METHODS OF TEACHING

SECTION 3

Grammar-translation method is familiar to most

EL teachers. For many years, it was one of the most widespread ways of teaching a foreign language.

Students would learn a lot of grammar rules, read and translate a lot of texts, and write an enormous amount of tests (with various and unpredictable results). As a consequence of following this method, many people can read, understand and sometimes translate various texts. However, when they are confronted with real live speech, they are often lost.

Today, more and more attention is given to communicative approach(es) in EL teaching. With the emergence of universal education, and the extremely rapid development of ICT, communication became the primary goal for foreign language learners. Add to that youth mobility, a phenomenon which seems to be gathering speed and volume even as we speak; take into account young people’s desire to communicate with their peers, the faster the better. What follows is this very simple fact: students of the twenty-first century need different ways of teaching and learning than we used to have when we were students ourselves. I believe that we, teachers, also need to evaluate our students’ progress according to the new reality.

Our own approach should take into account the age, level, and goals of our students. In this section, we shall look at young beginners, and the ways to cope with their problems.

Young students at the beginner level are naturally curious about all things new. Their minds and memories are uncluttered; they have no fear of the unknown. If they wish to connect with their peers, they may still be able to use non-verbal means of communication. I have observed it many times, and each time I marvel at the way children manage to play together, never feeling any language barriers. Amazingly, they can also retell, or in effect, translate into their mother tongue what the other children are saying, relay the information to us adults, regardless of the language in which it was first received. How do they do that? We, adults, have lost the ability, so we do not know the answer, yet the phenomenon is wellknown. My own children went to primary school in

New York. There were sixteen students in one class, and the parents spoke about the same number of languages. The children used to tell their teachers what, for example, a Japanese boy said, until that boy picked up enough English to start speaking.

“How did you know that?” I would ask at the end of the day. “He TOLD us!” my five-year-old daughter would reply.

At a foreign language lesson with young learners, no matter which method we use, we come across the same problem: children tend to rely on the patterns of their native tongue (which they are also still learning to use correctly). On the other hand, once they learn a few words, they are ready to communicate, to talk. Thus, here is an example of a typical question I would get from my young students at one of the very first lessons, when they have only learned a few basic words:

Like?

They would use the newly-learned word, disregard the English general question structure, and pro-

duce a calque from Russian. In Russian, if you wish to ask, “Do you like it?”, all you need are the main verb, and the rising intonation. How does a teacher correct such mistakes? With young learners, it is relatively easy. Rather than trying to explain various rules, or demonstrate grammar charts, “V+ed”,

“Do+V+…”, one should rely on the children’s ability to instantly memorize whole phrases and forms.

Poems and songs are extremely useful, as well as fairy-tales, short plays, cartoons, any and all kinds of visual aids. Have them draw simple diagrams, repeating the same forms over and over again. Children can recite the same poem, listen to the same fairy-tale, sing the same song, and watch the same cartoon hundreds of time. They will enjoy drawing the same picture and laugh at the way grammar can be learned.

DO I like it? DO you like it? DO we like it? DO they like it?

DOES he like it? DOES she like it? DOES it like it? Have them invent what “it” is and give them a little

time to make an accompanying picture. Allow them to walk around the classroom, asking their classmates what they like. Once you are sure that they are confidently using this form, you may continue your grammar lesson. Explain that while the pattern remains the same, ANY verb can be used, and let them practice as much as needed. Let two or three students write some examples on the board, while the others write them in exercise books, and be sure to have a complete rotation, so that every student has their chance both at the board, and with their notebooks. Circulate, glance into those same notebooks, and admire their drawings (even if you are not sure what is depicted!)

When you conduct a test, you may still get perplexing results: some students will have no problems with any topic, while others will make the same mistakes over and over again, even after they have shown quite good results earlier. This often happens because all students, regardless of their age and level, become nervous or excited at the mere mention of the word “test”. If you think it is advisable, do not use the word “test” at all, and simply suggest that students do yet another training exercise.

It goes without saying that after a summer break, or a longish break of any kind, most students may come to class with what seems like zero knowledge of the subject. Never despair! It will float back to them in most cases, once you give them time and opportunity to remember by using some favourites, like those same songs, poems, and pictures.

When grading young beginners’ written tests or homework, I usually use just three marks: “Very good”, “Good” and “Again”. The way you grade your students’ written work is completely up to you.

Yet it pays to remember that a kind word goes a long way, and eliminating some words which all students fear may be a great help. Thus “Again” instead of “Failed”. You may wish to explain that these are your own “working” or “term” marks. Students and parents should be aware that at the end of the year, they will get “real” marks.

By Nina M. Koptyug, Ph.D., Novosibirsk to be continued