Eclectic Approach

A BRIEF OVERVIEW
OF THE
ECLECTIC
APPROACH
BY: Tavane Brooks-Barrett

WHAT IS THE ECLECTC
APPROACH?
 The

eclectic approach is the label given to a teacher’s use of techniques and activities from a range of teaching approaches and methodologies. HISTORY OF THE ECLECTIC
APPROACH
 The

eclectic approach was proposed as a reaction to the profusion of teaching methods in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

 Eclecticism

was first recorded to have been practiced by a group of ancient Greek and
Roman philosophers who attached themselves to no real system, but selected from existing philosophical beliefs those doctrines that seemed most reasonable to them. HISTORY OF THE ECLECTIC
APPROACH
A

main proponent to this approach is
Rivers

(1981, Teaching Foreign Language
Skills) . According to Rivers this approach allows teachers “to absorb the best techniques of all the well-known language, into their classroom procedures, using them for the purposes for which they are most

HOW TO USE THE ECLECTIC
APPROACH
The

teacher decides what methodology or approach to use depending on the aims of the lesson and the learners in the group.

ADVANTAGES OF USING THE
ECLECTIC APPROACH


Offers a greater flexibility within the classroom.



Lesson can be modified to suit individual needs.



More likely to address more diversity of learners.



Shares the strengths of all the approaches that are used in the lesson/class. LIMITATIONS
 Requires

more of the teacher. The teacher needs to be an expert of the approaches which will be used.

 Share

the weaknesses of all approaches that are used.

 May

be unsystematic and unfocused.