Overview of Techniques

Most Popular Approaches and Methods in
Language Teaching: Top 11

#1: The Direct Method
In the direct method, all teaching occurs in the target language,

encouraging the learner to think in that language. The learner does not
practice translation or use their native language in the classroom.
Practitioners of this method believe that learners should experience a
second language without any interference from their native tongue.
Instructors do not stress rigid grammar rules but teach it indirectly through
induction. This means that learners figure out grammar rules on their own
by practicing the language. The goal for students is to develop connections
between experience and language. They do this by concentrating on good
pronunciationand the development of oral skills.
This method improves understanding, fluency, reading, and listening skills

in our students. Standard techniques are question and answer,
conversation, reading aloud, writing, and student self-correction for this
language learning method.
#2: Grammar-Translation
With this method, the student learns primarily by translating to and from
the target language. Instructors encourage the learner to memorize
grammar rules and vocabulary lists. There is little or no focus on
speaking and listening. Teachers conduct classes in the student’s native
language with this ESL teaching method.
This method’s two primary goals are to progress the learner’s reading ability
to understand literature in the second language and promote the learner’s
overall intellectual development. Grammar drills are a common approach.
Another popular activity are translation exercises that emphasize the form
of the writing instead of the content.
Although the grammar-translation approach was one of the most popular
language teaching methods in the past, it has significant drawbacks that
have caused it to fall out of favour in modern schools. Principally, students
often have trouble conversing in the second language because they receive
no instruction in oral skills.
#3: Audio-Lingual
The audio-lingual approach encourages students to develop habits that

support language learning. Students learn primarily through pattern drills,
particularly dialogues, which the teacher uses to help students practice and
memorize the language. These dialogues follow standard configurations of
communication.
There are four types of dialogues utilized in this method:
 Repetition, in which the student repeats the teacher’s statement

exactly
 Inflection, where one of the words appears in a different form
from the previous sentence (for example, a word may change
from the singular to the plural)
 Replacement, which involves one word being replaced with
another while the sentence construction remains the same
 Restatement, where the learner rephrases the teacher’s
statement
This technique’s name comes from the order it uses to teach language
skills. It starts with listening and speaking, followed by reading and
writing, meaning that it emphasizes hearing and speaking the language
before experiencing its written form. Because of this, teachers use only
the target language in the classroom with this TESOL method.
#4: Structural Approach
Proponents of the structural approach understand language as a set of

grammatical rules that should be learned one at a time in a specific order. It
focuses on mastering these structures, building one skill on top of another,
instead of memorizing vocabulary. This is similar to how young children
learn a new language naturally.
An example of the structural approach is teaching the present tense of a
verb, like “to be,” before progressing to more advanced verb tenses, like
the present continuous tense that uses “to be” as an auxiliary.
The structural approach teaches all four central language skills: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. It’s a technique that teachers can implement
with many other language teaching methods.
Most ESL textbooks take this approach into account. Easier to grasp
grammatical concepts are taught before the more difficult ones.
#5: Total Physical Response (TPR)
The total physical response method highlights aural comprehension by

allowing the learner to respond to basic commands, like “open the door” or
“sit down.” It combines language and physical movements for a
comprehensive learning experience.
In an ordinary TPR class, the teacher would give verbal commands in the
target language with a physical movement. The student would respond by
following the command with a physical action of their own. It helps students
actively connect meaning to the language and passively recognize the
language’s structure.
Many instructors use TPR alongside other methods of language learning.

While TPR can help learners of all ages, it is used most often with young
students and beginners. It’s a nice option for an English teaching method to
use alongside some of the other ones on this list.
An example of a game that could fall under TPR is Simon Says. Or, do the
following as a simple review activity. After teaching classroom vocabulary,
or prepositions, instruct students to do the following:
 Pick up your pencil.

 Stand behind someone.
 Put your water bottle under your chair.
 Etc.
#6: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

This method stresses interaction and communication to teach a second
language effectively. Students participate in everyday situations they are
likely to encounter in the target language. For example, learners may
practice introductory conversations, offering suggestions, making
invitations, complaining, or expressing time or location.
Instructors also incorporate learning topics outside of conventional grammar

so that students develop the ability to respond in diverse situations.
CLT teachers focus on being facilitators rather than straightforward

instructors. Doing so helps students achieve CLT’s primary goal, learning to
communicate in the target language instead of emphasizing the mastery of
grammar.
Role-play, interviews, group work, and opinion sharing are popular activities
practiced in communicative language teaching, along with games like
scavenger hunts and information gap exercises that promote interaction
among students.
#7: Natural Approach
This approach aims to mimic natural language learning with a focus on

communication and instruction through exposure. It de-emphasizes formal
grammar training. Instead, instructors concentrate on creating a stress-free
environment and avoid forced language production from students.
Teachers also do not explicitly correct student mistakes. The goal is to

reduce student anxiety and encourage them to engage with the second
language spontaneously.
Classroom procedures commonly used in the natural approach are problem-

solving activities, learning games, affective-humanistic tasks that involve
the students’ own ideas, and content practices that synthesize various
subject matter, like culture.
#8: Task-Based Language Teaching (TBL)

With this method, students complete real-world tasks using their target
language. This technique encourages fluency by boosting the learner’s
confidence with each task accomplished and reducing direct mistake
correction.
Tasks fall under three categories:
 Information-gap, or activities that involve the transfer of

information from one person, place, or form to another.
 Reasoning-gap tasks that ask a student to discover new
knowledge from a given set of information using inference,
reasoning, perception, and deduction.
 Opinion-gap activities, in which students react to a particular
situation by expressing their feelings or opinions.
Popular classroom tasks practiced in task-based learning include

presentations on an assigned topic and conducting interviews with peers or
adults in the target language. Or, having students work together to make a
poster and then do a short presentation about a current event. These are
just a couple of examples and there are literally thousands of things you can
do in the classroom.
It’s considered to be a modern method of teaching English. I personally try

to do at least 1-2 task-based projects in all my classes each semester. It’s a
nice change of pace from my usually very communicative-focused activities.
One huge advantage of TBL is that students have some degree of freedom
to learn the language they want to learn. Also, they can learn some self-
reflection and teamwork skills as well.
#9: Suggestopedia Language Learning Method
This approach and method in language teaching was developed in the

1970s by psychotherapist Georgi Lozanov. It is sometimes also known as
the positive suggestion method but it later became sometimes known as
desuggestopedia.
Apart from using physical surroundings and a good classroom atmosphere
to make students feel comfortable, here are some of the main tenants of
this second language teaching method:
 Deciphering, where the teacher introduces new grammar and

vocabulary.
 Concert sessions, where the teacher reads a text and the
students follow along with music in the background. This can be
both active and passive.
 Elaboration where students finish what they’ve learned with
dramas, songs, or games.
 Introduction in which the teacher introduces new things in a
playful manner.
 Production, where students speak and interact without correction
or interruption.
#10: The Silent Way

The silent way is an interesting ESL teaching method that isn’t that common
but it does have some solid footing. After all, the goal in most language
classes is to make them as student-centred as possible.
In the Silent Way, the teacher talks as little as possible, with the idea that
students learn best when discovering things on their own. Learners are
encouraged to be independent and to discover and figure out language on
their own.
Instead of talking, the teacher uses gestures and facial expressions to

communicate, as well as props, including the famous Cuisenaire Rods.
These are rods of different colours and lengths.
Although it’s not practical to teach an entire course using the silent way, it
does certainly have some value as a language teaching approach to remind
teachers to talk less and get students talking more!
#11: Functional-Notional Approach
This English teaching method first of all recognizes that language is

purposeful communication. The reason people talk is that they want to
communicate something to someone else.
Parts of speech like nouns and verbs exist to express language
functions and notions. People speak to inform, agree, question, persuade,
evaluate, and perform various other functions. Language is also used to talk
about concepts or notions like time, events, places, etc.
The role of the teacher in this second language teaching method is to

evaluate how students will use the language. This will serve as a guide for
what should be taught in class. Teaching specific grammar patterns or
vocabulary sets does play a role but the purpose for which students need to
know these things should always be kept in mind with the functional-
notional Approach to English teaching.
#12: The Test Teach Test Approach (TTT)
This style of language teaching is ideal for directly targeting students’

needs. It’s best for intermediate and advanced learners and definitely don’t
use it for total beginners!
There are three stages:
 A test or task of some kind that requires students to use the

target language.
 Explicit teaching or focus on accuracy with controlled practice
exercises.
 Another test or task to see if students have improved in their use
of the target language.
Language Teaching Approaches FAQs

What is language teaching approaches?
A language teaching approach is a way of thinking about teaching and

learning. An approach produces methods, which is the way of teaching
something, in this case, a second or foreign language using techniques or
activities.
What are method and approach?

Method and approach are similar but there are some key differences. An
approach is the way or dealing with something while a method involves the
process or steps taken to handle the issue or task.

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Most Popular Approaches and Methods in

Language Teaching: Top 11

In the direct method, all teaching occurs in the target language,

This method improves understanding, fluency, reading, and listening skills

The audio-lingual approach encourages students to develop habits that

There are four types of dialogues utilized in this method:

 Repetition, in which the student repeats the teacher’s statement

#4: Structural Approach

Proponents of the structural approach understand language as a set of

#5: Total Physical Response (TPR)

The total physical response method highlights aural comprehension by

Many instructors use TPR alongside other methods of language learning.

 Pick up your pencil.

#6: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

Instructors also incorporate learning topics outside of conventional grammar

CLT teachers focus on being facilitators rather than straightforward

#7: Natural Approach

This approach aims to mimic natural language learning with a focus on

Teachers also do not explicitly correct student mistakes. The goal is to

Classroom procedures commonly used in the natural approach are problem-

#8: Task-Based Language Teaching (TBL)

Tasks fall under three categories:

 Information-gap, or activities that involve the transfer of

Popular classroom tasks practiced in task-based learning include

It’s considered to be a modern method of teaching English. I personally try

#9: Suggestopedia Language Learning Method

This approach and method in language teaching was developed in the

 Deciphering, where the teacher introduces new grammar and

#10: The Silent Way

Instead of talking, the teacher uses gestures and facial expressions to

#11: Functional-Notional Approach

This English teaching method first of all recognizes that language is

The role of the teacher in this second language teaching method is to

#12: The Test Teach Test Approach (TTT)

This style of language teaching is ideal for directly targeting students’

There are three stages:

 A test or task of some kind that requires students to use the

Language Teaching Approaches FAQs

A language teaching approach is a way of thinking about teaching and

What are method and approach?

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