1. Critical Overview of Language
Teaching Methods:
Competency-Based Language
Teaching
Natural Approach
Cooperative Language Learning

2. Competency-Based Language Teaching

3. I. Background
A. Competency-Based Education
(CBE)
B. Standards movement (in the United States)
C. Graded objectives movement (in Britain)
D. Functional and interactional view
(Theory of
language)
E. Behavioristic view (Theory of learning)
F. Mosaic approach (whole = sum of the parts)

4. II. Objectives
A. Teaching a set of outcomes derived from
an analysis of tasks typically required of
students in life role situations. (needs
analysis)
B. Enabling students to become autonomous
individuals capable of coping with the
demands of the world. (survival-oriented or
work-related language
teaching)

5. III. Features
A. Based on outcomes and outputs of
learning
B. Mastery learning
C. Performance-based instruction (emphasis
on overt
behavior rather than onknowledge)
D. Work-related
E. Focus on successful functioning in society

6. III. Features
F. Focus on life skills. (empirical
assessment of language required)
G. Modularized instruction
H. Ongoing assessment. (focus on CRT not
NRT)
I. Individualized, student-centered instruction

7. IV. Advantages
A. Focus on learner needs
B. Allowing learners to choose relevant and
useful
competencies
C. Mastering elements one at a time.
(serial/mosaic
approach)
D. Teaching and testing specific and public
competencies; hence the learner
knows exactly
what needs to be learned.

8. V. Disadvantages
A. Difficult to operationalize competencies
B. Reductionistic approach
C. Prescriptive
D. Close to "banking" concept of
Freire

9. V. Disadvantages
1. Freire made distinction between two types
of
education:
a. Banking concept of education
(transmission
model of education;
person or learner is
consumer)
b. Problem-posing education
(transformation
model of education;
person or learner is
producer)
2. Freire was against banking
concept.

10. Natural Approach

11. I. Background
A. Natural approach & natural method
1. Similarities
a. The tradition is a common one
b. Naturalistic principles are conformed

12. I. Background
2. Differences
a. Unlike the natural method, natural approach
places less emphasis on accurate
production.
b. In natural approach there is an
emphasis on
exposure or input rather
than practice.
c. In natural approach optimizing emotional
preparedness for learning is taken
for granted.

13. I. Background
B. Linguistics
(Lexical items + Structures (I+1) + Message)
C. Psychology
1. Acquisition/learning hypothesis
2. Monitor hypothesis
a. Time
b. Focus on form
c. Knowledge of rules

14. I. Background
3. The natural order hypothesis
(Errors are signs of naturalistic
developmental
processes)
4. The input hypothesis
a. It relates to acquisition
b. Language is acquired by understanding
input
slightly beyond learners‘current
level of
competence (I+1)
c. The ability to speak cannot be taught
directly; speech emerges.

15. I. Background
d. If there is a sufficient quantity of comprehens
input, I+1 will usually be provided automatically
5. The affective filter hypothesis
a. Motivation
b. Self-confidence
c. Anxiety

16. II. Objectives
A. It is offered as a general set of
principles
applicable to a wide
variety of situations, as
in
Communicative Language Teaching,
specific objectives depend on learner
needs
and the skill and level being
taught.
B. It has the expectation that students will be
able to
function adequately in the target
C. It is designed to develop basic
language.
communication
skills, both oral
and written.

17. III. Features
A. Topical syllabus
1. Listing some typical goals for language
course
a. Basic personal communication skills; oral
b. Basic personal communication skills;
written
c. Academic learning skills; oral
d. Academic learning skills; written

18. III. Features
2. Specifying topics and situations
a. Functions are derived naturally from the
topics
and situations.
b. Content selection should aim to create a
low
affective filter.
B. Syllabus suggestions not specification
(needs analysis)
C. Meaning-based (like CLT)

19. III. Features
D. Stress on vocabulary
E. Language for communication
F. Focus on listening and reading
(comprehensible input)
G. Speech emerges
H. No correction of errors (natural-order
hypothesis)
I. No focus on teaching grammar
explicitly

20. III. Features
J. Less focus on teacher monologue/
direct
repetition/ accurate
production
K. Teacher should always speak in L2.
L. Teacher as generator of input/ creator of
relaxed
atmosphere

21. III. Features
M. Learner roles (language acquirer as a
processor
of comprehensible input)
1. Pre-production stage
2. Early production stage
3. Speech emergent
phase

22. III. Features
N. Use of commands (TPR)
O. Realia and visual aids
P. Group and pair work/ Role plays/ Games

23. IV. Advantages
A. Comprehension-based
B. Relaxed atmosphere
C. Needs analysis
D. Meaning-based

24. V. Disadvantages
A. Evolutionary not revolutionary
B. Generalizing from informal settings to
formal ones
C. Generally for beginners
D. Focus only on input not output
E. Subjectivity of 1 in L+1
F. Difficulty of distinguishing
consciousness from sub-consciousness

25. Cooperative Language Learning

26. I. Background
A. John Dewey
(Building cooperation in learning into
regular
classrooms on a regular and
systematic basis)
B. Psychology
1. Piaget
2. Vygotsky
3. Bloom

27. I. Background
a. Devising the taxonomy of educational
objectives
b. Integrating the teaching of critical thinking
(Question Matrix)
C. Linguistics
1. Premise 1: We are born to talk.
(Communication
is the primary purpose of
language)
2. Premise 2: Most talk is conversation.

28. I. Background
3. Premise 3: Conversation is based on
rules/ maxims.
4. Premise 4: One learns how these maxims
are realized in L1 through casual everyday
conversational interactions.
5. Premise 5: One learns how these maxims
are realized in L2 through participation.

29. II. Objectives
A. To provide opportunities for naturalistic
learning
B. Fostering cooperation
C. Developing critical thinking
D. Developing communicative competence
through socially structured interaction activities
E. To enhance learner motivation and reduce
learner stress

30. II. Objectives
F. To provide opportunities for learner to develop
successful learning and communication
strategies
G. Raising the achievement of all students
(gifted/ ungifted)

31. III. Features
A. Supporting structural, functional and
interactional
models
B. Forms + function
C. Cooperation not competition
D. It is used in teaching content classes, ESP, fou
skills, grammar and vocabulary.
E. Learner as director of his learning

32. III. Features
F. Learner as tutors/ checkers/ recorders/
information
sharers
G. Teacher as facilitator
1. Helping students and groups as needs arise
2. Giving few commands and imposing less
disciplinary control
H. Group work

33. III. Features
1. Types
a. Formal cooperative learning groups
(Lasting from one class period to several
weeks)
b. Informal cooperative learning groups
(Lasting from a few minutes to the class
period)
c. Cooperative base groups (The whole
term)

34. III. Features
2. Key elements of successful group-based learning
a. Positive interdependence
(Building a spirit of mutual support within
the
group)
b. Group formation
c. Individual accountability

35. III. Features
d. Social skills
e. Structuring and structures
(Ways of organizing students' interaction)
3. Tasks
a. Team practice from common input
(Skills development and mastery of facts)
(1). All students work on the same material.
(2). It follows a traditional teacher-directed
presentation.

36. III. Features
(3). Everyone in the group knows the answer
and can
explain how the answer was
obtained.
(4). Anyone may be called on to answer.
(5). It is good for review and practice
tests; each student will eventually do an
assignment or take a test individually.
b. Jigsaw
(Differentiated but predetermined inputevaluation and synthesis of facts and
opinions)

37. III. Features
(1). Each group member receives a different
piece
of the information.
(2). Students regroup in topic groups. (expert
group)
(3). Students return to home groups. (jigsaw
group)
(4). Students synthesize the information.

38. III. Features
(5). Each student produces an assignment of
part
of a group project.
(6). This method is useful in multileveled class.
(7). Information-gap is jigsaw activity in the
form of
pair work.

39. III. Features
c. Cooperative projects
(Topics or resources selected by studentsdiscovery
learning)
(1). Topics may be different for each group.
(2). Students identify the subtopics for each
group
member and research the
information.
(3). Each group member plays a part in
the presentation.
(4). Each group presents to the whole class.
(5). This method places emphasis on
individualization.

40. III. Features
4. Activities
a. Three-step interview
b. Round Table/ Round Robin
c. Think-pair share
d. Solve-pair share
e. Numbered Heads

41. IV. Advantages
A. Generating interactive language
B. Offering an embracing affective climate
C. Promoting learner responsibility and
autonomy
D. Individualization (self-discovery)
E. Integrative skills
F. Cooperation

42. V. Disadvantages
A. Not good for different proficiency levels
B. Teachers cannot monitor all groups at
once.
C. Students' errors will be reinforced in some
groups