Situational Approach : Concept, Characteristics, History, Merits, Demerits, Activities

Situational Approach  : Concept, Characteristics, History, Merits, Demerits, Activities

                                 IITE B.ED. SEM-2 Pedagogy of English-L2 2.1 

By. Dr. Alpeshkumar Nakrani 

Assistant Professor 

Smt. J. J. Kundalia Graduate Teachers’ College

Concept of Situational Approach

This approach basically aims at teaching the target language in line with the methodology of teaching the mother-tongue.

It advocates the view that the target language should be learnt the way the mother-tongue is acquired by the children.

The teacher who teaches through this approach just introduces new words incidentally inthe class and offers a lot of opportunities to the learners to associate the meaning of new words with corresponding situations.

A number of questions are asked by the teacher. Here, constant repetition is emphasized. Meaningful classroom situations are created for presenting the language material through appropriate contexts.

The real and true meanings of words are known by the situation in which they are used by the speaker or the writer. In situational approach, the foreign language should be taught by forming links between the new language items and real situations in the class room.

English teacher tries to create a life- like classroom situation to teach new words and sentence pattern of language items

Types of situations-

Real situations – are those which can be experienced directly through sensory organs. These situations have maximum value in teaching a foreign language.

But every time, it is not possible to provide direct experiences in the classroom.

Artificial situations– Artificial situations include displaying of pictures, models and diagram. When these artificial items do not show real meaning then verbal situations can be created to make the meaning understand . Gestures are also sometimes helpful to classify meaning of abstract idea.

“when we acquire our primary language, we do so by learning how to behave in situations, not by learning rules about what to say” -Michael Halliday

Language is always used in context, never in isolation and choice of linguistic items are restricted by social situation

Situational syllabuses is often defined as one in which content are organized according to situation in which certain language is likely to be employed (Richard et al ,1985)

According to the Situational Approach, and to insure that the language that is being taught is realistic, all the words and sentences must grow out of some real situation or imagined real situation.

Thus, the meaning of words are tied up with the situations in which they are used.

The learners know the meaning of the word “blackboard”, not because they have looked it up in a dictionary, but because they have learned the word in situations; by hearing commands such as: “Look at the blackboard!”; “Clean the blackboard!”, “ Write on the blackboard!”. This example stresses the association between the word “blackboard” and the action of “looking at it”, “cleaning it”, or “writing on it. Even if the classroom environment is limited, the teacher’s inventiveness should be put into practice in the pretense of a situation picked up from outside the classroom.

Since the purpose of teaching a foreign language is to enable the learners to use it, then it must be heard, spoken, read, and written in suitable realistic situations. Neither translation nor mechanical drills can help if they are not connected to practical life. Drilling words and structures or making a maximum of sentences out of substitution tables would, inevitably, lead to the unreality, boredom, and remoteness of the language process. The difference between American structuralists, such as Fries and the British applied linguists such as Firth and Halliday, lies in the fact that structures must be presented in situations in which they could be used.

Principle of Situational Approach

• Language learning is habit-formation
• Mistakes are bad and should be avoided, as they make bad habits
• Language skills are learned more effectively if they are presented orally first, then in written form
• Analogy is a better foundation for language learning than analysis
• The meanings of words can be learned only in a linguistic and cultural context

History of Situational Approach

Situational Language Teaching (SLT) was developed by British applied linguists Harold Palmer and A.S. Hornby. SLT bridges the gap between grammar translation approaches to language teaching and Communicative Language Teaching, and is similar to audio-lingualism in the United States. SLT was known for introducing second language grammar and vocabulary in natural situations and for emphasizing oral and aural skill development prior to focusing on second language literacy. Although SLT is no longer widely adopted, it marked an important shift away from grammar translation approaches to language teaching.

Characteristics of Situational Approach

1. English teacher creates the association with the language item and real situation.
2. Practice and drill are stressed.
3. Examples are given on one language material in different situation.
4. Questionnaire technique is adopted
5. Revision and repetition are stressed.
6. Presentation of new vocabulary or structure is emphasized.
7. The theory of learning underlying Situation Language Teaching is behaviorism.
8. Target language is the language of classroom
9. Materials are introduced orally
10. Items of grammar are graded following the principle that simple forms should be taught before complex ones-inductively.
11. Reading and writing are introduced once a sufficient lexical and grammatical basis is established.

 Merits of Situational Approach

1. It is action based approach so it creates interest in teaching.
2. It is based upon psychological principle of learning by doing and joyful learning.
3. It emphasizes on listening and hearing skill of language. Students behave like active learners.
4. Teaching becomes very effective, interesting and alive instead of a burdensome process
5. Meaning is cleaner and easier to understand, which facilitates the students in learning the language knowledge by heart.
6. Accuracy in pronunciation and grammar , It’s a good method if we use it in teaching pronunciation or vocabulary
7. Ability to respond quickly and accurately in speech situations
8. Learning takes place as acquisition Learning . Students are active participant, Suitable for introduction to the language 

Demerits of Situational Approach

1. It is useful to the lower classes.
2. A  few vocabulary  and  sentence  patterns  can be  taught  through  this method.
3. It is not fit for teaching of prose, poetry and composition.
4. Text books cannot be taught by this method.
5. Due to excessive drill and repetition, the class room becomes monotonous.
6. This approach demands highly competent teachers.
7. Selected few words & sentences can be taught Every situation and content is not possible Grammar, prose, poetry, and composition is not possible
8. Extra repetition and drill is boring for some students, Teacher-controlled
9. Ineffective and Boring,
10. The learner has no control over the content of learning. He is required simply to listen and repeat what the teacher says and to respond to questions and commands.
11. This method do not account for the fundamental characteristic of language namely the creativity and uniqueness of individual sentences.

Process/ Activities in Situational Approach

Situations created by

Class room  object- Table, chair, bench, desk, black board wall, door, window, floor, chalk, calendar, almirah

From the teacher’s bag– toys, models, balls, cups, saucers, spoons, forks

Object outside the class room– The view from the window can be used to teach the context of interesting situations. Tree, flower, sky, clouds, bird, field, road are common objects.

Picture   and   charts-  These  are  important  aids  to  make  successful  use   of situational teaching.

Black-board drawing– A language teacher can use it for preparing simple drawings and line sketches on it. Different actions like walking, running, throwing pushing, picking, sitting etc can be easily drawn on the black board.

Actions and Gestures– Action like stand up, sit down, look at the black-board, go to the door, close and open the door etc can be created in the class room by the teacher himself.

Verbal background– Verbal situations can be used to teach some common phrases.

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