The Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Thai Buddhist Universities.

Abstract

For centuries, English language teachers have sought effective methods of English language teaching that enable learners to use the language in real communicative contexts. Drawing on newly discovered linguistic knowledge, linguists have developed innovative teaching methods that have enabled many learners to speak, understand, read, and write English within a relatively short period of time. Numerous teaching methods have been proposed, some of which gained popularity for a certain period before gradually declining. The decline in the popularity of particular methods has not resulted from their practical failure, but rather from shifts in perspectives on language learning in the fields of linguistics, psychology, and education, which have led to corresponding changes in approaches to language teaching. Consequently, it remains difficult to determine which method is the most effective or comprehensive. Each method possesses both strengths and limitations. Therefore, language teachers should study and understand various teaching methods in order to select and apply those most appropriate to learners and to the instructional objectives of language teaching at different educational levels, thereby enhancing instructional effectiveness. This article will examine well-known and widely used methods of teaching English as a foreign language. Some of these methods have been employed for a long period of time and continue to be discussed in contemporary contexts. For each method, it will explain theoretical foundations, key characteristics, instructional procedures, as well as its strengths and limitations.