ELT in Images – the pendulum
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Our first image is the pendulum. It has been said that ELT follows fashions, and some things become very popular only to fall out of favour later. For example, grammar translation was once considered “the way” to learn a language, and then it became deeply unpopular in some sectors of the profession. Now more and more people are arguing that it does in fact have its uses. In these cases, the metaphor of the pendulum is invoked (as in “the pendulum has swung back in favour of translation”).
Do you think this is a good metaphor? Do we all follow a trend and then turn and follow a different one? Or is the pendulum only the property of a few “names” in British or American ELT and not representative of the majority of language teaching that happens worldwide? What direction is the pendulum swinging now, if at all? What things are out of favour, and what are in favour? Post your comments below.
1
Georgina
3 July 2009 13:05
“The Pendulum” metaphor seems to fit with a few things in ELT; you mentioned translation, Lindsay, and I think we can add “drilling” to that list. The grammar drill is the audiolingual method fell out of favour, but most teachers I know, including myself, find drilling has a place in today’s ELT classroom.
Perhaps I am missing something, but I haven’t heard the magic formula for learning a language (though there are some who claim to have this!) This being the case, I think it natural for those in the ELT profession to “swing” towards new trends and try something different in an effort to improve learning.
2
Lindsay Clandfield
5 July 2009 06:28
Thanks Georgina for your comment. I neither have heard of a magic formula for language learning… well no that’s not true I have heard of magic formulas but I don’t think they work! So perhaps you are right in that respect.
And drilling… I love drilling. I agree that it has also been criticized perhaps unfairly in the past.
3
Karenne Sylvester
5 July 2009 17:34
I agree with both of you, Georgina and Lindsay. There’s no magic formula for language learning. There isn’t one kind of learner so they’ll never be one way of teaching them!
Re drilling, Lindsay, me too.
In context, depending on the situation – teaching objective of the day, there’s nothing wrong with some good old fashioned repeat it, repeat it, repeat it.
I learned the power of this from my own direct experience learning languages (Spanish and German) and very much appreciate when was made to say a difficult word or expression several times. Should be done more.
Pendulum currently swinging, I think – I hope, towards student-centered learning. Problem is that like all the other trends in ELT, so many people have a different idea of what this really means!
In fact, I’d go as far as to say that in some cases, ELTers have the idea (I’ll just go ahead and throw myself in that group) that what they are doing is the “right” thing and so they translate latest trend to be what they’re already doing without really stopping to think about it!
Conversely though, all in all, I think trends are important because when we do recognize something new as something being able to help us develop professionally, it keeps us on our toes and constantly learning!
Cool to find you here, L – hidden away on this corner of the blogosphere!
4
Lindsay Clandfield
6 July 2009 08:35
Thanks for your detailed comment Karenne – and an insightful comment about what we do as being “the best way to do it”. Yeah, it is interesting guest blogging here! Have to refrain from putting things into lists!
5
Grammar Teacher
10 July 2009 08:43
I think trends come and go in all areas of education but we are perhaps more aware of the changes in the teaching of language as this is so important to us. Learning is all about trying things out so it’s not surprising that there is a lot of trial and error in teaching methods too.
6
Glennie
10 July 2009 18:41
Our poor students have been the victims of the violent pendulum-swinging to which ELT has been subject over the years.
The list is a long one: the total rejection of translation; the equally violent ousting of L1 from the classroom; the sacrificing of drilling on the altar of the communicative approach; the refusal to write anything on the board before the st knew how to pronounce it (my Spanish wife particularly hated that one) etc. etc.
One glorious revolution seemed to follow another and we regularly found ourselves emptying into the gutter the bottles of the last ‘miracle elixir’ we had bought into … before uncorking the next ones!
We really put our students through it! And ourselves!
Now we are eclectic and try to adapt to the variety of learning styles we find amongst our students.
I’m so glad we grew up!
7
DM
5 October 2009 16:33
I think trends come and go in all areas of education but we are perhaps more aware of the changes in the teaching of language as this is so important to us. Learning is all about trying things out so it’s not surprising that there is a lot of trial and error in teaching methods too.