Algirdas Makarevicius. Teaching Methods
Which Is the Best Teaching Method?
We have used many language teaching methods in the past. Unfortunately, there is no prescribed answer as to which method is the best. Every method has its advocates as well as its opponents. Some methods have been scrutinized, criticized, and rejected and are no longer used. Other methods are still extensively applied in many schools, colleges, and universities. Some methods are successfully used in some countries but are not widely adopted globally. Some teaching methods are more prevalent in one country but less prevalent in other countries.
There is no proof that a specific method is better than any other, and it is OK for all language teachers and learners. I think there is no ‘best language teaching method,’ and it is the teacher's responsibility to determine which method or a combination of methods should be used under particular circumstances. Therefore, I will briefly review the basic and most widely used language teaching methods and reflect on their effectiveness.
Content-Based Teaching Method
One of the most widely spread methods is the content-based teaching method. The content-based method is also called content-based instruction (CBI). It focuses on vocabulary, terminology, and subject matter. It is applied in teaching university-level courses such as geology, computer science, biology, or sociology. This method is effective because students acquire language skills within the meaningful content. The content-based teaching method focuses on language acquisition and content learning, i.e., expanding students' experience and gaining either life skills or professional skills in specific subjects. In this way, it increases student motivation and provides better opportunities for future employment. To utilize this method, language teachers are required to acquire experience and knowledge in specific professional fields.
Communicative Language Teaching Method
Another popular method is the Communicative Language Teaching Method (CTL), which emphasizes interaction, cooperation, or interplay. It is based on the assumption that the goal of acquiring L2 skills is communicative competency. It concentrates on the practical aspects of speech rather than on the formal grammatical structures. Communicative, task-based, and problem-solving activities are extensively applied as the most potent ways of interaction. Students study in small groups and examine ‘real-life situation’ case studies. I use this method when I teach ESP courses for adult students.
The Audio-Lingual Method
The audio-lingual method focuses on listening practice. Students listen to various language patterns and act in daily situations. Students memorize dialogues and conversations recorded by native speakers and try to reproduce them as accurately as possible. They practice these patterns until responses become mechanical. This method of teaching can be combined with the CLT and CBI methods, helping learners develop their communication abilities efficiently.
The Direct Method
The direct method, also known as the natural method, involves teaching in a foreign language. It aims to develop all four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing. However, most of the time, it is used to develop listening and speaking skills. No translation is used. The German phonetician Wilhelm Viëtor developed and introduced this method.
Language Immersion
Language immersion means that the learner is in a real-life situation where they must use the target language. In an immersion school, the student ‘lives’ the language, i.e., the target language becomes his/her lifestyle. Classes are taught entirely in the target language; learners live with a family where everyone uses only the learners’ target language. Immersion programs can be categorized according to students' ages: early immersion (4-8), middle immersion (9-11), and late immersion (11+). Immersion programs can be further classified according to the degree of immersion: total immersion, partial immersion, bilingual immersion, FLES (content-based foreign languages in elementary schools) immersion, and FLEX (foreign language experience) immersion. Language immersion environments are often created in language villages and summer camps.
Total Physical Response
The total Physical Response (TPR) method is based on ‘speech in action.’ It was developed by American psychologist James Asher. The method is founded on the principle that listening comprehension should be fully developed first, just as a child learns a language. The other skills will be developed only when listening comprehension skills are fully developed. The TPR method is suitable for mixed-ability classrooms, kinesthetic learners, and students with learning disabilities.
The Pimsleur Language Learning System
The Pimsleur Language Learning System is based on natural language learning capabilities. It was designed and developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, an authority in applied linguistics. He taught phonetics and phonemics at the University of California; later, he served as a Fulbright lecturer at Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg. Dr. Pimsleur's system is centered on four basic ideas: anticipation, graduated interval recall, core vocabulary, and organic learning. Using carefully designed audiotape programs enables learners to acquire practical language skills similar to those of children in their native language and develop language skills quickly and without tedious drills.
Learning by Teaching
A famous German professor, Jean-Pol Martin, established Lernen Durch Lehren—Learning by Teaching. It is an effective method for students to learn by teaching their peers. The students take the teacher's role and teach their peers. Currently, learning by teaching is a widely adopted method in Germany and many other countries.
Lazanov's Method of Suggestopedia
Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian doctor and psychotherapist, developed Suggestopedia, also known as Desuggestopedia. The first element of Dr. Lozanov's method is the optimistic suggestion that learning is easy (students feel relaxed and happy); the second element focuses on providing learners with large amounts of learning material at a level appropriate to their age and interests—pictures, dramatized texts, music, songs, and games. This method was intended to work well for both children and adults. However, it can be expensive. I do not think this method is very effective and practical.
The Grammar Translation Method
The grammar-translation method was the principal teaching method in Europe during the 19th century. It was based on teaching grammar structures and vocabulary with direct translations. The grammar translation method successfully taught Latin (a dead language). Little attention was paid to interpersonal communication or pronunciation. Today, most experts admit that this method is ineffective.
Which Method to Use?
The teacher must decide which method or combination of methods to apply at various stages of the teaching process. The selection should be determined by the student’s age, educational background, class size, school requirements, learning objectives, and other factors. The teacher has to decide how to design a course, prepare teaching materials, select textbooks, and write lesson plans to meet the objectives.
There is no proof that a specific method is better than any other, and it is OK for all language teachers and learners. I think there is no ‘best language teaching method,’ and it is the teacher's responsibility to determine which method or a combination of methods should be used under particular circumstances. Therefore, I will briefly review the basic and most widely used language teaching methods and reflect on their effectiveness.
Content-Based Teaching Method
One of the most widely spread methods is the content-based teaching method. The content-based method is also called content-based instruction (CBI). It focuses on vocabulary, terminology, and subject matter. It is applied in teaching university-level courses such as geology, computer science, biology, or sociology. This method is effective because students acquire language skills within the meaningful content. The content-based teaching method focuses on language acquisition and content learning, i.e., expanding students' experience and gaining either life skills or professional skills in specific subjects. In this way, it increases student motivation and provides better opportunities for future employment. To utilize this method, language teachers are required to acquire experience and knowledge in specific professional fields.
Communicative Language Teaching Method
Another popular method is the Communicative Language Teaching Method (CTL), which emphasizes interaction, cooperation, or interplay. It is based on the assumption that the goal of acquiring L2 skills is communicative competency. It concentrates on the practical aspects of speech rather than on the formal grammatical structures. Communicative, task-based, and problem-solving activities are extensively applied as the most potent ways of interaction. Students study in small groups and examine ‘real-life situation’ case studies. I use this method when I teach ESP courses for adult students.
The Audio-Lingual Method
The audio-lingual method focuses on listening practice. Students listen to various language patterns and act in daily situations. Students memorize dialogues and conversations recorded by native speakers and try to reproduce them as accurately as possible. They practice these patterns until responses become mechanical. This method of teaching can be combined with the CLT and CBI methods, helping learners develop their communication abilities efficiently.
The Direct Method
The direct method, also known as the natural method, involves teaching in a foreign language. It aims to develop all four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing. However, most of the time, it is used to develop listening and speaking skills. No translation is used. The German phonetician Wilhelm Viëtor developed and introduced this method.
Language Immersion
Language immersion means that the learner is in a real-life situation where they must use the target language. In an immersion school, the student ‘lives’ the language, i.e., the target language becomes his/her lifestyle. Classes are taught entirely in the target language; learners live with a family where everyone uses only the learners’ target language. Immersion programs can be categorized according to students' ages: early immersion (4-8), middle immersion (9-11), and late immersion (11+). Immersion programs can be further classified according to the degree of immersion: total immersion, partial immersion, bilingual immersion, FLES (content-based foreign languages in elementary schools) immersion, and FLEX (foreign language experience) immersion. Language immersion environments are often created in language villages and summer camps.
Total Physical Response
The total Physical Response (TPR) method is based on ‘speech in action.’ It was developed by American psychologist James Asher. The method is founded on the principle that listening comprehension should be fully developed first, just as a child learns a language. The other skills will be developed only when listening comprehension skills are fully developed. The TPR method is suitable for mixed-ability classrooms, kinesthetic learners, and students with learning disabilities.
The Pimsleur Language Learning System
The Pimsleur Language Learning System is based on natural language learning capabilities. It was designed and developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, an authority in applied linguistics. He taught phonetics and phonemics at the University of California; later, he served as a Fulbright lecturer at Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg. Dr. Pimsleur's system is centered on four basic ideas: anticipation, graduated interval recall, core vocabulary, and organic learning. Using carefully designed audiotape programs enables learners to acquire practical language skills similar to those of children in their native language and develop language skills quickly and without tedious drills.
Learning by Teaching
A famous German professor, Jean-Pol Martin, established Lernen Durch Lehren—Learning by Teaching. It is an effective method for students to learn by teaching their peers. The students take the teacher's role and teach their peers. Currently, learning by teaching is a widely adopted method in Germany and many other countries.
Lazanov's Method of Suggestopedia
Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian doctor and psychotherapist, developed Suggestopedia, also known as Desuggestopedia. The first element of Dr. Lozanov's method is the optimistic suggestion that learning is easy (students feel relaxed and happy); the second element focuses on providing learners with large amounts of learning material at a level appropriate to their age and interests—pictures, dramatized texts, music, songs, and games. This method was intended to work well for both children and adults. However, it can be expensive. I do not think this method is very effective and practical.
The Grammar Translation Method
The grammar-translation method was the principal teaching method in Europe during the 19th century. It was based on teaching grammar structures and vocabulary with direct translations. The grammar translation method successfully taught Latin (a dead language). Little attention was paid to interpersonal communication or pronunciation. Today, most experts admit that this method is ineffective.
Which Method to Use?
The teacher must decide which method or combination of methods to apply at various stages of the teaching process. The selection should be determined by the student’s age, educational background, class size, school requirements, learning objectives, and other factors. The teacher has to decide how to design a course, prepare teaching materials, select textbooks, and write lesson plans to meet the objectives.
Why I Use the Communicative Task-Based Method of Teaching
1. Focus on Real Communication
I adopt the Communicative Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach because it places authentic communication at the center of learning. Unlike traditional grammar-translation or lecture-based methods, TBLT enables students to use the target language in real-life tasks (e.g., debates, problem-solving, simulations), thereby enhancing both fluency and accuracy.
2. Learner-Centered Approach
TBLT shifts the classroom from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered environment, where students actively construct knowledge through interaction. Students collaborate, negotiate meaning, and co-construct understanding, which makes the learning process engaging and effective.
3. Thinking and Creativity Skills
Tasks involve problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. They correspond to Bloom’s taxonomy, where learning outcomes extend beyond remembering and understanding to analyzing, evaluating, and creating. In this way, TBLT prepares students for academic, professional, and intercultural communication.
4. Motivation and Engagement
My experience shows that authentic, goal-oriented tasks enhance student motivation. Since students see a purpose behind each activity, they are more likely to invest effort. Tasks such as designing a survey, writing a business proposal, or conducting interviews give students a sense of achievement and relevance, thereby sustaining their motivation.
5. Integration of Skills
TBLT naturally integrates the four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—rather than isolating them. For example, a project on “designing a community awareness campaign” requires research (reading), discussion (speaking and listening), and report writing (writing).
In my teaching practice, I have observed that students in TBLT classrooms show greater willingness to participate, improved confidence, and a higher level of motivation. Having employed various methods, I concluded that task-based learning enhances communicative competence more effectively than traditional methods.
