Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Second Edition

5 How is it possible to tell whether one lesson is in some
way ‘better’ than another?
Is it to be done in purely pragmatic terms? Do pupils learn
from a particular sort of lesson more quickly, with less effort,
and greater enjoyment than those who learn by some other
type of lesson? Is there any difference between teaching
adults and children? Is it possible to measure in any real way
different degrees of efficiency in learning? For example, is it
true that the method which teaches most words is the best
method? Or, on the other hand, are there a number of basic
underlying principles, fundamental concepts, which can be
brought to bear on what is clearly a rather complex form of
human activity to illuminate what is going on and help in
making decisions, which are wise enough to avoid being
simplistic and naive, yet positive enough to ensure effective
action in any given set of circumstances?
It is in the belief that pragmatism and principle must walk
hand in hand that the following chapters have been written.
First some basic principles will be explored, and then the
consequences of applying those to particular areas of
language teaching will be looked at in the hope that by the
time readers reach the end of the book they will be in a better
position to give informed and reasonably well balanced
answers to at least some of the questions posed above, not
only about the lessons sketched here but about any lesson in
English to foreigners.