Bilins’ka L.I., Chyzhykova I.V., Bozhok O.I.

Prydniprovs’k State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Ukraine

Merits and draw-backs of classical methods of teaching

In the process of learning and teaching a method of teaching plays very important role. A good teacher is always in search of an effective method of teaching. A method tells the teacher how the matter should be taught. Selection of the right method ensures success to the teacher. It helps in achievement of goals. But what is the method? In a method the word “how” is important. Thus in a method we come to know how should something be presented. According to W.F. Mackey, “A method determines what and how much is taught (selection), the order in which it is taught (gradation), how the meaning and form are conveyed (presentation) and what is done to make the use of the language unconscious”. If we go back to the old days, we find that nobody was so particular about the method of teaching. But this does not mean that at that time no method was being used. They followed certain methods surely. But a method has become a problem in this age of scientific approach. The questions, what should be taught and how it should be taught, are intimately connected. Methods are to serve us in our teaching process and hence to be our servants and not our master.

According to academic research, linguists have demonstrated that there is not one single best method for everyone in all contexts, and that no one teaching method is inherently superior to the others. Also, it is not always possible - or appropriate - to apply the same methodology to all learners, who have different objectives, environments and learning needs. An experienced professional language teacher always adopts the Principled Eclecticism approach, deciding on the most suitable techniques and applying the most appropriate methodology for that learner's specific objectives, learning style and context. Methods of teaching English have developed rapidly, especially in the previous 40 years. It is important that language learners and training managers, as well as teachers, understand the various methods and techniques so you are able to navigate the market, make educated choices, and boost your enjoyment of learning a language. Each teaching method is based on a particular vision of understanding the language or the learning process, often using specific techniques and materials used in a set sequences. The main and the oldest methodologies are: Grammar-Translation Method and Direct Method.

In the teaching of English as foreign language, the Grammar-Translation Method has enjoyed a great reputation in the past. It has had different names, but it has been used by language teachers for many years. At one time it was called the Classical Method since it was first used in the teaching of the classical languages, Latin and Greek. Earlier in this century, this method was used for the purpose of helping students to read and appreciate foreign language literature. It was also hoped that, through the study of the grammar of the target language, students would become more familiar with the grammar of their native language better. Finally, it was thought that foreign language learning would help students grow intellectually; it was recognized that students would probably never use the target language, but the mental exercise of learning it would be beneficial anyway. The Grammar Method is based on the following principles: a). Teaching of a foreign language through translation is easy, quick and economical. b). The structural patterns of the two languages are compared and this comparison makes learning more clear and firm. c). The fundamental principle of proceeding from known to unknown is followed. d). The knowledge of rules helps the learners to avoid mistakes.

The Grammar-Translation Method has a number of advantages. It is very successful in the present day classrooms, where there are a large number of students in each section. By telling the meaning of a word or sentence in mother tongue, the teacher can at once make the students understand. Thus it is less time consuming. It is very reliable for giving the students practice of reading with understanding. In this method teachers as well as the learners are able to facilitate the teaching-learning process. Teaching English by using this method does not require lot of labour on the part of the teacher. Thus many teachers who are not habitual of working hard feel happy. By using this method, the comprehension of the students can be tested very easily. The learners are able to learn many items of English by comparison with mother tongue. That makes learning more clear and firm.

The disadvantages of this method are also numerous. It ignores the practice of oral work to the students which is the most important aspect in the teaching of any language. In this method reading comes first and speaking afterwards. That is very unnatural. This method wastes a lot of time of student because everything has to be translated compulsory. The translation work is always approximate. So the learner is not able to learn things accurately. Through translation work the real spirit of meanings contained in the sentence is missed. It does not provide opportunity for silent reading. It lays more emphases on rules of grammar which is not very sound in teaching-learning of a language. This method makes the students think in mother tongue and then translate the same into English. In many cases it may lead to funny expressions, for example: The road began to walk. It is a dull and mechanical method because the learner remains passive mostly. It does not help the students to learn correct pronunciation of English. The learners can remain absent minded while being taught by this method. Mostly they just try to show their teacher that they are listening to him. This method does not help the students to learn the language. Thus we find that the grammar method has a few merits and more draw-backs. But even then we find that it has gained universal popularity. It is being used by a large number of teachers. One of the reasons of deteriorating standards of English is the use of this type of method. The best thing would be not to use Translation Method as such in the classrooms. It may be used only when the classroom situation demands it.

As with the Grammar-Translation Method, the Direct Method is not new. Its principles have been applied by language teachers for many years. Most recently, it was revived as a method when the goal of instruction became learning how to use a foreign language communicatively, the Direct Method became popular. This method has one very basic rule: no translation is allowed. In facts, the Direct Method receives its name from the fact that meaning is to be conveyed directly in the target language through the use of demonstration and visual aids, with no recourse to the students’ native language. According to Webster’s New International Dictionary,” Direct Method is a method of teaching a foreign language, especially a modern language through conversation, discussion and reading, in the language itself, without the use of pupil’s language, without translation and without the study of formal grammar”. The basic principles on which this method is based are: a). Direct association between thought and words. In this method the learners think and speak by using the same medium. b). A lot of oral practice is a must for everyone. c). In this method stress is on functional grammar and not on theoretical grammar. d). This method propagates the teaching of the foreign language without using mother tongue. e). Here the unit of speech is a sentence but not a word. Emphasis is laid on speaking full sentences. f). This method favours the presentation of limited vocabulary, based on needs and experiments of the learners.

Probably the biggest advantage of this method of teaching English is that it actually teaches the language and doesn’t teach about the language. It makes the process of teaching easy and pleasant. It helps the teacher and the learner to cover up more syllabuses in less time. Psychologically this method is very sound because the teacher proceeds from particular to general and from concrete to abstract. There is direct bond between thought and expression. So it helps the learner to have fluency in speech. It helps the students to have good command over the language.

There are also many disadvantages in this method. There is need of really competent teachers for teaching English by using this method. But we have dearth of such teachers. Sometimes the teacher fails to make the students understand the meaning of a particular word because the use of mother tongue is not allowed. In this method there is over emphasis on oral work. Reading and writing process of the language get less attention. This method cannot be used successfully for the average and the below average students. It is an expensive method because the teacher has to use some aids for teaching. This method does not lay emphasis on the selection and gradation of language material which is very important. At the early stages this method may fail miserably. The students may not be able to learn anything.

Thus we find that the Direct Method of teaching has some shortcomings but its merits cannot be ignored. On the whole it is considered to be a good method for teaching English. The best thing for the teachers would be to modify it according to the needs and requirements of the learners.