Kumar Ch. 2, Brown Ch.3 & TESOL Methods

I love the way that our readings really focused on the word method and its complexity; like William Mackey states the word method really “means so little and so much,” or how our text says “the term method is a label without substance” (Kumaravivelu, 23 & 29). I can really agree with these two statements.  Sometimes when thinking of the word method not everything that goes into its meaning is thought about. For example our text reminds us that method does not refer to what teachers actually do in the classroom, but established methods by experts, and what appears to be a new method is more so an old method with new elements.

Something I have an issue with however, is how our text says that language learning is a linear process when speaking about language-centered methods. I think that much like writing, language learning is not a linear process. I feel like there is a lot of going back and forth with language learning, and in order to truly understand a new language our minds must be flexible. I like the section about learner-centered methods much more and can see how they work when trying to teach a learner another language. I feel like the focus of learner-centered methods really include what is important like being grammatically accurate and communicatively fluent.

Moving forward though, I like the idea of postmethod pedagogy and the use of particularity, practicality, and possibility. I feel like this model brings everything full circle and shows how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In language learning especially many components are interweaved with one another and must interact with one another in order to learn a new language efficiently.