Methods in language teaching: Do we still need them?

Authors:

• Krystyna Maria Droździał-Szelest

Abstract

The present article focuses on the concept of a language teaching method, considered by many the most crucial notion in language education. Methods have had a long history in language teaching due to the widespread belief that it is possible to establish a set of procedures (= a method) which, when implemented in an expert way in the classroom, would inevitably lead to successful language learning. Therefore, many generations of teachers have found the notion attractive, turning to it in the hope of finding solutions to problems they encounter in everyday teaching. Additionally, for many teachers, especially novices, the concept of a method provided a safe frame of reference. However, with different methods coming into fashion, gaining and losing favor, it became apparent with time that none of the methods proposed could guarantee success for all learners. It is hardly surprising then, that the end of the twentieth century witnessed a move away from methods, at least at the theoretical level, and the beginning of the so-called post-method era in language education. As there has been quite a lot of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding language teaching methods, the aim of this article is to reexamine their role in contemporary language education.