Methodology
The methodology as practised within our department is based on the principle that language is acquired by exposure to it and by use of it, i.e. the COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH.
There are three main stages to this approach:
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the teacher presents the new material
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the pupil practices the material to become familiar with it
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the pupil uses the new material actively and creatively in purposeful situations
The use of the target language by the teacher is vital in the development of confidence and a sense of security in the pupils. Therefore the teacher’s personal command of the target language is of crucial importance. The teacher should feel at ease in the target language and should be able to improvise without fear of making mistakes of syntax or pronunciation. Pupils will then become familiar with hearing the language and will develop oral and aural competence from an early stage.
However, common sense would dictate that the use of the mother tongue must also be used on occasion to avoid alienating the learner and to promote a positive atmosphere within the classroom environment.
To promote the use of target language in classrooms, an agreed list of target language words and phrases is to be used by teachers.
Progression through a language course must mean a transition from teacher dominance of each activity to pupil autonomy. Communicative activities require pupil confidence which can only be acquired if the pupils’ contribution is regarded by the teacher as intrinsically valuable to the success of the activities. In general pupils will react positively to any teacher who:
- exhibits a caring and sympathetic attitude
- prepares their lessons conscientiously
- uses teaching aids which are appropriate and unambiguous, accessible and systematically organised
- tries to involve as many pupils as possible, even the shy and reluctant, in a rich variety of activities
- uses tasks which vary in difficulty and complexity, so that the less able may experience success while the more able may be sufficiently challenged.
Similarly, in keeping with the New Northern Ireland Curriculum, the Modern Languages Department is keen to promote the incorporation of active learning in the daily learning and teaching processes.
We recognise that individual pupils will have distinct strengths and weaknesses. For some, progress may well be slow in one attainment target for a period of time. Where diagnosed as a weakness, this should be addressed as far as possible through remedial action in the context of differentiated teaching.
Each lesson should ideally involve a variety of skills linked with variety in the use of resources. Normally a lesson should feature at least two or three of the four skill areas to some degree. Indeed, certain activities may become multi-skill activities. For example, listening to a recorded dialogue can lead to reading comprehension, followed by speaking and/or writing, using the original dialogue as a model. A variety of skills should also be matched by a variety of social dynamics. In other words, whole class teaching should at appropriate times give way to group, pair and individual work. In order to sustain interest it is also essential to use a variety of resources in each unit of work.
Examples of Teaching Aids
- Flashcards
- Overhead Projector
- Games, e.g. lotto, bingo, alphabet games &c
- Songs and rhymes
- Audio
- Video
- ICT
- Realia