Linguistic principles of teaching English

Linguistic Principles

The teaching of English has been influenced greatly by the linguistic. A few linguistic principles which are applicable to English language are given below:

Principle 1. Importance of Sounds: Sounds are the basic feature of a language. So the sounds of English should be given priority while teaching. The sentences of English should be spoken  with proper intonation an rhythm.

Principles 2. Imitation: The child learns his mother tongue through imitation. It is useless to lay stress on grammar as a means of learning a language.

Principles 3. Importance of Context and Situations: The child learns his mother tongue in certain situations and different contexts. Different languages items like vocabulary, structures etc. should be dealt with in the context of some appropriate situations so that the leaner may find them very near to life.

Principles 4. Controlled Vocabulary: Vocabulary of English should be taught in a controlled manner. Simple words should be taught first and difficult words should be taught gradually according to the age and ability of the learners.

Principles 5. Graded Patterns: It means that patterns of English should be taught gradually through graded steps. The teacher should go on adding each new pattern to previous ones.

Principles 6. Selection and gradation: It means: teach first those sentence structures, the use of which can be made clear by means of visible actions in the class room. In this way the pupil will acquire the language more thoroughly in association with action.

Principles 7. Priorities of Language Skills: There are four languages skills namely understanding through listening, speaking, reading and writing, listening should lead to speaking, speaking to reading and reading to writing.

Principles 8. Oral approach: The next linguistic principle of teaching English is that of oral approach. Language is more concerned with ears and tongue than it is with eyes. Every human being learns language first by listening and speaking.

Principles 9. Multiple line of Approach: The term multiple line implies that one is to proceed simultaneously from many different points towards the one and the same end. It means a lesson which is to be taught by the teacher should be tackled from many sides.

Principles 10. Formation of Language Habits: It means when English is to be learnt as a second language, new habits have to be formulated. 

Principles 11. Use of Mother Tongue: It means, the use of mother tongue can be made at the early stages for explaining certain things. The students should not make use of mother tongue during the period of English teaching.

Principles 12. Accuracy: Inaccurate habits of pronunciation, spelling, writing etc, once formed cannot be easily undone. In learning English one must attempt to imitate exactly the forms, the structures and the mode of utterance of the native speakers of English.

Principles 13. Some Maxims: These maxims are useful not only for learning English but also for learning any subject. The teacher of English should keep those maxims in mind while teaching English.

Principles 14. Natural way of Teaching/Learning: This principle means that we should follow the natural process of learning a language.

Principle 15. Balanced Approach: This principle stresses upon the fact that a balanced approach should be followed while teaching. It is not good if a teacher teachers grammar and ignores other aspects of the language.

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