Review of Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.

By Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers. (Cambridge Language Teaching Library)

Review by David Overton
Are you familiar with the history of ELT (English Language Teaching)? Do you know how
the Grammar Translation Method and Audiolingualism still influence our teaching today?
Do you know what the Communicative Language Teaching revolution was all about?
Would you like to know more about alternative approaches and methods such as the
Silent Way, Suggestopedia, or Counseling-learning? Or how about more recent innovations
such as Task-Based Language Teaching and the Lexical Approach? If youre interested in
these things, this is a good book to read.
The 19 chapters are divided into 3 parts. The first 4 chapters form Part 1, which is called
Major trends in twentieth century language teaching. Chapter 1 describes the Grammar
Translation Method and the transition to the Direct Method. Grammar Translation has no
rationale or theory to back up its practices, and is based on the teaching of Latin, a dead
language. Its goal is for students to learn a language in order to read its literature and
involves detailed study of grammar rules, then the translation of stilted prose to
demonstrate mastery of those rules.
However, in the mid and late 1800s Europeans began to travel around more, bringing
about a need for oral proficiency in foreign languages. A Reform Movement came about in
which the best way to teach languages was debated, and from this came the Direct Method,
which was the other extreme of Grammar Translation: primacy was given to the spoken
language, pronunciation was emphasized using the new field of phonetics, words and
sentences were taught in context to make meaning clear, grammar was taught inductively,
and translation was taboo. In the 1860s the first Berlitz academy was opened, and here the
Direct Method was quite effective with highly motivated paying students and nativespeaking teachers, but it didnt work well in public schools. By the way, this time also
marked the beginning of the field of applied linguistics, and was when the basic issues of
language teaching were first set down and discussed.
Chapter 2 interrupts our history of English Language Teaching to examine the issues
surrounding it and define the terms used in this book when evaluating approaches and
methods. Basically the terms approach, design, and procedure are put on a scale
from more abstract to more specific. Approach is the most abstract term being the theory
of language, and the theory of language learning. Design is organizational issues such as
deciding the course objectives, the types of learner and teaching activities, and the roles of
the learners, teachers, and instructional material. Finally, procedure is the actual
techniques used in the class.
By the way, I found the use of the word method is sometimes confusing in this book
because at times it seems to be synonymous with approach, as in the title of the book,
and at times it seems to mean design and procedure as explained above, and yet at

others it seems to be the sum of approach, design and procedure.Chapter 3, The Oral Approach and Situational Language Teaching, brings us back to our
history lesson. The Oral Approach and Situational Language Teaching are basically the
same thing. It was developed by British applied linguists from the 1930s to the 1960s and
was the first method based on systematic study and research. It differs from the Direct
Method in that vocabulary and grammar are carefully selected and graded, and its based
on behaviorist habit-formation theory. Classroom procedure includes the famous PPP
paradigm (Present, Practice, Produce), and the practice phase consists of the extensive use
of oral drills.
Chapter 4 is about the Audiolingual Method, which is basically an American equivalent of
Situational Language Teaching, so I wont go into that here.
Part 3 of the book includes chapters 14 to 19 and is called, Current Communicative
Approaches. If we want to continue our history lesson we need to jump ahead now to
chapter 14, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Here we see how it began and how
it compares with Audiolingualism. In CLT communicative competence is paramount,
that is, being able to use language for communication; whereas in Audiolingualism, the
main goal is linguistic competence (being able to manipulate grammatical structures).
CLT introduces the idea of functions, using language for a communicative purpose such
as asking for directions and ordering in a restaurant.
CLT consists of broad principles which allow for a wide variety of classroom activities.
For example, for some people CLT was just Audiolingualism plus functions; but for others
it meant major changes in procedure too, such as the use of information gaps, role plays
and games; and a more learner-centered class. Because of its broad principles, it tends to
be an umbrella approach, that is, the Lexical Approach and Task-Based Teaching are
versions of CLT.
The rest of the book is about alternative approaches. The ones in part 2 are considered to
be non-mainstream or developed away from mainstream ELT, and so receive less attention.
The ones in part 3 are considered mainstream developments since the 1980s and are
explained in more depth. However, from my experience of language teaching in Madrid,
the most interesting recent developments in ELT are Task-Based Language Teaching and
the Lexical Approach. Yet the Lexical Approach (which was developed in the 90s) is
relegated to part 2, while the Natural Approach (developed in the 70s) is in part 3. Its true
that the Natural Approach was very important because it started the learning vs. acquisition
debate, but compared to the Lexical Approach, it cannot be considered a recent innovation.
Anyway, Ill make quick comments about each approach in part 2 to whet your appetite
and make you want to buy the book and find out more. For example, Total Physical
Response combines English with physical movement and involves extensive use of
imperative drills such as, Get up. Walk to the door. Open the door. Its meant mainly for
low-level students and is intended to be combined with another method.
The Silent Way believes that students learn best when they figure things out for
themselves, so teacher modeling and feedback are minimal. Typical of Silent Way are rods,

pronunciation charts called fidels, and a pointer. The teachers role is to teach, to test,
and to get out of the way. We dont want teachers interfering with learning.
Community Language Learning is famous for being very learner centered, for example,
students create their own syllabus: they sit around a table with a tape recorder and come up
with their own text which the teacher helps them to correct or translate if necessary.
Suggestopedia claims that in the right conditions, when were relaxed, were capable of
superlearning. The most famous classroom activity to achieve this is the sance or
concert session where students listen to a text being read along with music.
Whole Language views language as a whole and resists breaking it down into its
component parts. Classroom activities focus on reading literature and process writing.
Multiple Intelligences tries to adapt classroom activities to cater to the different
intelligence types, such as linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, interpersonal,
or bodily intelligence.
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) is not a language teaching method at all, but a
humanistic philosophy designed to make us better learners by encouraging us to feel better
about ourselves.
Its hard to say what the Lexical Approach is doing next to NLP, but here it is. The Lexical
Approach believes that multi-word items such as collocation deserve much more attention
in order to help students achieve communicative competence. By the way, this chapter
doesnt mention the Lexical Approachs view that learning is an organic process, not linear
as per behaviorist learning theory. In fact this book doesnt mention the organic nature of
learning at all.
Competency-Based Language Teaching is an output approach, which is useful when
students have specific needs such as survival English.
As Ive mentioned before, Part 3 is about current mainstream ELT. Weve already looked
at Communicative Language Teaching. Next is the Natural Approach, which is interesting
because of the belief that language can only be acquired subconsciously, and conscious
learning is only useful to monitor what youve said: to self correct.
Cooperative Language Learning advocates cooperative activities such as process writing.
Content-based Instruction means teaching other subjects, such as geography, in English.
Task-Based Language Teaching involves doing some sort of task, then hearing native
speakers do it. This encourages students to notice the gap between their production and
the native speakers. At this point there is a language focus, and afterwards students
prepare a report, which actually could be some sort of repetition of the task.
Finally, the last chapter is called The Post-Methods Era. I was surprised when they say that
studies indicate many teachers core beliefs about teaching were formed by the teachers

they had when they were children; also that the more experience we have as teachers, the
more set in our ways we become. Theyre suggesting that most teachers are reluctant to
innovate and try new things, which is a shame.
Maybe they should read this book. Ive found it interesting and useful, despite my
objections here and there. Its easy to dip into, the explanations are clear. So whether
youre a new or experienced teacher, I recommend this book.