DO YOU WANT TO RECRUIT GOOD TEACHERS?

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Is this what you NEED and WANT . . . ?

 

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Language

Teaching

Methodologies

 

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. . . the old

and the new

explained

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The BETTER FASTER Method

Listed below are brief summaries of some of the more popular second language teaching methods of the last half century. For a more detailed analysis of the different methods, see Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching Richards, J., Edward Firs, Professor Meritas, Université d'Aix-en-Provence, and Rodgers-Beck, (1986) T CUP Cambridge.

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NOTE: It is not accurate, nor clear, in many cases to refer to the learning of English where it is not your native language; as ESL. This means English as a Second Language. In many cases learning English would not be a 'second' language but a 'third' or 'forth' or 'more' - far better to refer to this learning as ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, EFL.

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Imagine the difficulties experienced by a head teacher or company manager ('the client'), when establishing minimum requirements for English Teachers to teach his hundreds of students or business executives earnestly needing to 'speak English' to an acceptable level. Clarity must be 'king.'

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The decisions the head teacher or his counterpart makes are far-reaching and determine in a tangible way the company manager's or head teacher's success with this task.

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BETTER FASTER [LocalEnglishOnline.com & TeachEnglish.Live] is the most efficient known and available today. The modus-operandi of this method is explained, with case studies and proof on application, right here.

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An essential supporting conditions is that BF (Better Faster) students essentially must possess two inalienable qualities that are needed to learn to speak, read and write the English Language quickly: 

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These qualities or conditions are;

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1. An intelligence quotient that is above average. IQ = 101+

2. Adequate time during each week, and ideally during each day, available to be devoted to learning or consolidating already learned English via the BF Method. [See Note following]

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Many believe that English can be learned with just a hour or two each week. Well, Yes it can but it would take years and a formidable memory and in practical terms it is not feasible. In fact, in actual proven fact, it takes at least an hour a day, every day, as a minimum, to be able to speak fluently in 6 months or so. This would be getting into English with a lot of energy and academic 'love and devotion.' To be able to speak fluently inside 3 months, takes more time. At least an hour every day AND at least two extra sessions in every week.

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How soon and how well one masters English depends on the students commitment and enthusiasm. both are essential. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Nothing good comes without serious application.

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Those we have taught English to, were very serious. We were told (by our clients) the students had to speak fluently inside 100 days - this project (mission even) was completed successfully by application of really good intentions on both sides.

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Most of the alternative methods taught today were devised decades ago, and in some cases, over a century ago. Modern thinking has devised a better and faster EFL method. 

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Ask for a detailed proposal for your language department whether school, language school, college, university, teachers college, company or whatever; BF-EFL will accomplish better and faster English speakers.

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Ask us to provide you with 'case studies'

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The BETTER FASTER Method

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

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BETTER FASTER teachers choose and use the best methodology and the proven most-effective approach for each lesson or activity. They use principled eclecticism
(the Better Faster Method), freely moving between lessons, tasks,
methodologies and approaches, almost seamlessly. 

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BETTER FASTER teachers, whether in person or teaching via the internet, possess acceptable English speaking and understanding skills. They are not all native speakers, as this is not a good policy. The simple facts are that the majority of world commerce and general communication between nations is accomplished using the English language. It is spoken more (a lot more) by non-native speakers than by those who naturally acquired the language.

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All BETTER FASTER qualified teachers are qualified only by the BETTER FASTER MOVEMENT adherents. Each teacher has varying qualities but all possess these following skills.

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All can speak, near perfect English, fluently.

All can demonstrate how to pronounce any word, by voice, and by written phonetic characters.

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'Anglish' phonetics characters are used, instead of the 'International Phonetic Alphabet' which is perhaps 'acceptable to good' for coverage of all languages. The IPA is unsuitable and does a bad job when used to describe English words and phrases. There are over 40 unique sounds used in English and having only 26 letters it can quickly be seen that some system is needed to express each unique sound.

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The English language as well as Anglish sounds, comprise; 23 consonants, 13 vowels, 8 diphthongs, plus several 'blends' and 'digraphs;' for example, the 'e' sound in pet, the 'ee' sound in peat, the 'ie' sound in pier, the 'ch' sound in cheap, the 'sh' sound in sheep, and more.

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All Anglish sounds can be typed on a normal keyboard, something impossible for IPA. All character sounds are recognizable by all English speakers, again something impossible for IPA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guardian Newspaper says:

"The primary purpose of language is communication - grammar is important, but there's a bigger picture. Language is no longer seen as being learnt through mechanical exercises, it's developed through students and people interacting and engaging." 

 

One secret to this effective teaching/learning is due to the fact that instructors
make every effort to avoid being threatening or confrontative,
and every effort to be encouraging and reinforcing. 

 

The modern EFL language teacher doesn’t follow one rigid method,
but applies the Principled Eclecticism approach – achieving better and faster results; fitting the method to the learner, not vice versa.

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Another contributing factor (contributing and essential really) to this effective teaching/learning method is helping students to establish acceptable learning habits with realizable targets; and showing them how to achieve them.

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WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS USE

LOOKING AT OTHER LANGUAGE SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD, HERE ARE THE MOST POPULAR BUT 
'LESS EFFECTIVE' LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS

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The Direct Method

In this method the teaching is done entirely in the target language. The learner is not allowed to use his or her mother tongue. Grammar rules are avoided and there is emphasis on good pronunciation.

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Direct Method teaching especially, if utilised by unprepared teachers, can be disastrous. For direct teaching or instruction to be effective, the teacher must have a mastery of the subject matter, must prepare a well-organised content, and must have excellent communication skills.

 

Without these traits, a teacher could not effectively carry out direct teaching or direct instruction, nor could they develop higher order thinking skills in the students.

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A quick single word/phrase translation can help fast understanding and does not impede progress.

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USED BY BERLITZ SCHOOLS, BUT CALLED THE BERLITZ METHOD. SOME ERF TEACHERS HAVE WORKED AT BERLITZ SCHOOLS IN EUROPE AND THE USA. 

[More]

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Grammar & Translation

Learning is largely by translation to and from the target language. Grammar rules are to be memorised and long lists of vocabulary learned by heart. There is little or no emphasis placed on developing oral ability.

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Grammar-Translation especially, if utilised by unprepared teachers, can be disastrous. This is probably the slowest and awkward EFL teaching methods. It has been used for a hundred years and it is time it's put to rest, forever.

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Audio-Lingual

The theory behind this method is that learning a language means acquiring habits. There is much practice of dialogues of every situations. New language is first heard and extensively drilled before being seen in its written form.

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Audio-Lingual teaching especially, if utilised by unprepared teachers, can be disastrous. The Audio-Lingual system is good if unlimited time is available. It was used during the 1920s up to the present day in antiquated private schools. If you want to speak English quickly this is not the way to go.

[More]

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The Structural Approach

This method sees language as a complex of grammatical rules which are to be learned one at a time in a set order. So for example the verb "to be" is introduced and practised before the present continuous tense which uses "to be" as an auxiliary.

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The Structural Approach especially, if utilised by unprepared teachers, can be disastrous. We had a hard time finding any institution that uses this old-fashioned and ineffective system. Not worth considering.

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Suggestopedia

The theory underlying this method is that a language can be acquired only when the learner is receptive and has no mental blocks. By various methods it is suggested to the student that the language is easy - and in this way the mental blocks to learning are removed.

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Suggestopedia - Can you measure when students are receptive and without mental blocks? It's an almost impossible mission, isn't it? We can encourage all of our students and teachers to be enthusiastic and mentally ready to be receptive to new ideas - but we cannot guarantee that. Pointless system.

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Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response works by having the learner respond to simple commands such as "Stand up", "Close your book", "Go to the window and open it." The method stresses the importance of aural comprehension.

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Total Physical Response: Even if the system is badly named, it is a good method but not used alone. ERF uses, what we call, emphatic commands, as part of our curriculum of ideas. It is good but it cannot support a whole learning process. How would you render; "She's feeling tired?" with this system? It's impossible, isn't it? See 'Communicative Language Teaching.'

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Communicative Language Teaching

The focus of this method is to enable the learner to communicate effectively and appropriately in the various situations she would be likely to find herself in. The content of these courses are functions such as inviting, suggesting, complaining or notions such as the expression of time, quantity, location.

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Communicative Language Teaching . . . again Yes! This can be considered as part of a complete methodology. Communicative language instruction is used in the ERF method but only as a part of a greater whole. See 'Total Physical Response.'

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The Silent Way

This is so called because the aim of the teacher is to say as little as possible in order that the learner can be in control of what he wants to say. No use is made of the mother tongue.

This can be described as 'fully and completely rubbish.'

[More]

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Community Language Learning

In this method attempts are made to build strong personal links between the teacher and student so that there are no blocks to learning. There is much talk in the mother tongue which is translated by the teacher for repetition by the student.

Not much different from 'Communicative Language Teaching.' Same conclusions reached.

[More]

 

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Total Immersion

This corresponds to a great extent to the situation we have at our school. ESL students are immersed in the English language for the whole of the school day and expected to learn math, science, humanities etc. through the medium of the target language, English.

Immigrant students who attend local schools find themselves in an immersion situation; for example refugee children from Bosnia attending German schools, or Puerto Ricans in American schools. Click here for many links to information about bilingual/immersion programs.

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Total Language Immersion, the correct name of this system, can be effective. But the downfall is - Where can it be used, in most of the language institutions, universities and companies; that seek to make real improvements with their students? In the Netherlands, many normal school classes, such as history and mathematics are conducted in the English language even though the native tongue in this country is Dutch. Visiting Holland you will find that you can use English almost anywhere. But it is just not possible in most English learning establishments. Not feasible!

 

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Task-Based Language Learning

The focus of the teaching is on the completion of a task which in itself is interesting to the learners. Learners use the language they already have 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.)

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Task-Based Language Learning . . . again Yes! Good if one has the time and facilities. Very similar to an extent to Total Language Immersion, with the same impractical impediments. Not feasible!

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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.

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The <so-called> Natural Approach does not take into account that - by-and-large - students are not in a natural environment but in a place where learning English is the prime target. It should not be assumed that students are incapable of learning when something said was incorrect. When a student says; 'They wants to eat something' - it would be a failing of the teacher, not to add lightly; 'They want . . . '

An aside could possibly then be introduced; He, She, It = 'wants' all the rest, 'They, I, We, You = 'want.'

This approach has merits but it is easily surpassed by the English Real Fast Method, using THE FAST WAY VIDEOS AND TEACHING SYSTEM.

[More]

 

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The Lexical Syllabus

This approach is based on a computer analysis of language which identifies the most common (and hence most useful) words in the language and their various uses. The syllabus teaches these words in broadly the order of their frequency, and great emphasis is placed on the use of authentic materials.

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The Lexical Syllabus: [Lexical means relating to the words of a language]

This is done with ERF and should be a part of all teaching systems. Alone it cannot work effectively as so much is missing, as it stands.

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See:  Willis, D. (1990) The Lexical Syllabus. Collins Cobuild