Methods to acquire a second language.

Grammar Translation Method

This method is older and is used since the 18th century and part of the 19th century. Traditionally it was used to teach classical languages ​​such as Latin and Greek; however, it was later used to teach modern languages ​​such as French, German and English. In this method, he pays special attention to the assimilation of grammatical norms, for which he relies on the following: the presentation of a norm, the study of a list of vocabulary and the performance of translation exercises.

All the indications and explanations are given completely in the native language of the students, losing the opportunity to develop the auditory and oral tasks, besides not thinking the thought in the target language. This method tremendously required memory, since I had to remember all the patterns and learn infinity of words. It can be said that this method had no influence on the theories of learning posed by psychology.

Direct Method

The direct method was very popular at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. What is known as a method is what is used to establish a direct connection between the word and reality and the denomination (actions, objects, gestures and situations) without the need of the native language.

The teacher repeats a word pointing to the object that it denotes and does it as many times as necessary until the student can reproduce it by himself. It focuses on the development of the four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The existence of the native language is ignored. The translation is eliminated as the teaching procedure, the estimation of the use of visual media, oral and written exercises. Errors are avoided all along the coast, and that an error generates an incorrect habit.

Audio-lingual method

This method has its origin in the Second World War and is inherited from the methodology of the direct method. In this method, priority is given to the target language (speaking and writing). The linguistic correction is sought and it is about the student learning the new vocabulary by word-image association, fundamentally through repetition; In addition, he uses a detailed guide of situations where the student must use the language to serve as an example. It does an exercise of technological means. In this method we can notice the presence of Skinner's neobehaviorism; while it is a language as a set of habits and a form of social behavior, a form of reaction of the organism before the environment.

Total Physical-response Method

Developed by James Asher, this method is the teacher of instructions for students, they do not speak, but what they do is what they like (dance, move, jump, etc.). the other students You learn through actions and physical responses instead of mechanical exercises. This method allows for the phases of preparation for oral expression where students do not speak until it is confirmed and they wish to do so.

Communicative Approach

It arises in the 70s as a proposal of new language teaching. Without being a method yet, it is an approach that understands language learning as a process where grammatical structures are not more important, but communicative intentions (functional aspect). This method uses many of the procedures and the basic ideas of the methods that preceded as theirs, in the sense of communicative orientation. This approach takes the positive behavior of behaviorism, cognitivism and humanism.

For communicative methodology, language is more than a system of habits that can be formed through mechanical exercise. This is a specific system and the apprentice must know how this system operates in real communication as a means to achieve an end.