Approach: A general set of beliefs and principles that can be used as the basis for teaching a language. An approach does not lead to a specific set of prescriptions or techniques to be used in teaching a language and can be widely interpreted by individual teachers. Example: The Communicative Approach is characterized by a variety of interpretations as to how the principles can be applied. (Richards and Rogers, 2014)

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BICS vs. CALP: Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills refer to "social" language. BICS is what students need to know in order to function in everyday life and to communicate on a very basic level. When a person has BICS we say that s/he is "conversationally" fluent. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency which requires students to demonstrate understanding and comprehension of academic terms. Students move from basic conversation skills to actually understanding and participating in the regular classroom. (Ferlazzo, 2014)

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Communicative language teaching: Click here.

 

Competency: A general statement that describes the desired knowledge, skills, and behaviors of a student graduating from a program (or completing a course). Competencies commonly define the applied skills and knowledge that enable people to successfully perform in professional, educational, and other life contexts. (Embry-Riddle)

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Competency-based education: Click here.

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Competency-based language teaching: Click here.

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Competency Tracker Form (CTF): Click here.

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Method: A specific instructional design or system based on a particular theory of language and language learning. A method contains detailed descriptions of content, roles of teachers and learners, and teaching procedures and techniques. (Richards and Rogers, 2014) 

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Model: Educational models are the philosophical foundation of any overall approaches and beliefs about learning, instruction, and content. Models are ways in which learning environments and instructional experiences can be constructed, sequenced, or delivered. They may provide theoretical or instructional frameworks, patterns, or examples for any number of educational components — curricula, teaching techniques, instructional groupings, classroom management plans, content development, sequencing, delivery, the development of support materials, presentation methods, etc. (Natural Family Today)

 

Objective: What the instructor hopes students will learn. (Depaul University)

 

Outcome: A very specific statement that describes exactly what a student will be able to do in some measurable way. (University of Lincoln-Nebraska)

 

Proficiency: "...what individuals can do with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context...regardless of where, when, or how the language was acquired." (ACTFL, 2012)

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Standards-based education: Click here.

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