Today is the whole world
teaching foreign languages, especially English has become an
essential part of education in all its' branches. We can even find
two main types of English language teaching methodology like
teaching English using traditional and modern methodology. But at
the latest period in the whole world teachers tend to use modern
methodology all the time. This becomes clear when we look at the
results achieved using these two methods. As results show today
modern methodology allows learns to communicate the real language
rather than the traditional method. Taking into consideration this
factor the government of our country is doing a lot in order to
develop foreign language teaching in Uzbekistan using modern
methodology. As a clear example of this we can mention the
presidential decree N1875 dated December 10, 2012 "On measures of
developing foreign language learning". As it is mentioned in this
decree, it is important to teach foreign languages using
communicative methods, which enables teachers to encourage their
students to become creative learners. In this article we decided to
analyze the peculiarities of both traditional and modern
methodology of teaching English. Clearly, one of the aims of any
methodology in foreign language teaching is to improve the foreign
language ability of the student. However, traditional methodology
is based largely on a reduction on the integrated process of using
a foreign language into subsets of discrete skills and areas of
knowledge in isolation. Following on from this, traditional
methodologies are strongly associated with the teaching of language
which is used in a certain field related to the students' life or
work. As stated in the book "Teaching English as a foreign
language", "the recognition that many students of English need the
language for specific instrumental purposes has led to the teaching
of ESP-English for Special or teaching output created: they uniform
the reader about "the proliferation of courses and materials being
designed to teach English for science, medicine, agriculture,
engineering, tourism and like ", which actually meant that the
content of the course was limited to the specific vocabulary and
grammar of the chosen field. For example, agricultural courses
included exclusively agricultural vocabulary and all grammar was
presented only in a agricultural context. Vocabulary, phrases, and
sample sentences from other fields and activities, even from the
realm of specifically communicative English, were excluded. Unlike
traditional methodology, modern mythology is much more
student-centered.
According to Jim Scrivener,
the teacher's main role is to "help learning to happen" which
includes "involving" students in what is going on "by enabling them
to work at their own speed, by not giving long explanations, by
encouraging them to participate talk, interact, do things,
etc. Briefly put, the students are
the most active element in this process.
The teacher is here not to
explain but to encourage and help students to explore, try out,
make learning interesting, etc. Though being essential, the aim of
learning a foreign language according to modern methodology is
still discussed, and there is a variety of possible aims. In his
book "Learning Teaching", "Jim Scrivener claims, that nowadays a
great emphasis is put on "communication of meaning". He also
highlights the communicative competence which is, as he defines it,
"being able to use the language for meaningful communication".The
reason of choosing this theme is that we are interested in methods
of teaching English focusing on the development of language
learning skills. Teaching should be student-centered, motivation
springs from within, it can be sparked, but not imposed from
without, language learning and teaching are successful when they
meet student’s needs in particular circumstance, the acquired
language skills must serve the students in everyday
life.
Language teaching and language
learning are successful if they look life a cooperation process
when one’s feelings, values and aspirations are revealed either at
a very deep level or in surface activities such as games,
simulations, dramatizations, etc. Students should acquire knowledge
of the language actively through use as experience is constantly
transformed by deeds. Control of language includes the ability to
understand messages and implicate them in the context. Development
of language control is impossible without creativity when students
experience the use of the new language as an important social
skill. Various activities are related to literary, historical,
philosophical, sociological or other content being studied in the
language. New medium present additional opportunities for students
to view and hear themselves as they attempt to us the language in
authentic ways. As for testing, it shouldn’t be punitive, it should
be a learning experience that is part of the on going course,
involving students in working out interesting problems, being
motivational and a means of growth for students. Interactive
methods make it possible entrance another culture, developing are
tolerance for difference without confusion of the own sense of
identity. The use of interactive methods also implies taking the
language and its learning out of the classroom as the world opens
up throng travel, technology and shared interests. Second language
learning is a developmental process. Learners use existing
knowledge to make the incoming information comprehensible and they
must actively use the new information, while introduction,
interactive methods teacher should take into considerations
students preferred learning style and to much the teaching style to
achieve optimal learning in the classroom. Thus many professionals
refer to this methodology as the Communicative Language approach.
Another group of authors headed by Broughton propose a different
idea. They point out that foreign languages are taught "not simply
for the learner to be able to write to a foreign pen friend" but to
broaden his or her horizons by introducing "certain ways of
thinking about time, space and quantity and attitudes towards"
issues we have to face in every day life. Briefly put, some people
learn a foreign language most importantly to be able to communicate
with foreign people and other people learn a foreign language above
all to see the world from a different point of view, to discover
new approaches to life or to find out about other cultures. In
modern methodology as has been highlighted about the role of
pronunciation is important. Language cannot be separated from
sound. We can even say that language is sound. When we talk or when
we sing we use our throats to make sounds. The throat is the center
of creating the sound.
Unless we are able to make
sounds and to hear them properly we cannot communicate in a
language, even if that is the mother tongue or a foreign tongue.
The pronunciation of the sounds in a language includes stress,
rhythm and intonation. Each language has its own specific
pronunciation system. In early childhood it is not difficult for us
to acquire the specific intonation ad pronunciation of our native
tongues. We need no formal instruction. However, it is quite
different with a foreign language we want to master. The difficulty
starts when the learner of a second language to the new language
he/she is learning.
Some sounds are similar in two
languages and so they will be easily acquired. Other sounds will
need more attention and so they will have to be extensively
practiced until they become habits. The proper learning of
pronunciation forms the basis for further success in mastering
English. The teaching of pronunciation requires on the part of the
teacher several examinations and analysis. First, pronunciation
cannot be learned by mere imitation by
everyone.
There are exceptionally
talented pupils who can acquire a good pronunciation by nothing
more that listening to the sound of English. But not all are that
gifted. The majority of students need additional aid. They must be
taught how sounds are introduced. In this way, to the checking
power of the ear is added the constructive power of placing the
vocal organs in certain positions, so as to produce certain sounds.
The movement of the tongue cannot be seen, it is almost all the
time hidden from sight. The complex and difficult utterances that
make up speech up sounds can be properly reproduced by listening,
imitation and especially by giving description as to their
formation. Laborious theoretical explanations should not be
extensively used. Instead, short practical advice for the position
of lips, tongue, the opening between the jaws etc. Should be given.
In the teaching of sounds comparing them to the sounds of the
mother tongue will help students realize what is similar or what is
different and also what is peculiar in the English sounds.
Dictionaries of English pronunciation are of great help to the
teacher and student alike in learning the sounds. Explanation on
the pronunciation with diagrams and phonetic transcriptions are to
be found in such dictionaries. Perhaps one of the best is Daniel
Jones' English Pronouncing Dictionary, which records with great
accuracy the pronunciation. However, the pronunciation represented
in this dictionary is that used in Southern England or heard on
BBC. Also the most comprehensive and detailed work concerning
pronunciation significantly from the point of view of the foreign
learner is Daniel Jones “An Outline Of English Phonetics”. This
extensive work covers in detail every item concerning
pronunciation, the organs of speech, experimental methods, breath
and voice, stress, intonation. It contains a minute description on
how to learn vowels and consonants along with a list of
illustrations on organs of speech, tongue position and
lip-position. That can be of a great help to the teacher. As it
concerns the phonetic transcription, Jones defines it as a clear
and simple system of representing pronunciation by means of
writing. The phonetic symbols will be a precious aid for the pupils
in the correct pronunciation of the words. The students should
acquire the phonetic transcription to the extent that it helps them
to use dictionaries. In class when the students are able to utter
the sound and know its phonetic representation the sound, the
teacher then arranges and presents the sounds in
simple monosyllabic words and uttered
repeatedly in unison and also individually. In some schools half of
a century ago in Uzbekistan English class-training courses were
held for acquisition of sounds before starting the language
teaching. Such courses had very good results because the method
used for training the auditory memory consisted in “nonsense
dictation”. First, the teacher teaches the phonetic transcription
and practices the sounds. Then, he dictates meaningless words with
sounds he wants to train. The pupil write what they think they hear
by means of phonetic system.
When they make a mistake the
teacher repeats the word as he originally pronounced it and then in
the way written by the pupils. He repeats the two pronunciations a
number of times until the pupils hear clearly the nature of the
mistake. Such ear-training classes were meant to help students in
hearing the language and have impact on the acoustic impression in
their memory by means of repetition. We emphasize an overview of
the time — tested (or “traditional”) classroom techniques and newer
techniques that have been used to teach pronunciation. The teachers
repertoire by providing an overview of newer techniques and
resources available to teachers of second language pronunciation.
In addition, there suggested other fields, such as drama,
psychology, speech pathology and are adapted for use in the second
language classroom.
Whatever their origin, these
techniques may not initially appeal to all teachers, as they
occasionally depart from established teaching practices and
challenge such long- standing pedagogical beliefs as the following:
that native like speech should be the target model, that the
teacher should decide on the instructional agenda and lead
instructional activities, that the sole focus of pronunciation
lessons should be accuracy, and finally that instruction occurs
exclusively inside the classroom. The techniques that we
highlighted fall into several areas: the use of fluency-building
activities as well as accuracy-oriented exercises, appeals to
multisensory modes of learning, adaptation of authentic materials,
and use instructional technology in the teaching of pronunciation.
As a conclusion we can say that improving pronunciation in English
is a vital part of achieving fluency and mastery of a language.
Include it in English lessons regardless of age or proficiency.
English pronunciation activities can be a good way to engage
students in a more interactive lesson while improving the clarity
of their speech. These materials can be easily adapted to the
teacher’s specific teaching purpose of English
pronunciation.
References:
1.
Celce-Murcia, M. (Ed.).
(2001). Teaching English as a second or foreign
language.
2.
Jim Scrivener. "Learning
Teaching".( 2006).
3.
Pat Grogan. English
pronunciation. Longman-London, 2000, 57
pages.
4.
http://www.
Gov.uk/goverment/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment-
data/file/194057/phonics_check_leaflet_2013,pdf