Five Principles of Language Learning and Teaching
Frances Boyd and Carol Numrich, NorthStar 3e Series Editors
What principles guide good language teaching? In this
article, NorthStar
Series Editors Frances Boyd and Carol Numrich lay out the core propositions
that have informed their teaching and which form the base of the NorthStar
series — now in its third edition.
Principle One:
Meaning
In language learning, making meaning is all important. The
more profoundly students are stimulated intellectually and emotionally, the
more language they will generate and retain (Brown, 2001; Lightbown and Spada,
1999). One particularly effective way that teachers can engage students in
making meaning is by organizing language study thematically.
Principle Two: Both
Form and Content
Second- or foreign language learners need and want to learn
both the form and content of the language. To accomplish this, it is crucial to
integrate the study of Grammar, vocabulary and culture must be woven into the
content of all lessons.
Principle Three:
Active Learners
Both teachers and students need to be active learners.
Teachers must encourage students to go beyond whatever level of acquisition
they have reached. They should also bring the outside world into the language
classroom. Students, in turn, must apply their classroom learning in the wider
world.
Principle Four:
Feedback
Feedback is essential for language learners and teachers. If
students are to become better able to express themselves in English, they need
responses to both what they are expressing and how they are expressing it.
Teachers need multiple opportunities to provide such feedback.
Principle Five:
Relationships
The quality of relationships among students and between the
students and teacher is crucial, particularly when students are asked to
express themselves on issues and ideas. Materials can and should be designed to
encourage interaction and build community.
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