The eclectic approach: A key to teach every and each student.

   The eclectic approach to language teaching has become common and fashionable in modern language teaching. However, not much has been done to explain what eclecticism is in the context of language teaching. This article sets to explain two sides of the argument. Firstly, it argues for what the eclectic approach is  (conceptions), and secondly, it presents and discusses some commonly held misconceptions about the methods.

   The eclectic approach was born out of the realization that each of the single previous methods had strengths  and weaknesses and that no one method was responsive to the dynamic classroom context. Thus, based on the shortcoming of the methods, Brown (2002) argues that eclecticism provides the solution because the approach allows the teacher to select what works within their own dynamic contexts. Gilliland, James, and Bowman  (1994) stated that the justification for the eclectic approach lies in the weaknesses of the single approach  because a single method has a narrow theoretical basis and has a delimited set of activities and is therefore  are inflexible. One of the premises of eclecticism is that teaching should serve learners not methods. Thus, teachers  should feel free in choosing techniques and procedures inside the classroom. There is no ideal approach to  language learning. Each one has its merits and demerits. There is no royalty to certain methods. Teachers  should know that they have the right to choose the best methods and techniques in any method according to  learners' needs and learning situations. Teachers can adopt a flexible method and technique so as to achieve  their goals. They may choose whatever works best at a particular time in a particular situation. This can only mean that teachers should focus on helping learners to learn and not on fulfilling the prescriptions of the  methods. Different learners learn differently and have different preferences on what factors and methods  promote effective learning, the teacher should consider learner characteristics before choosing the method / s  of teaching. In other words, methods should respond to the needs of the learners and not learners responding  to the needs or demands of the methods. It is common knowledge that each individual method has suggestions  on what learning and teaching are and how, therefore, teachers should teach. The problem is that the suggestions made by individual methods are bracket prescriptions that do not consider the actual differences  which exist from classroom to classroom and from one learning context to the other. Weidemann (2001)  proposes a post-methodic approach to language teaching. Discussing pedagogical parameters of particularity,  practicality, and possibility as well pedagogic indicators of the post-method teacher and learner, she suggests  that a language teacher should adopt a context-sensitive pedagogic framework that will be able to respond to  special characteristics of particular learning and teaching context. In principled eclecticism, a teacher is not bound or confined to the prescriptions of a particular method but is free to draw from a vast range of methods  and resources to teach a particular topic. Teachers are given a chance to choose different kinds of teaching  techniques in each class period to reach the aims of the lesson. Learners can see different kinds of teaching  techniques, using different kinds of teaching aids, that help to make lessons much more stimulating and  ensures a better understanding of the materials. In the eclectic approach, language is viewed as both form and  function. The dichotomy means that language can be conceptualized as an overlap between language as communication and language as form and some active construction can occur during communicative language  use. Additionally, culture is an inextricable part of the language. Hence, when teaching English as a second meaning of words according to the culture as well as what is appropriate in particular situations.
 

    The Eclectic approach is rewarding in different ways. However, it is highly dependent on teachers' competency and knowledge about the approach. One misconception held by many teachers is that the eclectic approach means eclectic starting with one method, and if it fails, the teacher should resort to another one until he/she finds one which works. They believe that eclectic approach means starting with one method, and if it fails, the teacher should resort to another one until s / he finds one which works. in fact, the eclectic approach doesn't mean the use of many isolated methods. Instead, it means embracing characteristics, features, techniques of more than one method. Thus, embracing features of more than one method does not mean that using the eclectic method is using several isolated methods. Another common misconception held amongst teachers when adopting the eclectic approach is that it can only work if pupils are fluent in the target language. For these teachers, a lack of fluency in English hindered some pupils from classroom participation thereby making the eclectic approach challenging and sometimes impossible to use. Conversely, the eclectic approach allows the use of L1 or a second language acquired earlier to be used in the classroom as a resource to access learning. Thus, to suggest that one cannot use the eclectic approach if learners were not fluent in the target language shows not only the misconception teachers held about the eclectic approach. These findings signal a lack of practical knowledge of the eclectic method on the part of teachers and such a misconception also implies that some teachers did not apply the approach correctly and or appropriately