Lecture 1 Methods of Foreign LanguageTeaching as a Science

A conscious approach to foreign language teaching implies the use of the learner’s native language (mother tongue).Comparison contributes to the thorough understanding of the material studied, since it causes the learner to observe and analyze the linguistic phenomena. These may be compared with other phenomena of the mother tongue, or with their counterparts in the foreign language.
When a pupil begins to learn a foreign language the words of this language are often associated with the words of the mother tongue first.
Mastery of the language means formulating one’s thoughts within the foreign language. We should use mother tongue as a means of teaching whenever it helps pupils in acquiring knowledge necessary for developing habits and skills. In teaching and learning, the foreign language and the mother tongue are closely connected and influence each other. The pupil can transfer language skills
acquired in the native language to those in the target language.
Conscious approach in the foreign language teaching implies that the pupil should understand the material they are to learn to be able to transform it and apply in communication in the target language. Transformation is connected with pupils’abilities to make the material fit new situations, new tasks.
Conscious approach in foreign language teaching implies pupils’ comprehension of the material they study. For example, they can single out topical sentences while reading a text, main ideas while listening to a text; pupils can the material for practicalneeds.
Consciousness also implies the development of independent work in pupils at the target language, which in its turn ensures favorable conditions for extending their knowledge and perfecting habits and skills.


The Principle of activity(Activeness)
Activeness is largely dependent upon interest. We know that the chief psychological factor naturally conditioning interest is relatedness to self. In order to awaken or stimulate the pupils’ interest in the English language the teacher will tell them at the very first lesson about the manifold possibilities that open out before each of them at the result of studying that language. The learner should feel a need to learn the subject and have necessary prerequisites created for satisfaction of this need; The main
sources of activity are motivation, desire and interest in reading the original interesting and useful books written in English; corresponding with English schoolchildren; conversing with foreign guests to our republic, perhaps visiting or being sent on a mission to one of the countries of the English- speaking nations and converting with the residents in their own language.
In other forms there is a tendency to the loss of interest in language learning. This shows that there is something wrong in teaching this subject. The teachers fall to sustain and develop the desire to learn which pupils have when they start the course. If the teacher wants to stimulate pupils’ interest in the subject he should make them use their knowledge for practical needs while talking, reading, doing various exercises of a communicative character which are creative by nature.
Consequently in teaching a foreign language it is necessary to stimulate pupils activity by involving them in the act of communication in the target language either in its oral (hearing, speaking) or written (reading, writing) form. At all stages Activeness should be coordinated with accessibility.
In our opinion,from the viewpoint of activeness a lesson in a foreign language should be judged by the following criteria:
1) The relative extent of the use of the foreign and the native language a) by the teacher and b)by the pupils;
2) The relative duration of the part of the lesson taken up by speech in the foreign language by the pupils;
3) The relation between speech by the teacher and by the pupils;
4) The readiness and the quality of the pupils’ answers to the teacher’s questions;
5) The use by the pupils of their power of guessing;
6) The number and the contents of the questions asked by the pupils a) of the teacher and b) of their comrades.
7) Correction by the pupils and a) their own and b) of their peers mistakes.