Traditional vs. Modern Teaching Methods

By:

Widya Rahmawati (1507042033)

These days, especially at private schools and language schools, we have great possibilities in what a teacher can do with his or her students, in terms of teaching methods, seating arrangement, visual aids, etc. With this freedom in teaching, we have as well an enormous number of ideas to use in our classrooms. All teachers is discovering a great number of new ideas and activities all the time. However, since the time of our students is precious, one of the teacher’ s crucial tasks is to compare, analyse and evaluate the methods they use in order to motivate the students and to make the learning as effective as possible. The  central factor in the choice of methods is the learners’  needs and characters; something works for one person well, but the samemethod might not work at all for another person.

Definitions of  Methodology

Henson states, that “strategies represent a complex approach to teaching which often contains a mixture of teaching methods, utilizing a number of techniques with each method” (Henson: 1980). According to Webster’ s Third New International Dictionary, methodology is“a body of methods, procedures, working concepts, rules and postulates employed [...] in the solution of a problem or in doing something” (Methodology). This expression can be used as an equivalent to the words teaching and strategy.

Definitions of  Traditional Methodology

A very typical feature of traditional methodology, as Broughton and his colleagues claim, is the “teacher-dominated interaction” (Broughton , 1994: 22). The traditional methodology of teaching is deeply teacher-centred. That it is based on the traditional view of education, where teachers serve as the source of knowledge while learners serve as passive receivers (Kuzu: 2007). This widespread attitude is based on a precondition that being in a class in the presence of a teacher and‘listening attentively’ is  enough to ensure that learning will take place (Scrivener: 2005). The traditional Grammar-Translation Method focuses on teaching rules and practises it in translating.

Definitions of  Modern Methodology

Unlike traditional methodology, modern methodology is much more student-centred. 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.” (Scrivener: 2005). According to (Broughton: 1994) modern methodology is where 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.

Opinions on Traditional and Modern Methodologies

The traditional methodology is the traditional teacher as authoritative. Besides that the teacher is doing his duty when teaching. Obedience and respect for the teacher, headmaster etc are highlighted as priorities. Other opinion indicates that the traditional teacher often humiliates their students. Traditional teaching makes learners passive; that the reason for the passiveness is the popular attitude that curiosity is bad.

The modern methodology is the role of the teacher as being the organiser of the learning process. The teacher brings materials for the learners to find problems included in them and guides pupils or helps them to find the solutions. Developing independent creative thinking as a vital issue in modern methodology and involving learners in the lesson helps them remember the subject matter. Modern methodology uses a great deal of pair work and individual work. The use of visual aids and information technology such ascomputers, the internet etc. occurred in four answers. 

References

Broughton, Geoffrey, et al. 1994. Teaching English as a Foreign Language. 2nd ed. London: Routledge

Henson, Kenneth T. 1980.  “Teaching Methods: History and Status.” Teaching methods: Designs for learning. Vol.1, pp2-5, of Theory into Practice. vol. 19.

Kuzu, Abdullah, 2007. Views of Pre-Service Teachers on Blog Use for Instruction and Social Interaction.  Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE July 2007 Volume: 8 Number: 3 Article: 2.

Scrivener, Jim. 2005. Learning Teaching. Oxford: Macmillan