A teaching method is a planned approach for communicating knowledge of something. There are different teaching methods for teaching different subjects. The nature of the method changes with the nature of the message, which is to be conveyed. As the nature of concepts and messages of a language is different from, for example, those of physical sciences, therefore, different teaching methods will be used for teaching a language and teaching physical sciences. In a language stress is always on the parts of speech and the structure. The teacher starts from nouns of daily use in combination with very simple structures, but the approach is often different with different teachers. Some teachers like formalist approach while the other prefers activist ones.
Formalist Approach: In the formalist approach the emphasis is on forms. The teacher teaches the rules of the language and their applications in every detail, and expects that by studying the rules, the students will master the language. This approach relies on deductive form of teaching moving from the statements of the rules to their application in the examples.
Activist Approach: No doubt that many practicing teachers of the modern languages follow the formalist approach because it is easy to follow for the teacher, but there have always been protests in favour of some living methods appropriate for teaching a living language. The activist approach is a functional approach to the structure of the language. The student is first taught what is most useful and most applicable. The rare and exceptional things are left for later stages. It familiarizes the students first with forms of the language used for general communications in speech.
Appropriate Approach: The effectiveness of all teaching methods is relative to the situation in which they are being taught. Every method has its own objectives and a good teacher should first know the objectives of the method he wants to follow. He should further know whether the objectives of the method correspond to the objectives of his lesson. The teaching methodology you will come to know that every lesson has its own objectives and the teaching plan is developed in such a way that these objectives are fully achieved. The selection of teaching method too is based on these objectives. The techniques should be encouraging and interesting for students of all level-weak, mediocre and intelligent. They should also allow the teacher to carryout his full days teaching load by following these techniques.
