Page 37 - Beyond Methods

Understanding postmethod pedagogy 25
often than not a variant of existing methods presented with “the fresh paint of a new terminology that camouflages their fundamen- tal similarity.” It is therefore useful, for the purpose of analysis and understanding, to cluster these methods in terms of certain identi- fiable common features. One way of doing that is to classify them as (a) language-centered methods, (b) learner-centered methods, and (c) learning-centered methods (Kumaravadivelu, 1993a).
Reflective task 2.1
Individually or with a peer partner, reflect on the meaning of method. Then, try to guess how the meaning of method might be treated in (a) language- centered, (b) learner-centered, and (c) learning-centered methods.
Language-Centered Methods
Language-centered methods are those that are principally con- cerned with linguistic forms, also called grammatical structures. These methods (e.g., audiolingual method) seek to provide oppor- tunities for learners to practice preselected, presequenced linguis- tic structures through form-focused exercises in class. The assump- tion is that a preoccupation with form will ultimately lead to a mastery of the target language and that learners can draw from this formal repertoire whenever they wish to communicate in the target language outside the class. According to this belief, language devel- opment is largely intentional rather than incidental, that is, it takes place through conscious effort as in the case of adult L2 learning and not through unconscious processes as in the case of child L1 acquisition.
Language-centered methods treat language learning as a linear, additive process. That is, they believe language develops primarily in terms of what William Rutherford (1987) calls “accumulated en- tities.” In practice, a set of grammatical structures and vocabulary items are carefully selected for their potential use and graded from simple to complex. The teacher’s task is to introduce them one at a time and help the learner practice them until the learner internal- izes them. Secondly, language-centered methods generally advocate explicit introduction, analysis, and explanation of linguistic systems.