A Theory-Informed Practical Guide for Teachers and Graduate Students
By DalatTESOL
🧭 Why This Guide?
If you’re a TESOL teacher or graduate student, you’ve probably encountered terms like Communicative Language Teaching, Task-Based Learning, or scaffolding in textbooks or lesson planning. But do you know how these fit into a coherent system of teaching? This article demystifies these terms by organizing them into three layers:
- Approach – the theory behind how languages are learned
- Method – the structured plan that applies this theory
- Technique – the practical classroom activity you do
Understanding this structure helps you justify your choices as a teacher and design pedagogically sound lessons.
📚 1. Clarifying the Terms: Approach, Method, Technique
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | A set of theories about what language is and how it is learned | Communicative, Structural, Sociocultural |
| Method | An overall teaching plan based on an approach | Grammar Translation, CLT, TBLT |
| Technique | A specific activity in the classroom | Role-play, Think-Pair-Share, Dictogloss |
Think of them like this:
Approach (belief) → Method (plan) → Technique (action)
🧠 2. LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACHES
Each approach is grounded in theory about how language is acquired.
🔠 A. Structural Approach (Form-Focused)
Definition:
The Structural Approach sees language as a system of rules and sentence structures. Learning is viewed as the formation of correct linguistic habits.
Key Theories:
- Behaviorism (Skinner, 1957): Learning is habit formation through stimulus–response–reinforcement
- Structural Linguistics: Focuses on analyzing and practicing grammatical structures
Pedagogical Assumption:
If learners practice structures repeatedly and receive correction, they will internalize correct forms.
Example:
Students repeat and transform sentences using correct tense patterns:
“He goes to school” → “They go to school.”
💬 B. Communicative Approach (Meaning-Focused)
Definition:
This approach views language as a tool for communicative interaction and focuses on fluency, meaning, and real-life language use.
Key Concepts:
- Communicative Competence (Hymes, 1972): More than grammar—knowing how to use language appropriately in context
- Interaction Hypothesis (Long, 1996): Interaction is necessary for language development
Pedagogical Assumption:
Learners best acquire language through meaningful communication and negotiation of meaning, not just grammar drills.
Example:
Pair work: Students plan a class party, discussing ideas and making decisions in English.
🧠 C. Sociocultural Approach (Mediation-Focused)
Definition:
Learning is a social and cultural process, where knowledge is co-constructed through interaction and supported by more capable peers or tools.
Key Concepts:
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The gap between what a learner can do alone and with help
- Scaffolding: Support provided by a teacher or peer that is gradually withdrawn
- Mediation: The use of language or tools to facilitate learning
Key Theorist:
- Lev Vygotsky (1978), Cultural-Historical Theory
Pedagogical Assumption:
Learning occurs through dialogic interaction, peer collaboration, and teacher mediation.
Example:
A teacher helps students write an opinion paragraph by offering sentence starters and guiding questions — gradually letting them take control.
🧩 D. Lexical Approach (Chunk-Focused)
Definition:
Language is made up of lexical chunks—fixed and semi-fixed expressions—not just individual words or grammatical rules.
Key Concepts:
- Chunks: “I’m afraid I can’t,” “a good chance of,” “on the other hand”
- Collocation: Words that commonly go together (e.g., “make a decision,” “strong tea”)
Key Theorist:
- Michael Lewis (1993): Argued that fluency depends more on chunking than grammar mastery
Pedagogical Assumption:
Teaching and recycling lexical patterns builds naturalness and fluency.
Example:
Students highlight useful expressions in a reading passage and practice using them in conversation:
“It seems to me that…” / “I’d suggest we…”
🧪 3. LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS
Each method is a practical teaching plan based on an approach.
📖 A. Grammar–Translation Method (GTM)
- Based on: Structural Approach
- Focus: Translation, grammar rules, vocabulary
- Criticism: Neglects listening, speaking, and fluency
🧾 Example:
Translate: “She had never been to Hanoi before.”
Identify past perfect tense, list irregular verbs.
🔁 B. Audio-Lingual Method (ALM)
- Based on: Behaviorist psychology and structural linguistics
- Focus: Pattern drills, mimicry, substitution
- Criticism: Rote and lacks real-life communication
Key Terms:
- Drills: Repetitive practice (e.g., “I eat,” “He eats,” “They eat”)
- Error Correction: Immediate correction of mistakes to avoid forming “bad habits”
🧾 Example:
Teacher: “I go to school.”
Students: “You go to school.” → “We go to school.”
🗣️ C. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
- Based on: Communicative Approach
- Focus: Real-world communication, fluency, functional language
- Criticism: May underemphasize grammar or accuracy
Key Concept:
- Task authenticity: Use of real-life language for real purposes
🧾 Example:
Students act out a scene at a coffee shop, making requests and responding politely.
🧩 D. Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)
- Based on: Communicative + Sociocultural Approaches
- Focus: Completing tasks using the target language
- Structure: Pre-task → Task → Post-task (reflection, feedback)
Key Concept:
- Meaning-before-form: Language is used first to communicate, then analyzed
🧾 Example:
Students plan a holiday using travel websites and present the itinerary to the class.
📚 E. Content-Based Instruction (CBI)
- Based on: Sociocultural and constructivist views
- Focus: Learning language through academic or content knowledge (e.g., science, business)
- Common in: EMI (English-medium instruction), CLIL
Key Concept:
- Language as a medium for learning, not just the goal
🧾 Example:
Students read about climate change, learn key vocabulary, and write a summary with personal reflections.
🧰 4. LANGUAGE TEACHING TECHNIQUES
Techniques are classroom actions. Some are specific to a method; others are adaptable across methods.
| Technique | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Role-play | Students simulate real-life roles | Ordering food, apologizing, giving directions |
| Information Gap | Learners must share information to complete a task | One has a train schedule, the other needs to plan a trip |
| Think–Pair–Share | Reflect, discuss in pairs, then share | “What does culture mean to you?” |
| Dictogloss | Reconstruct a text from memory | Teacher reads a short story twice; students recreate it in pairs |
| Error Correction Codes | Use symbols to mark errors in writing | “V” = verb tense, “WO” = word order |
| Scaffolding Prompts | Support learner talk | “What do you think will happen next?” / “Can you give an example?” |
🔄 Putting It All Together
You’re teaching how to give advice.
You believe in learning through interaction (Communicative Approach)
You choose Task-Based Learning as your method.
You use information gap and role-play techniques.
The focus is on fluency and expressing opinions.
This clarity helps you explain why you teach the way you do — and helps your students learn more effectively.
🎯 Final Tips for TESOL Teachers
✅ Choose an approach that fits your context and learner needs
✅ Design methods that support both fluency and accuracy
✅ Use techniques aligned with your lesson objectives
✅ Reflect: Why am I using this activity? What learning theory supports it?
📌 By DalatTESOL — Supporting language teachers and researchers with evidence-informed, theory-driven resources for the classroom.