Foreign Language Teaching Methods for Introductory Slavic
This paper examines nine established foreign language teaching methods and evaluates their suitability for an introductory college-level Slavic course, assuming students begin with little to no proficiency in the target language. Drawing on Dr. Jill Kerper Mora's framework, the paper surveys Total Physical Response, Grammar Translation, Audio Lingual, Communicative, Functional Notional, Direct, Reading, Silent Way, and Community Language Learning approaches. Each method is assessed for its focus on the four language arts—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—as well as its appropriateness for adult learners. The paper concludes by recommending a sequenced, integrated curriculum that begins with accessible methods and gradually introduces more complex approaches as student proficiency develops.
- Introduction: Why Foreign Language Teaching Matters: Globalization and rationale for language teaching methods
- Total Physical Response and Grammar Translation: Kinesthetic and grammar-focused methods compared
- Audio Lingual and Communicative Approaches: Habit formation versus naturalistic language acquisition
- Functional Notional and Direct Approaches: Meaning-focused and target-language-only instruction
- Reading Approach, Silent Way, and Community Language Learning: Specialized and counseling-based language methods reviewed
- Conclusion: Integrating Methods for Introductory Slavic: Recommended sequenced integration of teaching approaches
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper provides a clear evaluative framework — assessing each method against the same four language arts (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and the same learner context (introductory college Slavic) — which allows for direct comparison across approaches.
- The conclusion synthesizes the individual assessments into a practical, sequenced instructional recommendation rather than simply summarizing each method in isolation.
- The paper acknowledges student variability — differences in learning styles, purposes, and prior experience — as a reason to integrate multiple methods, grounding the argument in pedagogical reasoning rather than preference alone.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative analysis applied to a practical instructional design problem. Rather than advocating for a single "best" method, the writer systematically identifies the strengths and limitations of each approach relative to a specific learner population, then synthesizes those findings into an integrated curricular sequence. This move from survey to synthesis is the core academic technique on display.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief rationale for foreign language education in a globalized world, then narrows to the specific context of an introductory college Slavic course. Nine teaching methods are each given their own evaluative treatment. The conclusion returns to the integrative thesis, proposing a staged sequence — simple methods first, complex approaches later — that draws selectively from across all nine methods reviewed.
Introduction: Why Foreign Language Teaching Matters
Globalization and the concept of the "global village" have brought about significant developments in language teaching. It is now widely recognized, for example, that contact with one or more natives from foreign countries during an average lifetime is more likely than not. Furthermore, the information age means that knowledge from across the globe is integrated into the academic world. This implies that not all academic texts will be in English, and that some foreign language skills are necessary to access scholarship in certain fields. Businesses also generally offer expanded opportunities to those willing to relocate to foreign countries, and the success of such ventures often depends upon the ability to communicate with the target country's native population. The question is therefore not so much whether foreign languages belong in a curriculum, but rather how they should be taught.
A great deal of debate surrounds this issue, and it has resulted in the evolution of language teaching methods to include several new approaches. One of these is the integrated method, by which school children are taught a foreign language not only in the language classroom itself but also through their other school subjects (Novotna & Hofmannova, 2007). At the college introductory level, this is unlikely to be a practical option. However, integration is indeed possible in terms of combining established foreign language instruction methods. When teaching Slavic at the college introductory level, for example, a variety of methods are available to the teacher. Integrating these effectively can be a challenge, as college students bring with them a variety of considerations, including their individual purposes for learning the new language (Pufahl, Rhodes, & Christian, 2001). It is also important to recognize that some students are more highly developed in language learning skills than others, and that different students have different learning styles. Taking these variables into account, integrating different language teaching methods has the benefit of catering to a wide variety of student needs — something that a single approach will probably not accomplish.
The discussion that follows assumes the Slavic language proficiency of students taking the course to be more or less non-existent. A selection of nine different language teaching methods is then examined briefly to determine which are most appropriate for such a course, and how they can be integrated to achieve optimal results. Information for all the teaching approaches discussed is derived from Dr. Jill Kerper Mora (2002).
Total Physical Response and Grammar Translation
Total Physical Response
According to Dr. Mora, the Total Physical Response method uses the kinesthetic sensory system to transfer information in the target language. By combining movements and demonstrations with words in the target language, students are expected to understand the new language before learning to speak it. Information is mainly communicated by means of imperatives. Students are also provided with an individual readiness period, after which they begin to speak when they feel confident enough.
This appears to be an especially effective language teaching method for students at the college level. The fact that students can independently choose when to enter into conversation helps develop their confidence in using the target language — confidence they can transfer to other aspects of their college life and beyond. The specific language skills targeted here are listening and speaking. There is little grammatical structure apart from the imperative; however, this is a good method with which to begin language instruction, especially since early success and high volume of input results in a high success rate and therefore strong motivation. The combination of movement with words also makes instruction engaging and promotes retention.
The Grammar Translation Method
The Grammar Translation Method is almost the direct opposite of the Total Physical Response method. The focus is entirely on grammar, with little practice application in the classroom. It is therefore a very good supplement for Total Physical Response, where grammar teaching is largely absent. Grammar is mainly taught through reading passages, vocabulary exercises, and isolated grammatical rules.
As a standalone method, it does little to motivate students or cultivate enthusiasm. These gaps are filled by the Total Physical Response method. The Slavic teacher can then combine Grammar Translation activities with the rest of the course activities to provide students with a holistic language learning experience. In this way, speaking and listening skills are supplemented with intensive, targeted reading and writing activities from the Grammar Translation method.
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