Methods: the issues and

options
There are two important facts :
1. Changes in methodology havent
happened
uniformly nor in
unison.
2. The history of methods might
more accurately be characterized,
not as a linear progression, but as
a cylical.

 Richards and Schmidt have identified the

following broad areas, beliefs about which,
they argue, serve to distinguish methods:
1. The nature of language
2. The nature of second language learning
3. Goals and objectives in teaching
4. The type of syllabus to use
5. The role of teachers, learners,
instructional materials
6. The activities, techniques and
procedures to use

 Stern identified three central issues of

language learning
1. The intralingual-crosslingual
dimension
2. The analytic-experiential dimension
3. Explicit-implicit dimension
.Expanding on those options so as to
be able to map them on the six
domains identified by Richards and
Schmidt.

 Finally, they found at least ten dimensions to the concept of method

The nature of language

1. The formal vs functional dimension
The nature of second language learning
2. The analytic vs experiental dimension
Goals and objectives in teaching
3. The product vs process dimension
4. The accuracy vs fluency dimension
The type of syllabus to use
5. The systems vs skills dimension
6. The segregated vs integrated dimension
The role of teachers, learners, instructional materials
7. The cognitive vs affective dimension
8. The transmissive vs dialogic dimension
The activities, techniques and procedures to use
9. The deductive vs inductive dimension
10. The cross-lingual vs intralingual dimension

Nu

Dimension

vs

Dimension

The nature of language

1

The formal

vs functional

The method construes language as a

structural system, internalized as formal
operations or rules

vs The method construes language as meaning

potential, internalized as a system of semantic
choices.

The nature of second language learning

2

The analytic

vs experiential

The method prioritizes formal instruction

and intentional learning

vs The method seeks to replicate naturalistic,

informal, experiential, or incidental learning
process

Goals and objectives in teaching

3

The product

vs process

The method focuses on the teaching and

assessing or pre-specified linguistic goals

vs The method aims at developing and assessing

the learners capability for language learning
and use

The accuracy

vs Fluency

The method aims at achieving formal

accuracy, particularly of grammar

vs The method aims at achieving communicative

fluency, particularly at the level of discourse

N
u

Dimension

v
s

Dimension

The type of syllabus to use

5

The systems

vs Skills

The syllabus is organized according to

lingustic criteria (e.g. grammar, phonology)

vs The syllabus foregrounds language skills or

competences

The segregated

vs Integrated

The target language is taught apart from

other subjects in the curriculum

vs The target language is integrated into other

curricular content

The role of teachers, learners, instructional materials

7

The cognitive

vs Afeective

The method prioritizes mental effort and

cognitive processing

vs The method prioritezes affective and holistic

engagement

The transmissive

vs Dialogic

Teaching is viewed as the transmission of

discrete units of knowledge

vs Teaching is viewed as an interactive process

in which knowledge is collaboratively
constructed

N
u

Dimension

v
s

Dimension

The activities, techniques and procedures to use

9

The deductive

vs Inductive

The method favours the explicit

presentation of rules (e.g. of grammar)

vs The method expects or invites learners to

discoverthe rules for themselves

10 Cross-lingual
The method acknowledges and exploites
the learners L1

vs Intralingual
vs The method rejects or discourages a role for
the L1

The first thing to note is

There is considerable correlation across those
dimensions. Likewise, an analytic approach to
language learning is likely to be realized in a
transmissive teaching style.