WIKI

To what extent do language theories underpin English teaching methods and approaches and, how do both of them affect teaching actions within the classroom?

The language theories are divided into four branches: language approach, language views, communicative competence and language ability. The language approaches are systematic, discourse and ideology and these are related to views of language structural, communicative or functional and interactional. The language as a system within the structural view of language extends to the approaches and methods in a systematic and structural way to focus on their pragmatic usage and their reproduction.The language as a discourse and the communicative and interactional view of language take the methods and the approaches not only to the structure but to the intentionality, functionality, sociolinguistics and appropriateness. The language as ideology approaches taking into account the system, sociolinguistics, context within the intentionality of transmitting  a certain narrative or perspective of the world issues to another’s narration. Language as ability is the knowledge about the world and the approaches and methods we use to bring closer unknown worlds. Finally, this all is contained in the communicative competence, for this is understood as a macro concept which unites different skills that  individuals and communities use to narrate the world within themselves in it  the language theories modify the nature, contains, manner and intentionality of methods and approaches.

There is a bidirectional relationship between method and approach with language theory: methods and approaches bring the language theories to the praxis, where it is possible to reflect, validate and recreate the theories. On the other hand, theories of  language underpin methods and approaches by being the base that instructs, guides, organizes, constitutes and shapes an identity and intentionality, in this sense, the presence of the theory behind the acts answer to a why, what for and how to, gaining underlie avoiding an empty praxis.

The methods and approaches affect teaching intentionality within classrooms. This implies a standing regarding roles, strategies, techniques, materials, assessment, classroom dynamics, and basic learning conditions. The approach contains the method so they both are within the classroom but with some differences: methods contain scientific information providing a base for teaching’ actions that the teacher selects for the development of the class in a specific context, in addition, methods make an effective presentation of subject and content in the classroom. On the contrary, approaches might contain scientific information within teachers’ personal philosophy of teaching. This directly influences the course of actions done and the ways the teacher conceives teaching and learning within the classroom for educational goals. To conduct approaches and methods together involve scientific perspectives contrasted with personal stands allowing teachers to recognize their own teaching actions posibilitating coherence between what teachers are and what teachers do regarding actions within the classroom.

REFERENCES:

Williams, M. and Burden, R. (1997) Psychology for Language Teachers. Cambridge: CUP