Unit 1: Language teaching methodology
Completion requirements
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
write your own definition of methodology
explain how methodology is related to curriculum development and syllabus design
describe the “methods” debate
explain the basic principles of communicative language teaching
state why communicative language teaching in important at the present time
discuss some of the research findings that have influenced language teaching methodology
create instructional sequences that incorporate the pretask, task, and follow-up cycle
Unit 1 Lecture Outline / Powerpoint
These are the notes from TESOL Certificate video - Lecture 1.Subcomponents of a curriculum
| Curriculum component | Focus | Defining Questions |
| Syllabus design | Content | What content should we teach? In what order should we teach this content? What is the justification for selecting this content? |
| Methodology | Classroom techniques and procedures | What exercises, tasks, and activities should we use in the classroom? How should we sequence and integrate these? |
| Evaluation | Learning outcomes | How well have our students done? How well has our program served our students’ needs? |
Defining methodology
- ... the study of the practices and procedures used in teaching, and the principles and beliefs that underlie them. Methodology includes:
- study of the nature of language skills (e.g. reading, writing, speaking, listening and procedures for teaching them)
- study of the preparation of lesson plans, materials and textbooks for teaching language skills
- the evaluation and comparison of language teaching methods (e.g. the Audiolingual method)
- such practices, procedures, principles and beliefs themselves. (Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics)
- Grammar-translation
- Audiolingualism
- “Designer” methods
- Communicative language teaching
- Task-based language teaching
- Second language acquisition research
Principle 1: Focus on the learner
Identify your own preferred teaching style
Principle 3: Build instructional sequences
- Make instructional goals clear to the learner
- Help learners to create their own goals
- Encourage learners to use their second language outside of the classroom
- Help learners to become more aware of learning processes and strategies
- Help learners to identify their own preferred styles and strategies
- Give learners opportunities to make choices between different options in the classroom
- Teach learners how to create their own learning tasks
- Provide learners with opportunities to master some aspects of their second language and then teach it to others
- Create contexts in which learners investigate language and become their own researchers of language
Identify your own preferred teaching style
Principle 3: Build instructional sequences
The pre-task, task, follow-up cycle
- Pre-task: creates interest, helps build students’ schema, introduce key vocabulary, revise grammar.
- Task: activating language in the classroom
- Follow-up: teacher feedback on the task, student reflection on what they achieved and how well they are doing