The Comprehension Approach (1980)
This approach is based on the research and writings of Stephen Krashen and James J Asher.
Krashen asserted that student's learn language through comprehensible input.
And that teaching should focus on helping student's comprehend language.
Much like a child learns.
Asher created a teaching method based on the comprehension approach called Total Physical Response.
Derect Approach와 유사
for the comprehension approach there is a stronger focus on actual language input. And lowering the effective filter that sometimes inhibits students acquiring language.
이 접근법에 따른 선생님의 경우 -> "we want students to be able to understand what they hear in the target language. They need to feel confident in their language ability and increase in their knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and so on by listening.
Listening to real language input and really understanding it. our main goal is to help learners develop the desire to learn the language for the joy of learning and not for external motivations. Also, those who learn languages faster will generally do better in this approach.
To teach effectively, we need lots of physical objects and realia. Things that students already know and are familiar with, like objects in a classroom. We also use observable actions to teach verbs such as jump, sit or open your book.
Just like children learn their first language, students should be allowed to just listen. (silent period 강조)
Students remember the language by connecting what they are already familiar with to what they are learning.
They then have opportunities to hear and use the language they know in very specific situations.
Which helps reinforce what they've learned and makes their language knowledge more automatic. "
The silent period our teacher mentioned is supposed to mimic the time when children are listening to their parents and others around them and forming connections in their brain with regards to grammar and vocabulary in their first language.
Teachers help their students understand what they are saying without translation by repeating commands and
using physical actions and commands.
another important concept is the idea of the effective filter.
Stephen Krashen put forth the idea that students' emotional state can severely affect their ability to make the necessary connections in their minds, and keep them from learning a language as fast as they would like Situations where the students feel high amounts of anxiety or stress or where the effective filter is high, make it difficult for students to focus on the language because they are more focused on their inadequacies. By lowering the effective filter, or reducing the stress and anxiety students feel, you increase their ability to focus on the language, and thus their ability to learn the language.
Giving students a silent period, where they are free to listen and internalize the language before they are required to speak. Lowers the effect of filter and helps students acquire the language faster.
*using only the target language in the classroom-By using only the target language in the class room, teachers can expose their students to more comprehensible input. And provide more opportunities for their students to practice in the target language. But you must be careful, strict enforcement of such policies can raise students effective filters, and actually make it harder for them to learn the language.
use of visual aids to convey meaning
Role Reversal.
Use of Simple Questions and Dialogues.-You can ask questions about a situation in a picture.
Where the responses are limited to what the students see in the picture.
By limiting the possible responses and vocabulary choices, the students do not need to think as much about what to say which perhaps, lowers the effective filter and lets them focus on what their currently learning.
