How would you approach this?

As a second language learner, I have experience many different types of teaching methods over the years. For instance, when I first started to learn Spanish as a freshman in high school, my teacher used more of a grammar translation approach. A majority of the class was spoken in English and we would translate various words and/or phrases from English to Spanish. At the time I found this method to be helpful because I was a beginner and did not have the slightest clue how to speak Spanish. This method helped introduce me to many important vocabulary words and phrases in the Spanish language.


However, as a continued on with my Spanish learning, the methods my instructors used to teach began to change as our ability levels were increasing. To give an example, the approach my Spanish teacher from senior year used could fall under the cognitive approach method. As learners, we were never really corrected on our pronunciation, unless of course the word we used was completely wrong. My teacher viewed speaking errors as something that was only natural for non-native speakers to experience. In addition, we spent time focusing on improving our abilities to read and write in the language as well as learn about different grammar rules. At the time I found this teaching method a bit challenging, but in a positive way. This approach helped me improve my Spanish language abilities.

A third type of language learning that I have experienced is the direct approach. This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico. While I was there, the professor only knew how to speak fluent Spanish; therefore, the entire class was taught in that language. At times, she would use hand motions or other gestures if the class was unsure on what she was saying. My professor also liked to include various literary texts into her lessons for us to enjoy, rather than analyze the grammar. Once again, I found this teaching method to be beneficial to my Spanish learning career. Being immersed in the language and having to constantly speak and understand in my L2 helped me further develop my Spanish abilities. I found the direct approach to be helpful at that stage in my life because I was at a more advanced stage in the language learning process.

Overall, I would say that one method is not better than the other. Sometimes the type of method that would be “best” depends on the ability level of the class or even an individual. I felt that the methods my teachers have used through out the years have been appropriate for the level of proficiency I was at during that time period. When I become a teacher, I feel as though it is important for me to know the language ability of my students, so that I can utilize a teaching method that would be most suitable for them. However, sometimes the entire class may not be at the same level, and as a result, I will have to be more flexible with which teaching styles I use in the classroom.