Language-teaching methods such as audio-lingualism or task-based instruction have been promoted at different times as the 'best' way to teach a foreign language. Each such method prescribes a set of learning procedures rooted in a particular theoretical conceptualization of the nature of language and language acquisition, based on linguistic and applied linguistics research. It is suggested in this article that the principles guiding teachers in selecting procedures should not be dictated by any particular method recommended by researchers or theoreticians, but should be rather defined as a pedagogy of language teaching, shaped by various general pedagogical -not only language-learning -considerations, as well as by local factors, and determined by the teacher her-or himself.Key words: language-teaching; method; methodology; pedagogy; constraints; teacher.
Language-teaching methodA language-teaching method may be defined as a coherent set of teachinglearning procedures and behaviours based on a theory of what language is and how it is learnt. Some examples are provided below, shown more or less in chronological order of their popularity over the years. It should be noted, however, that methods based on grammar translation have continued to be used worldwide, whereas the popularity of audio-lingualism was relatively short-lived. In fact, none of these, even at the height of their popularity, were ever actually implemented in their 'pure' form as specified here; but the descriptions provide a useful overview and guide to trends and movements over the years.