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Period: to
The Classical Period
The Grammar-Translation Method was the standard classroom approach. It focused on grammatical rules, syntactic structures, memorisation of vocabulary and translation of
literary texts. -
Period: to
The Reform Period
Gottlieb Heness, and Lambert Sauveur, developed what they called ‘The Natural Method’, which was a conversation-based method which taught the meaning of new words by objects, pictures, mime, context, and so on.
Maximilian Berlitz decided to set up his own language school in
Providence. "the Direct Method", inclined to use the mother-tongue judiciously, for example, to explain new vocabulary. However, translation into the language being learnt was, generally, rejected. -
Period: to
The Scientific Period
Harold E. Palmer elaborated his Oral Method of Teaching Languages, which consisted in teaching conversation independently of texts. Most of the exercises were in drill form and followed what later became known as a stimulus-response model.
Hornby coined the phrase ‘The Situational Approach’ to show how a teacher can convey meaning when there is no obvious support like a picture, and it was the dominant approach in British TEFL in the 1960s. -
Period: to
The Communicative Period
Task-based Language Teaching (1980s) designed a syllabus made up of tasks consisting in solving daily
real-life problems.
(From the 1990s and on) The Project work is a series of activities guided by the teacher which allow students to study, research and act by themselves using their abilities, interests and personal experiences.
Project based learning(PBL) students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful activities.