What is the ‘Natural Approach’ style of teaching?
6 answers from our tutors
The Natural Approach is a language teaching method developed by Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell, focused on creating a stress-free, engaging environment where learners acquire language naturally, similar to how they learned their first language. Here’s how it works: 1. Comprehensible Input: Learners are exposed to language they can mostly understand, even if some vocabulary or grammar is unfamiliar. The focus is on meaning, not perfection. 2. No Pressure to Speak Early: Students are not forced to speak until they feel ready, allowing them to develop confidence and comprehension first. 3. Focus on Communication: The goal is fluency and communication, not strict grammatical accuracy. Errors are part of the learning process. 4. Real-Life Contexts: Lessons often revolve around everyday situations, making the language immediately useful and relevant.
I believe we should always focus on what’s relevant to the student respecting his/her cultural background. Not only that, the interactions should respect the pauses to think and communications breakdowns which happen all the time in the real world. If we give an expression the student is trying to use , instead of letting them use their own words to get to the point, we are not allowing brain plasticity to spring into action.
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In brief, It's about teaching a language with a focus on natural language acquisition, emphasizing comprehension and communication rather than useless grammar structures. The two methods, CLT and TBLT are great examples of this style. As a tutor, you must be attentive and pay close attention to your students' speech. sometimes they make mistakes that we need to correct, and sometimes they're just bothering themselves, using complex grammatical structures to express a simple point. (Just because it's in the book doesn't mean the structure is used in the streets:)
be curious, be attentive, - be yourself
Hi all, for me the most natural approach would be to have a conversation with my student. To talk about something, they love and enjoy. This makes it less stressful for them and takes the pressure off from them. Also to remember to start with the knowledge they already have and add more, little by little.
Natural Approach involves activities like storytelling, interactive games, and immersion experiences, where language learners engage with the language in meaningful ways without the pressure of formal testing or grammatical drills.
Other student questions
- What topics or interests would you like to explore in our English lessons to keep you motivated?
Best answer
From my perspective, students like to learn English through actual information, topics. Teachers need to use actual topics that relate to the daily life of their students.
- Christmas is coming - what is your favourite holiday food and why? Use plenty of adjectives!
