Approach Purpose (Why/Who) Content (What) Practice (How)

Grammar Translation (1880)
Deductive Grammar
Speaking Deemphasized
Direct Approach (1910)
Inductive Grammar
Speaking Emphasized
• to teach aristocracy, often rich • classical books, such as Homer
young men, how to read Latin and
Greek
• to teach culture and morality
• language for its own sake…as
an intellectual exercise
• to teach students who want to
study or visit other countries
• to travel
• to experience culture: not
just classic literature, but
geography, history, and people
and the Bible
• Long passages of text
• different genres: poetry, short
story, and novel
• dialogues and conversations
• passages about how other
cultures live (geography,
politics, culture)
• maps, visual aids (objects and
pictures)
• translation and “back”
translation
• deductive grammar instruction
• reading comprehension
questions
• fill in the blanks
• memorization of vocabulary
• compositions (writing essays)
• inductive grammar instruction
• reading aloud
• conversation practice
• map drawing and information
gaps
• question and answer
• self-correction, when possible

Reading Approach (1930)
Deductive Grammar
Speaking Deemphasized
• to teach students who will
most likely never leave the
country
• to teach a practical skill
students might actually use
• to teach by using teachers who
are not native language speakers
• readings that are leveled to the
learners’ knowledge
• vocabulary words from those
readings
• grammatical items from those
readings
• deductive grammar instruction
• memorization of vocabulary
• translation
• oral proficiency not
emphasized
• evaluative performance
through testing is emphasized

Audio-­­lingual Approach (1940) • to teach soldiers how to speak • dialogues • habit formation drills:
so they can communicate with • language mimicry (without a backward build-up, chain,
Inductive Grammar enemies and allies focus on meaning) single and multi-slot
Speaking Emphasized • to teach anyone who needs to • visual aids (objects and substitution, transformation
communicate orally/aurally pictures) • dialog memorization
• use of minimal pairs
• grammar games
• overlearning
 Cognitive Approach (1960) • to understand how languages
work
Deductive Grammar • to research and publish
Speaking Deemphasized • to recognize the unique
properties of the human mind
Affective Humanistic (1970) • to respect student feelings as
they learn a language
Inductive Grammar • ‐to increase the speed of
Speaking Emphasized learning
Comprehension Approach (1980) • to help make meaning clear (to • classroom objects: a door, a
make input comprehensible)
Inductive/Deductive Grammar • to help learners gain
Speaking Deemphasized confidence so that they are
willing to produce language
Communicative Approach • to connect people together in
(1980) order to create opportunity
and awareness.
Inductive/Deductive Grammar • to love other cultures and
Speaking/Writing Emphasized places
• to use a language
NOT TRULY A CLASSROOM
APPROACH…A WAY OF
UNDERSTANDING A LEARNER
• bright colors and pictures,
posters everywhere
• music and fine art
• dialogues
• games
clock, a chair, etc.
• observable actions: jump, sit,
walk, run
• chunks of language in novel
combinations
• carefully leveled books with
high interest themes books
often
• books often contain four
“skills”: reading, writing,
listening and speaking
• books also contain excerpts on
pronunciation, grammar
culture, learner strategies,
speech acts, and vocabulary
learner strategies, speech acts, and
vocabulary
Instead of techniques, experts focused
on characteristics of the leaners’ brains
and strategies they can use to improve
their learning.
• positive reinforcement
• choosing a new identity
• multiple concerts: reading
a dialogue with music in the
background and playing it
multiple times
• spontaneous, creative thought
through dramatic
interpretations, games, singing
and dancing
singing and dancing
• use of commands
• role reversal (now YOU are the
teacher)
• action sequence
• use of authentic materials
• picture strips (comics)
• information gap exercises
• language games
• group and pair work
• activities that meet “diverse
needs”