Will there be a next big thing?
Teresa suggested that perhaps we are seen as being post-method as people are skeptical of emerging methods which try to revolutionise language teaching and learning. Tracey joked that someone is bound to come out with an AI-focused approach and they discussed the potential and limitations of AI in language teaching as well as the possibility of AI being exploited for financial gain. Additionally, they considered the potential for new approaches to emerge with a better understanding of the brain and language acquisition, while acknowledging the challenges in determining their effectiveness.
What is a method?
They also discussed the sometimes confusing terminology around approaches, methods and models. In the text which was a starting point for the session, Are Language Teaching Methods Really Dead as Some TESOL Gurus Have Proclaimed? by Jesús Alirio Bastidas, he mentions the work of Edward M. Anthony in defining approaches, methods and technique, which Dr. Aydan Ersöz explains well in this video.
Do all approaches work?
They went on to discuss how principled eclecticism seems to be favoured by many educators nowadays and that teachers or institutions which rigidly adhere to one particular approach can seem strange, noting however that there must be some validity in the approach for the teacher or school to continue using it and welcoming new students. However, Tracey also highlighted the danger of teachers assuming learners like or dislike a particular classroom technique without evidence to back it up. She also warned of the teacher projecting their likes and dislikes onto the learners. This led them on to discussing how individual learners are affected by the approach or resources that a teacher may use and their own varying levels of success in learning languages at school. They both agreed that the success of using appraoches, techniques and resources depends on the strategies employed by the teacher and the individual’s ability to understand and utilize the material.
Why is an awareness of different methodologies useful?
They emphasised the importance of understanding how students learn and adapting teaching strategies accordingly, rather than focusing on specific methods. They also highlighted the benefit of higher-level qualifications exposing teachers to different approaches. Furthermore, they discussed the challenges of engaging learners and the potential value of explaining the rationale behind choices within the plan and lesson to the learners.
Conclusion
Tracey came up with a very quotable quote, but unfortunately the AI summary doesn’t do direct quotes and Teresa was too in the moment to write it down 😄 The gist of it was that methods are not dead, but there is less attachment to any particular approach.