Myth #2 – Best Teaching Strategy = Grammar

Learning a language by studying grammar can be traced back to the 19th century Grammar/Translation Method of language instruction. This method has been proven consistently to be one of the most ineffective language teaching strategies — and yet it is alive and well in many parts of the world, including (and surprisingly so) the capital of a bilingual country (ahem, C_n_d_-- your French language programs, particularly). 

This grammar-based teaching strategy has been justifiably criticized for teaching about the foreign language without ever teaching how to use the language. Learners can take foreign language classes based on this teaching strategy for years and years, yet never know how to communicate in real life. 

Why do language schools continue to use this teaching strategy despite its ineffectiveness?

• It’s the easiest way to teach a language.
• The teacher is in control the entire time.
• It lends itself to relying on a textbook and exercises.
• It is traditional. Many people think this is the only way to teach a language.
• It doesn’t require specialized training on how the brain acquires information.
• It is very easy to assess.

Using a method or combination of teaching strategies that are appropriate for language development is much more difficult for the teacher. It requires:

• understanding how to analyze needs and assess language proficiency (apart from a written test)
• giving up control and allowing students to practice
• much more student-centred structure and teaching strategies
• a significant amount of effort being put into the design phase
• willingness on the part of students to participate in classes with teaching strategies other than lecture, notes, written exercises and tests.

A combination of methods and teaching strategies are the tools of a professional second language instructor who is more than just a native speaker of the language. And it results in learners being able to do more than just conjugate verbs and answer grammar questions in the new language. They can actually understand and use the language to communicate.