methods

Question

0Looking for input/opinions about using particular methods for teaching courses.  Are all methods like Shenker, SpeakYourMind or Callan the same in the end or do they cater to different markets?  Is bigger really better?  Would we just be pulling people in the door because of the name?  Student satisfaction and retention would be important for us.  02br02br00Any opinions are welcome.  Thanks!0-

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

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00It is hard to give an opinion without knowing more about your situation. Are you an individual or a school? Are you trained in any methods now? What are your feelings about how people learn a foreign or second language? Why are you in this business?02br
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00Those who teach well with a sole, specific method are those who are committed to and enthusiastic about it, who believe strongly in its efficacy,and who can communicate that feeling to students. Other teachers use methods that they fall into through experiment, circumstances, or chance.02br
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00My personal belief is that, because each student is individual in the mix of his reason for learning, his time commitment to and focus on the task, and his learning style, no one system can possibly be an infallible vade mecum for language learning. Much more important is the instructor's own ability to relate to students, lower the barriers to learning, and supply their needs (mostly language input) most efficiently.02br
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00No system has a convincing record of teaching English faster or better than any other; the most they can show is that 01u00some02u00 students do well using it-- and they can all show that.02br
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00Certain things are now known: grammar translation and rote drilling are not efficient; passive listening is not efficient. (I am talking here of learning to speak a language for general communicative purposes, of course-- I presume that that is your goal also.) I myself unashamedly use bits and pieces of all sorts of techniques on a very ad hoc basis-- the immediate needs of the student sitting in front of me-- and I rework and adapt them constantly. With experience, the ability to customize your service and thus be free of reliance on a single method presents a wider opportunity to improve your teaching and advance your students' acquisition of the language. 0-

Pellisier · Answer

0Wise words indeed, Micawber. Several would points urge clarification but the assertion that the primary factor in the classroom is "the teachers' own ability to relate to students, lower the barriers to learning and supply their needs most efficiently" is something I wholeheartedly agree with. It seems that a teacher such as yourself would often be able to achieve this vital sense of collaboration, having the experience and intuition to make intellegent and informed decisions about the student's needs, both objective and emotional, and being able to implement appropriate activities, techniques and materials that possibly years of "experiment, circumstances and chance" have allowed an observant, responsive and open-minded teacher to accrue. How transferable is this 'knowledge'? When would the transferral of this body of experience to inexperienced teachers become 'method'? Could you envisage the development of a 'method' that recognises variety and still taps in to the teacher's ability to relate to students, including those who simply lack the experience to follow students' long-term language needs and expectations as well as the 'here and now' personal needs? I disagree that there can't be a 'method' that allows 'many' (rather than 'some') students to learn well. Maybe we need to re-define 'method'. Sorry about the long sentences.0-

Anonymous · Answer

0Thanks for the wise words from both of you - lots to think about. To explain more, we are looking to start a school. We don't have any experience with particular methods but the idea we had was actually related a bit to what Pellisier wrote, we were thinking of methods in that it would provide a kind of stable structure (and image) for the school. Of course we would try to find great teachers like yourself, Micawber, but the worry would be about finding an entire staff of teachers such as this....something in my experience that is difficult. I'm fairly familiar with schools which end up hiring someone due to a lack of qualified teachers, etc... I thought a method might help temper that flux between good/experienced teachers and new/eagar, yet inexperienced teachers. 02br
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00My worry is, in fact, that there are sometimes negative stereo-types of method-courses. I've been reading up about many of them and there is definitely no lack of literature! Unfortunately it all varies from one extreme to the other. Some claim they are perfect (self-proclaimed usually), others claim that on-one can learn with a method. 02br
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00 You also asked why I'm in this business. I can't deny that we're hoping this school will be profitable - but we also believe that the best way to ensure this is to provide a service which students recognize as effective, fast, enjoyable, etc... We are not interested in just getting as many students in the door as possible and counting on new students the next year. In our opinion the key is having students who are so satisfied with the results that not only do they continue to come to us but they also tell everyone they know. Maybe too idealistic? I'd like to think it isn't. 0-

Pellisier · Answer

Helo there,
Just happened to read this discussion and was wondering what, six months later, you had decided. The mission statement you make for your potential school has great appeal. In fact it sounds like exactly what I would have written for my own school when I started up from scratch almost twenty years ago. Much water has passed under the bridge since then but I know I can affirm that your aims are not just idealistic; they are also achievable.
Let us know how things are going.

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