What is the situational approach of teaching English | Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching

Summary

The situational approach to teaching English, developed in the 1930s and popularized in 1960s England, emphasizes practical communication in specific contexts. It focuses on teaching grammar patterns and high-frequency vocabulary through repetition and correction of every error to prevent habituation of mistakes. This method prioritizes oral practice, aiming to enable students to communicate in various real-life situations like shopping or visiting a doctor. However, it has drawbacks, including the limitation of language to habit formation and the potential suppression of communication due to constant correction.

Takeaways

• 📚 The situational approach to teaching English was developed in the 1930s and gained popularity in England around the 1960s.
• 🗣️ It focuses on teaching speaking structures and basic vocabulary within specific situations, hence the name 'situational English'.
• 🔄 There is a strong emphasis on repetition to reinforce language learning.
• 👨‍🏫 Teachers in this approach correct every single error to prevent the habituation of mistakes, viewing language learning as a habit-formation process.
• 💬 The approach aims to teach grammar patterns and high-frequency vocabulary to enable communication in various everyday situations.
• 👂 There is a significant focus on oral practice, which is reflected in modern ESL textbooks.
• 🌐 Situational English prepares students for real-life scenarios such as visiting a doctor, shopping, or taking a taxi.
• 🚫 A drawback is that language learning involves more than just habit formation; it also requires the ability to create novel sentences.
• 🤔 Over-correction by teachers might inhibit students' communication, as they may become overly cautious about making mistakes.
• 📖 The situational approach's influence can be seen in contemporary ESL teaching materials that emphasize speaking and communication in various contexts.

Q & A

What is the situational approach to teaching English?

The situational approach to teaching English is a method developed in the 1930s, which focuses on teaching speaking structures and basic vocabulary within specific situations, hence the name 'situational English'.

When was the situational approach to teaching English popularized in England?

The situational approach to teaching English was popularized around the 1960s in England.

What is the primary focus of the situational approach?

The primary focus of the situational approach is on presenting language structures and vocabulary within specific situations, emphasizing oral practice and communication.

How does the situational approach view language learning?

The situational approach views language learning as a habit formation process, where repetition and correction of errors are key to developing proper language skills.

Why does the situational approach emphasize correcting every single error?

The approach emphasizes correcting every error to prevent students from practicing and thus reinforcing mistakes, which could lead to errors becoming 'fossilized' or ingrained.

What is the role of grammar patterns in the situational approach?

Grammar patterns are a central component of the situational approach, as they provide the structural basis for students to communicate effectively in various situations.

How does the situational approach address vocabulary teaching?

The situational approach focuses on teaching high-frequency vocabulary that allows students to communicate in a wide range of everyday situations.

What are some real-life situations that the situational approach might use for teaching English?

Real-life situations such as visiting a doctor, shopping, or taking a taxi are used to teach English within the context of the situational approach.

What are some criticisms of the situational approach to teaching English?

Critics argue that language is more than habit formation and that the approach may not adequately prepare students to create novel sentences or handle unique communication situations.

How might constant correction of errors affect communication in the situational approach?

Constant correction of errors can inhibit communication, as students might become overly cautious or self-conscious, which could hinder natural language use.

How has the situational approach influenced modern ESL textbooks?

Modern ESL textbooks often reflect the situational approach's focus on speaking, communication, and real-life situations, aiming to prepare students for practical language use.

Outlines

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📚 Situational Approach to Teaching English

The situational approach to teaching English, developed between the 1930s and 1960s in England, emphasizes speaking structures and basic vocabulary within specific contexts. This method involves repetitive practice and a strong focus on error correction to prevent the fossilization of mistakes, viewing language learning as a habit-formation process. It prioritizes grammar patterns and high-frequency vocabulary to enable students to communicate in various situations, such as visiting a doctor, shopping, or traveling in a taxi. However, the approach has its limitations, as it may not adequately address the creation of novel sentences or the potential inhibition of communication due to constant correction by the teacher.

Keywords

💡Situational Approach

The situational approach to teaching English is a method developed in the 1930s and further refined in the 1960s in England. It focuses on teaching language in the context of specific situations, such as at a doctor's office or while shopping. This approach emphasizes the importance of context in language learning, aiming to equip students with the ability to communicate effectively in real-life scenarios. In the script, this is exemplified by the mention of teaching English for situations like 'people at the doctor, out shopping, or in a taxi cab.'

💡Speaking Structures

Speaking structures refer to the grammatical patterns and sentence constructions used in spoken language. The situational approach places a significant emphasis on these structures, ensuring that learners can form sentences correctly in various contexts. The script mentions that 'all the structures are presented in specific situations,' highlighting the approach's focus on practical application of language.

💡Basic Vocabulary

Basic vocabulary consists of essential words that form the foundation of language learning. The situational approach ensures that learners acquire a set of high-frequency words that are necessary for communication in different situations. The script points out the importance of 'grammar patterns and then the very high-frequency vocabulary' to enable students to communicate effectively.

💡Repetition

Repetition is a key teaching strategy in the situational approach, where learners are exposed to language patterns and vocabulary multiple times to reinforce learning. The script notes that 'there's lots of repetition,' indicating that the method relies on the principle of practice to help students internalize language forms.

💡Error Correction

Error correction is the practice of identifying and correcting mistakes made by language learners. In the situational approach, teachers correct every single error to prevent learners from developing bad habits. The script states that teachers view language as a 'habit formation kind of thing' and thus correct errors to avoid 'errors would eventually become fossilized.'

💡Habit Formation

Habit formation is the process of learning and automating behaviors through repetition and practice. The situational approach views language learning as a habit-forming process, where correct usage becomes automatic through consistent practice and correction. The script mentions that teachers correct errors because they 'view language as a habit formation kind of thing.'

💡Fossilization

Fossilization refers to the point at which learners stop making progress in language acquisition, often due to persistent errors becoming ingrained habits. The situational approach aims to prevent fossilization by correcting all errors to ensure learners develop accurate language habits. The script warns against 'errors would eventually become fossilized' if not corrected.

💡Oral Practice

Oral practice involves speaking exercises and activities designed to improve spoken language skills. The situational approach places a strong emphasis on oral practice to enhance communication skills. The script notes the 'focus on oral practice,' which is evident in modern ESL textbooks that aim to prepare students for real-life communication.

💡Grammar Patterns

Grammar patterns are the rules and structures that govern how words are arranged to form sentences. The situational approach teaches these patterns in the context of specific situations to help learners construct sentences correctly. The script mentions the focus on 'grammar patterns' as a key component of the approach.

💡Communication

Communication is the primary goal of language learning, and the situational approach aims to equip students with the skills to communicate effectively in various real-life situations. The script highlights the approach's focus on 'speaking and communication' in different contexts, such as 'people at the doctor, out shopping, or in a taxi cab.'

💡Modern ESL Textbooks

Modern ESL (English as a Second Language) textbooks often incorporate the principles of the situational approach, focusing on practical communication skills. The script suggests that 'most modern ESL textbooks' reflect the situational approach's emphasis on 'speaking and communication and in different situations.'

Highlights

Situational approach to teaching English was developed in the 1930s.

It gained popularity around the 1960s in England.

The approach is focused on speaking structures and basic vocabulary.

Structures are presented in specific situations, hence 'situational English'.

There is a lot of repetition in the teaching process.

The approach emphasizes 'no errors' and teachers correct every mistake.

Language is viewed as a habit formation process.

Students are discouraged from practicing errors to prevent fossilization.

Focus is on grammar patterns and high-frequency vocabulary.

Students are enabled to communicate in various situations.

There is a significant emphasis on oral practice.

Modern ESL textbooks reflect this focus on speaking and communication.

Examples of situations include doctor visits, shopping, and taxi rides.

Language is more than habit formation; it requires creativity.

Learning by habit alone doesn't allow for novel sentence creation.

Constant correction can inhibit communication.

The situational approach has both positive and negative aspects.

The presenter invites questions and comments for further discussion.

Transcripts

What is a situational approach to teaching  English? It was developed in the 1930s to  

around the 1960s in England. It is focused  on speaking structures and basic vocabulary.  

So all the structures are presented in specific  situations, hence the name situational English.  

There's lots of repetition and the focus is on  no errors and so the teacher would correct every  

single error because they view language as a habit  formation kind of thing. They don't want students  

to be practicing errors and then errors would  eventually become fossilized. There's a focus on  

grammar patterns and then the very high-frequency  vocabulary so the students are able to communicate  

in most different situations. There's a ton of  focus on oral practice which is often kind of  

seen today. You can kind of see a lot of this in  most modern ESL textbooks, the focus on speaking  

and communication and in different situations in  which students might use English. For example,  

people at the doctor, out shopping, or in a taxi  cab. Some of the negatives are is that language  

is more than just habit formation and what about  a novel sentence? If you want to say a sentence  

that nobody has ever said before, you have to  know how to do that. So you can't just learn  

that by habit but you actually need to create  your own language. And the other negative is  

that the teacher is always correcting every single  error. It can kind of inhibit communication. Okay,  

so that's it for the situational approach to  teaching English. If you have any questions,  

please leave a comment below and I will  catch you next time. Bye everybody.