Linguistic Approach in Teaching English as a Second Language: Annotated Bibliography

Abstract

The linguistic approach to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) focuses on understanding and applying insights from linguistics, the scientific study of language, to enhance the teaching and learning of English. The linguistic approach involves teaching English by understanding how the language functions—its phonology (sounds), morphology (word formation), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning), and pragmatics (language use in context). Sometimes the definition of learning ESL can be misunderstood, as many people think it is just a matter of grammar. This paper will show how teaching can be effective for ESL learners and how linguistically it works with students by understanding students' learning capabilities through an analysis of scholarly research.