Methods and techniques in the teaching-learning process. Types of exercises

Visualization

Through visual presentation of the material and the students’ observation of language behavior of native speakers students acquire the necessary habits and skills in intonation, word usage and grammar. Visualization allows the teacher to create natural conditions for students’ oral practice and “ free conversation”. It implies the use of audio-visual aids and materials throughout the whole course of study for presentation and retention of the linguistic material and for developing oral and written language

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In the teaching-learning process Teacher and Learner are interrelated. This interrelation is carried out through methods. The notion method is an abstract one, it is revealed in certain techniques. Technique is a definite action of a teacher. It is what actually takes place in the classroom to accomplish an immediate objective. For the better understanding of the abstract character of the notion method and its correlation with techniques, let’s imagine method to be a certain capacity while techniques are fillers of this capacity.

The choice of techniques for each method depends on the methodological principles of the teacher, students’ intellectual development, their age, stage of learning and other factors.There are a lot of traditional and non-traditional techniques, such as: repetition, substitution, completion, eliciting, pre-reading, filling in the gaps, jigsaw, role-play, problem solving and so on.

The main methods of teaching are: explanation, demonstration, drill. By means of demonstration and explanation students acquire the material. Drills help to memorize new material. When organizing the drill the teacher must determine how many exercises are needed and what they should be like. In methodology there are different approaches to the aims and role of exercises in teaching a foreign language and different criteria for their classification. In accordance with the communicative nature of language teaching there are 2 main types of exercises: non-communicative and communicative.

To non-communicative exercises belong:

a) Grammar (put the verb in the necessary form)

Lexical (group the words according to the topic)

Phonetic (Read the words paying attention to the sounds)

b) Transformation (Change from active voice into passive)

c) Translation

d) Substitution (Fill in the necessary word)

To communicative exercises belong:

Description, discussion, press-conference, interview, dramatization, making comments, debates.

According to the number of students exercises can be individual, pair, group, mass.

According to the skills developed exercises can be receptive and productive.

According to the thought process exercises can be drill and creative.

According to the place of performance exercises can be home and class.

According to the stages of working with the text, exercises can be pre-text, text, and post-text.

Questions and topics for discussion

1. What are the aims of teaching foreign languages in school?
2. What components does the content of FLT include?
3. What principles of FLT should methods of foreign language teaching be based upon? Which of them do you think are the most important?
4. What are the language learning principles according to Douglas Brown?
5. What is the difference between method and technique? Give examples of techniques.
6. What is the difference between communicative and non-communicative exercises?
7. Illustrate with examples the main methods of teaching: explanation, demonstration, drill.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-07