Научная статья на тему 'The eclectic approach in language teaching'

The eclectic approach in language teaching Текст научной статьи по специальности «Языкознание и литературоведение»

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Ключевые слова
LANGUAGE LEARNING / ECLECTICISM / ECLECTIC APPROACH

Аннотация научной статьи по языкознанию и литературоведению, автор научной работы — Polvanova Dilrabo Tagaymuratovna

This article gives some information about eclecticism method. The motivation to write this paper comes from the absence or lack of literature that explains the scope of the Eclectic Method to language teaching. This method is being very popular in modern language pedagogy. Reader can be acquainted with several definitions which were written by scientists, main principles and weaknesses of eclecticism.

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Текст научной работы на тему «The eclectic approach in language teaching»

when I taught with a kind smile. Some of them even talked with each other occasionally when I was teaching. After two days failure, I tried to change my teaching style to make my teaching more effective. I tried to be a little strict as other experienced teachers were, and made an effort to use very simple words to explain slowly and clearly. Several days later I found the outcome was quite satisfactory. The misbehaviour in the classroom was becoming much less and the knowledge I taught seemed to be understood by a majority of the students. It is obvious that I made two mistakes in the class at the beginning that caused the misbehaviour: one is I misjudged the relationship between teachers and students, the other is the way I presented the lesson was not suitable for the children's ability, age and interests.

There is some truth in the assertion that children's misbehaviour in the classroom is a reaction to the teachers' behaviour towards them, which is "unacceptable" to the students; in another words, teachers' actions can provoke students' misbehaviour. Smith highlighted four types of teacher behaviour which student's particularly felt "provoked" them into misbehaviour:

• teachers who are boring

• teachers who could not teach

• teachers whose discipline was weak

• teachers who made unfair comparisons [1, p.76-78]

In conclusion all mentioned above reasons of misbehaviour of the learners should be taken into consideration which can be of a great help to teachers in teaching.

References

1. Cooper P., Smith C. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. London: Routledge. 1999.

Pp. 67-78.

2. Fontana D. Managing Classroom Behaviour. London: Routledge. 1995. Pp. 89-92.

THE ECLECTIC APPROACH IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Polvonova D.T.

Polvanova Dilrabo Tagaymuratovna - Teacher, DEPARTMENT OF PEDAGOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY, UZBEK STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Abstract: this article gives some information about eclecticism method. The motivation to write this paper comes from the absence or lack of literature that explains the scope of the Eclectic Method to language teaching. This method is being very popular in modern language pedagogy. Reader can be acquainted with several definitions which were written by scientists, main principles and weaknesses of eclecticism. Keywords: language learning, eclecticism, eclectic approach.

Language learning is quite different from other types of learning. It demands teacher's ability and high qualification. In that case teachers can use several methods in order to get well result. Each of the well-known methods, for example, grammar-translation, reading, audio-lingual and communicative, has its own features, concerning language learning. Some of these approaches and methods are better or more effective than others yet they all have some weaknesses and some strength.

In teaching practice, many have to come to favor of eclecticism. There is a call nowadays to move towards eclecticism in language learning especially at the primary stage since it is the first stage in foreign language learning. This objective of teaching English for

the 5 th grade at the primary stage in Iraq devoted to develop the foreign language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

In eclectic approach, the teacher can choose from these different methods and approaches:

• Grammar translation method

• Direct method

• Structural situational approach

• Audio-lingual

• The silent way etc[1].

So what is the Eclectic way?

If cannot decide which teaching technique the teacher must use at every step. It is up to the teacher: according to his learners' various needs and attitudes. We can say freely that, only well-trained teachers can become eclectic. A teacher who is given teaching recipes is considered that teachers with no theoretical thinking about the advantages and drawbacks of any approach.

Peter Strevens, 1977, says: The complex circumstances of teaching and learning languages with different kinds of pupils, teachers, aims and objectives, approaches, methods and materials, classroom techniques and standards of achievement make it inconceivable that any single method could achieve optimum success in all circumstances.

Alan Maley, 1983, says: We need to offer a variety in teaching which will give equal opportunities to people with different styles.

Robert Galisson, 1983: "je me reconnais dans une didadctique ouverte, eclectique"= " I am in favor of an open, eclectic way of teaching".

Nizar Hussein Wali says: eclecticism has given a variety of names: effective or successful eclecticism, enlighten eclecticism, integrative eclecticism, new eclecticism, etc. The fact that it had many names testifies to the influence and popularity of this theory. Evaluation of this study based on analyzing the principles of the eclectic method in the field of language learning the study will investigate on how much this approach is adequate to the learner's need.

Teachers can use other concepts and procedures, deriving from other theories and methods (crystal, 1985:104). Thus experienced teachers are very sensitive to limitation of different methods, so they reject the weak points of each approach and retain only those aspects that are applicable in the particular learning situation in which they find themselves. Teachers have to work with the daily task of helping pupils to develop their language skills on one hand learners have to listen and perform attentively and respond physically to commands given by the teacher on the other hand.

An effective way is for teachers to provide the lesson with a variety of activities or different styles of learning. Brown (1994:74) insists that teachers should take an approach that includes most if not all of the principles he has concluded. Teachers should take all principles in the respects of cognition.

Eclectic method is used as one of the main methods in language learning inside the classroom. Because not all students have ability to learn with the same methods, so teacher can try to use other techniques or activities from other approaches in order to interest them.

Al Hamash, 1985:22, says: Eclecticism is defined as a type of methodology that makes use of the different language learning approaches instead of sticking to one standard approach. It should be pointed out that making use of the positive aspects of different approaches helps the teacher to achieve his aim with his pupils in different learning situations when presenting his material. Eclectics seek the balanced development of all four skills at all stages, while retaining an emphasis on the early development of aural-oral skills[2].

The main principles of the eclectic method

Al-khuli M. Ali (1981:7) presents that eclectic method contains the following principles [3] :

1. Giving teachers a chance to choose different kinds of teaching techniques in each class period to reach the aims of the lesson.

2. Flexibility in choosing any aspect or method that teachers think suitable for teaching inside the classroom.

3. Giving a chance to pupils to see different kinds of teaching techniques that break monotony and dull on one hand and ensure better understanding foe the material on the other hand.

4. Solving difficulties concerning presenting the language material in the pupil's textbook.

5. Using different kinds of teaching aids which leads to better understanding.

6. Saving a lot of time and effort in presenting language activities.

According to Tarone and Yule, 1989:10, eclecticism has a very strong advantage to recommend it under various constrained circumstances. It involves a philosophy of local solutions to local problems. This certainly holds true Uzbekistan and of any other country in which English is studied as a foreign language, as the needs of the learners of English are concrete and originate under concrete conditions.

Another opinion in favor of eclecticism is that of Brumfit 1984, recommends that a languages learning program should provide a balance of activities, some of which focus on accuracy and some on fluency.

Weakness of Eclecticism

Brown D (1994:74) gives some of the weak points of eclecticism as follows:

1. Teaching English by eclecticism urged that practical eclecticism does not meet the criterion of efficiency.

2. Theoretical eclecticism is suspicious on logical and theoretical grounds.

3. The fault of eclecticism in language teaching lies in that attempts to make a kind of all-purpose language teaching out of existing methods and to persuade that eclecticism is the only right idea in foreign language teaching methodology[1].

4. Without principles eclecticism is likely to fall into a state of arbitrariness.

Conclusion

One of the major aim of eclecticism is that teaching should serve pupils not methods. Teachers and pupils should feel free during the lesson and procedures in the classroom. For that they should use a technique or method which is appropriate for them. There is no ideal approach in language learning. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no loyalty to certain methods. According to the learners' needs and abilities, teachers have to know to choose the right way and method. Teachers can adopt a flexible technique so as to achieve their purpose, they might choose whatever works best at a particular time.

References

1. Brown D. 1994 Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy.

2. Crystal D. 1985, A dictionary of linguistic and phonetics, Basil Buckwell Hd. Newyork.

3. Al-Khuli M.A. 1981 Teaching English to Arab students, Al-Falah House, Jordan.

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