gage how often students in the classroom speak English outside of the classroom. This may seem obvious but the teacher needs to be attentive to that. Most of us learn our first language without a teacher. What we do is absorb the information around us learning sounds and patterns even before birth. There are many recent studies showing this amazing phenomenon. Through trial and error, we learn to form rules and increase our vocabulary in order to speak fluently. Our students will need to be exposed to both the language and culture as much as possible to help their progress in their new language. Again, the Commutative method helps because the situations used to practice the language are based on current and real experiences. The more actual speaking of English through role-play and other simulation, the quicker and more accurately, the students will learn. Visiting important places followed by discussions in English, the more accurate the language and appreciation of the culture and people will happen. It’s the teacher’s responsibility to set the tone for the classroom and make sure that the environment is conducive to learning. Stress and anxiety clan have a negative effect the classroom and the students ability to earn the new language. It should be priority for the teacher to teach material that students will need to complete daily tasks. One way to create this environment is to have and study a list of questions that the student can ask in English during class. Simple questions like: “May I use the bathroom?” and other questions will be used a lot in class, so having a rule that makes you ask certain questions in English could be helpful to the student overall development. These questions should be posted around the room. This also engulfs the students in English. Regardless of the method, the materials need to be real and the grammar that is presented should be sequential. This course presented the engage, study, and activate approach, which is very logical and effective. This works very well in the Communicative Language Learning method. Students are first engaged or motivated. Then they study new real material. Often engaging student into the course material can be difficult, so as an instructor, we must continuously take new approaches to captivating our students. Teachers should illicit students independent thoughts and ask thought provoking questions. The course even teaches more “student discovery” and less “teacher telling” this allows for the students to have room to talk. Finally, the teacher assigns group and individual activities where using English is the only choice. Since EFL implies the language is not native to the students. They may not even be living in a country where English is the primary language. This means the teacher and students alike must use English as much as possible because the practice in the classroom is their only exposure to it. In the future, using the different methodologies, especially the Communicative, and the Engage, Study and Activate approach will help my confidence and enrich my lessons.
