The eclectic approach means that you combine several teaching methods instead of relying on just one. You choose the method that fits each learner and each task, and you use the strengths of one method to make up for the weaknesses of another.
Teaching English as a second language has its own challenges. Learners come with different backgrounds and different expectations, so teachers need a flexible way of teaching. A single method works for one group of students and misses another group completely. The eclectic approach solves this problem.
What is the eclectic approach?
The eclectic approach is a teacher's choice to use a range of teaching methods and approaches instead of just one. Eclecticism in teaching is not a new idea: it has been discussed since at least the early 1990s as a way to overcome the limits of any single teaching method.
How do you apply the eclectic approach in the classroom?
Take the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) as an example. This method teaches a foreign language by translating it, and by contrasting and comparing it with the learners' native language. Here are its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
- Students understand the meaning of words, phrases, sentences, and grammar quickly, because sentences are translated consistently.
- Teachers do not need to be fluent speakers of English.
- Teachers can teach grammar and sentence structure easily by following strict grammar rules. This means less stress when they prepare a lesson.
Weaknesses
- It is hard for students to produce complete sentences when they only learn isolated words.
- Teachers may be tempted to stick to the grammar rules throughout, which makes the class boring and repetitive.
- Speaking is not encouraged, so students may not be able to say English sentences out loud.
- Learners take very little active part in the lesson.
To overcome these weaknesses, teachers can combine the GTM with the Direct Method, also known as the Natural Method. The Direct Method teaches English in English, mostly by speaking, with question-and-answer exchanges and plenty of repetition. Meaning comes from linking speech to objects, mime, gestures, and actions, not from translation.
For the Direct Method, teachers can also use teaching aids such as drawings and flashcards. Using different learning media is also part of the eclectic approach. A picture acts as an extra "anchor" that links an English word directly to its meaning, without a detour through the mother tongue. Varied media also help against the boredom that the Grammar Translation Method can cause.
Proofreading in written tasks
For written tasks, teachers can ask students to proofread their own work before they hand it in, and let them use a spell checker such as the Spell Checker to find the mistakes they missed.
Remind students to find and correct as many spelling and grammar mistakes as they can on their own first, before they run the check. Afterwards, they should write down the mistakes they missed, so they can avoid the same mistakes in the future.
How much grammar belongs in a language class is a question of its own: see should grammar be taught in ESL classes?