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What
is the best method of teaching to learn English?
 According to recent studies, there does not exist a single teaching
method suitable for everyone, in all settings. Each of us needs to find
the method that is most suitable for the entire spectrum of informal
learning and character development.
So, let see what are the
main methods.
Grammarian method/translation –
the traditional method
This teaching method is still widely used and is based on translation of
texts, on grammar and on studying the vocabulary while trying to
memorize it; however, it is not the best way to improve verbal
communication capabilities.
Direct or natural method –
the importance of conversation is discovered
Born as an alternative to the traditional method, it deals extensively
with bettering verbal communication. It is focused on good pronunciation
with
much emphasis given to spontaneous use of the language. The
direct method is based on direct participation of the student during
conversations and listening to, and using, the English language
throughout common occurrences in daily life.
Direct method variant, the
Audio/oral method – the first of modern methodologies
This, too, is based on direct involvement of the student in
conversations, but also on learning, through repetition, an automatic
mechanism to construct correct sentences from a grammarian point of
view. Key
elements of this method include immediate results. The
basic idea is to create an instinctive and mechanical answering system
for everyday situations, avoiding the need to translate from your own
mother tongue to English (with subsequent errors). Amongst the
audio/oral direct methods is the very famous direct Method.
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Humanistic teaching –
holistic methods for language teaching; leverage on innate abilities
that all students are believed to possess
Amongst these methods we can mention the Suggestopedia, which
uses relaxation as a storing technique aimed at natural comprehension.
Another humanistic method, developed by Prof. S. Krashen, follows
the basic principles through which children learn their first language.
This proposes a teaching environment where physical activities,
listening and – moreover – fun take place. The Silent Way method,
where the teacher is practically silent (hence the method’s name),
avoids explaining everything to the students, letting them free to find
solutions to various problems and making them independent and willing to
cooperate.
Versatile approach – to
adapt the method to the student and not vice versa, it means choosing
appropriate techniques and activities for any task, context and student,
focusing on the student’s motivation above all. The teacher will develop
a broad range of resources in order to give productive, stimulating and
relevant lessons. It is impossible to accomplish everything if just one
method has been used and therefore many of them are used in combination
and students are encouraged to experiment with independence in learning.
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