Current approaches to language teaching (for example, Communicative Language Teaching; Content and Language Integrated Learning; Cooperative Language Learning; Task-based Language Teaching; the Lexical Approach; Text-based Instruction).

Current approaches to language teaching
 The search for a correct method to teach English or any other foreign language has been a concern for many years that has not only concerned pedagogues and linguistics but also psychologists who are interested in teaching other languages ​​since in this time more Globalized language learning has become increasingly important in the lives of human beings, the English language being the universal language, for this reason the teaching of English should not be limited to the study of its structures, but to the use of the language in different contexts to adapt to this new reality (Díaz Merino 2010). Throughout this teaching, different approaches to teaching the language have increased, for this reason in this article we will discuss different approaches, their characteristics, and. approaches such as: communicative approach (CLT), task-based language learning, content and language integrated learning, cooperative language, the lexical approach and text-based instruction. Next, I will develop each one.

Communicative approach.

The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method of communicative approach or communicative language teaching is an approach to language teaching in which interaction is given the utmost importance as a means and as a final objective in learning a language, where not only the grammatical structure should be practiced, which makes the student feel compelled to practice and must use the grammar, Therefore, the main principle of all communicative approaches is that the student should not only know how make a grammatically correct structure, it should also improve the ability to use language to carry out various real-world tasks (Nunan, 1988).

Characteristics of the communicative approach method

The communicative method is characterized by being a general teaching approach and not a teaching method with clearly defined classroom practices. As such, it is often defined by a list of general principles or characteristics. One of the best-known lists is that of the five characteristics of the communicative method, prepared by David Nunan (1996):
• Emphasizes communication in the foreign language through interaction.
• Introduce real texts in the learning situation.
• It offers students opportunities to think about the learning process and not only in the language.
• It gives importance to the personal experiences of the students as elements that contribute to their learning.
• Try to relate the language learned in the classroom with activities carried out outside it.

Immersion 

According to Baker (1993), language immersion, or simply immersion, is a method of teaching a second language in which the learners’ second language (L2) is the medium of classroom instruction. Through this method, learners study school subjects, such as math, science, and social studies, in their L2. The objective is to foster bilingualism; this language learning method is meant to develop learners' communicative competence or language proficiency in their L2 in addition to their first or native language (L1). Immersion programs vary from one country or region to another because of language conflict, historical antecedents, language policy or public opinion. Moreover, immersion programs take on different formats based on: class time spent in L2, participation by native speaking (L1) students, learner age, school subjects taught in L2, and even the L2 itself as an additional and separate subject

Task-based Language Learning Task

-based learning (Willis 2007) offers an alternative for language teachers. In a task-based lesson, the lesson is based around the completion of a central task and the language studied is determined by what happens as the students complete it. The lesson follows certain stages. Pre-task:  The teacher introduces the topic and gives the students clear instructions on what they will have to do at the task stage and might help the students to recall some language that may be useful for the task. The pre-task stage can also often include playing a recording of people doing the task. This gives the students a clear model of what will be expected of them. The students can take notes and spend time preparing for the task. Task:  The students complete a task in pairs or groups using the language resources that they have as the teacher monitors and offers encouragement. Planning:  Students prepare a short oral or written report to tell the class what happened during their task. They then practice what they are going to say in their groups. Meanwhile the teacher is available for the students to ask for advice to clear up any language questions they may have. Report:  Students then report back to the class orally or read the written report. The teacher chooses the order of when students will present their reports and may give the students some quick feedback on the content. At this stage the teacher may also play a recording of others doing the same task for the students to compare. Analysis: The teacher then highlights relevant parts from the text of the recording for the students to analyze. They may ask students to notice interesting features within this text. The teacher can also highlight the language that the students used during the report phase for analysis. Practice: Finally, the teacher selects language areas to practice based upon the needs of the students and what emerged from the task and report phases. The students then do practice activities to increase their confidence and make a note of useful language.

El enfoque léxico

The Lexical Syllabus The lexical approach is a method of teaching foreign languages described by Michael Lewis (1993). The idea of this approach is that an important part of learning a language consists of being able to understand and produce lexical phrases as chunks. Students are thought to be able to perceive patterns of language (grammar) as well as have meaningful set uses of words at their disposal when they are taught in this way. In the lexical approach, instruction focuses on fixed expressions that occur frequently in dialogues, which Lewis claims make up a larger part of discourse than unique phrases and sentences. Vocabulary is prized over grammar per se in this approach.

According to Lewis, we can define the lexical approach as belonging to the aspect of a deeper approach: the communicative approach. Only here we will give more relevance to the lexicon as an essential element in communicative situations.

characteristics
Michael Lewis outlines the following main ideas:
• "The process of acquiring an L2 must be to lexicalize the grammar, not grammatize the lexicon" (M. Lewis's own translation, The Lexical Approach).
• The grammar / vocabulary dichotomy is invalid; the essential corpus of a language are the "chunks", pieces of prefabricated language.
• Within the teaching of languages, it is essential to educate students and develop their ability to use these pieces of prefabricated language successfully.
 • Language is recognized as a personal resource, not as an abstract idealization.
• Conceiving language as effective is a deeper conceptualization than conceiving it as correct.
• The central metaphor of a language is a holistic machine - an organism, not an atomist one.
 • The primacy of spoken discourse over written is recognized: writing is considered as a secondary resource, with a grammar radically different from the spoken language.
 • Grammar as a structural system is subordinate to lexis.
 • Grammatical error is recognized as intrinsic to the learning process.
 • Grammar is prioritized as a receptive skill that involves the perception of similarity and difference.
• The task and the process are prioritized over the exercises and the result. • Receptive skills, mainly hearing, acquire a higher status.
 • Although the structural model is considered useful, the lexical and metaphorical model also acquire a privileged status.
 • Placement must be integrated into the organization of study programs.
• Within language teaching, it is the co-textual elements, rather than the situational elements of the context, that acquire primary importance.
 • Sociolinguistic competence - the power of communication - is what stands out and is the basis, not the product, of grammatical competence.
 • The presentation-practice-production paradigm is replaced by the observation-hypothesis-experimentation cycle.
 • The teacher cannot be the director, but an advisor, leaving the role of the student to face the language in a multiform and holistic way




2. Homework-based teaching.
This approach has a holistic teaching method, which uses tasks such as planning for teaching foreign language learning, where the teacher is the one who guides the different activities and the purpose is that the student must finish the tasks. In this we can find several methodologies focused on tasks, students will learn language in the same way if they focus on the forms of language (Harmer, 1988). Its advocates claim that second language acquisition (SLA) research can and should guide second language instruction. The purpose of such research is to allow designers to determine the types of tasks that can facilitate the acquisition of specific target language structures and functions (Loschky and Bley-Vroman, 1990)





characteristics
• In task-based learning, students focus first on meaning.
• The task focuses on the use of language for real communication.
• Homework is based on the needs, interests, and goals of the students.
• Homework encourages students to use all of their language resources rather than selected aspects of the language.
• The language that is explored is derived from the needs of the students and these determine the language that will be assumed in the classroom.
• The four language skills are integrated.
• Engaging in task completion fits various learning styles.
• Students develop both fluency and grammatical precision.

• Other approaches can be integrated into a homework-based class.

Technology-mediated task-based language teaching Foreign language teaching policies (including curricula and syllabi) in  ICT and Computerassisted

incorporation of technologies within

The incorporation of technology into pedagogical tasks appeals to many researchers and practitioners ofTBLT  as a  potential  solution  to   the aforesaid   problems (Thomas,   2013;  Reinders  et  al., 2010).   First, research   has documented   that   with   the use   of   synchronous   and asynchronous   computer-mediated communication (CMC), learners produce an increased amount of the TL as a result of lowered anxiety and increased motivation. For example, Levy & Stock well (2006) have shown how technology-mediated tasks   can   extend language learning opportunities beyond the classroom and create   opportunities   for genuineness in interaction. Beyond providing opportunities for TL use, there is evidence that the use of technology may lead to higher engagement and L2 interaction. For example, Yamada (2009) reports that both the number of turns produced by learners and the number of target expressions increased when they chatted online, Tawakoni, Lotfi and Biria (2019) have shown how the integration of real-world texts into classroom tasks led to higher motivation in L2 reading, and Oskoz and Elola (2014) have demonstrated the   effect of using web 2.0 tools on L2 writing.   Higher   levels   of   engagement   were   also   found   by Reinders, Lakarnchua   &   Pegrum (2015).   When   learners   were   asked   to create   an augmented   reality campus tour, the   real-world outcome of the project   led to increased interest and   engagement. Lastly, freeing   learners from   the physical   constraints of   the   classroom setting, technology-mediated TBLT practices (e.g., asynchronous CMC namely forum, email, blog) allow more time for learners to process their language output before sharing it, which in turn encourages learners to produce more grammatically accurate and complex language (Reinders, Lakarnchua, & Pegrum, 2015). The increased processing time enables learners to proofread and self-correct their language output and raises their attention to various linguistic features in   online communicative contexts, such   as in digital games (Reinders &   attana,2015).

Tics in the curriculum

Gros (2000), points out that curricular integration of technologies is to use ICTs regularly in classrooms for various tasks such as writing, obtaining information, experimenting, simulating, communicating, learning a language, designing all of this in a natural, invisible way. beyond the mere instrumental use of the tool and felt at the level of innovation of the educational system (p.2)

Computer assisted language learning

Computer-assisted language learning, known as CALL for its English acronym (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) and also known as EAO for its acronym in French (Insignemente Assisté par Ordinateur), is defined in Levy's seminal work (1997 Pag 1) as “the search and study of computer applications for language learning and teaching”

CALL. it is, essentially, a tool that helps teachers to facilitate language learning. It can be used to reinforce what has already been learned in the classroom or as a remedial tool for students who need additional assistance 

3.Language Learning New perspectives on the evaluation and assessment of language learning Bridging approaches (e.g. Content & Language Integrated Learning and Task-based language Teaching)

This article is structured around the following topics

Educational evaluation

In the field of pedagogy, evaluation is a systematic process of recording and evaluating the results obtained in the learning process of the students. As such, the evaluation is carried out taking into consideration the educational objectives set out in the school program. The evaluations, on the other hand, can be carried out in different ways: through tests (written or oral), works or monographs, as well as considering the participation in class of the students, among others

Evaluation is perhaps the most vital of all the processes involved in technical and vocational training. With a high-quality assessment system, students can trust the quality of their training. Assessment is the most important stimulus for learning. Each act of assessment gives students a message about what they should be learning and how they should be doing it. Assessment tasks need to be developed with this in mind.

 the connections between assessment and learning; the need to focus on skills; recognition of the competence achieved outside of formal learning situations; evaluation through many institutions.

Assessment and learning Assessment is the most significant stimulus for learning: every act of assessment gives students a message about what they should learn and how they should do it. Often the message is not explicit, is not easily understood, or is interpreted differently, receiving different readings from trainers and students.

The purposes of the evaluation

 The evaluation can be "formative" or "summative". The purpose of formative assessment is to provide feedback to students as part of the learning process. Summative assessment refers to actions such as grading or accreditation, in which the focus is on making a judgment about the student's work. It is not possible, however, to separate the two types clearly, especially considering the dominance that summative assessment has had in the minds of students (and in the practices of teachers) and how this has obscured even the most modest intentions of formative assessment. The purposes of the evaluation The evaluation can be "formative" or "summative". The purpose of formative assessment is to provide feedback to students as part of the learning process. Summative assessment refers to actions such as grading or accreditation, in which the focus is on making a judgment about the student's work. It is not possible, however, to separate the two types clearly, especially considering the dominance that summative assessment has had in the minds of students (and in the practices of teachers) and how this has obscured even the most modest intentions of formative assessment

The importance of self-evaluation

 One issue that has not received enough attention is how to best use students' abilities and skills to evaluate themselves. In the long run, this is more important than learning any particular subject. Students must leave a professional training course equipped to self-evaluate throughout their professional lives. They need to be able to make reliable judgments about what they know and what they don't know, and what they can and cannot do. Frequently, the evaluation conducted by the trainers reinforces the dependence of the students to make decisions regarding what they know, and they do not learn to do it themselves.

Self-evaluation needs to be actively encouraged. A starting point for doing this is (adapted from Boud 1992): clarify the concept of criteria in terms that are familiar to students — for example, asking "how would you distinguish good work from bad work in this area?"; and specify the criteria in sufficient detail so that each student can judge the extent to which the criterion has been met. The criteria need to specify: the area to be evaluated; the objectives of the evaluation work; the standards to be achieved. Specific strategies need to be implemented to support the self-assessment process. The two most common are the use

competency-based assessment

is a competency-based evaluation system, evaluators make judgments based on the evidence gathered from a variety of sources, which defines whether an individual meets the requirements of a standard or set of criteria.

There are four principles of evaluation

1.Validity

2. Reliability

3.flexibility

4.imparciability.

Previous knowledge methods

Previous knowledge is understood as the information that a person has stored on a reality and

TECHNIQUES TO KNOW THE PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS.

• Answer open, closed or multiple choice questionnaires

• Solve problem situations consisting of events in front of which students must make decisions.

• Design concept maps based on a reading given by the teacher

• Brainstorm

• Work in group

written guides and structured group activities. Both are explained in Boud (1992).

Innovative projects Foreign language teaching and adult education Teachers’ innovative practices and personal experiences

The implementation of different technological tools in the teaching process has made the teaching-learning process more attractive for both teachers and students.

Next, some of them will be explained.

 Technology and innovative methods of teaching

The use of technology in the classroom helps to engage the students with different kinds of stimuli and creates an environment of activity-based learning. It makes the content of the classroom more interesting and makes learning fun.

 Teaching through Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality technology involves helping students learn through interactions with a 3D world. For instance, instead of taking the students through a boring history class, the teachers can use 3D technology to explore ancient civilizations, travel to distant countries for a class in geography or even take a trip to outer space during a class on science.

 Teaching through Smart Boards

Smart boards are an effective way to bring the classroom to life while helping students experience a deeper level of engagement and understanding. This is done by making the course content interactive and visual.

 Teaching through 3D printing technology

Teachers looking for innovative methods of teaching can also look at 3D printing as a means of teaching. This method is fast gaining global acceptance, especially in higher educational institutes where 3D printers are used to create prototypes and make complex concepts easy to understand.

Learning-based project

Project-Based Learning (ABP or PBL, Project-based learning) is a learning methodology in which students acquire an active role and academic motivation is favored. The method consists of carrying out a project usually in a group. This project has been previously analyzed by the teacher to ensure that the student has everything necessary to solve it, and that in their resolution they will develop all the skills they want.

The PBL model has seven characteristics.

1.Focuses the students on big open-ended question, change, or problem to research and respond to and/or solve

2.Brings what students should academically know, understand, and be able to do into the equation.

3.Is inquiry-based.

4.Uses 211st.century skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, among others.

5.builds student choice into the process

6.provides opportunities for feedback and revision of the plan and the project.

7.requieres students to present their problems, research process, methods and results.

Cooperative learning:

 the puzzle technique. Cooperative learning is a method that, based on teamwork, includes a set of techniques by which the student works together to achieve a series of common objectives (UPM, 2008). Johnson and Johnson (1991) consider cooperative learning as the instructive use of small groups for students to work together and make the most of their own learning and that derived from interrelation, while Kagan (1994) refers to a series of instructional strategies that include cooperative interaction between students on a subject, as an integral part of the learning process. For their part, Olanda et al. (2014), consider cooperative learning as an innovative teaching methodology in which the student takes an active part in the learning process, facilitating the acquisition of basic competences, along with other types of transversal competences that are highly demanded in current contexts, among others , teamwork, or the ability to argue and negotiate to reach a consensual solution. This type of learning presents a series of conditioning factors, such as the strong commitment of teachers, the structured definition of learning activities, the use of pedagogical strategies according to the cooperative approach, and the high degree of participation and collaboration of students (Hennessy and Murphy, 1999; Barkley, 2007): 3 This methodology focuses on five fundamental pillars: positive interdependence, individual responsibility, promoter interaction, appropriate use of social skills and group analysis, which are considered fundamental for any cooperation system. (Johnson and Johnson, 2009):

 1. Positive interdependence. It exists when group members perceive that they are linked to one another in a way that cannot be successful unless everyone is successful. It is considered the heart of cooperative learning.

2. Individual and group responsibility. It takes place when the activity is designed in such a way that each student is responsible for what he learns individually and for what he teaches, as well as what he learns from his classmates.

3. Promoter interaction, preferably face to face. It happens when members share resources and help, assist, encourage, and praise each other's efforts to learn.

 4. Social skills. It occurs when, having to build knowledge cooperatively, students have to learn to trust their peers, as well as to communicate properly and resolve conflicts constructively.

5. Group analysis. It exists when group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintain effective working relationships. Groups need to describe which actions of each member are useful or not and make decisions about which behaviors they should follow and which should change, thus pursuing continuous improvement of the process.