Our Teaching Methodology
We believe that motivation and engagement throughout the course curriculum play an equally important role as the course content itself. Although theoretical model for understanding language ensures a structural learning approach, the true learning process can be accelerated only by practical applications and experiential learning of these theoretical concepts. With this belief, our teachers and language experts make use of teaching tools such as passion, cultural nuances and technical know how as key to classroom teaching. Our instructors keep the students motivated so that they can develop an enthusiasm to learn new languages and begin to think and ideate in a language of choice. Our continuous endeavor to use advanced techniques involving a total physical response of the students is helping us achieve this objective.
Success rate of any foreign language programmes depends on the nature of the language as well as on the teaching methodology. Our main goal is to provide sufficient teaching classes for students so that they can grab the fundamentals of new language quickly and easily. Take a look at some of our main approach towards teaching latest language methodology that is essential no matter which language you are going to learn.
I. The Direct Method
In the direct method target language is used directly as a medium of teaching. The students in classroom are not allowed to use any other language other than the one they are enrolled to learn. In this method, instead of following grammar rules strictly, there is more stress on correct pronunciation of words.
II. Audio-lingual
This method is entirely based on the learning a language by acquiring habits. The language one wants to learn is first introduced by way of audio instead of seen directly in its written form. This also requires a great deal of practice in speaking dialogues related to various situations.
III. The structural approach
This method is based on grammatical rules to learn a new language which are considered necessary to set order in language. For example, the verb "to be" is introduced and practiced before the present continuous tense which uses "to be" as an auxiliary.
IV. Suggestopedia
This learning technique explains that to learn a new language quickly, the student must be receptive and frank. Here instructor uses different methods to convince the new student that new language is quite easy to learn. Instructor makes friendly relations with students to remove mental blocks and to makes student frank.
V. Total Physical Response (TPR)
In TPR technique learner is made to respond to daily routine commands in the language that one is aiming to learn. Some of these commands include "Stand up", "sit down", "Go to the door and close it." It starts working as our brains starts connecting the words with the corresponding actions.
VI. Task-based language learning
In this technique the teaching is based on simple and interesting task completion by the students. Students can use the language they already know to complete the task and there is little correction of errors. This is the predominant method in middle school ESL teaching at Frankfurt International School. The tasks are subsumed in a major topic that is studied for a number of weeks. In the topic of ecology, for example, students are engaged in a number of tasks culminating in a poster presentation to the rest of the class. The tasks include reading, searching the internet, listening to taped material, selecting important vocabulary to teach other students etc.
VII. The Natural Approach
This approach, propounded by Professor S. Krashen, stresses the similarities between learning the first and second languages. There is no correction of mistakes. Learning takes place by the students being exposed to language that is comprehensible or made comprehensible to them.
