Page 392 - DENG504_LINGUISTICS

Linguistics

Notes The greatest contribution of linguistics is that it has increased one’s understanding of the nature
of language. Anyone who has studied linguistics, is sensitized to language and thereby to the
complexity of language learning. People will be better able to exercise critical judgement on
attractive innovations in language teaching, including those that may claim to be supported by
linguistic research. Wilkins believes that “the linguistically sophisticated teacher’s judgement
is better informed though still subjective,” and that “the value of linguistics is that by increasing
his awareness of language, it makes him more competent and therefore a better language
teacher.”
(8) Methods of language teaching like fashion have been changing along with the developments in
linguistics. Audiolingual, bilingual, function, skills method, implicit method (grammar taught
through pattern drills without explanations), explicit English method (pattern drills in
combination with explanations in the target language), etc. are the by-products of linguistics.
In this field again, the linguist can help the language teacher better, and a teacher can, with the
help of his knowledge in linguistics, evaluate and test the method most suitable to him, or at
least can distinguish between a good and a bad grammar. There has never been a non-linguistic
method of teaching languages, and the so-called linguistic method is not like a sudden fall from
the blue of linguistics. It is a gift of linguistic evolution. Since empirical research has failed to
provide us with firm answers related to the questions regarding language teaching, the only
refuge left out is to seek assistance from linguistics.
Hence the study of linguistics by the language teacher is quite rewarding. Linguistics offers
INSIGHTS/’notions that increase one’s understanding of the nature of language and
consequently of the nature of learning’, IMPLICATIONS ‘affecting the decisions about the
methods and techniques of teaching’, and APPLICATIONS, the ‘cases where notions and
informations drawn from linguistics act directly upon the process of language teaching’.
Nevertheless, foreign/second language teaching is currently getting eclectic as stated by the editor of
The English Teaching Forum :
Current thinking in language-teaching methodology seems to show a trend toward eclecticism:
that is, toward ‘choosing what appears to be the best from diverse sources, systems.’ Eclecticism
is sometimes misunderstood to mean that all approaches are equally valid...and that therefore
it is important to know what various methods or ideas or new experiments or trends are. An
approach that is truly eclectic, makes the greatest demands on the teacher. It requires him to
know enough about the various sources, systems, and styles of teaching and to choose wisely
between what is good for his particular purposes and what is not useful for him. It requires of
him both an intelligent skepticism and a ready enthusiasm—a willingness to reject both old
and new techniques that seem unsuitable and an eagerness to refresh his teaching with useful
adaptations of techniques both new and old. To do this intelligently, he must be well informed
about the methods and techniques that are available to him.
So the antagonism between the language teacher and the linguist will indeed look trivial and uncalled
for if the validity of the editor’s opinion cited above is accepted, and if we agree that by teaching is
not meant only an operation performed by teacher inside the classroom but an interdisciplinary, co-
operative activity involving learners, society, government, education policy, language policy,
syllabuses, teaching, pedagogy, technology, materials available, kinds of teachers available, classrooms
and the strength of students in a class, examination system, evaluation, etc.
Moreover, linguistics may offer some useful things in some areas of language teaching. But it is not a
panacea, a methodology, a subject matter, a code of conduct, a law, a judgement, a legislation, a
demi-god to be imposed on a teacher. Ultimately the teacher has to decide whether linguistics is
useful for him or not. If it is useful, the question arises which linguistics, in what forms and how
much of it is going to help him and his learners ? ‘Linguistics is not a teaching method, but a growing
body of knowledge and theory; and though it may offer helpful answers to some of the problems of
language teaching, it surely does not know all the answers.’ Linguistics is a tool, and, like any tool, is
useful only in the hands of a craftsman who knows how to use it. For a linguist, linguistics is an end
in itself, but for a teacher it is only a means to an end. Linguistics to a teacher is like cosmetics to a

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