Teaching Approaches

Structural Approach

          Structural approach has derived its basic principles from structural linguistics and behavioural psychology. In Britain, influenced by Otto Jesperson, Daniel John, and then prevalent direct method, Palmer made an intensive effort to establish a scientific basis for language teaching. He analysed English and classified its major grammatical structures into sentence patterns. Those patterns were selected and graded according to the learners' level. He believed that those formulaic patterns would be easier than descriptive construction rules to internalise. So he emphasizes their oral presentation and practice at the initial stage. He expressed his views and perspectives in Palmer (1922). He practised his approach in Japan from 1922 to 1935. A.S. Hornby joined him there in the late 1920s and continued the work he had initiated.

          This approach overemphasises the learners' mastery of formal knowledge of the target language. Intending to promote the communicative ability, language teachers involve the students in practicing the systematically organized language units till they become automatic. This approach advocates the primacy of speech over writing. Thus, the teacher's effort is focused on developing students' oral proficiency. Here correct pronunciation along with stress, rhythm, and intonation is a must and every mistake is considered an impediment in learning a language. So immediate correction is accorded. Language learning is thought to be mechanical behaviour, not an intellectual process. As a result, through ample practice of the basic structures, the teachers focus on forming correct habits in learners anticipating that it will enable them to use those structures automatically and correctly whenever the situation calls for. The techniques devised for practice are different kinds of drills, such as repetition, substitution, expansion, question-answer and so on.

         

The Situational Approach

          Language is always used in reference to a particular context or situation and hence, the full meaning of a language unit is known only when this situation is known. In fact, language relies as much on situation as an other linguistic devices for signalling meaning. It was A.S. Hornby himself who used to term situational approach in the title of a popular series of articles published in 1950s.

          Language teaching will not be effective only by presenting orally and giving structures. The teacher has to create certain situation. Situation may be real or contrived. Real situations are those which the students experience directly at the time of learning, those can see, hear or touch. They are the class- room situations where the teachers and pupils use the language item naturally in association with the situations. For example if the teacher utters the sentence 'I am dancing', he/ she has to dance himself before the students. Every teaching item cannot be linked up with students' direct experiences. In such cases, the teacher has to create contrived situations, visual aids, pictures models will be helpful. The sort of teaching in language teaching makes teaching and learning foreign language effective and purposeful.

Process of Teaching OSS Approach in the Classroom

          OSS approach, the combination of oral structure situational approach is a teacher- oriented approach or it is a teacher directed method. Later, more active participation by the learner is encouraged. The teacher is the model. He creates the situation for presenting the item makes the pupil repeat and, thus, he has to be skilful manipulator.

          The lesson begins with a listening practice, mainly for pronunciation. It includes, repetition in chorus of what the teacher says. Individual students are asked to repeat the teacher's model. The teacher creates the situation to present the new item. He gets students to ask and answer questions using the language pattern they already know sometime the repetition of those words or groups of words which cause trouble. While introducing the items through the situation then created and using mime, gestures, prompt words, the teacher elicits examples for the new patterns introduced. The teacher uses substitution drills, question-answer drilling to get one student to ask a question and answer to answer until most students have practices. He/she then invites the attention of the pupils to the errors by indicating the error by shaking his head, repeating the errors, etc. But whenever it is possible, he makes the pupils correct their own mistake.