[MUSIC] Welcome back. How was your visit to the 1930s? So, now you've seen what the reading approach is like. It was an interesting time in education history, when standardized testing became very important for a number of things. The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, was first developed in 1926 and standardized testing in public schools became quite prevalent. Also grammar rules are back in style. And even a bit of translation came back into focus, as well as the use of vocabulary lists. In the reading approach, the purpose of teaching language is very practical and focused on the immediate needs, abilities, and to put it this way, the probabilities of the students. They probably aren't going to travel around the world, but they might be able to pick up enough language to help them pass the test and use that language they have learned immediately by reading in that language. >> Practical for students? [LAUGH] How about practical for the teacher that doesn't speak French? Or how about practical for the administration that only has to write a single test for an entire school system? Oh, it's practical all right. In the most delightfully selfish way possible. I love it. Standardized testing, it feels, mm, positively sinful. [SOUND] >> Standardized testing is sinful? That's a stretch, even for you. Look, perhaps testing may not be so popular, and standardized testing even less so, but the testing movement helped us actually attempt to know whether any of our techniques are useful or not. Without this testing movement, we wouldn't have such a rich number of studies that help us know what techniques to use. >> Sorry to interrupt your love affair with tests, but I'm not done. Let's pretend that testing really is all you say it is, and that we are all bunches smarter because of it. Are you really going to excuse an approach to language learning called, The reading approach? Seriously, just reading, that doesn't seem a bit short-sighted to you? Reading, that's it? Sit quietly at your desks and read. [LAUGH] I swear, sometimes I feel like you're defending things that I should be defending. Sit and read and take tests. Well, if that is what heaven has to offer, I think I'll stay right where I am. >> And what's wrong with reading? It was the 1930s. People couldn't just hop on a plane and fly across the ocean to find someone who spoke French. Reading was the best way for them to use the language they were learning, and reading books in a foreign language let them learn about the culture and other aspects of people who spoke the language almost as well as if they had actually visited that country. >> I'll bet you spend most of your time in the library, hm? What's the matter, don't have any real friends? Reading is boring. And people who read too much are boring. Reading doesn't help you learn a language. You learn a language by interacting with people who speak that language. And if you can't do that, I suggest you just give up and not learn the language at all. I have several other activities I can also suggest. >> I have plenty of friends. And if people didn't read, how could they learn about things? They can't go and visit every place they want to learn about. You're just saying that because you don't like to learn, because it just so very hard for you. You're an idiot. >> Touchy, looks like I'm rubbing off on you, bookworm. >> I am not a. >> Well, whether you side with our angel or devil, the reading approach served it's purpose well back in its day. And it has given us insights into language learning, as well as several techniques and concepts that many teachers still follow today. We'll take a look at these in the next video, and talk about how you can use the principles and ideas from the reading approach in your classroom, if you so choose. Thanks for watching Teach English Now! [MUSIC]
