Eclectic approach ELECTISM IN PEDAGOGY a

Eclectic Approach ELECTISM IN PEDAGOGY & ANDRAGOGY: SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISTION Michel A Demyen Abstract The word ‘eclectic’ originates from a Greek word ‘eklegin’ or to derive things from various sources One is said to have eclectic tastes when they select from diverse resources to fulfill their needs; similar in context of the eclectic approach to teaching The eclectic approach allows the teacher freedom of classroom resources, allowing the teacher to utilize a menagerie of activities and techniques from across language teaching methodologies and theories In language teaching, educators are encouraged to create activities presented in those various pedagogy approaches and theories to connect life experiences with the targeted language The eclectic method supports this context of inclusive learning of language Keywords: language, eclectic approach, teaching methodologies, pedagogy Introduction: Moving Towards Eclecticism The concept of eclecticism in language teaching is nothing new As early as 1929, eclecticism was seen as a solution to language teaching They realized that no one teaching method could be used in a classroom where students had different learning styles In the early years of education reform and the movement towards what would be considered the eclectic approach or pedagogy, two terms often eluded an exact definition: method and technique Early theorists, such as A W Cass and C Verner, discussed in research conducted by Hand and Puder, where Cass described method as doing a specific job in the best way in a particular situation (1967) However, Verner argues that method is a decision made by administration on how to conduct and implement a suitable educational program to serve the basics of the adult learner Comparatively, both Cass and Verner’s definition of method and technique are identical The context of method; therefore, is the mechanism for teaching, and techniques the approaches used to implement methods Historically, the eclectic approach developed as a response to profusion of teaching dogmas found in the 1970s and 1980s Research at the time proceeded to investigate developing educational methods to address the development of the social and economic status of individuals who possess less than a secondary education However, early methods and techniques were mired under various educational approaches since 1897, and throughout the 20th Century In 1964, UNESCO conducted research in comparative education and published a booklet which detailed various methods and educational approaches by researchers of the time (UNESCO, 1965) One of the early educational approaches was of Frank Laubach The Laubach Method, as it became known, was successful for over thirty years through the implementation of the use of the key word method This method was recognized across 96 countries in 274 languages, to stimulate the eradication of illiteracy The Laubach Method was popular and recognized around the world The premise of the Laubach Method was based on the learner hearing and seeing the same fact several times, and therefore, having learned that fact This early approach to mechanical rote learning is still a popular method used today in various classrooms around the world, and foreign-born residences of English speaking countries The concept here is the Laubach Method does not rely on creating an interesting learning environment, Laubach argued illiterate adults are excited to be able to read and care not for intellectual stimulation However, other experts dispute Laubach Methods, as it depends on memorization and failed to recognize adult not want to be treated like adolescents Another method popular in the history of pedagogical reforms was the Gouin Theme Method This method was designed after psychology thought patterns of German psychologists in 1879 (Hand & Puder, 1967, pg 4) The Gouin Theme examines the whole, not parts as does the Laubach Method It links sentences in thought and content, read for meaning, and unify to make a complete story The objective of this method is to enhance reading and comprehension in adult learners The failure in this method is the fact adults having been conditioned earlier in the rote method, now tend to memorize the words, have difficulties when confronted with unfamiliar words because they have not learned how to identify the phonemes of the word A more familiar Communicative Teaching Method may have had its origins within the Community Approach Method (CAM) CAM incorporates some of the aspects of the Gouin Theme Method of maintaining learning as a whole This method creates an environment where teachers and students structure lessons around everyday occurrences in the community and world The method became popular as teachers recognized that adults cannot be separated from the world However, the weakness of this method required a creative and skilled educator, and a highly interactive classroom atmosphere The belief was that CAM required adult learners to have established skills and were confident in their verbal responses A fourth method of the time, Basic English Method, which was used with foreign-born illiterates, would today be considered Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESL) The premise of this method was the same basis for the future of ESL or EFL in the classroom, English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language There is the immediate use of the conversation, employing demonstrations, speech patterns, and interaction between teacher and students This method, although useful in an ESL or EFL classroom was found to be weak with native-speaker illiterates requiring an emphasize on enhancing the basic English skills A more successful and widely used method at the time was the Direct Method The Direct Method was popular during World War II in response to the demand for servicemen to be able to read operation manuals Adult learners were instructed through a four-step process with the use of filmstrips as significant in the Direct Method The concepts of filmstrips was based on expressing whole stories in sentences and illustrations, students are lead through a series of letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and an entire sequence in a 45 minute lesson (Hand & Puder, 1967, pp 7) The Direct Method technique involved adult learners using flash cards, workbooks, and simple books where paragraphs, sentences and vocabulary mirrored the filmstrip The process included phonetics, students were encouraged to understand a word through pronunciation and, in the final step, were exposed to more complex phrases, sentences, and paragraphs The latter was then more specific towards the needs of the servicemen as they prepared to take on their roles for World War II In contrast, the Direct Method can be seen today in story boards in classrooms, and as a use in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to emphasize everyday English In 1961, Nell Peerson experimented with using television as a teaching tool, but found it was not very effective when teaching reading skills Although she believed the face-to-face instruction was better, many of her illiterate students did manage to show improvements in reading equivalent to second graders Another study on television as a teaching method in reading with illiterate adult learners was conducted by Howard Hulst The conclusion of his research was that illiterate adults, after television instruction, were able to read at the level of a grade three student Today, it is still a popular teaching tool in English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, traditional classrooms, and with adult learners Television has been become an effective tool in developing listening skills, where students are exposed to vocabulary which they can then use in reading activities The internet also provides students the opportunity to develop reading, listening, and speaking skills, as well as several interactive grammar activities These early pioneers of using technology in the classroom were radical in their approach to education and were beginning to recognize the importance of television and technology as a teaching tool, and design lessons to meet the objectives of the student Other contemporary programs also developed during the 1960s, such as the Wallace LARK Literacy and Related Knowledge Foundation school established by Mary Wallace The significance of the LARK program emphasized the need for empathy in the classroom and the necessity to promote a non-directive, open approach to teaching Using the synthetic approach by teaching the entire list of letters in the alphabet in five days, the letters are then formed into words familiar in the vocabulary of the students The LARK school encouraged students to listen to oral reading, whereby a student develops meaning from context and word recognition The strength of the technique lies in allowing students to express themselves and respect the social roles of fellow students At the time, the weakness identified with the LARK technique was the difficulty in recruiting teachers with the experiences to apply the non-directive method successfully in the classroom In comparison, the success of what was the termed the moonlight school used a more directive mode to promote literacy among adults On a moonlight night more than 1200 illiterates from the surrounding Kentucky hills came together at a log cabin and through drills and a Socratical instruction, illiterate adult learners were schooled in a more alternative education in agriculture, horticulture, English, and history Although wholly directive in pedagogy, it was successfully in its approach to an alternative approach to teaching Methodologies and Techniques Changes in language teaching and in method developed through various causes inherent with political, philosophical and social expectations of a community towards education frequently overwhelmed teachers with the expectations and constant shifts of teaching methodologies They recognized that it is better to combine several elements from all teaching methods to provide a more student-centered classroom and enhancing the learning experience for the students It is difficult to determine which method is universally beneficial for teaching Educators will generally adapt several methods into their lessons depending on circumstances However, a successfully methodology also requires an equally successful accompanying technique As a result of early educational reform, four major techniques began to emerge: the synthetic technique, analytic or global technique, the analytic-synthetic technique, and the eclectic technique The advantage of the synthetic technique is that it can be used to develop reading skills quickly using the Laubach Method; however, its flaw was in the presentation of rote learning and repetition as in the Laubach Method often creating boredom along adult learners In contrast, the analytic-global technique used stories and sentences where as a group students learn to student sentences independently before developing vocabulary skills Many teachers use this technique with adult learners where its strength lies in recognizing adults as mature, independent and social thinkers Unfortunately, this techniques’ failure is not providing the student with the tools to identify letter patterns to form words, causing reading difficulties The analytic-synthetic technique utilities the advantages of both previously mentioned techniques of identifying letters, words, and sentences as the learner improves their language skills The negative aspect of this is the teacher may use a more aggressive approach in this technique and force the student to progress too quickly, therefore, forgetting or leaving out significant components of language learning Finally, the fourth and perhaps the most widely used technique, the eclectic technique, utilizes all three techniques and aforementioned methods The strength of the eclectic technique lies in its flexibility to be adaptable in any classroom; however, the challenge is to be able to develop a lesson which reflects its strengths and not be focus on one method or technique whereby learners could become confused in the lesson The other weakness of this technique is to find qualified and experienced educators who understand how to incorporate the multiple layers of the eclectic technique in the classroom In order to successfully achieve this goal, teachers need to develop a coherent, pluralistic approach to teaching, or principled eclecticism (Kumar, 2013) where eclecticism incorporates a variety of language learning activities through selection, categorizing, and ordering of teaching objectives The eclectic technique has been widely termed in a number of educational related areas such as art education, curriculum theory, but most of all language education As eclectic pedagogy in the classroom became fashionable in language teaching; this innovative approach was viewed critically, especially by those wary of progressive notions towards language teaching These notions reflect the early theories of teaching and the scientific approach to which one method was the best Eclecticism began to take on many personas: effective and successful eclecticism, integrative eclecticism, new eclecticism and enlighten eclecticism (Hussein Wali, 2009) Of the many personas, principled eclecticism has become the most widely used in language teaching The argument for principled eclecticism is it requires educators to determine what works within their own context as well as support language teachers in a three-stage process: diagnosis, treatment, and assessment of learners (Gao, 2011) Teachers are expected to diagnosis an appropriate curricular for learner’s needs, create effective pedagogical examples to meet objectives, and develop appropriate assessments of learner’s accomplishments of the curriculum using principled eclecticism as their foundation in pedagogy Eclecticism in Disguise Teaching Grammar and Writing in Asia In China the standard the standard method of language instruction is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and a Grammar Translation Each of the well-known methods: grammartranslation, audio-lingual, communicative, and reading has its own unique style regarding language learning and teaching Teachers initially followed one teaching style in their classroom with the (ALM) being the most popular However, when teachers recognized the lack of student progress using ALM, they became disillusioned and chose to select other materials and start varying their teaching styles, or try to make the classes more interesting by putting them in a realistic context Take for example the Direct Method used to expose language learners directly to the target language and the Total Physical Response (TPR) technique through actions Another example would be between traditional and current trends in ALM and CLT, while teaching all four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) Audio-lingual Method (ALM) as an example is a method which combines a strong behavior approach and relevant techniques It is a combination of the main points addressed in two traditional methods where ALM emphasizes on all four language skills, unlike the GrammarTranslation and Direct Method Therefore, making ALM not only as a language teaching method, but also eclectic In a similar role, the Natural Approach could be viewed as an extension of the Direct Method and also eclectic Where there is continuity everywhere, it is easy to assume that all teaching methods are eclectic Teachers are encouraged to take advantage of all other methods Language teaching in China is set on five main aspects of successful eclectic teaching In the first stage, teachers needed to understand the purpose of each individual method Teachers also needed to be flexible in selection and application of each method, making it effective in the classroom Educators needed to be aware of the appropriateness of the method and to create continuity throughout the whole teaching process broken into three stages with the teacher at the center of the input stage and the learner as the focus in the practice and production stage The eclectic approach, or principled eclectic approach, has also become popular throughout Taiwan Educators in Taiwan recognized the effectiveness of using principled eclecticism in writing and adapted local practices to imported instructional approaches; therefore, creating a principled eclecticism approach to English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Min refers to research conducted by Rodgers on eclecticism, where Rodgers predicted eclecticism as a synergistic approach will shape the way language is taught In Taiwan, there was the concern that writing instruction only touched upon only certain components of teaching writing Teachers of EFL in Taiwan understandably acknowledge that one approach does not suit all learners Further studies conducted by Reid in (Min, 2009, pp 66) eclecticism argue that a variety of approaches allows teachers opportunity to expand their horizon and go outside of the box However, according to Min, recent publications revealed scholars are divided in the interpretation of this post-process approach in teaching writing Although Reid argued principle eclecticism is essential to teaching writing to speakers of other languages, Min does not believe the recent literature reflects uniform arguments among the researchers in teaching writing using the eclectic approach (2009) Regardless of this, numerous debates over the interpretation of the post-process approach, many non-native EFL writing instructors in Asian countries are supporting the eclectic approach, combining aspects from other approaches to form a synergetic approach to teaching in Taiwan Teaching Reading in the United States In a similar realization, educators in the United States recognized that many students graduating from secondary school could not read The alarming implications of this discovery forced teachers to examine their teaching methods and techniques, as well as the entire American education According to research conducted by Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey, students who scored the lowest in reading readiness in the first grade should little improvement in the seventh grade (1974) Unfortunately, further studies showed that the inability to read was one of the causes of high school dropout rates Researchers also learned the reading level of first year college students was extremely poor and the adult illiterates were measured in thousands The argument of this mass inability to read creates numerous questions and concerns Who was to blame? Educators understood it was impossible to put blame solely on the teachers, methods, the system, or even the students themselves Although it would be easy to blame any one of these factors, researchers believe all four may have an influence in not preparing students to be able to read Teachers in American schools tried unsuccessfully to implement several methods with attention on phonics, while the linguistic approach, the kinesthetic approach, and other traditional approaches had been tried and tested, failing even being the most effective method The most effective method many educators were leaning towards was the eclectic approach However, teachers needed to overcome their biases towards pedagogy and treat all students equally Even though the eclectic approach may use all methods and techniques in the classroom, the ownership of the class still rests with the teacher It lies on the success of instruction from the teacher and how it is implemented in the classroom According to Alvarez Harvey, the success of a student’s ability to be an independent adult depends largely on the teacher’s attitude towards them in class (1974, pp 8) American educators have; therefore, found the eclectic approach successfully incorporates and adapts easily to the variations in students' emotional, physiology, and psychological needs The eclectic approach has become a popular fixture in the teaching of reading from the beginning throughout the student’s early education Arguments For and Against Eclecticism The random choice of using the eclectic approach highlights the popularity of it as an effective teaching method Although it was being used widely to define numerous theories, varying arguments began to emerge, both for and against the use of eclecticism in language teaching Arguments for the eclectic approach are based on eight principles of pedagogy Second language learners bring a great deal of experience and knowledge to their language learning situation Language Learners should be able to use translation methods to establish a basis for communication; but that language learning should take place in the targeted language Emphasize on developing language learning needs to be interesting and meaningful, with a subject-content enrichment and a cognitive base to the language classroom The teacher may at their discretion, encourage mimicry, pattern proactive, and memorization, but at the core of language learning vocabulary acquisition needs to be used in meaningful contexts, as continuous use will aid in vocabulary retention; reading and writing should not be delayed, but also incorporated in almost every language lesson Arguments against eclecticism suggest teachers rely heavily on safety strategies to follow societal ideologies in language teaching methods Teachers may adopt the safe approach to teaching and not need to reconsider their profession’s practices The second argument views this ‘anything goes’ approach as anything but safe Critics of eclecticism argue at the classroom level, eclecticism invariably degenerates into a uncontrolled and disorganized pedagogy due to teachers lack of professional preparation; therefore, randomly packaging techniques from various methods and labelling it eclectic (Weideman, 2001, pg 7) This observation only created a third argument against eclecticism Teachers viewing a variety of methods and approaches into their teaching style could create confusion and conflicts Untrained teachers attempting to utilize conflicting approaches in their instructional techniques may realize contradictory results in what they initially attempted to achieve The argument against eclecticism further illustrates how certain teaching techniques can be confusing to an eclectic teacher Take as an example when using the grammar-translation method a teacher wanting to teach partially through the Direct approach will need to adopt an eclectic method that incorporate both approaches How is an eclectic teacher to accomplish this? The fourth argument against eclecticism follows when teachers are introduced to new methods and techniques and quickly adapted them into their traditional teaching styles, they may forget the rationale for the methods In the end, the final argument is related to the previously mentioned technique where if the new technique is only followed occasionally and combined with several conflicting processes, the innovative technique loses its potential as an effective teaching method The basic premise against eclecticism; however, concerns professional integrity Should educators begin borrowing from all over for fear of losing their own professionally learned techniques to language teaching in the classroom? The discussions suggesting against eclecticism also argue that teachers may also adopt an eclectic approach However, many of the arguments against eclecticism appear to focus on unprincipled eclecticism On the positive side, arguments for eclecticism suggest if teacher are able to adopt new methods, maintain the original rational, and remain aware of their own teaching styles, they could easily utilize the eclectic approach in their classrooms Ofcourse, the best argument for eclecticism is that it allows the teacher alternatives in teaching methods Eclecticism can be seen as an effective tool in a teacher’s language teaching practice when educators can become complacent, over repetitive in their teaching The eclectic approach would provide the teacher to embrace new techniques in presenting language and create a more dynamic learning environment Traditional and Current Methods in Eclecticism However, there are several analyses of successful language teaching methods indicating continuity among both traditional and current teaching methods There are already similarities and relationships across all methods Which approach a teacher decides to utilize in their classroom, they also need to identify what works with their students in their particular situation or objectives The eclectic method allows teachers from time to time to encourage students to participate in class activities The value of eclecticism gives experienced teachers, who are already associated with traditional methods to reject the weak points of each approach and highlight those aspects applicable to a particular learning situation It is an effective way for teachers to create a variety of lessons and activities to meet the varied learning styles of students in order for students to find the classes appealing and stimulating to them The challenge facing language teachers when using eclectic pedagogy is identifying an approach that includes most of the principles inherent in the traditional methods (Brown, 2000) It is necessary for teacher to recognize and use other concepts and procedures from various theories and methods However, for eclectic pedagogy to be effective in the classroom, they need to be well organized and prepared in order for the lesson to flow smoothly with the predicated outcomes When observed the classroom itself is eclectic with students from different background, textbooks, and educators with unique teaching experiences, therefore, it is no surprise to recognize that the eclectic method is being used as one of the main methods in language teaching, or in any classroom Instead of focusing on one type of methodology, teachers may try other language teaching approaches (Hussein Wali, 2009) Teaching in a world where a set of believes is symmetrical with that of the teacher makes language teaching an achievement If those sets of believes clash with the way one teaches, the teacher will find it a challenge to incorporate new methods in the classroom Teachers involved in classrooms where the politics of a country are at conflicting impasse will be extremely unhappy teachers Unfortunately, this also makes it unpleasant not only for the teacher but for the students According to Weideman, traditional language teaching in some countries are completely engrained and that there is a mismatch of skills-based methodologies and implementation in the classroom (2001) Even though teachers may be presented with updated material, they still managed to develop approaches to ignoring the textbooks and adopting new approaches to teaching It is up to the teacher to adopt those ideas which fit into language teaching, but leave their options open to new developments Multi-priority is the embodiment of the eclectic approach which gives teachers the opportunity to choose without prejudice all that will support them in the classroom Individuals referred to as eclectic its make the effort to assimilate the best techniques of all known language teaching methods into the classroom; using them purposefully for which they were intended To be successfully implemented in the classroom, the eclectic teacher needs to be energetic, imaginative, and willing to go outside the box, keeping the lessons stimulating for the students (Hussein Wali, 2009) The main premise of the eclectic method involves six principles for teachers to follow The eclectic approach gives teachers a chance to utilize different techniques during class to fulfil the objective of the lesson Language teachers, or any teacher, have the flexibility to decide any aspect or method which they believe is best suitable for the classroom The eclectic method exposes students to different teaching styles and breaks the monotony of the lesson and ensures that all students understand the difficulties of language teaching to a classroom of mixed level students Teachers are able to present different kinds of teaching aids and create a variety of language teaching activities which leads to a better understanding for the students Homeschooling parents have also found the eclectic approach is easily adaptable to their children’s education and can be tailored to address the individual needs of their child’s development The eclectic approach is seen as the most flexible of all the educational styles and can be structured accordingly as the parent desires Eclecticism in homeschooling is a cost effective approach to education as parents can create supplemental lessons incorporating fieldtrips and exercises reflecting the lessons without interference from normal school policies The disadvantages of eclecticism in homeschooling can be challenging to new or inexperienced homeschoolers and does require more preparation time from the parents Parents may also feel their children are not learning enough or the right things, especially since homeschoolers are still required to follow state or provincial guidelines for testing The Eclectic Process Eclectic instruction illustrates twelve different approaches of investigating the eclectic process in the classroom To optimize the benefits of eclectic instruction, teachers are encouraged to use a variety of instructional approaches, creating and designing an eclectic learning environment to support students in improving their skills The four logical reasons argued for students to learn through a wide variety of instructional approaches or ideas, conceptual knowledge, and procedural knowledge While utilizing the various approaches in eclectic instruction the teacher is able to develop a lesson based on the student’s character to and learning styles These different approaches are useful in developing student’s cognitive and procedural knowledge Therefore, teachers should try to create eclectic instruction by incorporating the best aspects of each approach that will achieve an overall effective result in helping students reach their educational goals Through eclectic instruction, students develop three ways to learn: Explanation, Discovery, and Activities The main argument for Explanation-based instruction, or Direct Instruction, is that students learn from the experience of others and are not expected to recreate ideas This approach develops and builds the conceptual knowledge of students However, most students generally will learn through Discovery or Procedural Knowledge The benefits of Discovery learning are to promote retention transfer that occurs before, during and after an activity In contrast, a teacher, skillful in Explanatory Instruction tries to explain concepts which will motivate students to learn more easily But a teacher skillful in Discovery education doesn’t explain ideas in a clear and thorough approach; instead they endeavor to create a challenge in the classroom, therefore, encouraging students to discover on their own The other aspect of learning by discovery is through inquiry They are not the same learning style, where inquiry takes place before discovery, a student must think first and during this process they discover new ideas During an inquiry activity, students learn from both explanation and discovery Eclectic methodology allows educators to enhancing learning during activities Through a variety of activities students develop problem-solving or critical thinking skills These activities can be in the classroom or outside it such as computer-based simulations and games, or activities which involved personal learning strategies, or during a lecture where the teacher presents, students practice and then produce or discuss with peers Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Eclecticism Brown (2000) argues there are also weaknesses in the eclectic approach He identified four possible points that he believes affect the productivity of the eclectic approach According to Brown, practical eclecticism fails to meet the criteria of efficiency He expresses concerns of eclecticism that it has no logical or theoretical foundation Another fault of eclecticism in the classroom is that to create an all-purpose language teaching approach out of other methods and to convince teachers that eclecticism is the only foreign language teaching methodology Brown believes that without principles the concepts of eclecticism will fall into arbitrārius (2000) Regardless of the negatives surrounding eclecticism, the eclectic method is very popular among language teachers Classrooms are diverse and varying levels in the classroom However, some teachers are comfortable using a familiar method which requires little effort in the classroom in comparison to the eclectic approach which requires energy and creativity from the teachers In order to determine whether the success of the eclectic approach in the classroom has met teacher’s objectives, teachers need to evaluate their students to determine learning outcomes Many academic researchers believe to validate learning outcomes would be extremely difficult due to the complexities of using the eclectic approach in the classroom (Mellow, 2002) Mellow purposes several strategies to evaluate learning outcomes and principles of eclecticism in the classroom The first strategy focuses on experimental investigation or testing that is relevant to the instruction, but not artificial or false to the real classroom He suggests that instead of many different activities, language teachers should optimize for smaller sets of lessons, because they are relatively small and coherent it would be easier to determine the effectiveness of the eclectic approach in an entire course Mellow argues that experimental investigation in eclecticism requires a valid measurement to assess learning outcomes According to researchers, instruments and scoring normally used in a classroom may not be able to adequately determine because language learning cannot always be measured through normal assessment In this case, further analysis is required to reveal the benefits of assessment in an eclectic classroom A third concern, does the type of research actually determine whether one approach is better than another? Several difficulties emerge when investigating or assessing the eclectic methods In order to better understand which method is successful or prove to more adequate in investigation is to organize students into groups where each group receives a different type of instruction This investigation; however, encounters the obstacle of not providing the other half of the groups with the hypothetically beneficial approach to learning Teachers will often follow one specific technique, approach of teaching or method, depending on their own individual learning styles The eclectic approach does not inhibit the teacher and allows for a variety of activities and techniques The educator has the freedom to decide which activities and techniques will best suit the classroom Several approaches and activities are adapted to the abilities of learners, with a wide range of resources used to match the curriculum The flexibility of the eclectic approach keeps the needs of the learners at the center of the lesson By creating an eclectic classroom, the learner is busy throughout the entire lesson The role of the teacher in the eclectic approach is also that of an entertainer as they attempt to create an interesting lesson as well as accomplish the educational goals of the curriculum The idea is to keep the students interest and involved in learning in a safe environment without stress Activities in eclectic pedagogy can be extension is requiring discovery learning or moving beyond the known to the abstract They can be a simple application of known and familiar situations The challenges associated with application and extension activities can vary from class to class, or student to student The eclectic education will recognize when and where to utilize applications activities for some and extension activities for other students Extension gives the learner to broaden their knowledge and the potential for flexibility, while application makes knowledge more reliable, creating a stronger and deeper understanding to the students However, introducing new innovations in curriculum or teaching techniques dependents upon various circumstances Any new approach or method needs to be officially adopted by educational organizations and authorities It requires support from both academic experts and curriculum specialists, who can best advice on educational resources to be used in an eclectic classroom New teaching methods and techniques need to be understood and flexible for teachers to utilize in their lessons, as well as symmetrical with current assessment guidelines and established curriculum The success of a variety of eclectic activities is timing Most activities can be combined and coordination throughout the lesson and can occur at any stage in the process of pedagogy An educator skilled in the eclectic approach will develop a lesson plan on three criterias: when, how, and why The advantage of the eclectic method is to provide change The nature of humans is always looking for new and or novel ways to exploit life’s experiences In teaching the teacher’s goal in the class, whether it is with elementary or adult learners, is to include a variety of learning activities and to ensure the lesson does not become monotonous and predictable References: Alvarez Harvey, M.L (1974) A Good Teacher and an Eclectic Approach: The Hopeful Answer to Successful Reading Instruction Reading Horizons 15(1), Retrieved from http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol15/iss1/2 Brown, H D (2000) Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy 2nd Ed USA Pearson Education Available from http://www.amazon.com Gao, L (2011) Eclecticism or Principled Eclecticism Creative Education, 2, 363-369 doi:10.4236/ce.2011.24051 Hand, S E., & Puder, W H (1967) A preliminary overview of methods and techniques in adult literacy and adult basic education Tallahassee, Fla: Florida State University Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED021158 Hussein Wali, N (2009) Eclecticism and Language Learning Al Fatih Journal (39), 289-298 Retrieved from http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=issueTOC&isId=897&uiLanguage=en Kumar, C P (June 2013) The Eclectic Method-Theory and Its Application to the Learning of English International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 3(6), 1-4 Retrieved from http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0613.php?rp=181291 Mellow, J D (2002) Towards principled eclecticism in language teaching: The two-dimensional model and the centering principle TESL-EJ, 5(4), 1-18 Retrieved from http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume5/ej20/ Min, H.T (2009) A Principled Eclectic Approach to Teaching EFL Writing in Taiwan Bulleting of Educational Research 55(1), 63-95 Retrieved from ir.lib.ntnu.edu.tw/ir/retrieve/53512/ntnulib_ja_A0101_5501_063.pdf United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization & International Bureau of Education (1965) The Teaching of Modern Foreign Languages in Secondary Schools International Conference on Public Education, 28th Session Retrieved from http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/areas-ofaction/international-conference-on-education-ice/archive-of-ice-sessions-andrecommendations.html Weideman, A (2008) The old and the new: reconsidering eclecticism in language teaching Per Linguam, 17(1), 1-13 doi:10.5785/17-1-131 Further Reading Carrisquillo, A., & Rodriquez, V (2002) Language Minority Students in the Mainstream Classroom Bristol UK Channel View Pub/Multilingual Matters Available at http://www.multilingualmatters.com Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L (1996) English teaching and learning in China Language teaching, 29(02), 6180 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0261444800008351 Li, W (2012) An Eclectic Method of College English Teaching Journal Of Language Teaching And Research, 3(1), 166-171 doi:10.4304/jltr.3.1.166-171 Moore, A., Edwards, G., Halpin, D., & George, R (2002) Compliance, resistance and pragmatism: The (re) construction of schoolteacher identities in a period of intensive educational reform British Educational Research Journal,28(4), 551-565 doi: 10.1080/0141192022000005823  ... foundation in pedagogy Eclecticism in Disguise Teaching Grammar and Writing in Asia In China the standard the standard method of language instruction is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and a. .. approach, combining aspects from other approaches to form a synergetic approach to teaching in Taiwan Teaching Reading in the United States In a similar realization, educators in the United States... related areas such as art education, curriculum theory, but most of all language education As eclectic pedagogy in the classroom became fashionable in language teaching; this innovative approach