A Real Challenge to ESL Methodology

A real challenge to current ESL teaching practices is put forth, based on principles common to the approaches underlying both first and second language teaching. Four major methodological points in first versus second language teaching practices are contrasted: (1) ESL-mastery of linguistic structures precedes fluency; Language Arts-fluency precedes accuracy. (2) ESL-Linguistic structures should be sequentially ordered; Language Arts-not all students are ready to learn a given concept or structure at the same time. (3) ESL-the teacher is a model of appropriate spoken English; Language Arts-the teacher's role is to organize successively more challenging tasks for the student. (4) ESL-acquisition of linguistic form precedes function; Language Arts-function precedes form. It is suggested that the first language methodology is more congruent with current linguistic and psychological theories and leads to more productive classroom activities. Some ways in which the first language teaching practices could be used by ESL teachers and curriculum developers are suggested.