The Whole Language Approach To Learning Essay

There are a lot of specific methods and approaches to teaching. There is no one particular method affirmed by all the teachers, therefore the vast majority of ideas exists. The differences in perception of the ways for teaching lead to the presence of various methods to learning.

The Whole Language ideology is a particular method for teaching which deserves attention due to its peculiarity. The main purpose of this discussion is to consider the problem of the Whole Language in detail, referring to the system of reading as the particular method for helping students understand the nature of language as a whole.

Considering the approach under discussion, it may be stated that it is based on the idea that the language is a whole and it should be taught as a whole. Traditional system of teaching presupposes division of the learning procedure into several segments which are given to children separately.

The peculiarity of the Whole Language approach is that students are offered knowledge into one specific approach which combines necessary items that help students obtain necessary knowledge (Çekiç 223). The whole language approach is based on a number of particular principles which help many students learn languages as a system of knowledge.

Thus, the main principles of the whole language instructions are as follows, (1) the lessons are run from the whole to the pieces, (2) lessons are learner-oriented, (3) the lessons are meaningful and purposeful for students, (4) students are involved into social interaction, (5) simultaneous development of receptive and generative competencies is observed, (6) in case a foreign language is taught, native language should be used for instruction, and (7) “teachers should help second language learners decrease their affective filters” (Adunyarittigun n.p.).

Much research has been conducted in the sphere of whole language study system and the results are rather impressive. Those who were offered this particular system made remarkable process in their education.

Therefore, Ahmed is sure that writing skills are developed better if this complex system is used. Many scholars point at the fact that students express interest in studying foreign languages if this particular approach is implemented. One of the main problems in learning a foreign language is the inability to use this language.

Students are to study different aspects of language and after these boring exercises students may be able to talk. The whole language approach states that students will have an opportunity to become interested in language earlier before they will be able to talk (Schwarzer and Luke 87).

Theme studies, process writing and literature-based breading combine the whole language approach. It means that performing a particular task students are involved several processes which help them learn information faster and better (Lamme and Beckett n.p.).

Having considered the main idea of the whole language approach to the education, it is possible to point at the advantages and disadvantages of this system. As it has already been mentioned, the difference between the traditional education and teaching children with the help of the whole language may perfectly underline the pros and cons for using the whole languages.

First of all, it should be stated that while writing students just see the graphical correspondence of the letters, while reading aloud they do not involve thinking and creativity and while thinking and answering the question students are unable to apply their writing skills.

The whole language approach is the only educational instruction which is ready to combine all of these competences. This is one of the main values of the system and the reasons why it is better from the traditional one (LeDoux n.p.).

One of the main disadvantages of the whole language approach is the absence of the sufficient explicit phonics instruction. Being apparently new system which is not involved largely, many teachers do not want to be bothered with the innovation.

However, referring to Schwarzer and Luke’s point of view in the relation to the whole language systems implementation, the following principles should be considered.

Language arts should be integrated, “language is not an end in itself, but a means to an end” (Schwarzer and Luke 95), students should take part in literacy events and be circled with authentic print, students learn new information by doing a complex of activities and they are personally responsible for the knowledge they will obtain.

Assessment is an inevitable part of the whole language system (Schwarzer and Luke 95).

Additionally, traditional system of education is based on teaching students literacy and language. The Whole Language approach is much broader in this concept as depending on the books accepted for reading, students are taught social justice and other particular notions.

Using the whole language approach, students are taught “a range of social and cultural practices which assist students to question the truth of texts, to ask different questions about texts, and indeed to seek out conflicting texts” (Taylor and Otinsky 71).

Ethical and moral issues should be met while implementing the whole language approach (Taylor 106). Therefore, it may be concluded that the choice of the books for reading should be appropriate.

To help teachers understand what kind of books should be used, this list of the books for reading for the sixth grade should be checked. The selection of the books for reading is based on the principles of the whole language learning approach and the peculiarity of teaching students.

It is important to remember that the support of speech, language and communication are the central goals for teaching students at the sixth grade and the use of the whole language approach may be an ideal method (Leyden, Stackhouse and Szczerbinski 207; Jones n.p.).

The following list of books is provided with the purpose to inform teachers which books should be covered in the program. The choice of the books is based on their usefulness in the whole language approach. Therefore, the following sources should be considered:

1. The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander,
2. No Castles Here by A. C. E. Bauer,
3. Getting to first base with Danalda Chase by Matt Beam,
4. My name is Henry Bibb: a story of slavery and freedom by Afua Cooper,
5. The Million Dollar Putt by Dan Gutman,
6. A Taste for Red by Lewis Harris,
7. The Genie Scheme by Kimberly K. Jones,
8. Lost Time by Susan Maupin Schmid
9. It’s Only Temporary by Sally Warne
10. Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn.

These books should be read by the sixth grade students as the part of their whole language approach as there is much to discuss in these novels and stories.

Works Cited

Adunyarittigun, Dumrong. “Whole language: A whole new world for ESL programs.” (1993): ERIC. Web.

Ahmed, Abdelhamid Mohamed Abdelhamid. “The Effect of using the whole language approach on developing some composition writing skills in English for experimental secondary students In Egypt.” Online Submission (2006): ERIC. Web.

Çekiç, Ahmet. “The basis and applications of the whole language approach to ELT.” Educational Sciences Series 62.1A (2010): 223-229. Print.

Jones, Jeffrey M. Learning to read and whole language ideology. Web.

Lamme, Linda Leonard and Cecilia Beckett. (1992). “Whole language in an elementary school library media center.” ERIC Digest. Web.

LeDoux, Amanda. “Investigating the implementation of whole language: Strengths and weaknesses.” Online Submission (2007). ERIC. Web.

Leyden, Jenny, Stackhouse, Joy and Marcin Szczerbinski. “Implementing a whole school approach to support speech, language and communication: Perceptions of key staff.” Child Language Teaching and Therapy 27.2 (2011): 203-222.

Schwarzer, David and Chris Luke. “Inquiry cycles in a whole language foreign language class: some theoretical and practical insights.” Texas Papers In Foreign Language Education 6.1 (2001): 83-99.

Taylor, Monica, and Gennifer Otinsky. “Becoming whole language teachers and social justice agents: Pre-service teachers inquire with sixth graders.” International Journal of Progressive Education 3.2 (2007): 68-82.

Taylor, Monica. Whole language teaching, whole-hearted practice: looking back, looking forward. New York: Peter Lang, 2007.