Beyond Teaching Methods: Learner Individuality and Learning Pace in Secondary English Classrooms in Bangladesh (Mixed-Method Study)
Teaching methods have long been considered the primary determinant of learning outcomes in English language teaching (ELT). This study examines the relative influence of teaching methods (Communicative Language Teaching and Grammar-Translation Method) compared to learner individuality and learning pace in secondary English classrooms in Bangladesh. The research adopts a mixed-method design involving 120 students from grades 8–10, with class sizes ranging from 35 to 45. Quantitative data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests, along with CLT speaking and GTM translation tasks. Qualitative data were gathered through classroom observations, reflective journals, and semi-structured interviews. Statistical analysis revealed significant improvement in post-test scores across all grades, but performance varied based on learner factors. Translation scores (GTM) were consistently higher than speaking scores (CLT), indicating that method effectiveness depended on learner readiness and exam orientation. The qualitative findings show that learner motivation, prior knowledge, anxiety, and learning pace significantly shaped outcomes. While CLT enhanced communication and confidence for some learners, it created anxiety for others. GTM supported accuracy and exam performance but failed to develop communicative competence. The study concludes that teaching methods are supplementary tools that support learning but cannot override learner individuality and pace. Implications include a need for post-method pedagogy, differentiated instruction, flexible assessment, and teacher training to support diverse learners in Bangladesh.
Abedin, M. M. (2013). The present mode of teaching in the ELT classes at the Higher Secondary level in Bangladesh: Is it the practice of CLT or disguised GTM? Stamford Journal of English, 7, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3329/sje.v7i0.14459
Brown, H. D. (2014). Principles of language learning and teaching (6th ed.). Pearson.
de Bot, K., Lowie, W., & Verspoor, M. (2007). A dynamic systems theory approach to second language acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10(1), 7–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728906002732
Horwitz, E. K. (2001). Language anxiety and achievement. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 21, 112–126. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190501000071
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2006). Understanding language teaching: From method to postmethod. Routledge.
MacIntyre, P. D. (1999). Language anxiety: A review of the research for language teachers. In D. J. Young (Ed.), Affect in foreign language and second language learning: A practical guide to creating a low-anxiety classroom environment (pp. 24–45). McGraw-Hill.
Maqbool, M. (2024). Adapting language teaching methods: Comparative acceptability of GTM and CLT in Bangladesh’s rural secondary education. International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture, 4(12), 1–4. https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijllc/article/view/1818
Matin, A. A. (2021). Incorporation of GTM and CLT: An effective way to teach. Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 21(G3), 47–51. https://doi.org/10.34257/GJHSSGVOL21IS3PG47
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Núñez-Vázquez, I., & Crismán-Pérez, R. (2021). A study of the differences among EFL/ESL methods for reading comprehension and language awareness. Porta Linguarum: International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, (35), 9–24. https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.vi35.15412
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Spring, U., Pawlak, M., & Li, S. (2021). Individual differences in language learning and teaching: A complex/dynamic/socio-ecological/holistic view. English Teaching & Learning, 45, 339–353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-021-00085-3