Week 7 Post-method approach

There have been many types of method developed for second language teaching. Each types of method have its own characteristics and have been developed to benefit for both teachers and learners in terms of effectiveness in teaching and learning. Some types of method, even though they are quite old methods, are still used in a part of other approach and some of them are not used anymore.

Kumaravadivelu (1994) identified what he called the "post-method condition", a result of "the widespread dissatisfaction with the conventional concept of method". Rather than subscribe to a single set of procedures, post-method teachers adapt their apporoach in accordance with locan, contextual factors, while at the same time being guided by a number of "macrostrategies". Two such macrostrategies are "Ensure social relevance" and "Raise cultural awareness".

Prabhu (1990) argued that there is no best method, but teachers need to learn to operate with some personal conceptualization of how their teaching leads to desired learning - with a notion of causation that has a measure of credibility of them.

References

Candlin, C. N., & Mercer, N (eds.). (2001). English language teaching in its social context. Routledge: London.

Kumaravadivelu, B. (1994). The Postmethod condition: (E)merging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28.