LECTURE 1 Lecturer/ Najla AlQahtani

An Overview of Language Teaching Approaches

Lecture Agenda  The definition of Applied Linguistics  Introducing some significant terms in applied linguistics.  Introducing the history of language teaching prior to the 20 th century.  Emphasizing the work of some significant linguists.

What is applied linguistics ?

‘Applied linguistics’ (AL) is one of several academic disciplines focusing on how language is acquired and used in the modern world. It is a somewhat eclectic field that accommodates diverse theoretical approaches, and its interdisciplinary scope includes linguistic, psych ological and educational topics. Although the field’ s original focus was the study of foreign/second languages, this has been extended to cover first language issues, and nowadays many scholars would consider sociolinguistics and pragmatics to be part of the AL rubric. Recently, AL conferences and journals have reflected the growing influence of psychology-based approaches, which in turn is a reflection of the increasing prevalence of cognitive (neuro)science in the study of human mental functions. Zoltán Dörnyei Professor of Psycholinguistics, University of Nottingham

What is an Wini Davies Reader in German, Aberystwyth Universityapproach ?  In my discipline (I am a Germanist), applied linguistics is perceived  almost exclusively as research into the teaching and learning of the  foreign-language, often resulting in the production of teaching  materials. However, a broader definition (e.g. Dick Hudson – see  references and below) sees applied linguistics as concerned with  providing theoretical and empirical foundations for investigating and  solving language-related problems in the ‘real world’. This definition  would be relevant to some of my research interests; for example, the  problems facing speakers of non-standard dialects at schools in  Germany. Nevertheless, I tend to regard myself as a sociolinguist rather than an applied  linguist, because my main interests are in investigating the use of language as a social  practice in a more general way. As is the case for most sociolinguists, I study language in  use in a social context although I may not have specific real-life problems in mind when  embarking on research.

What is the different between an Approach, method and technique ?

What is the difference between 1 st, 2 nd, and foreign language ?

Pre – 20 th century Trends  Prior the 20 th century, language methodology vacillate between two types of approaches :  1- Getting learners to use a language ( i.e., to speak and understand it )  2- Getting the learners to analyze a language ( i.e., to learn its grammatical rules)

The Classical Greek and medieval Latin period

The Renaissance period

Johann Amos Comenius

The 19 th century

Discussion..  explain the meaning of the inductive and the deductive approaches in language teaching with illustration to the advantages and disadvantages of each.  What is the difference between 1 st, 2 nd, and foreign language ?

End of lecture