Postmethod Condition

Teachers and researchers realize that no single research finding and no single method of language teaching would bring total success in teaching a second language especially as it was seen that certain learners seemed to be successful regardless of methods or techniques of teaching. This newer understanding in foreign language teaching methodology has been described as the postmethod condition because of a set of newer beliefs and assumptions surrounding foreign language teaching practices. The postmethod condition is characterized by leaving methods-only arguments to find effective strategies to teach in the most appropriate and effective way while considering the practitioner’s views and roles in preparing and teaching language materials. Hence, instead of looking for which language teaching method is the best to follow, the language teacher must find the most effective strategies and techniques to enrich her or his teaching collection.

THE LIMITS OF METHOD: meaning, myth and death of method.

Meaning:

Method is a scholar's view through teaching on the basis of his own understanding of language teaching and language learning. Method is a construct; Method is classroom activities;

Methodology is what teacher does in classroom to achieve effective learning. Methodology is a conduct.

The concept of method has little theoretical validity and even less practical utility. Its meaning is ambiguous, and its claim dubious.

Myth:

The established methods maintained by multiple myths that have long been accepted. These myths have created an inflated image of the concept of method.

Myth #1: There is a best method out there ready and waiting to be discovered.

Myth #2: Method constitutes the organizing principle for language teaching.

Myth #3: Method has a universal and ahistorical value.

Myth #4: Theorists conceive knowledge, and teachers consume knowledge.

Myth #5: Method is neutral, and has no ideological motivation.

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Death of method:

Allwright explains the “relative unhelpfulness” of the method concept by listing six reasons.

1- It is built on differences where similarities may be more important2- it simplifies, unhelpfully, a highly complex set of issues3- it diverts energies from potentially more productive concerns4- it breeds a brand loyalty which is dubious to be helpful to the profession5- it breeds complacency (self-satisfaction)6- it offers a “cheap”, externally derived sense of coherence for language teachers which may

itself inhibit the development of a personally expensive internally derived sense of coherence.

THE LOGIC OF POSTMETHOD

The postmethod condition is a sustainable state of affairs that forces us to fundamentally restructure our view of language teaching and teacher education. In short, it demands that we seriously consider the essentials of a coherent postmethod pedagogy. I present below the essentials of postmethod pedagogy in terms of pedagogic paramet ers and pedagogic indicators.

Pedagogic parameters:

1- The Parameter of Particularity. 2. The Parameter of Practicality 3. The Parameter of possibilitythe three pedagogic parameters constitute the conceptual foundation for a postmethod pedagogy

Particularity ( معينى خصوصيات ،داراى خاصى بعقايد ) practicality ,(بستگى بودن possibility ,(عملى،احتمال .امکان

1- The Parameter of Particularity: is the most important parameter and relates to the advancement of a context-sensitive pedagogy based on a true understanding of local linguistic, sociocultural, and political particularities.

2- The Parameter of Practicality seeks to enable and encourage teachers to theorize from their practice and practice what they theorize.

3- The Parameter of possibility emphasizes the importance of larger social, political, educational, and institutional forces that shape identity formation and social transformation.

Pedagogic Indicators:

Those functions and features that governing postmethod pedagogy and reflect the role played by key participants in the L2 learning and teaching. They indicate the degree to which shared decision making

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by postmethod learners, teachers, and teacher educators is incorporated into the planning and implementation of classroom aims and activities.

1- The Postmethod Learner:

Postmethod pedagogy allows learners a role in pedagogic decision making by treating them as active and autonomous players. Postmethod pedagogy takes into account two views of learner autonomy, a narrow view and a broad view.

The narrow view seeks to develop in the learner a capacity to learn to learn. It stands for academic autonomy.

The broad view goes beyond that to include a capacity to learn to liberate as well. It stands for liberatory autonomy.

If academic autonomy enables learners to be effective learners, liberatory autonomy empowers them to be critical thinkers.

Generally, learning to learn means learning to use appropriate strategies to realize desired learning objectives. As Kumaravadivelu stated learners can gain some of these opportunities by:

1- Identifying their learning strategies and styles 2- stretching their strategies and styles3- reaching out for additional language reception or production beyond what they get in the

classroom 4- collaborating with other learners 5- Taking advantage of communicating with competent speakers.

Meaningful liberatory autonomy can be promoted in the language classroom by,

1- Encouraging learners to assume, the role of mini-ethnographers 2- asking them to reflect on their developing identities by writing diaries or journal 3- helping them in the formation of learning communities 4- Providing opportunities to explore the unlimited possibilities offered by internet

Taken together, what the two types of autonomy promise is the development of overall academic ability, intellectual competence, social consciousness, and mental attitude necessary for learners to benefit opportunities, and overcome challenges both in and outside the classroom.

2- The postmethod teacher

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The postmethod teacher is considered to be an independent teacher. Teacher independence is so central that it can be seen as the heart of postmethod pedagogy.

Postmethod pedagogy,

1- recognizes the teachers' prior knowledge2- recognize their potential to know how to teach and act autonomously3- promotes the ability of teachers to know how to develop a thoughtful approach of teaching4- promotes the ability of teachers to know to analyze and evaluate their own teaching acts5- promotes the ability of teachers to know how to initiate change in their classroom6- promotes the ability of teachers to know how to monitor the effects of such changes

What postmethod pedagogy assumes is that over time, teachers develop a coherent pedagogic framework consisting of core principles that are applied across teaching situations and this personal knowledge will eventually lead them to construct their own theory of practice. In pursuing their professional self-development, postmethod teachers do teacher research involving the triple parameters of particularity, practicality, and possibility. Teacher research is initiated and implemented by them, and is motivated by their own desire to self-explore and self-improve. Most part of such teacher research is doable if, it is not separated from and is fully integrated with day-to- day teaching and learning.

3- postmethod teacher educator

The task of the postmethod teacher educator is to create conditions for future teachers to gain necessary ability and autonomy that enable them form their own pedagogic experiences, and transform such experiences.

In practical terms, the role of the postmethod teacher educator becomes one of:

1- helping student teachers identify the inequalities built into the current teacher education programs, which treat teacher educators as producers of knowledge, and practicing teachers as consumers of knowledge;

2- enabling future teachers to express and share their thoughts and experience, 3- encouraging future teachers to think critically4- creating conditions for teachers to gain basic classroom-discourse analytical skills 5- redirect part of their own research outline to do “empowering research,” that is, research on their

student teachers; 6- exposing student teachers to a pedagogy of possibility

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Postmethod Pedagogy

This chapter emphasis on some of the efforts that try to place the basis for the production of postmethod pedagogies; Here three framework for postmethod pedagogy is considered which all demonstrate the parameters and indicators of postmethod pedagogy

(a) Stern's three-dimensional framework, (b) All- wright's Exploratory Practice framework, and (c) Kumaravadivelu's macrostrategic framework

(A) The Three-Dimensional Framework is proposed by Stern (1992).

Stern’s strategy concept contains teaching strategies and learning strate gies that are based on three dimensions: (a) the L1-L2 connection, (b) the code-communication dilemma, (c) the explicit-implicit option. Stern’s framework is theory neutral and method neutral.

His framework includes of strategies and techniques.

He uses the term strategy to refer to wide "intentional action " and technique to refer to specific "practical action”. Strategies operate at the policy level, and techniques at the procedural level. He emphasizes that those strategies "are not simply another term for what used to be called methods”.

1) Considering the L1-L2 connection we face with the Intralingual-Crosslingual Dimension:

Intralingual and intracultural refer to those techniques that remain within the target language (L2) and target culture (C2) as the reference frame of teaching. The intralingual strategy follows the policy of coordinate bilingualism , where the two language systems are kept completely separate from one another.

Coordinate Bilingualism: In this type, the person learns the languages in separate environments, and words of the two languages are kept separate and with each word having its own specific meaning. An instance of this is seen in a Persian child learning English at school.

Crosslingual and crosscultural relate to tech niques that use features of the native language (LI) and native culture (CI) for comparison purposes. The crosslingual strategy believes in compound bilingualism, where the L2 is acquired and known through the use of LI.

Compound Bilingualism: Here, the person learns the two languages in the same situation where they are used concurrently, so that there is a merged representation of the languages in the brain. This is the case when a child is brought up by bilingual parents, or those from two different linguistic backgrounds.

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The presence or the ab sence of translation as a technique marks the criterial feature of interlingual and crosslingual strategies.

Arguing that ( که استدالل the L1-L2 connection is a certain fact of life", Stern offers three reasons" (اینwhy LI should be allowed to be used in the L2 classroom.

1- When we learn a new language, we always depart from a language we already know.2- our first language offers a frame of reference system for L23- our native language and our native culture "are deeply connected to our personal lives

Although clearly in favor of using LI in the L2 classroom, Stern ask for a cautious balance so that the learner does not "rely too heavily on LI support.

Stern considers the intralingual-crosslingual strategy as a continuum (connected series) and his conclusion is that "the emphasis on an intralingual or a crosslingual strategy should be decided: 1- In relation to the goals of the learners, 2-their previous experience in the L2, 3-the context in which the programme takes place, 4- the ability of the teacher to function intralingually or crosslingually.

2) Code-communication dilemma: Analytic-Experiential Dimension.

It is about the role of form and message , or what Stern calls, code and commu nication , in language teaching. The analytic strategy involves explicit focus on the formal properties of language, that is, grammar, vocabulary, no tions and functions whereas the experiential strategy involves message- oriented, interaction in communicative contexts. Summing up his arguments about the analytic-experiential dimension, he states that there is "no reason to assume that one strategy alone offers the easy way to proficiency. Therefore, some kind of combination of these two approaches appears to be the best policy.

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3- The Explicit-Implicit Dimension.

The final strategic dimension concerns the key issue of whether learning an L2 is a conscious intellectual exercise or an unconscious intu itive one.( شهودی ناخودآگاه یا آگاهانه Stern uses (فکریfamiliar words, explicit and implicit , to refer to the two strategies. According to Stern, the other four strategies in the first two dimensions- intralingual/crosslingual, and analytic/experiential- can each be either explicit or implicit.

In order to support the application of his three-dimensional framework for language teaching, Stern has developed four kinds of syllabus with a wide range of objectives and options:

1-the language syllabus, deals with all aspects of language as system

2. The communicative activities syllabus, deals with language as discourse in its interactional orientation پردازد می آن تعاملی گیری جهت در گفتمان عنوان به زبان به

3. Cultural syllabus: is about the relationship between language and culture, and language and society

4. General language education syllabus. serves to broaden the scope of the L2 curriculum

(B) Exploratory Practice (EP) by Allwright

He explains the term exploratory teaching- it is a matter of trying to find out what makes the tried and trusted ideas successful. As he mentioned, an important aspect of exploratory teaching is teacher research. He concerned about finding principled ways to connect the professional theory of the expert with the personal theory of the teacher, surely, for the benefit of both. So, he presented a set of suitable criteria and practical possibilities for combining research and pedagogy.

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The Principle of Exploratory Practice:

Exploratory Practice is based on a philosophy that is stated in three fundamental tenets (اصول ((a) the quality of life in the language classroom is much more important than instructional

efficiency; (b) ensuring our understanding of the quality of classroom life is far more essential than developing ever "improved" teaching techniques; and (c)understanding such a quality of life is a social, not an asocial matter( اجتماعی اصول .(مخالف

Consistent with these philosophical beliefs, Allwright presents the following "principles description" of EP in what he calls "one convoluted sentence". From this one main sentence, seven general principles have been derived.

1- Put "quality of life" first. 2- Work primarily to understand language classroom life.3- Involve everybody. 4- Work to bring people together5- Work also for mutual development6- Integrate the work for understanding into classroom practice 7- Make the work a continuous enterprise (Avoid time-limited funding)

People and the roles they play are considered to be "at the heart" of the principles of EP; therefore, collegiality (the relationship between colleagues) becomes crucial to the pedagogic enterprise.

The Practice of Exploratory Practice

includes a series of straightforward steps as follow:

Step 1: Identifying a puzzle. (Finding something puzzling in a teaching and learning situation). Step 2: Reflecting upon the puzzle. (Thinking about the puzzle in order understand it ) Step 3: Monitoring. (It involves paying special attention, to the thing that is puzzling the

teacher) Step 4: Taking direct action to generate data. (It involves generating additional data,) Step 5: Considering the outcomes reached so far, and deciding what to do next Step 6: Moving on, Step 7: Going public.(It involves, if adequate understanding of the puzzle is reached, and if

found an improved "quality of classroom life" to go public and share the benefit with others,)

The Global and the Local

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An important concern Allwright seems to be struggling with is the exact connection between the principles and the practices of EP. He sees the need for global principles for general guidance, but their implications need to be worked out for local everyday practice. He sees a cyclical connection between the two, as represented in what he calls a “crude loop diagram”: He believes Local action and local thinking produce practices potentially adaptable to any context, thereby developing our thinking about global principles.

(C) The Macrostrategic Framework

Macrostrategies are general plans derived from currently available theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical knowledge related to L2 learning and teaching.

A macrostrategy is a broad guideline based on which, teachers can generate their own location-specific, need-based microstrategies or classroom procedures. In other words, macrostrategies are made operational in the classroom through microstrategies. Macrostrategies are considered theory-neutral and also method-neutral.

The strategic framework involves 10 macrostrategies that are implied in operational terms. The macrostrategies are as follow:

1- Maximize learning opportunities; 2- Facilitate negotiated interaction; 3- Minimize perceptual mismatches; 4- Activate intuitive heuristics ( ;(اکتشافاتشهودی 5- Foster language awareness; 6- contextualize linguistic input; 7- integrate language skills; 8- Promote learner autonomy; 9- Ensure social relevance; 10- Raise cultural consciousness

In sum, macrostrategies are guiding principles derived from current theoretical, empirical and experiential knowledge of L2 learning and teaching.

Along with the pedagogic parameters of particularity, practicality, and possibility they have the potential to constitute the operating principles for constructing a situation-specific postmethod peda-gogy.

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The macrostrategies provide only the general guiding principles for classroom teaching; they have to be implemented in the classroom through microstrategies .

Microstrategies are classroom procedures that are designed to recognize the intentions of a particular macrostrategy. Each macrostrategy can have any number of, and any type of, microstrategies, depending on the local learning and teaching situation; the possibilities are endless.

However, microstrategies are conditioned and inhibited by the national, regional, or local language policy and planning, curricular objectives, institutional resources, and a host of other factors that shape the learning and teaching enterprise in a given context. Most of all, they have to be designed keeping in mind the learners' needs, wants, and lacks, as well as their current level of language knowledge/ability.

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