1. APPROACHES TO TEACHING LANGUAGE
A few approaches to teaching languages in schools are recommended by the Department of Basic Educaton
(2011) including the Communicatie Approach, the Text-Based Approach and the Learner-Centred Approach.
Ideally these should be combined in the classroom as appropriate.
1.1 THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH
The use of language is essentally about communicaton. Language is used ierbally and non-ierbally to coniey
informaton, feelings, ideas, beliefs and ialues and learners should haie the opportunity to both practce using
language for this purpose as well as critcally examining language messages to understand all aspects of what is
being communicated[ CITATION Nie08 \l 7177 ].
The Communicatie Approach recommends proiiding many opportunites for learners to practce their
language skills – in groups and on their own with the teacher - in a classroom that integrates the skills of
reading, writng, speaking and presentng. Lessons should be engaging with the teacher modelling good
practce [ CITATION Dep112 \l 7177 ].
Nieman et al (2008) outline seieral characteristcs of the Communicatie Approach:
1. COMMUNICATION
Learners must haie the opportunity to practce their language skills for the purpose of communicaton in
situatons that are meaningful (and thus motiatng) to them. Educators must striie to present opportunites
to practce these skills in situatons that mimic real life as much as possible and in as many ways as learners
may encounter in the real world. Learners should thus be introduced to a range of functonal texts, for
example, to practce[ CITATION Nie08 \l 7177 ].
One way to allow students to practce their leter writng skills (something that can be transferred to email
writng skills which eiery person in the modern age needs to make use of) is to pair up with another school
(either nearby or in a foreign country if possible) and proiide each learner with their own pen pal at the other
school to which they must regularly write to. They will be able to share their ideas, experiences and feelings in
writen form and enjoy reading what they receiie from the other learner.
2. LANGUAGE AND CONTEXT
While language might be diiided into the separate aspects of reading, writng, listening and speaking, the
reality is that we seldom use any one of those aspects alone. Language should also always be seen in context
with aspects of the aim, audience and circumstance being examined in each instance. This reality should be
reflected in the classroom where educators need to integrate these aspects and understand that they cannot
atempt to teach only one in a lesson[ CITATION Nie08 \l 7177 ].
For example, a lesson on poetry proiides the opportunity to use all of the skills when the educator starts the
lesson by reading the poem aloud to the student and asking them questons. This allows learners to practce
their listening comprehension skills, their speaking skills and (if the questons are well designed) their
reasoning skills. Learners should then read the poem themselies again before atemptng to answer further
questons in their books where they will practce their writng skills and (again) their reasoning skills. The
questons should be frame to queston the learner on who the poem was writen for, what it aims to
communicate (and whether it aims to influence, for example) and what the circumstance of the poem being
writen were.
3. CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
A few approaches to teaching languages in schools are recommended by the Department of Basic Educaton
(2011) including the Communicatie Approach, the Text-Based Approach and the Learner-Centred Approach.
Ideally these should be combined in the classroom as appropriate.
1.1 THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH
The use of language is essentally about communicaton. Language is used ierbally and non-ierbally to coniey
informaton, feelings, ideas, beliefs and ialues and learners should haie the opportunity to both practce using
language for this purpose as well as critcally examining language messages to understand all aspects of what is
being communicated[ CITATION Nie08 \l 7177 ].
The Communicatie Approach recommends proiiding many opportunites for learners to practce their
language skills – in groups and on their own with the teacher - in a classroom that integrates the skills of
reading, writng, speaking and presentng. Lessons should be engaging with the teacher modelling good
practce [ CITATION Dep112 \l 7177 ].
Nieman et al (2008) outline seieral characteristcs of the Communicatie Approach:
1. COMMUNICATION
Learners must haie the opportunity to practce their language skills for the purpose of communicaton in
situatons that are meaningful (and thus motiatng) to them. Educators must striie to present opportunites
to practce these skills in situatons that mimic real life as much as possible and in as many ways as learners
may encounter in the real world. Learners should thus be introduced to a range of functonal texts, for
example, to practce[ CITATION Nie08 \l 7177 ].
One way to allow students to practce their leter writng skills (something that can be transferred to email
writng skills which eiery person in the modern age needs to make use of) is to pair up with another school
(either nearby or in a foreign country if possible) and proiide each learner with their own pen pal at the other
school to which they must regularly write to. They will be able to share their ideas, experiences and feelings in
writen form and enjoy reading what they receiie from the other learner.
2. LANGUAGE AND CONTEXT
While language might be diiided into the separate aspects of reading, writng, listening and speaking, the
reality is that we seldom use any one of those aspects alone. Language should also always be seen in context
with aspects of the aim, audience and circumstance being examined in each instance. This reality should be
reflected in the classroom where educators need to integrate these aspects and understand that they cannot
atempt to teach only one in a lesson[ CITATION Nie08 \l 7177 ].
For example, a lesson on poetry proiides the opportunity to use all of the skills when the educator starts the
lesson by reading the poem aloud to the student and asking them questons. This allows learners to practce
their listening comprehension skills, their speaking skills and (if the questons are well designed) their
reasoning skills. Learners should then read the poem themselies again before atemptng to answer further
questons in their books where they will practce their writng skills and (again) their reasoning skills. The
questons should be frame to queston the learner on who the poem was writen for, what it aims to
communicate (and whether it aims to influence, for example) and what the circumstance of the poem being
writen were.
3. CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
