Module 8: Lesson 2 - EFL lesson approaches

Question 1

Name 4 types of approaches to a lesson.

Answer 1

Deductive: It involves teacher presenting language to a class, explaining it, then providing practice of the language. There is no “discovery” process as there is with inductive approaches to teaching.

Target language: This is the language that you’re focusing on in the lesson and what you want your students to be able to use.

Controlled activity: This is where the students have seen the target language and they then have the chance to practice in a controlled way, usually in a deductive lesson.

Production task: This is when the students are actually using the language that you’ve taught them in the lesson. This could be a roleplay if they’re doing a speaking production task

Question 2

Refresher: what is the PPP method about?

Answer 2

First, the teacher builds the context and elicits the target language. This is followed by controlled practice to consolidate the new language. Then finally, it ends with a production stage where the focus is on the development of fluency and real communication using the target language.

Question 3

Refresher: what is the TBL approach about?

Answer 3

This is when the students are actively doing a task based around a language point.

There are normally three stages - pre-task activities, the task itself, then post-task activities, where there is reporting and analysis of the language used.

Question 4

Refresher: what is the grammar focus approach about?

Answer 4

Students could be looking at a particular tense, like the present perfect.

As well as having a grammar-focused lesson, you could have a skills-focused lesson looking at reading, writing, listening, or speaking skills.

Question 5

Refresher: what is the communicative approach about?

Answer 5

Looking at communicative competence, rather than linguistic, and being able to communicate naturally in real situations.

This is a very student-centered approach which promotes fluency.

Question 6

Refresher: what is the lexical approach about?

Answer 6

It’s all about vocabulary, and based on the idea that language is made up of lexical “chunks” rather than grammatical structures to be learned.

The lesson is focused on learning vocabulary as its main aim.

Question 7

Refresher: what is the TPR approach about?

Answer 7

Based on the idea that if you have to do something physical in response to language, then learning is more meaningful and you learn faster.

Question 8

What’s the difference between skills and language systems?

Answer 8

Language Systems Approaches refer to grammar and vocabulary lessons.

Skills Lesson Approaches refer to reading, writing, listening, and speaking lessons.