SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITY – MA

SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITY:
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES

The approach that better fits this table of contents is PPP, which stands for
Presentation, Practice and Production. This is a method used to teach grammar
structures and vocabulary in SLA contexts. According to Jeremy Harmer (2009, p. 64),
the PPP is a method that is widely used in teaching simple language at lower levels
which is supported by the online description of the book provided by Oxford University
Press in which the language level is: Beginner to Intermediate.

Also, we can observe in the units of this table of contents, the pre-determination
of grammar structures to be taught along the course, as we see in the early sections of
the contents where they clearly describe the grammar aspects to be studied, for example
past simple, past perfect, reflexive pronouns, conditionals, among others. This
appreciation is supported in the online description of the book provided by Oxford
University Press which states that “grammar is the starting point of the syllabus”. For this
reason, we can not say that this table of contents supports a TBL approach since
according to the Task-Based Learning section in chapter four of the Methodological
Approaches subject, in a task-based approach to teaching a language, “no rules of
grammar are offered” (2016). Furthermore, Tim Bowen, describes in his article that TBL
are activities in which “learners are free to use any language they want”, which does not
occur in this textbook because in this case all the grammar topics to be taught have
already been selected without the participation of the students to whom this book is
directed.

As well as grammar, the explicit presentation of vocabulary in this table of

contents suggests that it follows a PPP approach rather than a TBL where “Unlike a PPP
approach, the students are free of language control. In all three stages they must use all
their language resources rather than just practicing one pre-selected item” (Frost, 2004)

Another reason why this table of contents follows a PPP approach, is because
the book offers topics and function activities that are introduced in a familiar context for
the students, for example topics such as: Treating yourself, men and women, colours
and self-image, changing your appearance, I want to be…; among others, suggest that
the context provided is not unknown for the students. According to Jeremy Harmer, this
method has the need to provide clear context situations for learners. He says: “in this

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procedure the teacher introduces a situation which contextualizes the language to be

taught” (2009).

Furthermore, another reason to say that the PPP method is present in this table
of contents, is because, as Kostoulas (2012) mentions: “PPP is divided into three
phases, moving from tight teacher control towards greater learner freedom”. In addition,
Wang (2016) explains that in the production phase: “students demonstrate listening,
speaking, writing and reading skills they have obtained after learning and practicing the
language”. This is why the table of contents shows simple activities in writing like:
describing an imagined situation, writing a short adventure story, expressing an opinion,
preparing advice for visitors to your country, among others; and in speaking activities
such as: discussing learning experiences, giving and following directions or responding
to a story and expressing opinions.

Finally, the theory that best suits the method used in this table of contents is
Behaviorism. In his article, Rhalmi (2016) confirms that: “the PPP model of teaching has
always been considered to originate from a behaviorist approach to language teaching”.
This is because the PPP model is characterized by having a controlled section, in which
students participate in mechanical and limited production; and freer section in which
learners decide how the target language learned can be used by practicing exercises
that are considered necessary to internalize the learned grammar structure. As we
perceive in the table of contents, practice takes place in activities that are directly related
to the topics studied in the grammar section. This concept that practice results in mastery
is a behaviorist perception of learning.

In conclusion, the table of contents under analysis displays a PPP approach in

which the procedure starts with the presentation of the desired language, following a
controlled practice and ends with a freer activity about the same topic. As suggested
above, the PPP model is related to Behaviorism in which repetition and imitation are
paramount in the learning process. PPP approach has been criticized in the sense that
“it considers language as a sum of smaller bits that can be taught separately”. Also,
Evans (1999), elicits that some applied linguists deny that real communication takes
place during the production stage because of what has happened in the presentation
and practice stages of the class. Although both, PPP approach and Behaviorism theories
are criticized, they are still used in some textbooks and table of contents as in the
example of the one analyzed in this work.

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REFERENCES

Arzamendi, J., Ball, P., & Gassó, E. (2016). “Communicaive approaches: a

dominant paradigm in ELT”, in Methodological Approaches. (pp. 73-113) Barcelona:
Funiber.

Bowen, T. Teaching approaches: task-based learning. Available at:

http://www.onestopenglish.com/methodology/teaching-articles/teaching-
approaches/teaching-approaches-task-based-learning/146502.article

Evans, D. (1999). A REVIEW OF ‘PPP’. University of Birmingham. Retrieved from:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college
artslaw/cels/essays/secondlanguage/evanssla.pdf

Frost, R. (2004). A task-based approach. British Council, Turkey. Available at:

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/a-task-based-approach

Kostoulas, A. (2012). Practice and Production (PPP). Available at:

(http://achiellaskostoulas.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/ppp.pdf)

Harmer, J. (2009). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th edition).

Harlow: Longman.

Oxford University Press. English Language Teaching Worldwide. Pacesetter.

Available at:
https://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/teenagers/pacesetter/?cc=global&selLangua
ge=en&mode=hub

Rhalmi, M. (2016) PPP approach to language teaching. Retrieved from:

https://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/ppp-approach-to-language-teaching/

Wang, P. (2016) Methodology PPP ESA TBL. Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdjnRNi-n6Q