Teaching by Principles

2631 words 11 pages
Show More
Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy

Brown, H. D. (1994). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents. 416 pp.
Reviewed by Gail Schaefer Fu
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

H. Douglas Brown's Teaching by Principles is intended for teachers in training -- those who intend to be teachers but who have little or no classroom experience -- and for teachers who train teachers. It is centered, not surprisingly, around certain principles of language teaching and learning, echoing Brown's own Principles of Language Teaching and Learning (1994). His new book Teaching by Principles is itself a manifestation of the principles which it …show more content…

At the end of the chapter on group work, for example, he recognizes that the reader may "feel overwhelmed or put off by the prospect of doing group work in your classroom. If so, that need not be the case! All of the guidelines and reminders and do's and don'ts included in this chapter will in the due course of time become a part of your subconscious intuitive teaching behavior" (p. 187). For a teacher in training who may indeed be feeling insecure and perhaps inadequate to the task ahead, this empathetic tone of encouragement will undoubtedly fall on welcoming ears.

THE PRINCIPLE OF REALITY: Brown recognizes that real teachers teach in real classrooms in real institutions in real communities. He does not assume that every class will be of an ideal size, that every classroom will be ideally equipped, that every administrator will be ideally supportive of a teacher's curricular and pedagogical suggestions. In the chapter on sociopolitical and institutional contexts, he refers to institutional factors which may influence the way in which a teacher plans a lesson or carries out a technique within the given curriculum (these factors include the textbook, "which you may detest!") He admits that curricular constraints may sometimes be "the biggest hurdle you have to cross," but he also believes that it is possible to find ways to "compromise with the system and yet to

Related

  • Does the Labor Law Encourage or Discourage Unionization
    1946 words | 8 pages

    1 - Does the labor law encourage or discourage unionization? Yes they do. And the following is in support of that claim: “Often described as the ‘heart’ of the act, section 7 of the statute reflects the law's basic purposes. It provides that ‘employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining….

    Show More
  • Reflective Practitioner
    2855 words | 12 pages

    their own development. In relation to the teaching profession generally, the activities which associated with reflective practice may include the journal writing, collaborative activities between peers and research. Journal writing activities can actually help the teachers to keep their teaching routine recorded on the daily, weekly or monthly basis. By writing a journal, teachers can reflect on their teaching and check their improvements in teachings….

    Show More
  • comparing relevant theories principles and models of reflective practice
    973 words | 4 pages

    Comparing relevant theories, principles and models of reflective practice In this evaluation I will analyse and compare relevant theories, principles and models of reflective practice and explain how they relate to my practice and development. Reflective practice is an evolving concept. In the 1930s, John Dewey defined reflective thought as: ‘Active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further….

    Show More
  • Curriculum Development: Process
    10051 words | 41 pages

    MODULE 5 Models in Curriculum Development INTRODUCTION Curriculum development is concerned with the drawing up of plans for teaching and learning activities in classroom situations that will bring about positive changes in the lives of the learners. It is based on the school’s mission and goals and identifies ways of translating these into a coherent and coordinated program of meaningful experiences and conditions eliciting responses that will lead to the transformation of the learners into….

    Show More
  • Theories and Principles for Planning and Enabling Learning
    3299 words | 14 pages

    Transactional Analysis (TA) and Teaching 3 Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) 4 CONCLUSION 4 UNIT 4 – TASK 2 5 INTRODUCTION 5 CURRENT SITUATION 5 THE FUTURE 7 How to apply the Humanist perspective? 7 How to apply the Cognitivist perspective? 7 UNIT 4 – TASK 3 9 INTRODUCTION 9 CURRENT SITUATION 9 WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE 9 CONCLUSION 9 Bibliography 10 Total Word Count: 3297 Identify and discuss the significance of relevant theories and principles of learning and communication….

    Show More
  • Roles and Responsibilities in Lifelong Learning
    2336 words | 10 pages

    ground rule for example, insisting ‘hoodies’ are not covering the head and face. I feel the Institute for Learning is a good method for professionals to stay within their own learning/teaching cycle by offering and actively encouraging the use of Continuing Professional Development to achieve better standards in teaching. They have also established the Code of Professional Practice, covering professional integrity; respect; reasonable care; professional practice; criminal offence….

    Show More
  • Principles of Assessment in Lifelong Learning Sector
    1396 words | 6 pages

    Excellent for assessment of application of principles to real-world situations. Can reach all the way up Bloom's original taxonomy to "synthesis" and "evaluation". Read more: Assessment: case-studies http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/assessment_casestudies.htm#ixzz2Rr8F0faTUnder Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Excellent for assessment of application of principles to real-world situations. Can reach all the way up Bloom's original taxonomy to "synthesis"….

    Show More
  • Critically Analyse the Significance of Theories, Principles and Models of Inclusive Curriculum to the Design and Implementation of Programmes of Study, Within Two Different Contexts
    2038 words | 9 pages

    significance of theories, principles and models of inclusive curriculum to the design and implementation of programmes of study, within two different contexts The idea of curriculum has been around for generations. However, the way in which we understand and theorise about the curriculum has changed vastly over the years. The word ‘curriculum’ comes from a Greek word which means ‘course’. Stenhouse (1975) states that “Curriculum is an attempt to communicate the essential principles and features of an….

    Show More
  • Teaching 1st Grade Students How to Count Rationally to 15
    1803 words | 8 pages

    Teaching 1st Grade Students How to Count Rationally to 15 This essay will explore how I would teach a group of 10 first grade students to count rationally to 15 assuming that all of them are already able to count rationally to 10. I shall explain how I would ensure that students understand each of the four rational counting principles of one-to-one correspondence, the stable order rule, the order irrelevance rule, and the cardinality rule. I shall present an assessment I would use to evaluate….

    Show More
  • Unit 6: Curriculum Development for Inclusive Practice
    2746 words | 11 pages

    following; a specific blueprint for learning that is derived from content and performance standards. Curriculum takes content and shapes it into a plan for effective teaching and learning. Thus, curriculum is more than a general framework, it is a specific plan with identified lessons in an appropriate form and sequence for directing teaching (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998). The word ‘curriculum' is actually a Latin word for ‘racecourse'. Curriculum is the activities that learners will undertake to achieve….

    Show More

Popular Essays