Effective Teaching Methods in Junior High School

Effective Teaching Methods in Junior High School

Aiko Haruna 011096

Summary

Most people start to learn English language for the first time in junior high school. Foreign language education is conducted in accordance with the Course of Study by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho). The objective is to develop the students’ basic practical communication abilities such as listening and speaking, deepening the understanding of language and culture, and fostering a positive attitude towards communication through foreign languages. To achieve this, instructors try various methods to teach English. I would like to consider what the most effective way is to achieve this.

Teaching methods and approaches

Teaching methods are the theory that are systematized and theorized to teach something.

・The Grammar-Translation method

1. memorize grammatical rules, inflection, phrases and so on

2. understand the content of sentences by translating into their native language.

This method focuses on grammar and learning the discrete points of the language mainly (Box 1 of The Balanced Curriculum).

・The natural method

We place learners in the foreign language atmosphere as much as possible, and lead them to understand meanings by using the foreign language.

・Psychological method

This is a kind of natural method. Infants use language according to their thoughts. To remember language in order promotes rich connections of associations and makes it easy to remember things.

・Direct method

The use of the mother tongue is not permitted.

・Audio-lingualism

Audio instruction is the most important way and mimicry and memorization are used.

Questionnaire

The questionnaire tried to find out what 60 university students think about English education. Today’s Course of Study is different from when we were junior high school students. I would like to discuss what the university students think about it with their English class in their junior high school days.

Results

Many subjects had a positive image of English when they started to learn English in junior high school, but as the classes continued, their feelings changed to a negative image of English.

I completely agree / I mostly agree / I cannot
say / I don’t really agree / I completely disagree
a)Students should study a lot of grammar first and then learn words. / 1.7% / 1.7% / 15.0% / 55.0% / 26.7%
b)Students should study a lot of words before they learn the grammar. / 13.6% / 49.2% / 22.0% / 6.8% / 8.5%
c)Students should learn a lot of grammar. / 5.1% / 18.6% / 32.2% / 35.6% / 8.5%
d)There should be greater emphasis on teaching listening and speaking English than grammar. / 34.5% / 41.4% / 15.5% / 8.6% / 0.0%
e)English lessons should be concentrate on learning through fun and enjoyable activities. / 71.7% / 23.3% / 5.0% / 0.0% / 0.0%
f)Students should be encouraged to speak English in class, and teacher should receive students’grammatical error with generous attitude. / 41.7% / 31.7% / 23.3% / 3.3% / 0.0%
g)Visual materials are helpful for students. / 38.3% / 26.7% / 20.0% / 13.3% / 1.7%
h)Teacher should speak only English with the students during English lesson. / 18.6% / 25.4% / 20.3% / 28.8% / 6.8%
i)Students should be corrected if they make a grammatical error when working communicative activities in English. / 8.3% / 28.3% / 30.0% / 31.7% / 1.7%
j)English vocabulary and phrases should be accuracy translates into the students’ first language. / 6.7% / 8.3% / 13.3% / 56.7% / 15.0%
k)A textbook should contain communicative contents such as conversations or dialogs. / 55.0% / 36.7% / 5.0% / 3.3% / 0.0%