After educating students worldwide, I have developed valuable teaching methods to facilitate authentic learning sessions that foster student engagement, curiosity, and understanding. I will dissect the following three pedagogies: Total Physical Response (TPR), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). These teaching methods transcend country borders and language barriers. I have leveraged them to instruct students in both English and Chinese. The most important part of teaching is student participation, which teachers must stimulate in innovative and interactive ways.
Total Physical Response (TPR):
When instructing beginners, I frequently default to implementing the TPR method, which connects language to movement. By actively engaging the body, students’ ability to remember and comprehend vocabulary increases. The same concept applies when teaching adolescents their body parts through song and movement.
The purpose of incorporating the body is crucial for memory development. Simple lessons on colors can be made interactive by instructing students to pick or point to objects they can see. It brings the material beyond the classroom and textual knowledge. Real-life connections are powerful learning tools.
A more notable TPR activity is “Simon Says.” The game is flexible enough to be used for repeating targeted words or phrases in an entertaining way. I rely heavily on TPR to encourage high participation. If teachers encounter unwilling students, they can adopt an animated disposition, accompanied by grandiose actions, with call-and-response from students.
The key takeaways are:
- TPR builds stronger memory recall and vocabulary comprehension.
- Connecting language and movement increases student engagement.
- TPR works for all subjects and lessons.
Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT):
For a more versatile teaching strategy, I advise leveraging the TBLT, which focuses on connecting language to meaningful tasks. It provides an opportunity for the language to be used as a tool to solve problems, design crafts, or communicate in groups.
Before, I mentioned TPR as a default method for beginners; however, TBLT is more adaptable across the various language levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Personally, this experience has produced wonderful results in the classroom. When teaching landmarks around the world, students assume the role of tour guides. Students introduce a self-chosen landmark, mimicking real-life travel decisions. This opportunity resonated with the students. Many were excited to present their destination choice, allowing confidence to blossom.
Additionally, I incorporated lessons on food using the TBLT. Students were restaurant owners who needed to design a menu that contained specific vocabulary. Activities of this nature allow students of any language level to participate. The majority of the time, I am shocked by my students’ performance.
The advantages of TBLT are the following:
- Natural application of vocabulary and phrases
- Contextualization of conversational phrases and sentences
- Encouragement of creativity and ownership
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT):
In terms of practicality, CLT is the best method for strong speaking proficiency, meaning the ability to converse in real-life situations. One should not concentrate on grammar, but rather on problem-solving, cultural competency, and vocabulary.
An effective technique to demonstrate this method’s effectiveness is roleplaying. Some scenarios could involve ordering food, buying clothes, or asking for directions.
Another technique is the information gap activity. This activity requires students to engage in conversations with each other. However, each student is assigned to collect specific information needed. As a result, students speak and listen attentively to complete the activity successfully.
Ultimately, teachers should identify ways to incorporate CLT into their lesson plans. It increases student confidence beyond classroom simulation.
Final Thoughts:
No matter the students’ age, language, or academic level, these three methods are effective. Successful language acquisition relies on fostering engagement, creativity, and genuine communication, which the pedagogies support. In my career, these approaches have enabled me to design dynamic lessons that are student-centric and culturally impactful.
Audience Question:
What pedagogies do you implement when teaching students another language?
Author
Pan Yiling, ALIEEP Trainee | LinkedIn
Pan Yiling is an experienced and qualified educator with five years of experience. Her background stems from teaching English to Taiwanese and Japanese students. Currently, an ALIEEP trainee is tasked with promoting Taiwanese culture through educational endeavors. She aspires to help more people fall in love with language learning. Her curiosity and joy of exploration have motivated her to visit various countries in the course of her professional pursuits.