These methods are based on a "common belief in the primacy of affective and emotional factors within the learning process" (David Nunan). All of them propose that learners must feel confident and motivated by the target language and its culture to learn it succesfully; on the other hand if these conditions are not present, not even the latest methods and techniques will make students learn.
Earl Stevick has interpreted the humanistic methods in language teaching and he concluded that there are five functions of the teacher, because the emotional attitude towards the teacher is really important.
These functions are:
1.- The cognitive function: the teachers posses the knowledge and students expect to receive it.
2.- The classroom management function, students trust that teachers will organize properly: time, techniques and materials.
3.- Practical goals, teachers have to create correct syllabuses, in order to, show clearly what they are going to learn.
4.-The personal or interpersonal function, teachers are responsible to create an adequate atmosphere where the emotions are met.
5.-This is the most important function, teachers must be motivated and enthusiastic to radiate it to their students.
The Community Language Learning created by Curran, states that "learning another language is probably the most anxiety provoking activity an individual can undertake in the classroom". So this method claims that a community of learners sholud be created in the classroom and move them to be completely autonomous from teacher. But this method, cuold be non appropriate to be used by unexperienced teachers, because it points to the emotions and attitudes of learners and "destroy the very cohesion and solidarity which the method is supposed to create"
Another method is called The Silent Way, it was devised by Gattegno, on 1972, the most important thing for this method is "the importance of the inner state of the learner in the learning process" again the affective carachteristic is pointed as very important to learn. One of the problems is that this method suggests to teach very few vocabulary words and language models. Even though the syllabus and the classroom techniques are conventional, the role of the teacher is to assume in an indirect way monitors the process of learning.
And the last one, called Suggestopedia suggests that the learners are able to memorize a huge amount of information, they just need to be relaxed almost hypnotized, using music and controlling breath they could learn up to three thousand words in a day. This information has been refuted by some researchers.
I think that these humanistic approach take into account some very important things which need to be considered in the learning process. A very important factor when learning a language are all the affective variables that may be influencing the learning process and preventing the learner from achieving high levels of language proficiency. The learner need to be motivated and relaxed to really learn.
ResponderEliminarIt is no surprise that beign a teacher is complicated and that we must or should master many things so learning takes place. With everything that is going on in our country now, there should be some talk about how much time teachers have to study, analize what happens in the classroom, plan accordingly, etc, things that are necesary to achieve that important goal "learning".
ResponderEliminarI agree with you Leyla, because there are so many things that have change lately and that there is a need to talk.
ResponderEliminarWe as teacher have to motivate our students but the same way they can´t be stress, so they have to be relax to learn. Sometimes can be difficult to reach that level.
This is a test run!
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