The History of Language Teaching: The History of Language Teaching Communicative Language Teaching The Early Years


Chomsky: Chomsky Important figure in linguistics, but important to language teaching for his destruction of … The behaviourist theory of learning The structuralist view of language


Chomsky : Attack on behaviourism: Chomsky : Attack on behaviourism 1959 – Review of Skinner’s Verbal Behaviour. Behaviourism based on animal research … but animals don’t learn languages Humans must therefore have an innate capacity for language learning (Language Acquisition Device – later known as Universal Grammar) that animals don’t. Language not just repetition but creative rule-governed behaviour : Children – I seed him; Colourless green ideas sleep furiously


Chomsky : Attack on structural linguistics: Chomsky : Attack on structural linguistics Pointed out that structuralist linguistics was unable to explain … why we can distinguish between sentences like John is easy/eager to please Why we can disambiguate sentences like The shooting of the hunters was terrible Why we realise that active and passive sentences are related


Chomsky: Chomsky Also important for introducing the concepts of … Competence – what we know about the language; our ability to produce well- formed sentences and Performance – the imperfect version of the language that we actually use


Chomsky: Chomsky But his own work focused entirely on grammatical competence : Linguistic theory is concerned primarily with an ideal speaker-listener, in a completely homogeneous speech-communication, who know its (the speech community's) language perfectly and is unaffected by such grammatically irrelevant conditions as memory limitations, distractions, shifts of attention and interest, and errors (random or characteristic) in applying his knowledge of this language in actual performance. (Chomsky, 1965, p. 3)


Influences from Linguistics: Influences from Linguistics 1970s onwards … Other linguists started to investigate use … Austin and Searle – speech act theory: I name this ship … but What shall we buy her for Christmas? She likes plants. = suggestion Linguistic terms : speech act / illocutionary act Language teaching : function NB : Linguistics uses function in a completely different way


Influences from Linguistics: Influences from Linguistics Hymes – introduced the idea of Communicative competence “there are rules of use without which the rules of grammar are useless” (1979)


Influences from Linguistics: Influences from Linguistics Hymes pointed out that language needed to be : Formally possible Give David those books vs *Give those books David Feasible – This is the cat ….etc Appropriate – Could I make so bold as to bother you to give David those books? Actually done – mother tongue native language but *mother language


Hymes and the Concept of Feasibility: Hymes and the Concept of Feasibility


Hymes and the Concept of Feasibility: This is the cat which chased the rat which ate the corn which was stored in the barn which was next to the house which was on the other side of the river which flowed through the town. Right-branching structure Hymes and the Concept of Feasibility


Hymes and the Concept of Feasibility: Hymes and the Concept of Feasibility This is the rat the cat chased. This is the corn the rat the cat chased ate. This is the barn the corn the rat the cat chased ate was stored in. This is the house the barn the corn the rat the cat chased ate was stored in was next to. This is the river the house the barn the corn the rat the cat chased ate was stored in was next to was on the other side of. This is the river the house the barn the corn the rat the cat chased ate was stored in was next to was on the other side of. Left-branching structures


The Development of the Communicative Approach: The Development of the Communicative Approach Psychology – behaviorism replaced by cognitive code theory + Linguistics – change of focus from form to use + Socio-economic situation – increasing importance of the European Common Market and need for effective language learning


1960s -1970s International House, London: 1960s -1970s International House, London Founded by John and Brita Haycraft First school – 1953 Spain 1959 – IH London Pioneered a new approach to ELT – dynamic, active, based around drama and roleplay, with a PPP structure Set up the English Teaching Theatre Started the first EFL training courses and was the driving force behind the original RSA Certificate, eventually to become CELTA and DELTA.


Council of Europe: Council of Europe Attempt to define a standard syllabus to be used throughout Europe for the teaching of all foreign languages. Based on the work of David Wilkins it described language as made up of notional and functional categories.


Notion = conceptual meaning: Notion = conceptual meaning Cat : small domestic feline with a tendency to stick its claws into you Basic semantic meaning – never changes.


Function: Function Cat! Giving a warning How the word/phrase is used in context


Another example - Notion…: Another example - Notion… Interrogative form Mind(vb) Notions : enquiry displeasure Do you mind … ? enquiry about displeasure


… and Function : … and Function We must get this stuff finished today. Do you mind staying late? Function : Making a request A : My boss is there till at least 8pm and I rarely get to leave before 7. B : Do you mind staying late? Function : Asking for information


Structural/Functional/ Notional Objectives: Structural/Functional/ Notional Objectives Students will be able to talk about past events with a present result using the present perfect simple Students will be able to make polite requests for action using Would you mind + Ving


Methodological Changes: Methodological Changes Dialogues still used but contextualised in realistic situations and exemplifying specific functions Emphasis on appropriacy Syllabus organisation - sometimes remained structural but with one function taught at a time and made clear to the student; sometimes functional – a range of structures included in a unit on one function Increased emphasis on vocabulary


Methodological Changes: Methodological Changes Skills taught in their own right. No longer assumed that students would automatically learn to speak, listen, read and write if they learnt the grammar


Methodological Changes: Methodological Changes Use of authentic material and development of receptive competence. “Whereas the individual is the master of what he himself chooses to say, he can exercise no comparable control over the language he hears. …the essence of the semantic approach is that we …envisage immediate use. This … means that the learner will have to try and understand far more varied forms of language than he is capable of producing himself.” Wilkins, Notional Syllabuses, 1976


Methodological Changes: Methodological Changes Fluency is as important, if not more important, than accuracy Controlled practice activities still used – but clearly contextualised Addition of semi-controlled and free practice (or production) activities – usually based on an information gap Error is a natural part of language learning and often unimportant if the message is conveyed.


Methodological Changes: Methodological Changes The syllabus should be determined not only by linguistic grading but also by the learner’s communicative needs. General purpose courses – centred around “everyday” functions and topics – eg free time, house and home, health … Development of ESP courses, where the syllabus could be entirely based on defined needs


Role of the teacher: Role of the teacher Needs analyst and planner Organiser of resources Guide to the language Facilitator of communication Facilitator of the learning process