48
Annotation
The article is devoted to learning the basics of the English language with the help of the media, the article
examines the ways and methods of proper use of English language in multimedia classroom: basic design for the
proper use of the material displayed in written and oral English practice. Particular attention is paid to composite
components of the sentence.
UDK: 378.147
M 75
OVERVIEW OF METHODS AND APPROACHES USED IN FOREIGN
LANGUAGE TEACHING
Мolchanova R.R., Kim R.M.
Таразский государственный педагогический институт, г. Тараз
Since the early 20th century experts in FLT have been looking for the best method for
teaching a foreign language.The teachers have been asking: what is the best teaching method or
approach for learning English?
It is important to mention the difference between the two notions: method and
approach.According to methodologists, method is a step by step description of tasks which are
performed for performing a work. Methods for performing different kind of works are often
formally designed and specified. Method
refers to how teachers are going to teach it: lecture, small-
group work,
PowerPoint, worksheet,
class discussion, etc.
On the contrary, approach is a general guideline on ways of performing a work. It does not
identify all the steps involved. For example, a teacher may give a detailed step by step method for
solving a problem, or just indicate the general approach indicating the theoretical concepts and
formulas which need to be applied for solving the problem. Thus, in education approach is general
and method is specific.
Diane Larsen-Freeman and Marti Anderson provide information about several methods of
FLT that came into existence many years ago and about relatively new methods that are
usednowadays. They are: the Grammar-Translation method, the Direct method, the Audio-Lingual
method, the Silent way, Suggestopedia, Community Language Learning, the Total Physical
Response method, the Communicative approach. Michael Lewis described the Lexical approach. N.
Prabhu popularized the Task Based Learning (TBL).
Each of these methods and approachesemphasize different aspects of language learning:
knowledge of grammar rules, listening comprehension, independent learning, speaking and
understanding, etc. It is clear, that teachers can‘t use all methods and approaches at the lesson.
Some of them favor one specific method and don‘t want to change their teaching style, others try
principles and techniques
from several methods
We would like to describe and compare the following two methods commonly used in
teaching English in our secondary schools: the Grammar-Translation Method (GTM)and the
Communicative approach (Communicative Language Teaching).
The first method that was used in teaching foreign languages was the GTM. It began to be
used as early as the 18
th
century. Even in our century it is still used. This method does not develop
communicative skills of the students, its goal is to learn a language in order to read its literature,
read and translate the texts. If students are able to translate from one language into another they are
considered successful language learners. Native language is the medium of instruction.
The knowledge of grammar rules is very important in GTM.But it often occurs,that even
though students know the grammar rules by heart, theycan‘t apply them correctly. They can only
make up sentences using the new grammar item. As for presentation of grammar structures, it is
done deductively and students do not have to think about the structure or predict or guess the
meaning of it themselves.