ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the differing ways in which the term ‘Method’ has been conceptualized, also distinguishing between ‘Method’ and ‘methodology’. It explores how different language teaching methods can be seen as social ‘products of their times’. The Grammar-translation Method within English Language Teaching (ELT) emerged from the teaching of classical languages such as Latin. The Audiolingual Method perhaps most clearly exemplifies the suggested paradigmatic pattern of ELT methods and their links to the wider social context. The Silent Way is another humanistic method that is closely associated with a particular individual. The chapter identifies the key features of a range of methods, placing them within their wider social contexts and identifying them as potential sources of classroom intervention for teachers. It considers ways in which the notion of Method has been critiqued and challenged. The chapter traces the possible emergence of a ‘Postmethod era’ and its potential implications for teachers.
