Use of Eclectic Approach as the Medium of Transition: A Shift from Grammar Translation Method to Direct Method

Abstract

Despite the English language being taught as a compulsory subject from primary to graduate levels in Pakistan, ESL students in public and private institutions continue to struggle with competence. One of the basic reasons for this issue is the use of the conventional Grammar-Translation Method (GTM). Unfortunately, it has remained entrenched due to a shortage of proficient English teachers, inconsistent educational policies by the government of Pakistan, and a non-standardized examination system. In this regard, the current study offers a solution to this challenging problem by advocating a shift from GTM to Direct Method (DM) with the help of the Eclectic Approach used as the medium of transformation. As the nature of the study is experimental female undergraduate students aged between 17 to 22 who are studying English as a compulsory subject at the intermediate level are the sample of this research. They are chosen purposefully according to the research requirement; 1) prior exposure to GTM and 2) with poor pretest scores. Moreover, Pretests and posttests are done using standardized IELTS exams. Later the data analysis is carried out using SPSS (2.1). The findings of the study indicate that the intervention of the Eclectic Approach yields a substantial improvement in post-test scores, supporting the hypothesis that it can facilitate the transition from GTM to DM significantly. Thus this study emphasizes the use of the Eclective Approach in the Pakistani ESL context.