Scott Thornbury – What's the latest teaching method?

The speaker discusses his passion for traveling and collecting old books about teaching and languages such as grammars, dictionaries, and phrasebooks. While traveling for conferences, he often takes the opportunity to explore bookshops in search of unique finds related to his interests. Recently, he discovered a large secondhand book market in Kiev and found delightful old books in a Malta bookshop, underscoring the historical progression and sometimes humorous content in educational materials of the past.

While addressing the participants, the speaker mentions the confusion over the term 'method' in language teaching. He challenges the notion of the 'best method' for teaching as too simplistic and context-ignoring, suggesting that the term might be conflated with course books in various cultures. Through historical examples, he indicates that consumer perceptions and terms surrounding teaching methods may vary greatly, hinting at a larger, more complex landscape of language education.

Considering the history and evolution of teaching methods, it is noted that the concept of a 'single best method' has been challenged and dismissed, particularly throughout the latter 20th century. Various educational scholars called for a move beyond fixed methods, promoting adaptable principles or parameters. The discussion introduces the notion of textbooks replacing methods due to practical constraints faced by teachers, suggesting a pragmatic shift in educational practice.

The speaker elaborates on how the term 'method' can have prescriptive connotations and contrasts it with 'approach,' which is perceived as more adaptable and friendly. The discussion mentions 'post method' era ideas where universal teaching principles take precedence over strict methods. Arguments suggest that teachers often have limited choice to tailor methods and instead rely on textbooks. This shift raises questions about evolving teaching practices amidst diverse educational contexts.

Throughout time, educators have emphasized the importance of making language learning relevant and tied to real-life experiences, a sentiment echoed in various works from as early as the 1920s. The notion of a relevant and authentic learning experience, paralleling recent educational trends, stresses experiential learning. Historical comparisons underline that many acclaimed modern educational techniques have roots in much earlier pedagogical theories.

The speaker challenges traditional narratives that depict the evolution of teaching methods as linear and progressive. Instead, he suggests a cyclical nature where similar educational principles are continuously reconfigured to fit contemporary biases and trends. The historical analysis draws attention to long-standing pedagogical debates, revealing that many 'new' methods are reformulations of ideas that have existed for centuries.

The discussion identifies a dichotomy between two major teaching method philosophies: the Scholastic/academic-focused methods and the natural/experiential methods aimed at mirroring first language acquisition. The speaker highlights how modern teaching practices often blend elements from both, emphasizing the need for adaptive and flexible teaching to suit varying educational needs and contexts.

The persistence of the term 'method' in educational discourse is noted, despite movements to go beyond fixed teaching methods. A book introducing thirty teaching methods serves as a reflective tool to derive actionable insights from various approaches historically. The takeaway underscores the value in learning from a wide range of teaching practices while cautioning against becoming too rigid in adhering to any single method.