多种教学法结合的方式教学效果更好

1.IntroductionWith the development of globalization, foreign languages play increasingly important roles in global communication. In order to keep pace with international development, bring youngsters to international stages and promote modernization construction, foreign language teaching has become a crucial part of school education in many countries (Anderson, 1993). Some people believe that using one precise teaching method contributes to effective language teaching. However, various studies on different teaching methods and observations on classroom practices show that one precise teaching method may not be the most effective way of teaching foreign languages. For instance, Huo &Yue (2009) believed that “because of the differences in self quality, learning environment, condition and purpose for foreign language learners, there is hardly a teaching method that suits them all” (p. 1015). Kong (2011) proposed to combine Grammar Translation Method and Communicative Language Teaching “in the practical teaching of comprehensive English with their complementary advantages” (p.76). Ali (2012) pointed out the importance of incorporating translation into task-based activities. Liu & Shi (2007) convincingly argued that because teac hing methods “derived in different historical context, stressed different social and educational needs and have different theoretical considerations”(p. 71), teachers should choose teaching methods according to different teaching contexts.On the basis of former research, this essay argues that given each teaching method has its own strengths and weaknesses, it may be difficult to cultivate learners’ competence in an all-dimensional way by merely utilizing one specific teaching method. More specifically, choices of teaching methods should be based on various factors such as teaching focus, teaching contexts, learners’ motivationsand teachers’ proficiency levels. Thus, instead of precisely following one method, choosing teaching methods accordingly and combining various methods may be more practical teaching strategies to develop learners’ linguistic and communicative competence.This essay will firstly introduce four teaching methods, namely Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and Audio-Lingual Method. Strengths and weaknesses of each teaching method will be argued. The author also analyzes how to combine different teaching methods according to teaching contexts and teaching aims. Finally, I conclude that instead of following one precise method, choosing teaching methods according to teaching contexts, and combing different teaching methods if necessary may be more efficient strategies to cultivate competent language learners.2. teaching methods2.1 Task-Based Language TeachingAccording to Richards & Rodgers (2001), Task-Based Language Teaching(TBLT) refers to “an approach based on the use of tasks as the core unit of planning and instruction in language teaching” (p. 223), and “the notion of ‘task’ is a central unit of planning and teaching” (p. 224). TBLT focuses on using the target language to finish purposive tasks in a natural language setting, and emphasizes meaningful practices to develop learners’ language competence. Nunan (1989) defined a task as: “a piece of classroom work which involves learners in comprehending, manipulating, producing, or interacting in the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form” (as cited in Richards & Rodgers, 2001, p. 224). The use of task activities such as the gap filling,giving directions or role playing is to facilitate language teaching. In addition, the completion of tasks is more important than language accuracy in the assessment process (Gal & Chou, 2015). Thus, classroom activities should be designed with the aim of teaching students how to communicate effectively.In the teaching process, teachers work as coordinators and instructors, while students are group participants. More specifically, teachers select or create tasks according to students’ needs and proficiency levels, give students instructions, help students with task completion, provide feedback and monitor students’ performance. As for the students, they need to collaborate with their pairs to complete language-related tasks.TLBT can be adapted in grammar, writing, reading and listening teaching classes with carefully designed tasks (Carless, 2007). However, language teaching contexts, classroom sizes and learners’ proficiency will influence the choice of TBLT. Firstly, TBLT is more effective for learners in the context of learning a language as a second language (Zhang, 2006), that is, the learners who need to use the foreign language as an official language in a foreign country, or who will use it for living or working. One possible reason is that such learners have more opportunities to practice what they have learned in classroom in authentic language environments. Secondly, TBLT is more feasible in small-sized classes. A class with no more than 20 students and a group of 4 to 5 learners gives each member more chances to engage in task-completion activities and to cooperate with their peers. In addition, fewer learners would reduce teachers’ class management burdens, and allow teachers to focus more on students’ task completion.However, learners in the context of learning the target language as a foreign language may not benefit a lot from TBLT. On the one hand, although some elaborately designed tasks like booking aticket, going shopping, making phone calls are seemingly related to students’ daily life, the essence of such tasks is still classroom-teaching based rather than real-life based (Zhang, 2006). On the other hand, learners in this teaching context do not have enough opportunities to transform the linguistic knowledge into practice. That is, lacking authentic language environments, they can only use the target language in classes, but still communicate in their native languages after classes. Furthermore, learners of different proficiency levels may also increase the difficulties in implementing TBLT. This is because the same tasks can not satisfy the needs of learners of different competence (Hu, 2013). In addition, students of higher proficiency would like to speak a lot and lead group discussions, while learners of lower proficiency are more likely to be audiences and keep silence (Lin, 2009). As a consequence, higher proficient learners grasp more chances to communicate in the target language, while lower proficient learners may not make much progress. Therefore, it would be more effective to utilize TBLT in the context of teaching a foreign language as a second language, small-sized classes and learners of similar proficiency.The use of TBLT has positive effects on students’ learning motivations and independent learning competence. As TBLT breaks the restrictions of traditional textbooks and encourages using the target language in authentic language environments, it increases learners’ motivations and learning effectiveness to some extent (Richards & Rodgers, 2001). In addition, teachers’ less intervention enables students to solve problems and finish tasks independently, which develops their independent study habits, and brings them the sense of self-accomplishment.However, the actual implementation of TBLT is not satisfactory. Firstly, as teachers are accustomed to the teacher-centered teaching pattern, they are less willing to utilize TBLT to give instructions (Jeon & Hahn, 2006). Even though teachers utilize TBLT, they tend to choose tasks oflow communicativeness (Butler, 2011). Secondly, because teachers do not give students explicit grammar explanations and some students lack self-confidence, TBLT is not widely accepted by students. (Jeon &Hahn, 2006). Other unsolved issues include how to implement TBLT in an examination-based education system, and how to control students’ use of native languages (Butler, 2011). Therefore, adjustments in tasks are needed to make TBLT suitable for more teaching contexts.2.2 Communicative Language TeachingAccording to Richards & Rodgers, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) should be regarded as an approach rather than a method. It makes developing communicative competence the core of learning foreign languages (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011). Savignon (1972) pointed out that the communicative competence is an ability to achieve successful communication by using the target language in an authentic language environment. CLT encourages students to engage in various activities and gives students opportunities to practice communication in different contexts. In the teaching process, teachers avoid using the first language and give students less frequent error corrections. That it to say, instead of merely mechanically practicing language patterns, students are trained to use the target language as a communication tool.An important characteristic of CLT is student-centered. That is to say, teachers work as facilitators, advisers and managers, while students are participants and communicators of activities. Teachers are expected to establish communicative situations for learners, answer students’ questions, manage teaching paces and evaluate students’ performance. Sometimes, they are also analysts and participants of students’ activities (Richards & Rodgers, 2001). Although teachers do not give direct instructions, it is still their responsibilities to “develop the students’ potential through externaldirection” (Jin, 2008, p. 84). As for students, they should participate in communicative activities, interact with teachers and classmates, and make themselves understood by others even if they are incompetent speakers and have limited knowledge (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011). To sum up, teachers are less authoritative in CLT, while students are centered and responsible for their own learning.CLT proposes that communicative activities should encourage learners to use the target language to achieve fluent communication. With appropriate adjustments, CLT can be combined with various teaching materials to promote students’ communicative competence. However, as CLT can not improve communicative and linguistic competence at the same time, teachers need to consider several criterial before choosing CLT.Firstly, CLT requires teachers to use the target language to give instructions, which puts great demands on teachers’ language competence, so teachers of higher language proficiency are able to control the teaching process smoothly, while teachers of lower language proficiency may find it difficult to handle the teaching process. In addition, as a large proportion of classroom activities depend on students’ engagement, it may put great burdens on inexperienced teachers for them to manage the class. That is to say, CLT demands teachers’ high-leveled language proficiency and classroom management skills. Secondly, communicative activities need students’ active participation. However, students who are accustomed to the teacher-centered teaching pattern may be less willing to, or do no know how to engage in communicative activities, which would reduce the effectiveness of communicative activities. Thus, CLT is more acceptable for learners in the student-centered teaching pattern. Thirdly, CLT encourages using authentic teaching materials to improve students’ communicative competence. However, the fact is that though teachers can find some real-life learning materials like news reports, articles and videos for learners, learnersmay still focus on the linguistic knowledge in a written text, or images and plots in a video rather than the communicative contexts in these materials (Huo & Yue, 2009). That is to say, teachers need to carefully choose learning materials not to distract students’ attention. Fourthly, CLT is less welcomed in examination-based and textbook-focused educational systems (Li, 2005). More specifically, as students are trained to acquire linguistic knowledge, emphasizing learners’ communicative competence would violate the teaching aims of such educational systems. In addition, under the pressure of achieving high marks and presenting correct answers in exams, teachers have to reduce the use of CLT but utilize traditional teaching methods like Grammar Translation Method to satisfy learners’ needs. Therefore, CLT is more appropriate for the student-centered teaching pattern, communicative-based teaching purpose, and high-proficient teachers.CLT benefits students in communicative competence and language skills. Giving learners authentic language environment, CLT encourage learners to use the target language for real communication. In addition, CLT links previous knowledge to current practice, and gives students sufficient exposure to the target language. Constant reviewing process enables students to consolidate previous knowledge and integrate knowledge into practice, which is helpful for promoting students’ language skills (Kong, 2011).Despite these merits of CLT, potential problems can not be neglected. Some students believe that as CLT reduces the input of grammatical rules and vocabularies, they fail to grasp important linguistic knowledge. As a consequence, the quantity and quality of their output are influenced by the inadequate input (Kong, 2011). In addition, CLT encourages interactions between students to cultivate communicative competence. However, mistakes or errors in students’ conversations are likely to be neglected in students’ group works (Richards & Rodgers, 2001). Without teachers’ timely corrections,students may even do not realize their mistakes, which could result in misunderstanding and future communication breakdown. Thus, adjustments should be made to satisfy students’ needs for linguistic knowledge and successful communication.2.3 Grammar-Translation MethodTranslation is defined as “changing written or spoken words into another language” in the Longman Dictionary. The goal of GTM is to enable learners to understand literature written in the target language. In the teaching syllabus, students are given grammatical rules, and they should memorize and apply the rules to other contexts (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011). The teaching focuses of GTM include helping students master vocabularies and grammar rules, and developing leaners’ reading and writing abilities. In addition, with teachers controlling teaching paces and managing students’ performance, classroom activities are highly structured.Teachers interact a lot with students, and they are usually regarded as leaders and authorities of the class. They give students instructions, impart knowledge, assess students’ answers and correct students’ mistakes; students are followers and receivers of knowledge, and they have little interaction with their peers (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011).The most obvious advantages of GTM manifest in two ways: facilitating the target language learning and less demanding on teachers’ language proficiency. Firstly, this method enables learners to contrast and compare the grammar rules of their first language (L1) with the target language, which promotes the understanding of complicated grammatical structures of the target language.Secondly, as L1 is allowed in the teaching process, it is less challenging for inexperienced teachers to explain abstract knowledge and for low-proficient learners to understand the knowledge point.In spite of these merits, GTM also has some demerits such as heavily relying on L1, undermining students’ communicative competence, and neglecting the role of speaking. Firstly, as L1 is not forbidden in the teaching process, students may consciously or unconsciously use L1 but less willing to speak the target language, which deprives their opportunities to practice the target language (Kong, 2011). Secondly, GTM focuses on written forms but overlooks oral expressions. The neglect of listening and oral competence weakens students’ listening comprehension abilities (Dou, 2006), and even lead to “long-term deafmutism” (Kong, 2011, p. 76) to the target language.Considering the strengths and weaknesses of GTM, students’ language proficiency, teaching aims, teaching materials, and educational systems are factors determining the choice of GTM. Firstly, it can be suitable students of lower language proficiency, who need to cultivate fundamental linguistic competence, familiarize themselves with accurate grammar rules and accumulate vocabularies (Fan, 1999). This is because GTM will lay a solid foundation for beginners, and help them to develop the basic language sense. Secondly, GMT can be more effective for the intensive reading class which cultivates students’ comprehensive competence and imparts linguistic knowledge (Li, 2009). More specifically, as GTM introduces grammatical structures and emphasizes reading abilities, teachers could use it to guide students to find useful expressions, explain grammatical rules and analyze sentence structures. However, as for the listening and speaking classes which emphasize more on learners’ communicative competence, it is difficult to incorporate communicative activities into teaching materials by using GTM (Li, 2009). Under this circumstance, it will be more appropriate to utilize TBLT or CLT. Last but not least, GTM puts mastering correctness and accuracy at top priority, so it is suitable for students in the examination-centered educational system which emphasizes the importance of accurate grammatical rules and syntactic constructions (Jin, 2007). To sum up, GTMseems to be an effective teaching method for beginners, classes aims at developing students’ grammatical knowledge, and students in an examination-based educational system.2.4 Audio-Lingual MethodThe Audio-Lingual Method aims at practicing listening, pronunciation, grammatical forms by drills and activities (Flowerdew & Miller, 2005). The early teaching stage focuses on developing students’ oral skills such as “accurate pronunciation, grammar and the ability to respond quickly and accurately in speech situations” (Richard & Rodgers, 2001, p. 58) through systematic skill training. In addition, although reading and writing abilities are not neglected in the teaching process, listening and speaking skills are given priority to reading and writing skills (Stern, 1983). In order to master the target language, students are trained to develop new language habits of the target language and forget old habits of the native language through doing repeated exercises (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011). In addition, instrumental materials which assist the teaching process play important roles in GTM. On the one hand, textbooks are not wildly used in the elementary teaching stage because they are considered distracting students’ attentions from the oral input. On the other hand, tapes, recorders and audiovisual equipment can provide students with accurate pronunciation and dialogues, so they are used to develop students’ oral abilities (Richard & Rodgers, 2001). Furthermore, as L1 is considered as an interference in the target language, the Audio-Lingual Method encourages utilizing the target language to give instructions, but discourages using L1. Another principle is that new vocabularies and grammatical structures are incorporated into dialogues. Students firstly imitate conversations or dialogues provided by teachers or tapes, and then they repeat the oral expressions to master the language knowledge.As the Audio-Lingual Method is a teacher-centered teaching method, teachers are models, leaders, monitors and controllers of the class, while students are imitators and cooperators. More specifically, teachers need to provide correct pronunciation and clear instructions, lead the teaching process, control teaching paces, manage classroom interactions, and correct learners’ errors (Richard & Rodgers, 2001). As for students, they should pay attention to teachers’ instructions, imitate teachers’ models, respond to teachers’ questions and finish classroom tasks.The Audio-Lingual Method contributes to language teaching in terms of “making language learning accessible to large groups of ordinary learners” (Liu & Shi, 2007, p. 70). Stated another way, it does not demand learners’ high proficiency to consider the logical aspects of the target language, so learners of different proficient levels could accept it with ease. However, this method has two major weaknesses. Firstly, teaching materials of Audio-Lingual Method focus more on learners’ linguistic knowledge, but the contents are less related to authentic communicating contexts (Liu & Shi, 2007). That is to say, the Audio-Lingual Method relies on repeated exercises to help students acquire grammatical structures, but neglects the cognition and meaning of the target language. As a consequence, students may master the language knowledge, but can not apply it to appropriate contexts.(Richard & Rodgers, 2001). Secondly, though using mechanical practices may be a relatively effect way to enable learners’ long-term memorization, it ignores students’ linguistic skill (Jin, 2007). In addition, it could be dull to some young learners to do the same tasks repeatedly.Considering its limitations, the Audio-Lingual Method is more suitable for learners who require accurate oral expressions. More specifically, by doing repeated exercises, students are trained to imitate and practice correct models, which would foster fluent and accurate pronouncing manners. In addition, as the Audio-Lingual Method requires repeated exercises, it may not be very effective withchildren. This is because children are easily distracted, and doing same tasks repeatedly is boring to them. If they are required to spend much time doing the same task, they may be tired, distracted and even lose interest to the target language. Thus, the Audio-Lingual Method is more appropriate for those who intend to be high-proficient speakers and elder learners. It would be better to combine the Audio-Lingual method with other teaching methods to optimize its effects.3. Choosing teaching methods according to teaching contextsFrom the analysis of several teaching contexts suitable and not suitable for each teaching method, it is obvious that teaching contexts, learning purposes, teaching materials, teachers’ and learners’ proficiency and educational systems are all potential factors determining the choice of teaching methods. This is in line with Olagoke’s statement that “there is no one ‘best method’ or no single ‘most efficient way’ of teaching languages, nor is there any single theory that can account for such a complex process as second language teaching” (1982, p. 171). Additionally, learning stages, learning purposes and teaching contents also affect the choice of teaching methods.3.1 The influence of learning stagesSolid language foundation built on accuracy is necessary for beginners, so GTM which gives students accurate grammatical forms and timely corrects their errors could help beginners to master correct linguistic knowledge (Jin, 2007). In addition, considering it difficult for teachers to explain an abstract new word by using the target language and for learners to understand complicated grammar structures in a language they are unfamiliar with (Huo & Yue, 2009), the teacher-centered GTM which allows using L1 to give instructions may be more suitable for lower-proficient learners.Conversely, as for advanced learners who have mastered basic linguistic knowledge, the teaching focus is to improve their communicating fluency, promote their communicative competence and to apply their linguistic knowledge to real-life communication (Huo & Yue, 2009). At this stage, it may be more appropriate to utilize CLT or TBLT to encourage learners to communicate in authentic settings. During the practice, teachers should limit students’ use of native languages, and also correct learners’ mistakes at the end of exercises. In this way, students’ linguistic and communicative competence could be developed at the same time (Jin, 2007).Though CLT and TBLT can be applied to learners of higher language proficiency, adjustments are still needed for learners in an exam-centered educational system. For instance, a large proportion of the freshmen of Chinese universities have sufficient language knowledge but are weak in communicative competence. Under this circumstance, it would be more practical to utilize GTM as a major teaching method to consolidate st udents’ linguistic knowledge and CLT as an aid to promote learners’communicative abilities (Kong, 2011). As for juniors and seniors who have obtained necessary communicative skills after two to three years’ training, some communicative activities such as debates, role plays, story retelling can be designed for students, and the GTM can also be used to help students understand complicated sentence structures (Wang, 2006).3.2 The influence of learning purposeLearners’ learning purposes should also be taken into consideration to meet their needs for future careers or studies. For instance, CLT may be more suitable for those who plan to study, work or live abroad. One reason is that CLT could provide learners with authentic language settings to promote their communicative competence, and such learners have opportunities to apply what they havelearned in class to real-life communication. In addition, GTM is more appropriate for learners who are sensitive about accuracy and those who need to achieve high marks in examinations. Another example is to combine CLT, the Audio-Lingual Method with interpretation training activities for interpreters. Such combination may be effective to develop learners’ communicative competence, accurate oral expressions, and fundamental interpretation skills. As for those who intend to be future teachers, the GTM should be carried out to strengthen their linguistic knowledge, so that they can impart accurate knowledge for the next generations (Huo & Yue, 2009). Thus, the choice of teaching methods should also accord with learners’ learning purpose and future needs.3.3 The influence of teaching contentsEven though learners are of the same age and cultivated under the same educational system, different teaching contents can also influence the choice of teaching methods. For instance, CLT may be the dominating method in speaking classes to develop students’ communicative abilities; TBLT can be used in reading comprehension and listening classes for students to finish reading or listening tasks; the GTM is more appropriate for intensive reading classes to teach grammatical rules and analyze complicated sentence structures.3.4 The combination of different teaching methodsChoosing practical teaching methods according to teaching contents does not mean allowing only one method but excluding all the other teaching methods. Indeed, different teaching methods can be combined for more effective language teaching. For instance, Kong (2011) proposed a “four-step teaching method including introduction, imitation, summary and application” (p. 78)whichcombines CLT and GTM: teachers introducing grammar rules with examples in communicative situations; students imitating and practicing oral expressions in a new situation; students analyzing specific situations and summarizing grammatical rules; students applying what they have learned to authentic situations to practice communication. Wang (2006) also introduced a feasible way of adopting different methods in a reading class. As she mentioned, teachers can firstly use TBLT to give students several tasks such as finding the authors’ opinions and topic sentence, summarizing main ideas, predicting contents. Later, teachers use GTM to analyze difficult sentences and complicated grammatical structures, then give students some communicative activities such as the plot describing, answer questions orally and retelling a story related to the reading material to develop students’communicative competence. Ali (2012) demonstrated that instead of regarding tasks as isolated linguistic elements, teachers should integrate tasks into GTM to improve students’ linguistic competence. Another example is that through using recorders and grammar exercises of the Audio-Lingual Method to develop language sense in the early learning stage. After students have basic oral knowledge, more complicated communicative activities like debates, speeches and role plays can be designed for students. Therefore, the combination of different teaching methods would help students to gain linguistic knowledge and promote communicative competence at the same time. Teachers could adopt different teaching methods according to their teaching aims and teaching contexts.4. ConclusionThis essay introduces four teaching methods, namely the Task-based Language Teaching, the Communicative Language Teaching, the Grammar Translation Method and the Audio-Lingual Method. Then, it analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each method, and what teaching contexts。