The Use of Aids for Teaching Language Components: A Descriptive-study

Purpose: To present briefly the basic used phases when using aids to teach language components and also to outline the possible aids that could be used to support the teaching of each language component. Method: Related literature about the teaching of language components and use of aids were thoroughly consulted. On the basis of this, the study did not include any data-collection, investigated hypotheses, or whatever! It is just a descriptive study. Results: The descriptive discussion of the above raised issue indicated that three phases are to be minimally considered when using aids to teach the sound system component: discrimination and recognition, repletion and/or imitation, and free-production; three phases also for grammatical structures, namely: mechanical-drills, meaningful-exercises, and communicative exercises; and three also for vocabulary: form, meaning, and contextual usage and collocations. Besides, the major possible aids for teaching each language component were outlined and followed with the use of conventional labs, radio and TVfor teaching language components. The last part introduced computer-assisted language learning CALL, its uses and the advantages of using it for teaching language components in particular and language skills in general. Conclusions: The use of aids whether they were conventional or modern is inexorably required so that language teachers can achieve what could have never been achieved through non-aid use teaching methods and/or strategies