Paper Abstract

Let the Pendulum Swing and Swing Better: More Thoughts
on Language Teaching Methodology

Language teaching is bound to swing from one end to another like the pendulum in a clock. The real value of the swing does not have its representation at the extreme ends but in the full range of the swing where we see various combinations of the best techniques of all the existing language teaching methods. The swing is a symbol of the strength of our profession.

To have the swing optimized, we need a better combination of theory and practice, we need clear definitions for instructional objectives to ensure the comparability of any two or more methods, we need more attention to the study of general principles so as to better facilitate everyday teaching practice, and we also need re-examination on assumptions which are already widely accepted.

The pendulum may forever swing, and we can make it swing better.

--in Selected Papers from the Proceedings of the 21st Annual Symposium of Deseret Language and Linguistics Society, Provo, UT, 1995

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