Instructional Methods Information

Part 1
Dr. Bob Kizlik
April 14, 2014
Instructional methods and teaching methods mean the same thing. Teaching strategies, for all
practical purposes, means the same thing. Regardless of what we call such processes, they are
primarily descriptions of the learning objective-oriented activities and flow of information
between teachers and students. Although some may argue otherwise, to split hairs over whether
such methods are meaningfully different adds nothing to the process of learning to be a teacher.
Direct and indirect instruction are two main categories that many educators find useful for
classifying teaching methods, but it is, as you will see, a bit more complicated than placing all
instruction into two categories. Any instructional method a teacher uses has advantages,
disadvantages, and requires some preliminary preparation.
Often times, a particular teaching method will naturally flow into another, all within the same
lesson, and excellent teachers have developed the skills to make the process seamless to the
students. Which instructional method is "right" for a particular lesson depends on many things,
and among them are the age and developmental level of the students, what the students already
know, and what they need to know to succeed with the lesson, the subject-matter content, the
objective of the lesson, the available people, time, space and material resources, and the physical
setting. Another, more difficult problem is to select an instructional method that best fits one's
particular teaching style and the lesson-situation. There is no one "right" method for teaching a
particular lesson, but there are some criteria that pertain to each that can help a teacher make the
best decision possible. The following teaching or instructional methods relate to the instruction
part of the ADPRIMA Instruction System. The methods are not listed in a preferred sequence, no
hierarchy of putative superiority of method is intended, and obviously, not all are appropriate for
all grades and subject matter content areas.

Perhaps I should also confess a bias about learning, regardless of the instructional
method employed by the teacher. The bias is that I firmly believe that the most
meaningful learning for any student is that which results from the learner constructing
his own knowledge and meaning from the subject matter content. This approach is
commonly referred to a constructivism. There is a wealth of information available on
the Internet about constructivism. Just enter it into Bing or Google to see what I mean.

Cooperative Learning
Advantages
Helps foster mutual responsibility
Supported by research as an effective technique
Students learn to be patient, less critical and more compassionate
Disadvantages
Some students don't work well this way
Loners find it hard to share answers
Aggressive students try to take over
Bright students tend to act superior
Preparation
Decide what skills or knowledge are to be learned
Requires some time to prepare students to learn how to work in groups

Brainstorming
Advantages
Listening Listening exercise that allows creative thinking for new ideas
Encourages full participation because all ideas are equally recorded
Draws on group's knowledge and experience
Spirit of cooperation is created
One idea can spark off other ideas
Disadvantages
Can be unfocused
Needs to be limited to 5 - 7 minutes

Students may have difficulty getting away from known reality

If not managed well, criticism and negative evaluation may occur
Value to students depends in part on their maturity

Preparation
Teacher selects issue
Teacher must be ready to intervene when the process is hopelessly bogged down

Direct Teaching
Advantages
Very specific learning targets
Students are told reasons why content is important - helps to clarify lesson objective
Relatively easy to measure student gains
Good for teaching specific facts and basic skills
Is a widely accepted instructional method
Disadvantages
Can stifle teacher creativity
Requires well-organized content preparation and good oral communication skills
Steps must be followed in prescribed order
May not be effective for higher-order thinking skills, depending on the knowledge base and skill
of the teacher
Preparation
Content must be organized in advance
Teacher should have information about student prerequisites for the lesson

Lecture
Advantages
Factual material is presented in a direct, logical manner
May provide experiences that inspire - useful for large groups
Most efficient way to convey teacher spoken information
Disadvantages
Proficient oral skills are necessary

Audience is often passive

Learning is difficult to determine as the lecture progresses
Communication is one-way
Not appropriate for children below grade 4
Preparation
There should be a clear introduction and summary
Effectiveness is related to time and scope of content
Is always audience specific; often includes examples, anecdotes

Lecture with Discussion

Advantages
Involves students, at least after the lecture
Students can question, clarify and challenge
Lecture can be interspersed with discussion or breaks as the content and time permit
Disadvantages
Time constraints may affect discussion opportunities
Effectiveness is connected to appropriate questions and discussion; often requires teacher to
"shift gears" quickly
Preparation
Teacher should be prepared to allow questions during lecture, as appropriate
Teacher should also anticipate difficult questions and prepare appropriate responses in advance

Multimedia (computer, Internet, CD, DVD, film)

Advantages
Entertaining way of introducing content and raising issues
Internet content easily updated
Usually keeps group's attention
Cost effective way to obtain and disseminate content
May provide opportunities for independent student investigation in a wide range of topics
Disadvantages
Can raise too many issues to have a focused discussion

Distractions happen all too easily

Students working independently can easily lose focus of lesson topic
Most effective when followed by discussion
Discussion may not have full participation
Preparation
Teacher must formulate rules and communicate them to students
Need to obtain and set up equipment
Computing skills required for some applications
Most effective when teacher prepares for discussion after the presentation or activity

Role Playing
Advantages
Introduces problem situation dramatically
Provides opportunity for students to assume roles of others and thus appreciate another point of
view
Allows for exploration of solutions
Provides opportunity to practice skills
Disadvantages
Some students may be too self-conscious
Not appropriate for large groups
Can be time consuming to set up and execute
Preparation
Teacher has to define problem situation and roles clearly
Teacher must give very clear instructions
Teacher must have back up activities in case of problems

Games
Advantages
Students are usually interested in and challenged by games
Can provide opportunities for team member building skills

Feedback is usually easy to provide and is quick

When used in direct relationship to a lesson objective, can provide a stimulating experience for
all
Disadvantages
Can create in-group/out-group feelings
Can demotivate those who are not competitive by nature
Can create feelings of inadequacy in those not as skilled or forceful
Can discourage creativity if the format is very rigid and the focus is strongly on winning
Preparation
Choose relevant games at an appropriate level that can be reasonably expected to achieve the
learning objectives
Introduce the game and make the objectives clear
Give clear and thorough directions
Create a friendly versus cut-throat mentality; do not put down losers or allow others to do so
Do not take sides or show partiality
Keep a handle on things

About Different Teaching Methods in a Classroom

Different teachers use different approaches when it comes to educating a classroom full of
students. Many variables come into play when educators determine the most effective teaching
strategy to employ, such as the age group and skill levels of the students. It is also important to
consider the fact that not all students learn in the same way or at the same pace. Because of this,

teachers may need to employ several teaching methods that support the learning needs of
individual students.
Finding the best teaching methods and strategies to encourage learning and create a comfortable
educational setting is essential when preparing children for their academic careers.
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Other People Are Reading

Effective Teaching Methods for Teachers

Example of Effective Teaching Methods

1. Arts and Crafts

o Teachers of young students, such as preschoolers, kindergartners and first and
second graders, may choose arts and crafts as an effective teaching method.
Younger students are stimulated by creative activities that give them something to
focus on. Arts and crafts can be used as a vehicle for teaching educational lessons
on such topics as basic geography, science and math.

Guest Speakers
o Teachers bring in guest speakers to help students engage in course material and
learn through stimulation. Guest speakers, such as fire fighters or doctors, can
give students a presentation on the important areas in their fields. It is even more
engaging for students if guest speakers bring show-and-tell items with them or ask
the class for volunteers to participate in an activity with the speaker.
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Lectures

o Many educators use a lecture teaching method, especially as grade levels advance.
A lecture is simply a technique where the teacher talks to the students and the
students are receptive to the information provided. In this type of classroom
arrangement, students are required to pay close attention to the teacher's lecture
and take notes on the important points in case there is a pop quiz at the end of the
lecture.

Group Discussions
o A group discussion, with the instructor leading the discussion, is an effective
learning environment for students because it allows them to engage in a dialogue
with other students. In this methodology, teachers prepare prompt questions that
start off the conversations. Teachers can use group discussions for any type of
class, such as history, language arts and science.

Role Playing
o Role-playing requires students to act out particular scenes of something being
learned, such as a historical moment in time or an act from a theatrical play or
book. This teaching style is fun and exciting because it gives students a chance to
get up from their seats and partake in the physical act of drama. Role playing
activities are most effective for younger students, but they can still be fun for
middle and high schoolers.

Experiments
o Experiments are an effective way for students to learn for themselves. In this
teaching method, educators provide students with information that they need and
instructions for conducting an experiment. The process of experimenting allows
students to discover things on their own, and then formulate conclusions. This
hands-on approach can be helpful for those students who learn best through
physical application.
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Example of Effective Teaching Methods

Methods

o Successful educators combine many different methods of teaching to create a

dynamic classroom where students will feel motivated to learn. Some of the most
popular methods are positive reinforcement, independent learning, experiential
learning, instructional grouping and lectures.

Case Study
o A successful classroom will integrate all of these methods. As students study each
subject, an effective teacher will look for ways to integrate these methods into a
unified lesson plan so students will not only learn the subject material well but
they will also "learn to learn."
A fifth-grade class studying the Great Depression can provide an example of how
to integrate several effective teaching methods into a successful lesson plan.
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Beginning the Lesson

o The teacher might begin the unit with a lesson, presenting the class with an
overview of the period being studied as well as some general information about
the realities of that era. He might then divide the class into groups (or allow the
children to choose their own groupings) and assign each group an aspect of the
period under study to research. Several ideas for groupings when studying The
Great Depression might be politics of the times, the economic situation and how
that came about, religious life of the era, how Immigration impacted the situation
and scientific advances and changes.

Independent Learning
o After each group presents its findings to the class, the teacher could hand out
worksheets with questions for each student to answer through her own research.
Books, maps, encyclopedias and Internet resources would be provided to allow
the students to work independently on their sheets, with the students receiving
grades based on their work at the end of the task.

Experiential Learning

o As a final project, the students might be given a composite of a story describing

the life of a typical American family during the period of the Great Depression.
The story might include a summary of the dilemmas facing the family including
coping with the breadwinner's job loss, inability to pay rent, search for basic
essentials and struggle to weigh the needs of the children to go to school with the
family's need for extra income. The students could work individually or in groups
to come up with solutions that could enable the family to manage their resources
and survive. The unit might end with a visit by a senior who lived through the
Great Depression and could describe the era to the children.
A competent educator should be aware of the various effective methods and
techniques of teaching when preparing lesson plans and work to implement as
many strategies as possible into the lesson to create a vibrant and dynamic lesson
plan.
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Teaching Styles & Learning Styles in Elementary School

One of the biggest challenges for teachers in our educational system is accommodating the
different learning styles of their varied students in a large-scale classroom environment. Different
students respond to stimuli in different ways, so it is important for a teacher to be able to identify
the types of learners in his classroom and move forward with lesson plans that can cater to
different students. According to Learning Guide.org, there are three main learning styles: visual,
auditory and tactile.
The most important point to make when discussing learning styles in elementary classrooms is
that children come to school with different skill levels and learning styles. The successful teacher
will recognize and provide for these differences. Though most children use a combination of
styles to learn, usually one or two are dominant. Lesson plans and daily activities need to create a
learning environment where all can succeed according to their differences and abilities.
Children acquire information in many different ways. These learning styles can be
grouped into four categories: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and sociological learners.
Teachers can present lessons using methods to reach each kind of learner, and can
also help students become aware of their own learning styles so they can
understand the best ways for them to study.

1. Visual Learners

o Students who are visual learners will do best when information is presented in a
way that they can see it. To reach this type of learner, teachers can show children
charts or graphs, or draw a picture that represents the lesson being taught. For
example, when teaching about the water cycle the class could draw a picture of a
pond to represent "evaporation," clouds to show "condensation," and raindrops for
"precipitation." Using colors can also be helpful for visual learners, so teachers
can use color-coding in their lessons. For instance, words on a word wall can be
written with different colors depending on the part of speech they are (verbs in
blue, nouns in red, and adjectives in yellow).

Auditory Learners
o Some students learn best by hearing and listening to the information presented.
These auditory learners will need to hear the lessons instead of only seeing or
reading them. The traditional lecture format usually works well for these students.
Auditory learners could learn about the water cycle by listening to the teacher
explain the process of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. They would
also do well hearing the vocabulary words the teacher has put on the word wall
and using them in a sentence.
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Kinesthetic Learners
o According to Family Education, most learners do well by touching, feeling, and
experiencing the information they are learning. These students are called
kinesthetic, or sometimes tactile, learners. They learn best by being active and
involved in the lessons, participating in activities such as skits, science
experiments, and using hands-on manipulatives. When learning about the water
cycle, these students would retain the information best by acting it out. For
example, the teacher could have students stand up slowly to demonstrate
"evaporation," wave arms in the air showing "condensation," and then wiggle
their fingers downward representing "precipitation." These kinesthetic learners
could learn the word wall words by chanting the letters out loud while putting
motions to them.

Sociological Learners

o Some students learn best when working with their peers and participating in group
activities. Teachers should use cooperative learning strategies when presenting
new information that will allow this type of child, the sociological learner, to learn
best. Teachers could allow students to talk to one another about what they have
learned or teach each other what they know. The sociological learner could learn
about the water cycle by engaging in a class play about how the water travels
through the entire cycle. These students could learn their vocabulary words by
talking to their peers about what they mean or spelling them together.

Conclusion
When making lesson plans, keep in mind that each student in your classroom has a different style
for comprehending information. To teach effectively, you must also teach repetitively using a
variety of methods. Lectures are a popular method of teaching, but they are often overused and
leave majority of students disadvantaged. Lectures work well for students who learn best through
auditory instruction. When you give a lecture, be sure to prepare an outline and focus on only
five or so points per class. Also present your information visually for other students by preparing
graphs, charts, props or demonstrations.
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Effective Teaching Strategies: Six Keys to

Classroom Excellence
What are makes an effective teacher?
This particular list of teaching characteristics appears in an excellent book that is all but
unknown in the states, Learning to Teach in Higher Education, by noted scholar Paul Ramsden.
In the case of what makes teaching effective, he writes, a great deal is known about the
characteristics of effective university teaching. It is undoubtedly a complicated matter; there is
no indication of one best way, but our understanding of its essential nature is both broad and
deep. (p. 88-89). He organizes that essential knowledge into these six principles, unique for the
way he relates them to students experiences.
1: Interest and explanation When our interest is aroused in something, whether it is an
academic subject or a hobby, we enjoy working hard at it. We come to feel that we can in some
way own it and use it to make sense of the world around us. (p. 98). Coupled with the need to
establish the relevance of content, instructors need to craft explanations that enable students to
understand the material. This involves knowing what students understand and then forging
connections between what is known and what is new.

2: Concern and respect for students and student learning Ramsden starts with the negative
about which he is assertive and unequivocal. Truly awful teaching in higher education is most
often revealed by a sheer lack of interest in and compassion for students and student learning. It
repeatedly displays the classic symptom of making a subject seem more demanding than it
actually is. Some people may get pleasure from this kind of masquerade. They are teaching very
badly if they do. Good teaching is nothing to do with making things hard. It is nothing to do with
frightening students. It is everything to do with benevolence and humility; it always tries to help
students feel that a subject can be mastered; it encourages them to try things out for themselves
and succeed at something quickly. (p. 98)
3: Appropriate assessment and feedback This principle involves using a variety of
assessment techniques and allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of the material in
different ways. It avoids those assessment methods that encourage students to memorize and
regurgitate. It recognizes the power of feedback to motivate more effort to learn.
For more teaching strategies, download Effective Strategies for Improving College Teaching
and Learning. This FREE report features 11 articles pulled from the pages of The Teaching
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4: Clear goals and intellectual challenge Effective teachers set high standards for students.
They also articulate clear goals. Students should know up front what they will learn and what
they will be expected to do with what they know.
5: Independence, control and active engagement Good teaching fosters [a] sense of student
control over learning and interest in the subject matter. (p. 100). Good teachers create learning
tasks appropriate to the students level of understanding. They also recognize the uniqueness of
individual learners and avoid the temptation to impose mass production standards that treat all
learners as if they were exactly the same. It is worth stressing that we know that students who
experience teaching of the kind that permits control by the learner not only learn better, but that
they enjoy learning more. (p. 102)
6: Learning from students Effective teaching refuses to take its effect on students for
granted. It sees the relation between teaching and learning as problematic, uncertain and relative.
Good teaching is open to change: it involves constantly trying to find out what the effects of
instruction are on learning, and modifying the instruction in the light of the evidence collected.
(p. 102)
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Some Effective Teaching Methods

The effective methods of teaching that do yield results are as follows:
It is important that the teacher sets goals for himself or herself and also for his or her students so
that they aim and work towards that goal and when they fail to achieve to that goal the target
they realize it before it is too late and work upon it.
It is important that the teacher underlines the key concepts of a lesson or chapter so that the
students learn to identify the main ideas that they need to understand and sieve the study
material.
It is important that the teacher establishes an interactive environment in the classroom so that the
students can speak out and the teacher can also understand which concepts have been studied and
understood well and which have not been.
It is always better to give the students a little of the background of the topic that you are teaching
so that they have better understanding.
It is also advisable to revise the topic that you did in the previous class since revision makes
things easier to remember and recollect.
To make things easier and less time taking you can adopt the method the Questioning to revise
the previously done things so that you can also assess their understanding.
When teaching small kids it is better to take help of visual aids since pictures and images register
in the kind better than words and lessons. So if you are trying to put in facts about a tiger it is
better to teach the picture of a tiger and then tell the kids about it. For subjects like geography,
physics and chemistry, show the kids things that you are teaching as far as possible. Take help of
maps and pictures so that the knowledge that you are imparting does not seem vague for the
students.
After you are done with a certain topic divide the class into several groups where in each group
there should be a mix of good and average students and grade them on team performance so that
the average students copes up with the difficulties with the help of the better student.
Besides all the classroom studies it is imperative to concentrate on the talent that the student has
beyond classroom studies. There are some students who cannot assimilate the routine and
inhibited classroom academics but on the other hand they respond well to experiments and
demonstration.

Primary School Teaching Methods

1. Active Listening

o Use active listening as a teaching method to assist children who might not have
the verbal skills needed to fully express themselves. Active listening is similar to
sportscasting in that teachers describe activities and behaviors to children while
they are performing the action. Active listening techniques also help during an
exchange between students when feelings are not properly expressed. Not only
does active listening assist with resolving conflict in the classroom, it aids in
teaching by streaming directions and information to primary students.
Constructive Feedback
o Offer positive feedback to help educate and direct primary school students.
Constructive feedback offers students direct praise for a job well done. By
incorporating constructive feedback methods into the classroom, teachers
acknowledge children when they are on task or following directions. This
feedback also encourages other children to follow the lead of the child receiving
the praise.
o

Peer Teaching
o Use children's trust and interest in each other as a teaching method. Peer teaching
encourages children to help each other and work together. If one child is excelling
in an area where another child is having difficulty, teaming the two for a joint
project encourages them to learn from each other. Peer teaching can be
accomplished with individual projects or through a long-term connection.
Task Lists
o Working together encourages learning among children. Create job charts or
classroom lists for daily items that need to be accomplished and allow the
children to select who is in charge for the day and who will complete specific
tasks on the list. Working together encourages classroom harmony and allows
children to take turns being in charge of a task. This builds self-esteem and
encourages communication.

Teaching Methods for Primary

Teaching methods for primary grades should consist of hands-on strategies that will actively
engage young children into learning. Student participation is needed in primary classrooms so
that all children can learn. Children in primary grades should participate in lessons with other
members of the classroom through open discussions and small group interactions.

1. Cooperative Learning Groups

o Pupils who are behind their peers have the opportunity to work with other
students in cooperative learning groups. For this strategy, the teacher assigns a
small number of students into groups. Each child is given a role in his group-leader, recorder or presenter--and is given an assignment to complete. The
students must interact with each other to perform their jobs and to complete the
assignment. The teacher should take on the role of a facilitator and make sure that
the groups are focused on the task given.

Whole Classroom Instruction

o In whole classroom instruction, teachers present new topics to all members of the
class. The students must then engage in an open discussion by providing
questions and answers as well as sharing viewpoints. Teachers should use
diagrams, charts and pictures to ensure that the class is focused and has a clear
understanding of the material presented. After a new lesson is presented, students
should complete a short assignment to demonstrate their level of understanding.
o

Small Groups
o Teachers can assign children into small groups to complete lessons. The primary
students should be grouped according to their academic levels. The small-group
method enables teachers to have more interaction with their students and allows
children to work on academics that are suitable for them. Students who need more
time to work on a lesson will have the opportunity to do so. Also, students who
are ahead of their peers can move to new material at a faster pace.

Learning Centers
o Teachers can set up learning centers for primary students to reinforce skills.
Learning centers may consist of a language center, technology center, writing
center, reading area, math center and science center. Learning centers can focus
on one main theme or they can incorporate several different ones.

What Are the Primary Teaching Styles?

There are five primary teaching styles that instructors often use to develop
their own individual teaching styles. How these styles are used is typically
based on the subject matter and the age and cognitive ability of the
students. Although some instructors have a dominant primary style, most
will mix elements of other styles to adapt to the classroom and students.
Expert/Command

In the expert or command teaching style, the instructor is considered the expert by the
students with the requisite knowledge and expertise. The instructor gives the information
needed through a brief explanation followed by a demonstration. A short amount of time
is spent on instruction with this teaching style, but it is often not sensitive to the students'
individual needs. Expert teaching can also be confusing to some students because
occasionally, the underlying methods used to find answers may be unclear.

Formal Authority/Task

Instructors who use the formal authority or task teaching style set up learning goals,
expectations and rules for the students. This style focuses on the correct or established
way of doing things and provides students with a structure from which they learn. This
style is similar to the expert teaching style in that the instructor controls all or most of the
decision-making. Although the expectations from the instructor are clearer, relying
heavily on this teaching style alone requires a lot of preparation time for the teacher and
tends to be inflexible to students' individual needs.

Personal Model/Demonstrator

Personal modeling or demonstrating requires the instructor to guide and direct students
by showing how things are done then encouraging students to observe before copying the
instructor. Although this style is useful in that it is clear, it can inhibit learning for some
students if the instructor is not open to alternative methods of doing things.

Facilitator/Guided Discovery

The facilitator or discovery style of teaching guides and directs students through
questions, suggestions and by encouraging students to make informed choices. The goal
in this teaching style is to encourage initiative and personal responsibility. Instructors
which use this teaching style work with students as a consultant, providing support as
they learn. This style is flexible because the instructor is open to alternative options, but it
can be time-consuming and is not ideal for large groups.

Delegator

The delegator teaching style is focused on encouraging students to learn independently.

Students that learn under this teaching style work alone on projects, either individually or
in teams. The instructor does not guide or suggest but is available should the students
need more instruction or information. Although this style is ideal for teaching students to
be independent learners, students that lack the confidence to work on their own or ask
questions may not respond well.

Effective Teaching in Primary Schools

Effective teaching in primary school is easy to locate but difficult to quantify and describe
adequately. It's usually easier to say "yes, that is an example effective teaching" than it is to
identify exactly why the teacher is so effective. You can probably think back on your early
education and identify at least one educator who was particularly memorable and who you
learned a lot from. What was it that made that teacher so effective? The answer to that question
involves effectiveness in many different aspects of teaching.

Quality of Instruction

The central, most vital component of effective teaching is quality of instruction. Quality
of instruction is a broad term that describes the way a teacher teaches. It refers to multiple
components of teaching, including the extent of the teacher's knowledge of the subject,
her teaching methods and even her charisma in the classroom. Without high-quality
instruction, students cannot learn to their fullest potential. Offering students quality
instruction in every subject is the most basic way to teach effectively.

Active Learning

The main goal of effective teaching in primary schools is student learning. One of the
best ways to optimize student learning is by encouraging active learning in the classroom.
Active learning refers to student engagement in the lesson. Passive learning is often
characterized by lectures read straight from the book with minimal question-and-answer
opportunities and minimal input required from students. One way to increase active
learning time in the classroom is to require more input from students, including
incorporating discussion time and preparing hands-on activities for students to complete.

Ensuring Student Success

Effective teachers strive to make sure every student in their classroom fully understands
the material taught in every lesson. If even one student doesn't understand a concept
before the class moves on to the next lesson, it is the teacher's responsibility to find ways
to help that student understand the information. Effective teachers adapt their teaching
styles as necessary until each pupil in the class has a strong grasp on the material.

Classroom Management

Another integral component of effective teaching is classroom management. A hectic,

loud, distracting classroom atmosphere is not conducive to student learning. Effective
teachers maintain orderly, disciplined classrooms. However, students do not learn at their
best under disciplinarian routines, either. Effective teachers strike a balance between the
two, maintaining a relaxed and fun but organized and respectful classroom.

one of the teachers crucial tasks is to compare, analyze and evaluate the methods they use in
order to motivate the students and to make the learning as effective as possible. As Kenneth T.
Henson claims, usually the methods are better for some purpose, e.g. understanding, transfer, but
there is no method simply the best for everything (Henson 2). I agree with the opinion of
Michael J Wallace who believes that a central factor in the choice of methods is the learners
needs and characters; something works for one person well, but the same method might not work
at all for another person (Wallace 42).
One negative aspect that I can see is that the study of grammar is somewhat pushed to the side
and pupils find it increasingly difficult to be aware of how a language works.
Students learn languages best by using them. If you have students constantly practicing their
language skills by talking to each other, they will gain confidence and learn more quickly. The
key is to create a safe environment, where it is ok to make mistakes. Kids will be embarrassed
that they might say something wrong. I remind them that everyone in the room is a learner
except me, and I am not going to laugh at them or ridicule them for making a mistake!

Works Cited
Wallace, Michael J. Training Foreign Language Teachers. Glasgow: Cambridge
University Press, 1991.

Internet or Online Sources

Henson, Kenneth T. Teaching Methods: History and Status. Teaching methods:
Designs for learning. Vol.1, pp2-5, of Theory into Practice. vol. 19. 1980.
Jstor. 5 Mar 2008.