Introduction
The need to provide customized language learning and catering for the individual learner’s needs are two important issues in teaching practice and education policy-making fields. Specialists and policymakers in education have come up with a number of methods, most of which have lasted for a short period. For instance, Cognitive-Based Approaches, Audiological methods, Natural Approach, and the total physical response (TPR) have been used in American elementary schools (Richards and Rogers 147). In addition, according to Gass (98), standard-based, as well as proficiency movements, have attempted to define the proficiency goals that have shaped the field of elementary education.
Purpose statement
The purpose of this paper is to review the best possible teaching method applicable Task-Based language teaching method applicable in elementary schools from grade 1 to grade 3. The discussion will consider CLT as the most appropriate task-based language teaching method for classrooms from grades 1 to 3.
The shift towards task-based language teaching in elementary schools
Over the years, most educators based their teaching on the grammar-translation method in language teaching. The method originates from the 19th-century form of education and was still in use in the early 20th century (Richards and Rogers 156). The method emphasized the use of a list of vocabularies and explanation rules. There was little emphasis on oral proficiency, which meant that students could only become fluent speakers by integrating themselves into the physical world of native speakers rather than gaining such skills from the class. Due to its errors, the method was replaced by other methods such as Direct Methods, Natural methods, Cognitive-Based Methods, and others.
CLT: a modern method in task-based teaching of foreign language
Despite applying methods in teaching, there is a notion among researchers and policymakers in education that the education field lacks a single method applicable on its own to meet the needs and goals of the learners. Therefore, it has been suggested that the most effective approach is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). CLT is primarily composed of diverse ways of teaching that originate from numerous methods. In addition, CLT methodologies are rooted in a range of education and cognitive theories. Moreover, research findings in cognitive and educational psychology and language acquisition provide a justification for the use of CLT.
Richards and Rogers (124) argue that CLT presents as the most effective approach to teaching foreign language, especially in lower grades of the elementary school system. In his studies, Cameron (53) argues that CLT reflects a certain education theory or a research archetype. The primary goal is to ensure that the learners gain competence and ability in communication. The method simply applies real-life situations in order to trigger the need for communication.
In this context, communicative competence or ability in communication is the learner’s ability to interpret and adapt the necessary or appropriate social behaviors. According to Swain (23), communicative competence requires that the active learner be actively involved in the production of the language being taught. Therefore, it encompasses a wide range of abilities in language acquisition such as sociolinguistic competence, linguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence.
Conclusion
From this analysis, it is worth arguing that the education system lacks a single method that can effectively enable the program and the learners to achieve their goals. This is the paradigm on which CTL methods are based. It implies that a mixture of methods is necessary to ensure that the learner acquires communicative competence.
Works Cited
Cameron, Lynne. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge, UK: CUP, 2005. Print.
Gass, Carolyn. Input in Second Language Acquisition. Rowley, MA, Newbury House, 2001. Print.
Richards, Jack and Theodore Rodgers. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print.
Swain, Merrill. Communicative Competence: Some Roles of Comprehendsible Input and Comprehensible Output in its Development. Rowley, MA: Newbury House, 2005. Print.