Why there’s no one right way to teach a language

I often tell the teachers I train: there’s no point in explaining something ten times in the same way. We’ve all been there. You explain a grammar rule, you look up and see blank faces, so you explain it again, a little slower and a little louder. It almost never works. When a learner doesn’t understand, the problem usually isn’t the learner. It’s the approach.

Everyone is different

I learnt English the very traditional way: lots of grammar, lots of word lists, lots of translating. And it worked for me. But over the years I’ve met so many people who were never taught a single grammar rule and still speak English perfectly well. They simply got enough input, by listening, reading and living with the language, much like a child picks up its first language.

So which way is right? Both. And that’s exactly the point. Methods in language teaching come and go like fashions. Grammar-translation, audio-lingual drills, the communicative approach, task-based learning: each one was presented as the answer at some point. Each has something valuable to offer, but none of them works for every learner on its own. I’ll even go one step further: people who really want to learn a language will learn it, whatever the method.

"There’s no point in explaining something ten times in the same way. When a learner doesn’t understand, the problem usually isn’t the learner. It’s the approach."

An eclectic approach

That’s why I’m such a big fan of an eclectic approach. It means consciously combining different methods and techniques, depending on what your learners need. The word that matters most there is consciously. Eclectic doesn’t mean doing a bit of everything and hoping something sticks. You start with a clear goal, you decide which skills you want to practise, and only then do you choose the activities that fit your goal and your group.

Here’s what that can look like. Say you’re working on the theme of health. Your learners might first listen to a conversation at the doctor’s and put a few pictures in the right order. Then they walk around the classroom asking each other questions like ‘Have you ever broken your leg?’ Later they practise useful chunks such as ‘I’m suffering from…’ with flashcards, or look up difficult words and write their own sentences. Finally, they plan a visit to the doctor and act it out in pairs.

It’s the same theme and the same words, but five different activities, each from a different 'method'. Not every activity will click with every learner, and it doesn’t have to. Somewhere along the way, each of them will be fully engaged. That’s what variety does.

Multiple intelligences

You’ve probably heard about learning styles: the idea that some people learn better in a visual way, others in an auditory way, and so on. It’s a very popular idea, and I understand why. But I want to be honest with you: research hasn’t found convincing evidence that people learn better when you match your teaching to their learning style. So I won’t tell you to label your learners and teach each of them in one particular way.

What I do find a wonderful source of inspiration, though, is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner didn’t believe in classic IQ tests. He said there are eight types of intelligence, and that every one of us has all eight, just not all equally developed. He identifies the following intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical-rhythmic, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic.

For a language teacher, this is a treasure chest of ideas. Take a grammar rule. You can explain it in words, as most of us do. But you can also show it in a diagram with different colours, or even sing it in a song where the structure comes back again and again. That’s three ways of presenting the same grammar, each one speaking to a different intelligence. If you only ever use words, you may not reach everyone in your classroom.

One of my favourite activities is body grammar. Give a few learners one word each on a sheet of paper, and let them stand in the right order to form a correct sentence. Want to turn it into a question? They have to change places. They literally feel the word order with their bodies, and suddenly the grammar becomes very visual.

"The goal is not to teach every learner in his or her preferred style. The goal is variety."

And one thing has been proven: combining pictures and words helps every learner remember. So whenever you can, show it as well as say it.

A small challenge

In your next lesson, try one activity you’ve never tried before, even if it feels a little uncomfortable. Challenge yourself. You might reach the learners who struggle with the methods you always use. And I promise you, it will make teaching more fun for you too.

To get more tips and insights, listen to the full episode, Why There’s No One Right Way to Teach a Language.

Happy teaching!

Peter Schoenaerts