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1490
Latin was the Dominant Language
500 years ago, Latin was the dominant language of education, commerce, religion, and government in the Western world. In the sixteenth century, French, Italian, and English gained importance due to political changes in Europe, displacing Latin as a language of spoken and written communication. -
Period: 1490 to
Latin
The study of Latin and the analysis of grammar and rhetoric became the model for foreign language study from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Children entering "Grammar school" in the XVI, XVII, and XVIII centuries were given a rigorous introduction to Latin grammar, which was taught through rote learning of grammar rules, study of declensions and conjugations, translation, and practice in writing sample sentences, sometimes using parallel bilingual texts and diálogos. -
The Decline of Latin
The decline of Latin brought a new justification for teaching Latin, focusing on its role in developing intellectual abilities. Latin became a "mental gymnastic," seen as essential for higher education. The study of Latin grammar became an end in itself, reinforcing the idea that it was crucial for intellectual development. -
Period: to
Modern Languages
Modern languages began to enter the curriculum of European schools in the eighteenth century. They were taught using the same procedures as Latin, with textbooks focusing on abstract grammar rules, vocabulary lists, and sentences for translation. Speaking was not the goal, and oral practice was limited. Students translated sentences that had little relevance to real communication, focusing instead on illustrating grammatical rules. -
Period: to
Nineteenth Century Innovations
Oral proficiency became an issue as more opportunities for communicating arose causing new approaches to be presented instead of The Grammar-Translation.
The focus of educators during this time recognized the need for speaking proficiency.
Teachers and linguists began the reform movement.
F. Gouin emphasis on the need to present a new teaching items in the context that makes their meaning clear are practices that later became part of such approaches. -
Period: to
Foreign Languages in School
The approach based on Latin became the standard method for studying foreign languages in schools. Textbooks were organized around grammar points, with rules explained and illustrated by sample sentences. The focus was on memorizing rules of morphology and syntax, with minimal oral work and random written exercises. -
Period: to
The Grammar-Translation Method
Key Exponents: Johann Seidenstücker, Karl Plötz, H. S. Ollendorf, Johann Meidinger. Known as the Prussian Method in the United States, this method emphasized the study of grammar rules followed by translation exercises. Dominated European language teaching from the 1840s to the 1940s. Despite criticism, it is still used in some contexts, particularly where understanding literary texts is the goal. -
Period: to
The Direct Method
A reaction against the Grammar-Translation Method, inspired by natural language learning. L. Sauveur pioneered teaching without translation, using oral interaction. F. Franke (1884) supported a monolingual, inductive grammar approach. Target language only.
Everyday vocabulary.
Oral Q&A.
Inductive grammar teaching.
Visual aids for vocabulary.
Emphasis on speech, listening, pronunciation, and grammar.
Popular in Berlitz language schools. -
Grammar-Translation Method
Linguists such as Henry Sweet argued for methodological principles based on scientific analysis of language and psychology, advocating for careful selection, limitation, and grading of language material. Wilhelm Viëtor emphasized the importance of phonetics in language teaching and criticized the inadequacies of the Grammar-Translation Method in his influential pamphlet, Language Teaching Must Start Afresh (1882). -
Creation of the International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Association (IPA) was founded, creating the International Phonetic Alphabet to accurately transcribe the sounds of any language. -
Period: to
The Reform Movement
The Reform Movement marked a shift from the Grammar-Translation Method to more practical, spoken language approaches. Emphasis on the spoken language as primary.
Phonetic training to establish good pronunciation habits. Use of conversation texts and dialogues to introduce conversational phrases and idioms. The Reform Movement laid the theoretical foundations for modern language teaching, advocating for oral-based methodology and practical language use. -
Period: to
The Direct Method and Its Evolution
British linguist Henry Sweet criticized the Direct Method for its weak methodological foundation and overemphasis on exclusive target language use. He found it innovative but impractical and difficult to adapt to different teaching contexts. Despite its decline, the Direct Method's emphasis on oral language and inductive learning laid the groundwork for later communicative and interactive language teaching approaches. -
Period: to
The Methods Era
In the 1920s and 1930s, Henry Sweet and other linguists developed systematic principles for language teaching, building on the Reform Movement. This laid the groundwork for the British approach to teaching English as a foreign language. Audiolingualism emerged in the U.S., while the Oral Approach (Situational Language Teaching) developed in Britain. The 20th century saw the rise and fall of various methods, driven by the search for the most effective way to teach languages. -
Period: to
The Most Active Period in Language Teaching
New Methods (1950s-1960s):
Audiolingual Method: Repetition and drills for listening and speaking.
Situational Method: Language through real-life contexts for oral proficiency.
Silent Way: Learner autonomy with minimal teacher input.
Natural Approach: Natural language acquisition.
Total Physical Response: Language learning through physical movement. Emphasized meaningful communication, replacing Audiolingual and Situational Methods. -
The Post-Methods Era
Shifts in Understanding Language Teaching:
By the 1990s, there was growing recognition that no single method could address all the challenges in language teaching.
This led to the emergence of alternative ways to understand the nature of language teaching, characterizing what has been referred to as the "post-methods era."
Teachers and educators began to focus more on adaptable frameworks, eclectic approaches, and the importance of context in determining the most effective teaching strategies. -
Emergence of New Approaches
The 1990s in Language Teaching saw the Content-Based Instruction (CBI) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): Focused on learning through meaningful content and tasks.
Competency-Based Instruction: Emphasized learning outcomes and specific language competencies rather than methods. Influence of General Education Movements:
Cooperative Learning
Whole Language Approach
Multiple Intelligences
These approaches were adapted to second language teaching, providing diverse and holistic methods.