Teaching Approaches: The focus on language competencies
- Roy Edwards
- 23 hours ago
- 2 min read
In the blog last week, we explored an overview of the seven most common approaches to teaching. This week we shall evaluate the classical teaching method based on the development of language competencies, especially those of guided critical reading and academic writing.
The classical focus on language development abilities
Across cultures and throughout the history of higher education, there has consistency been a primary focus on language abilities, especially the progressive development of critical reading and evaluative writing.
Moreover, it was anticipated that students would enthusiastically devote a significant voluntary allocation of their personal study experience to reading without being constantly prompted to such endeavours. Indeed, until relatively recently, libraries formed the central component of all universities that were typically qualitatively evaluated based on the provision.
The decline of personal enjoyment of reading
However, a number of complex contemporary social influences are now acting to significantly reduce personal reading commitments that is progressively having a direct immediate impact on the teaching and learning encounter.
For example, in the US, the average American student spends over 4 hours each day either watching television or engaging in streaming online services while personal reading has declined to an alarming 20 minutes or less per day.
Several social influences now interact to reduce interest and commitment to a personal reading focus. These include a growing fixation with a variety of immediate digital entertaining distractions that are professionally marketed.
To conclude, over the next few weeks we shall evaluate how educators are now attempting to respond to the reluctance of their students to engage in personal extended reading. This will include an evaluation of attempts to make the learning experience more immediately accessible, visually attractive, and verbally interactive.
Questions
Might the increasing cost of printed material have influenced the decline in reading books?
Is the solitary requirement of reading now unattractive in an age of constant entertainment?
How can educators design learning materials to make them more visually attractive?
We shall explore Question 3 in the next blog.
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