3. Principles of Foreign Language Teaching.
Principle is defined as a guide to action, in our case as a guide to teaching.
Methods of teaching foreign language are based on the fundamental principles
of pedagogic (didactics). The seven didactic principles (consciousness, activeness,
visuality, consecutiveness, systematicness, accessibility, and durability) are
interdependent and mutually complementary.
In each subject those principles are applied specifically. For instance, the
principle of visuality is differently realized in the teaching of mathematics,
geography and foreign languages.
One of the main methodological principles in FLT is the principle of practical
or communicative approach. It means learners should be involved in oral and
written communication throughout the whole course of leaning the foreign
language. This principle is realized in modern teaching aids and teaching materials
now in use in schools. Students are taught to use the target language as a means of
communication for listening comprehension, speaking, and reading.
The principle of a differential approach in foreign language teaching - each
activity requires special attention on the part of the teacher.
The principle of accessibility - In teaching of every subject including a foreign
language, the principle of accessibility is realized through conformity with the
following requirements: 1. The subject- matter of the instruction must correspond
to the age and mental powers of the learners; be either too difficult ,nor to easy or
too childish for them. 2. be rightly closed, i.e. be neither overabundant, nor scarce ;
this refers to the whole course as provided for in the program, to teach lesson, and
each home –assignment; in terms of time relations this means that the rate of
progress of the instruction must be neither too rapid nor too slow; 3. Be properly
graded; each stage should be prepared by, and follow logically from, the preceding
stages, without gaps or missing links in the previous instruction. 4. be so presented
that the pupils have to grapple only with one difficulty at a time; graduation of
difficulties is also an indispensable condition of accessibility. For example, new
grammar material should be introduced on familiar lexical material lest the pupils
should be confronted simultaneously with two sets of difficulties. Or in teaching
the Past Indefinite tense aspect form of the verb the affirmative form must be
introduced first, then the interrogative and negative.
The Principle of Durability stands somewhat apart from the other didactic
principles in so far as it determines the nature not of the teaching, but of the
assimilation of the instruction. To be exact, it (durability) means the ability to keep
in memory linguistic and language material learnt, i.e. learners can use units of
language semantic-patterns whenever they need them for oral or written
communication. The durability is ensured : by vivid presentation of the material
,when pupils are involved in the act of presentation ,their thinking and senses are at
work; by constant revision or drill pupils reproduce the material, and review it
throughout the course, their auditory, visual, kinesthetic and motor analyzers are at
work. Modern methodology pays much attention to this principle. The idea of
intensive work of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic analyzers has been made real
because of the use of various teaching aids and teaching materials.
The Principle of Conscious approach. Consciousness as a principle of
didactics, or in one of the two main senses of this word, (сознательность,
сознание) is knowledge, and understanding by the learner (pupils) of what he or
she is doing. Pupils understand both the form and the content of the material they
are to learn, and they are aware of how they should treat the material while
performing various exercises which aim at developing habits and skills in using it.
Such an approach to language learning usually contrasts with “mechanical”
learning through repetitive drill. In teaching a foreign language therefore, it is
reasonable to help pupils in assimilating language rules which function in this
language by introducing the rules, rather tan to wait until the learners deduce these
rules through speech activity. V.A. Artemov a prominent psychologist, B.V.
Belyaev and others whose contribution to foreign language teaching is
considerable insist, on a similar conscious approach to foreign language teaching.
Only language practice supported by the theory can develop language habits and
skills in a desirable direction and lead to mastering of a foreign language. A
conscious approach to foreign language teaching implies the use of the learner’s
native language (mother tongue). Comparison contributes to the thorough
understanding of the material studied, since it causes the learner to observe and
analyze the linguistic phenomena.
The Principle of activity (Activeness) Activeness is largely dependent upon
interest. We know that the chief psychological factor naturally conditioning interest
is relatedness to self. In order to awaken or stimulate the pupils’ interest in the
English language the teacher will tell them at the very first lesson about the
manifold possibilities that open out before each of them at the result of studying
that language. The learner should feel a need to learn the subject and have
necessary prerequisites created for satisfaction of this need; The main sources of
activity are motivation, desire and interest in reading the original interesting and
useful books written in English; corresponding with English schoolchildren;
conversing with foreign guests to our republic, perhaps visiting or being sent on a
mission to one of the countries of the English- speaking nations and converting
with the residents in their own language.
The principle of visuality in foreign language teaching is consistent with the
psychological principle of associative memorization and with Pavlov’s theory of
the two signaling systems: A wide use of visuality in the teaching all the subjects is
also as main requirement of didactics. Since the gaining of knowledge begins
either with sense perception or with what has been formerly perceived that is with
previous experience. In foreign language teaching the realization of the principle of
visuality primarily finds expression in the direct or visual modes of semantizing, or
explaining meanings i.e. the demonstration and naming by the teacher of objects,
pictures and actions, wherefore the learners infer the meanings of the words and
expressions used. The use of visual aids develops the pupils habits of speech
enhances the emotional influence of visual impressions causing the desire to speak.
Visualization allows the teacher to create natural conditions for pupils’ oral
practice and “free conversation”.
The principle of individualization in foreign language teaching is of great
importance since this subject is an essential one in the curriculum in out schools
therefore each pupil should habits and skills the syllabys sets. However some
individuals in a class learn more rapidly than others. The teacher should access the
progress of each individual in the class and find the way hoe to manage the
classroom activity so that the slowest learners are not depressed by being left
behind and the fastest and most able learners are not frustrated by being held back.
Individualization in foreign language teaching is achieved: 1) through the use of
so-called “individual cards”(раздаточный материал) 2) through the use of the
programmed materials when each pupil can work at his own place; 3) By special
selection of exercises for each group of pupils in the class: bright average and dull;
the former can do more difficult exercises than the latter; by the use of additional
material, for example: for reading for bright pupils. by arranging pupils
communication in the target language so that each pupil can do his best as a
participant of the work done in the classroom. In conclusion it should be said that
to apply the principle of individual approach in foreign language teaching the
teacher should be familiar with the class, with its individuals. The foreign language
syllabus (State syllabus) is the main document which lays down and the content of
teaching foreign languages in schools.
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