Some teachers, the author among them, believe that one reason for families’
dissatisfaction with English language learning and teaching in intermediate schools is
related to the existence of the traditional way of English language teaching in schools.
This traditional way of teaching includes instructional practices that are collectively
referred to as ‘prompting’ because they involve the prompting and ‘drilling’ of students.
These practices are also described colloquially as ‘drilling and killing,’ ‘memorizing,’
‘answering and not questioning,’ ‘checking and not correcting,’ ‘individual learning’ (as
opposed to group work learning), ‘teachers are the sources and producers of knowledge,’
‘students are the recipients,’ and ‘leaving no place for much thinking and understanding.’
Due to research scope purposes, this study assumes that the traditional way of English
language teaching does not help students better comprehend English when the emphasis
is placed on reading comprehension.