PPP APPROACH IN LANGUAGE TEACHING

The "PPP" approach is fast coming up nowadays as a unique approach to the teaching of communicative language that works through the progression of three sequential stages – Presentation, Practice and Production (Hence, "PPP").

Presentation here refers to the introduction to a new subject or lesson. It requires creating a realistic situation in which the target language would be taught and acquired. Usually, this is done through using pictures, dialogues and actual classroom situations. The teacher here is no longer the deliverer of a long monologue as he or she would have done in the traditional grammar translation method. Here the students also participate actively in the discussion, and it is the duty of the teacher to make sure that the pupils understand the nature of the created situation. Next the teacher moves on to building up key concepts using very basic vocabulary that the students already know. Having understood the concept, students are then given the language model and engage in a kind of drill to learn through instructions and question answer forms in the target language. Nevertheless, it should be stated here that though Western educationists claim the appraisal of inventing this drill method nowadays, Rabindranath Tagore in his Shantiniketan had long began using this model. The role of a good teacher is very important in this phase, for errors are to be corrected frequently.

Practice usually begins with what is technically called termed mechanical practice – simple pair-works. Students gradually move into more communicative practice such as information gap activities, forming dialogues and enacting characters in easy to play dramas. What these practices actually do is to familiarize the student with the target language and raise his confidence level. At this stage the teacher still continues to instruct the students and correct their errors. But the classroom begins to turn out more learner-oriented.

Production is the culminating point of this tripartite schema, whereby the students become skilled enough in the target language to use it freely. By now the teacher's role decreases into facilitating a realistic situation or activity where the students instinctively feel the need to actively apply the language they have been practicing. The teacher does not correct any more, and the teaching method becomes completely student oriented.