140 Chapter Five An Integrated Approach for English Language Teaching The previous chapters reveal the fact that no particular Method or Approach is complete and hence the most effective. Every Method, as it is seen, has merits as well as demerits. If the teachers could integrate the merits of all these methods and eliminate the demerits, they would have an Integrated Approach for the teaching of English as a Second Language. The investigator conducted surveys in this regard. Questionnaires were prepared and given to a random group of English Language Learners and the results are tabulated as follows: Table 1 Learners Responses to the Questionnaires useful very useful to useful some extent Learners who found the G.T Method 5 10 85 Learners who found the D.M. 10 80 10 Learners who used any other method * 20 10 70 and found it Learners who suggested an 90 5 5 Integrated Approach would be Learners who suggested any 10 10 80 other method would be * Communicative, A-L, Bilingual, Situational, Reading etc. Table 2 Learners Hope in the Future Prospects of English Poor Good Excellent Promising Nil 5% 15% 80%
141 Table 3 Exposure to English outside Schools & Colleges Informal Formal Enter- Marke- Class Tele- Dome- Educa- Office / Inter- Library Secu- Acade- Quali- Social tain- ting room phonic stic tional Docu- view use ring mic fication status ment ments a profe- Excellssion ence 60% 20% 3% 15% 2% 25% 11.25% 20% 12.5% 12.5% 10% 6.25% 2.5% Table 4 Learners Desire to Use English in LSRW Sl. Learner Listening Speaking Rading Writing No. backgroud Low Medium High Low Medium High Low Medium High Low Medium High 1 Economically & socially - 8 92-8 92-5 95-10 90 forward 2 Economically forward & socially 10 70 20-40 60-60 40 15 55 30 backward 3 Economically backward & socially 10 20 70 5 15 80 10 20 70 20 60 20 forward 4 Economically & socially 70 20 10 30 65 5 50 40 10 70 20 10 backward
142 A study of the surveys conducted shows that a considerable number of students desire to learn and use English and the majority of them are for earning a livelihood. Relatively a few cared for scholastic purposes and it was unanimously agreed that English was important not only for securing a job, but also for keeping social status. Having clearly understood the differences between a Second Language and a Foreign Language and the need for teaching English as a Second Language, and not as a Foreign Language, the investigator now has to find out the means to implement the new Integrated Approach in our classrooms. Having witnessed from the data the defects of the Grammar-Translation Method, it proves to be a failure in the Second Language classroom. The errors made by the learners thus taught, in producing Target Language utterances or constructing Target Language sentences can be largely attributed to the Grammar-Translation Method. Even though the Direct Method proved to be a better method in the Second Language classroom, it required a strict Target Language atmosphere, which meant the conversation, discussion or reading, whatever was used to teach the Target Language would be, in the Target Language itself. Also, the
143 words were taught by linking them to objects or pictures and not by relying on translation under any circumstance. Here, emphasis is on the actual use of the Target Language and not just on memorising paradigms or practising forms. This is in great resemblance with learning one s Native Language. The Native Language, as we know, is learnt by listening to a great deal of it and that they learn to speak it by speaking it. 1 As speech precedes the other forms of language skills in any language, even when teaching a Foreign Language, the skill of speaking must be developed first. When it was advocated, the method aimed to develop the ability to think in the Target Language or the Foreign Language. Therefore, it follows that ample practice must be given to ensure correct pronunciation too. Here lies the importance of introducing the system of speech sounds in the syllabus. Once the correct accent and pronunciation have been developed in the language learners, they will be able to articulate the Foreign Language words and sentences without being influenced by their respective native languages. In contrast to the classroom in which the Grammar-Translation Method is used, a Direct Method classroom requires very energetic, enthusiastic and all the more, very resourceful teachers. In addition, these teachers need to have a near-native accent and pronunciation. For this, the teachers need to
144 be given opportunities to participate in pre-service and in-service training programmes. Even though Grammar is not to be taught directly and formally, the learners should be encouraged to draw structural generalisations from what they have been learning. Thus, whatever Grammar has been learnt, it must be at a functional level, and that too, limited to what has been used in speech. In the Direct Method, the learners are encouraged to seek direct comprehension by inferring meanings form the context. When this cannot help, we can chalk out situations from which the students draw meanings. An integration of the Situational Approach comes handy in such circumstances. The materials to be used in such a classroom should contain graded vocabulary and structures. The materials used in Communicative Approach can be used here to teach conversation skills. The Grammar - based activities should be more controlled, and more inductive in their approach. Inclusion of Audio-Visual Aids and materials facilitate communication between learners and that develop communicative abilities of interpretation, expression and negotiation. 2 In addition to that, the materials should allow learners to progress at their own rates of learning and for different styles. They should also provide
145 opportunities for independent study and use and for self - evaluation and progress in learning (Jack C.Richards and T.S. Rodjers, 2001). The syllabus and the materials for implementing various methods must relate the classroom activities to real life. They should also (Jack C. Richards and R.S. Rodjers, Approaches & Methods in Language Teaching, 6th print, 2003, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2001, 30) foster real communication among the learners. A good comprehension and resulting communication are expected of the learners, and the language, in all the forms it is used, must necessarily possess a link with objects, pictures or actions. The teacher implementing an Integrated Approach should use a language laboratory effectively. He can teach the sounds of the alphabet with a judicial use of audio cassettes and Compact Discs. After a drilling session of the sounds, the teacher can assign tasks related to pronunciation of various sounds as they appear in words and contexts. A good use of the Audio Visual Aids should supplement the lesson. Other visual materials like advertisements, brochures, maps, graphs and books and games like Charade, Mime, Scrabble, Role-plays etc. should make the learning process interesting and enjoyable. When the students are asked to associate speech with action, words with concepts and objects, the teachers must make sure that the associations
146 are direct, concrete and definite. Cross-associations have to be avoided at all costs. Drills of patterns and structures follow as a reinforcement activity. Situations which are real-life-like must be created so that the learner can communicate. Every attempt to communicate, on the part of the learner, is positively reinforced and this motivates the students to do a better job. The learners who have already acquired the Second Language patterns are made to do a comparative study of the structural differences between their Source Language and Target Language thereby enabling them take it into their advantage, the Source Language patterns then considering them as hindrances. As in Audio Lingual Method, the learners must also be given adequate systematic practice. The proposed communicative syllabuses can be employed here. When the materials are constructed, the teachers must make sure that they can ensure uniformity in classrooms despite the individual differences between the teachers. The syllabus and materials must also provide enough scope for all types of learners. Besides that the foundation for further learning should be laid at this time. The next chapter deals with how and when various methods of English Language Teaching could be successfully employed and what kind of pattern
147 practice be given for reinforcement. In addition to that, this chapter throws light on the errors made by the learners in their verbal expressions and suggests means in order to correct them.
148 Notes 1 Wilga M. Rivers, Teaching Foreign Language Skills (Fifth imp.1972, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1968) 18. 2 Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (6th print 2003, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001) 30.