Abstract
The Promise of “Optimal Input”
For the last 40- years, teachers have been advised to avoid following one specific methodology and use techniques and activities from different language teaching approaches and methodologies. This approach is called the “Eclectic Approach,” and almost all the modern course books support mixing methodologies. (British Council). (1) After 40- years, however, the Eclectic Approach has not been shown to be the most effective method. There have been some objections against using only an acquisition approach. In this paper, we will explain that they are no longer valid objections when optimal input methods by way of Story-Listening and Guided Self-Selected Reading are used in the classrooms. It is possible that other methods exist, which also provides optimal input that produces results as strong as SL/GSSR that are convenient and easy to install in the classroom. This should be investigated, and until this is done, SL/GSSR is our best bet. It is clearly time to seriously consider the idea of a 100% acquisition-based program.
Keywords
Eclectic approach, Story-Listening, Guided Self-Selected Reading.