Focus on form and focus on meaning: two approaches to language teaching

There are two approaches to language teaching- form-focused and meaning-focused approaches.

Form-focused approach

This approach believes in carefully training language learners in the structures of the language by providing grammatical forms/structures and their usage. In this approach, the teacher identifies the forms that should be taught in class. Usually, by the end of a particular lesson, learners are expected to ‘accurately’ produce these target language structures in language. Therefore, accuracy is the aim of form-focused approach.

Teachers exercises control over such classrooms. Presentation of the form and its practice is highly controlled. During the production stage when learners produce target language using the focus forms, teacher slowly relaxes control so that learners can freely produce language on their own. There is explicit correction involved in this process, because accuracy is very important.

The salient features of this approach are:

1. Focus on forms selected by the teacher
2.  Introduction of the form before communicative activity
3. Teacher controlled classroom which is gradually relaxed
4. Success of form-focused instruction is learners’ ability to accurately produce target forms in language

Meaning-focused approach

In this approach, the focus is on meaningful communication in target language. Stress is on fluency, not on accuracy. Therefore, target language use is highly encouraged in a meaning-focused classroom, even though it involves errors.

But this approach is not entirely without focus on form/language. During meaning-focused communicative activities, learners themselves would naturally think about certain language items to be used in order to communicate effectively. This is called a focus on language. This focus on language can also involve the teacher. For example, learners may ask the teacher for some clarification. In such occasions, teacher acts as a participant, not as a controlling agent.

Later, the teacher can draw attention to particular forms which are used in communication or came up in a text used. The learner can be lead to look at and practice a form in this context. Even here, focus is on meaning. Focus on form comes after the communicative activity. It can be incidental correction of a form to build awareness. Corrections are done by the teacher who stands as an objective outsider to communicative activity. For this we need a teacher who is confident who can comment on the language of the learner.

Teacher doesn’t control learners’ language use. If learners complete the activity, it is a successful procedure. During the procedure, there emerges a focus on language. Teacher participates and helps by clarifying doubts. Finally it ends with a focus on form. The idea is that these classes should help the learner to improve fluency and accuracy. The focus on form is for accuracy.

This approach can have these elements chronologically:

1. Focus on meaning: this is the communicative activity. Communication is aimed at fluent use of language.
2. Focus on language: here learners themselves reflect on their appropriate language use. This might also involve the teacher as a participant.
3. Focus on form: specific forms are focused upon. Teacher corrects or comment upon learner’s language use.

What is important is that a focus on form comes after the communicative activity (focus on meaning) and focus on language.