Language is universal and it is the key to communicate well with others. But how can it happen if the individuals don’t have any idea on how to use it properly and they don’t have the appropriate knowledge in it.

Here are some of the suggested approaches that can ease the teaching of language and can break the barrier to learning.

1. GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD— aims to develop the students appreciation on language literature and so to make the teaching easier, the teacher will translate the words used in the story within the grasp of the students for them to truly understand the whole story. For example, the story has idiomatic expressions or words with different meanings, the teacher will translate it into the simpler one like for instance ; (apple of the eye – favorite or acting like cats and dogs – quarreling) therefore, the students can relate to the story and can comprehend it.
2. DIRECT METHOD— has no other way of explaining the word or language but directly giving its real meaning through pictures or definitions like for example, you tell a story about dinosaurs but the students don’t have any idea about dinosaurs, as a teacher, you should show pictures of dinosaurs for them to have a clear vision about it and to make it even clearer, while showing the pictures, tell some descriptions so that they will be more interested in the story that you are presenting.
3. AUDIO-VISUAL METHOD— it facilitates learning because you are not only letting the students hear the letter or word that you are presenting but you are also showing what you are saying. Like for an instance, you want your students learn the letter A. You will not only tell its name but you will also show the figure of letter A and ask them to draw it in the air, on their papers or on the board. Through these activities, the process of learning the letter A seems to be easier because they have connected what they’ve heard to what they saw.
4. THE SILENT WAY— the four fundamentals that the students need to learn such as listening, speaking, writing and reading were established therefore, the teacher will just set the mood or the situation and he will allow the students to do most of the talking like in reporting, panel discussion, debate and he will act as the facilitator of the activity.
5. SUGGESTOPEDIA— this method is more likely psychological because you are allowing the students to be more imaginative or creative when it comes to learning. This happens when you want your students to imagine a situation wherein they will be the main characters. Through the aid of a musical accompaniment, the students will be in the world that you are creating or in the story that you are telling and so, there is a tendency for them to truly understand the lesson that you want them to learn because it appears to be a first-hand experience.
6. COMMUNITY LANGUAGE LEARNING— this method recognizes the whole being of the students together with their mental, physical and social capacities. And so, it aims to involve the entire class during the discussion whether they are giving the correct or wrong answers because the idea of this is to involve everyone in order to develop the students interpersonally or intrapersonally.
7. TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE METHOD— sets a goal of making what the students have learned into action therefore this method suggests role playing or dramatization activities wherein the talents and abilities are being shown and their learning will be evaluated based on their performance.
8. COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH— aims to develop the communication skills of the students and so some activities that can be conducted under this method are debate, panel discussion, brainstorming and even reporting because  through these activities, the speaking prowess of the learners are well- trained and developed together with their self-confidence.

By: JULIE ANN R. PURA | T-II | Capunitan Elementary School