For many, the language textbook represents an indispensable roadmap for learning.
However, based on scientific studies and an analysis of classroom practices, alternative methodologies such as the one we use call into question the relevance of this tool and propose doing without it altogether.
This way of learning can be found both in FLE (Français Langue Etrangère) withNLA, and in English with the Dogme approach.
The manual: an overview
First of all, it seems necessary to review what a manual is, how it is traditionally used and what its supposed benefits are.
It generally takes a hybrid form, bringing together texts, audio recordings and multimedia documents arranged in increasing levels of difficulty.
During lessons, it becomes the point of reference, the focus of attention around which class activities are organized: listening, reading, oral interaction, text writing…
Students carry out the proposed activities under the supervision of the teacher, who introduces them to new themes and linguistic content.
You go through the chapters one after the other in a given time, and once you’ve reached the end, you’re supposed to be able to make good use of what you’ve learned and move on to the next level.
Comfortable and reassuring
Its use thus makes it possible to mark out the learning path with landmarks that will have different functions depending on who is referring to them:
- for the learner, the manual defines the content to be learned, often presented in distinct sections: communicative situations, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and culture,
- for the teacher, the manual is a source of language material already selected, adapted and ready to teach,
- for the institution or school that prescribes its use, the manual corresponds to different learning periods to be invoiced in terms of hours.
The textbook thus appears to be the link between these three stakeholders, enabling the establishment of a more or less implicit contract with the student, which could be summed up as follows:
“For X amount to pay, you are entitled to Y number of hours during which you will go through this manual and learn what it contains. When you’ve finished, you’ll be ready for the next version.
Assuming we have the characteristics of a typical learner, we can say that the sum of our efforts has brought us to a certain page.
Reassuringly, there’s no guarantee that this progress through the manual will translate into a real improvement in the ability to communicate in a real, spontaneous conversation.
Challenging the paradigm
In fact, this tool is the manifestation of the most common learning paradigmwhich, although it denies it, prioritizes the accumulation of theoretical knowledge over the development of communication skills.
The activities presented first draw attention to linguistic forms, which are then analyzed, practiced in exercises, and then gradually implemented in communication situations intended to be increasingly close to real communication.
The student is gradually led towards a situation where he or she can “place” the word to be learned, the grammatical structure or the sentence.
In the traditional classroom, the “form” of what is said is more important than the “substance”, i.e. the meaning of the message being communicated. Language is seen as an object of study, rather than as a communication tool that students have come to acquire for a fee.
This phenomenon of learning “language with language” is described as follows by Claude Germain, one of the co-founders ofNLA:
“We learn mathematics with language. You don’t learn mathematics with mathematics…Despite all the writings that argue that language is a means of communication, we still approach it as an ‘object of study’, not as a genuine means of social interaction.”
Artificial activities
In addition to exercises with no real context, textbooks always require you to adapt to the theme or communication situation proposed. We read fictitious dialogues, go through vocabulary lists, put ourselves in the place of characters, and these activities are carried out in a predefined and often fixed modality (listening, speaking, writing, interaction).
Of course, it’s up to the teacher to adapt the material to his or her audience and context. But however ingenious and creative they may be, they can’t get around the problem inherent in artificial activities: they don’t encourage students, or themselves, to get really involved in the exchanges.
Demotivation, loss of attention and absenteeism will widen the gap between learners, and only a small number will complete the training course.
It’s therefore quite reasonable to think that the use of a textbook is one of the reasons why a large number of students drop out. But what activities can replace this intermediary?
Talking about yourself
What all the non-textbook approaches have in common is that they assert that learning a language is much more motivating if you talk about yourself.
Some neuro-linguists argue that this type of interaction activates the brain’s limbic system, linked to emotionsas well as the dopamine circuit, which releases a sensation of pleasure.
Learners and teachers alike play along. They talk about what they’re doing, thinking and feeling. In the end, all they’re doing is using language as a means of communicating meaning, just as we do in everyday life.
It’s this class dynamic that guarantees intense practice, helps maintain a high level of learner motivation and createsthe ideal conditions for better memorization.
What can you learn without a manual?
By discovering each other’s desires, needs and interests in the course of discussionsWe’re not just talking about the world, we’re talking about spontaneous topics of conversation. We can then launch into customized themes .
Much more in tune with people’s own lives, they help them feel less inhibited and more dynamic about speaking out, becoming real vehicles for expression, and sometimes even giving rise to entireprojects.
Grammatical content, like vocabulary, also emerges and is not anticipated.
The analysis of how language works is done only when it’s justified, not because it’s necessary to tackle “the language point” of the program. The examples we use to illustrate theoretical points are concrete, drawn from class discussions.
Nor is it a question of covering a pre-defined program in a given timeframe.
The entire curriculum is uncovered, not covered , and is thus completely tailored to everyone’s needs and interests. However, it’s important to know that even if what’s said in class leaves something to the unexpected, the teacher “guides” interactions and implements certain strategies to enable sustained practice in line with linguistic objectives.
Balance sheet
A textbook-free classroom can be justified on both scientific and human grounds . But its implementation is not easy, and can only be achieved by redefining the teacher-student relationship.
The teacher is the keystone of this undertaking, which can only succeed if he or she has the necessary methodological skills.
