The Secret History of Methods

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The Secret History of Methods
Scott Thornbury
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• method
• vs. approach
• beyond methods/ post-method
• textbook-as-method

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The concept of method has not been replaced by
the concept of postmethod but rather by an era of
textbook-defined practice. What the majority of
teachers teach and how they teach ... are now
determined by textbooks. Akbari, R. 2008.
Postmethod discourse and practice. TESOL
Quarterly, 42/4, p. 647.
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In oral and written exercises of all kinds an
effort must be made to associate the matter under
treatment with the pupils own observations, to
illustrate it from his own experience... Goldsch
midt, T. 1923. English by Intuition and Pictures
without Employment of the Native Language.
Leipzig Ferdinand Hirt Sohn.
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1918
Find your point of contact in the daily
experience of the foreigner, and lead him as
speedily as possible into touch with the language
of daily life Roberts, P. 1918. English for
Coming Americans Teachers Manual. p. 19
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1956
Language is not a sterile subject to be confined
to the classroom. One of two things must be done
either life must be brought to the classroom or
the class must be taken to life. Strevens, P.
Spoken Language. 1956, p. 69
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1964
The student should never be called upon to say
anything that he has not already learned through
imitation of his teacher. English Language
Services, 1964. English This Way Teachers
Manual and Key. p. 9.
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1961
The teacher must really be himself and give
himself, talking to real people about real things
and then training his pupils to talk to one
another about real things. Billows, L. 1961.
The Techniques of Language Teaching. p. 56.
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1955
A command of structure is more easily acquired
by reading, speaking and writing the language
than by hearing and studying explanations.
Gurrey, P. 1955. Teaching English as a Foreign
Language. p. 80.
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1948
Learn by Speaking. Do not merely think the
words ... say them as if they were real act
them language is not a set of words it is a
form of behaviour. West, M. 1948. Improve Your
English. p. 11.
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n.d.
The key to language learning is (well planned
and lively) drill, drill, drill. Cooper, J.H.
et al. n.d. Methods and Techniques for Teaching
English. Washington, D.C. English Language
Services, p. 9. .
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1953
We teach grammar through conversation and not,
as some school teachers attempt, conversation
through grammar. Halbrich, J.O. 1953. Toil
and Chat English for Beginners, p. 93.
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1955
Every teacher of languages should devise ways
and methods of getting the new language used as
it in real life, that is, language that performs
some useful purpose. Gurrey, P. 1955. Teaching
English as a Foreign Language. p. 51.
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1961
The language must not be allowed to stay
imprisoned between the pages of a book.
Billows, L. 1961. The Techniques of Language
Teaching. p. 71.
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1967
Nothing should be spoken before it has been
heard. Nothing should be read before it has been
spoken.Nothing should be written before it has
been read. Alexander, L. 1967. First Things
First Teachers Book. p. xii .
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1949
They should feel that each lesson is their
lesson, not the teachers. In an English class
which is well run, the teacher is only a guide.
French, F. 1949. The Teaching of English
Abroad Part II The Junior Course. p.31.
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.these changes have represented different
configurations of the same basic
options... Pennycook A. (1989). The concept of
method, interested knowledge, and the politics of
language teaching, TESOL Quarterly 23 589-618.
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