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REET L1+L2 · English (Language I/II)

Principles of Language Teaching: The Core Principles of Teaching English — REET Notes

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This page sets out the core principles of teaching English as a second language — naturalness, habit formation, motivation, interest, gradation, proportion, concreteness, judicious use of the mother tongue, and the multiple line of approach — with examples. REET 2024 carried 10 questions from this topic, and they were built around matching a principle to its technique or the statement describing it.

  • 10 questions in REET 2024
  • Teacher-training level
  • 9 min read
Verified 17 September 2026 · Source: Harold E. Palmer, The Principles of Language-Study (Project Gutenberg)

How REET asks this topic

The most common pattern across REET 2024's 10 questions was: a statement or technique is given, and you name the principle — 'arousing, expectancy and incentive' are techniques of which principle (motivation); understanding the world through an already-known language is linked to which principle (using the mother tongue); which principle leaves a lasting impression without needing the mother tongue (concreteness); and what does NOT belong under naturalness (grades and sequence — that's actually gradation). Two questions tested practical judgement: considering the learner's age when choosing a method, and judiciously combining several approaches. Two questions on literary forms also turned up in this section (a dialogue-heavy composition = drama; octave-sestet = Petrarchan sonnet) — see the Unseen Poem page for those. One question on the principle of naturalness was declared BONUS.

Why principles of language teaching matter

For most children in Rajasthan, English is a second or third language. A child picks up the mother tongue naturally at home, by hearing, speaking and needing it, while English mostly reaches them through the classroom. The principles of language teaching describe how to build a classroom environment where a second language, too, can be learned as naturally as possible.

The British linguist Harold E. Palmer, in his book 'The Principles of Language-Study' (1921), set out nine principles of language teaching: Initial preparation, Habit-forming, Accuracy, Gradation, Proportion, Concreteness, Interest, Rational order of progression, and Multiple line of approach. Indian teacher-training courses teach these alongside principles such as naturalness, motivation, speech first (the oral approach), selection, imitation and practice.

No single method succeeds in every classroom, so when choosing a method or approach, the first things to consider are the learner's age, their prior knowledge, class size and the objective. Younger children respond best to games, songs, stories and talking about objects; older children benefit more from reading, discussion and written practice.

Key principles: meaning and how to spot them in class

PrincipleCore ideaWhat it looks like in the classroom
NaturalnessTeach language the same way a child learns the mother tongue — listening and speaking first, then reading and writingSpeaking the target language in class and on the playground, group discussion, encouraging children to talk in English
Habit formationLanguage skill is a habit; repeated correct practice builds that habitDrilling, pattern practice, daily greetings and classroom commands
MotivationLanguage can't be learned without arousing the desire to learn itArousing (sparking curiosity), expectancy (building anticipation), incentive (encouragement, praise)
InterestInteresting material holds attentionStories, poems, songs, games, pictures, dramatisation
GradationSelecting and sequencing content — known to unknown, simple to complex, concrete to abstract'This is a pen' first, 'Is this a pen?' later; deciding grades and sequence
ProportionBalanced attention across listening, speaking, reading, writing and all aspects of languageNot spending all the time on just grammar or just reading
ConcretenessExplaining meaning by showing a real object, picture or actionA real apple or a picture to teach 'apple'; makes a lasting impression even without the mother tongue
AccuracyPractising correct pronunciation and sentence form from the start, so wrong habits don't formThe teacher's correct model, correcting mistakes gently
Speech first / Oral approachLanguage is fundamentally spoken; listening-speaking come before reading-writingThe LSRW order — Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Multiple line of approachJudiciously combining several teaching-learning methods depending on the situationPictures, dialogue, games and written practice all in one lesson
Using the mother tongue judiciouslyA child makes sense of the world through the language they already know; limited mother-tongue use, when needed, helpsGiving the meaning of a difficult abstract word in one sentence of Hindi/Rajasthani, then practising in English

Naturalness and Gradation are the two that confuse students most: 'grades and sequence' = Gradation, not naturalness.[Source 1]

Exposure, input and multilingualism

Language is learned in proportion to the exposure it gets. American linguist Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis says that language is acquired when the learner receives comprehensible input that's a little above their current level — referred to as i+1. That's why a teacher's simple English, stories, picture books and everyday talk matter so much in the classroom.

The National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF 2005) and its position paper on teaching English treat a child's home language as a resource, not an obstacle. This doesn't mean translating the whole lesson; the mother tongue should work as a bridge — for clarifying meaning, explaining instructions, and putting the child at ease.

The main challenges in teaching English are large class sizes, limited exposure to English outside the classroom, teachers' inadequate lesson preparation, teaching materials not being used properly, and the confusion of choosing the right method from so many available. A small class size, by contrast, is not a challenge — it's an advantage.

The formulas of gradation

Known to unknown
From things the child already knows (school bag, mother, cow) toward new words
Simple to complex
Simple sentences first, then compound and complex sentences
Concrete to abstract
'Table, ball' first, 'honesty, freedom' later
Whole to part
The whole sentence or story first, then words and letters
Oral before written
Whatever the child can say, they read and write first
Selection
The most frequently used everyday words and structures are chosen first

How to teach this to children

Naturalness + Concreteness (Classes 1–2)

Play 'Simon says': 'Stand up', 'Touch your nose', 'Show me a pencil'. Children grasp meaning by watching and doing the action, without translation; real objects make the meaning concrete.

Habit formation (Classes 3–5)

Practise the same pattern for the first five minutes every day: 'I like …', 'I don't like …'. Every child says their own sentence, then asks a partner — 'Do you like …?'

Motivation (Classes 6–8)

Before starting a lesson, spark curiosity with a picture or question (arousing), tell them they'll make a poster at the end of the lesson (expectancy), and put up good work on the class wall (incentive).

Common misconceptions

'Not a single word of the mother tongue' or 'translate the whole lesson' — both extremes are wrong. Similarly, starting writing from day one violates both speech-first and gradation.

Assessment idea

Check how well principles are being followed by watching children's actual use: have they started using simple classroom English on their own? Keep a two-week checklist — greetings, requests ('May I …?'), answering in complete sentences.

Memory trick

Remember Palmer's nine principles in order with the sentence: 'I Hope A Good Paper Comes In Right Manner' — Initial preparation, Habit-forming, Accuracy, Gradation, Proportion, Concreteness, Interest, Rational order of progression, Multiple line of approach. And identify from the technique: 'incentive/expectancy' = Motivation, 'grades/sequence' = Gradation, 'real objects' = Concreteness, 'target language in class and on the playground' = Naturalness.

REET 2024 questions (solved)

Question 47

‘When we learn a second language, we tend to filter the universe through the language already known.’ is a principle of

  1. AUsing mother tongue
  2. BExposure
  3. CHabit formation
  4. DMotivation

Explanation

दूसरी भाषा सीखते समय बच्चा नई भाषा को पहले से ज्ञात भाषा (मातृभाषा) के माध्यम से समझता है। इसी आधार पर भाषा-शिक्षण का सिद्धांत है कि आवश्यकता पड़ने पर मातृभाषा का विवेकपूर्ण उपयोग (Using mother tongue) किया जाए। Exposure, Habit formation और Motivation अलग सिद्धांत हैं।

Question 84

In order to learn a foreign language

  1. AOne must adopt many approaches judiciously and rationally
  2. BOne must master many foreign languages
  3. COne must select the students
  4. DOne must be subjective

Explanation

विदेशी भाषा सीखने-सिखाने की कोई एक सर्वोत्तम विधि नहीं है; परिस्थिति के अनुसार अनेक विधियों/approaches का विवेकपूर्ण और तर्कसंगत (eclectic) प्रयोग करना चाहिए। अनेक विदेशी भाषाओं में दक्षता या विद्यार्थियों का चयन आवश्यक नहीं है।

Question 39

In order to select/adopt a teaching method/approach for teaching of English one must take care of the

  1. Aage of the learner
  2. Beconomic ground of the learner
  3. Ccategory level
  4. Dintelligence level

Explanation

अंग्रेज़ी शिक्षण की विधि या उपागम चुनते समय सबसे पहले शिक्षार्थी की आयु और स्तर को ध्यान में रखना चाहिए, क्योंकि छोटे बच्चों और बड़े विद्यार्थियों की सीखने की आवश्यकताएँ अलग होती हैं। आर्थिक पृष्ठभूमि या 'category' के आधार पर विधि का चयन शिक्षण सिद्धान्तों के अनुरूप नहीं है।

Question 59Bonus — dropped in the final key

The principle of naturalness in the teaching of English promotes the

  1. Ahome language
  2. Bforeign language
  3. Cany language
  4. Dsimple language

Explanation

BSER ने अंतिम उत्तर कुंजी में इस प्रश्न को निरस्त (BONUS) कर दिया है और बोर्ड ने इसका कारण नहीं बताया। स्वाभाविकता का सिद्धान्त (principle of naturalness) कहता है कि अंग्रेज़ी उसी स्वाभाविक ढंग से सिखाई जाए जैसे बच्चा मातृभाषा सीखता है — पहले सुनना-बोलना, फिर पढ़ना-लिखना। प्रश्न में दिए विकल्प इस सिद्धान्त को स्पष्ट रूप से व्यक्त नहीं करते।

Question 62

A piece of writing that is presented primarily through dialogues. It is known as :

  1. AAn Elegy
  2. BA Sonnet
  3. CA Drama
  4. DA Short Story

Explanation

ऐसी रचना जो मुख्यतः पात्रों के संवादों (dialogues) के माध्यम से प्रस्तुत की जाती है और मंच पर अभिनय के लिए होती है, नाटक (Drama) कहलाती है। Elegy शोकगीत है, Sonnet 14 पंक्तियों की कविता है और Short Story मुख्यतः वर्णनात्मक गद्य होती है।

Question 73

Which one of these is not a challenge of teaching English ?

  1. ASeveral methods in language teaching
  2. BUse of teaching materials
  3. CPoor lesson preparation
  4. DSmall class size

Explanation

अंग्रेज़ी शिक्षण की चुनौतियों में अनेक शिक्षण विधियों में से उचित का चयन, शिक्षण सामग्री का उपयोग और पाठ की कमज़ोर तैयारी शामिल हैं। बड़ी कक्षाएँ (large class size) चुनौती होती हैं, जबकि छोटी कक्षा (small class size) शिक्षण के लिए सुविधाजनक होती है, इसलिए D चुनौती नहीं है।

Question 80

Octave and Sestet are parts of a/an :

  1. AShakespearean sonnet
  2. BPetrarchan sonnet
  3. CEnglish sonnet
  4. DElegy

Explanation

Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet में 14 पंक्तियाँ दो भागों में बँटी होती हैं – पहली 8 पंक्तियाँ octave और अंतिम 6 पंक्तियाँ sestet। Shakespearean या English sonnet में तीन quatrains और एक couplet होता है।

Question 31

Which out of following is incorrect ? Principle of naturalness in teaching, learning of English consists of

  1. ATalking to students in foreign language in the class, playground etc.
  2. BGiving grades and sequence.
  3. CArranging for group discussions.
  4. DEncouraging students to converse in target language.

Explanation

स्वाभाविकता का सिद्धान्त (Principle of naturalness) कहता है कि अंग्रेज़ी उसी स्वाभाविक ढंग से सिखाई जाए जैसे मातृभाषा सीखी जाती है — कक्षा/खेल के मैदान में लक्ष्य भाषा में बात करना, समूह चर्चा और बातचीत के लिए प्रोत्साहन। 'Giving grades and sequence' (क्रमबद्धता/श्रेणीकरण) स्वाभाविकता का नहीं बल्कि Gradation (क्रमिकता) के सिद्धान्त का अंग है, इसलिए यही गलत कथन है।

Question 66

The principle of ___________ leaves a long lasting impression upon the child’s learning without the use of mother tongue.

  1. Aconcreteness
  2. Bproportion
  3. Cnaturalness
  4. Dinterest

Explanation

मूर्तता का सिद्धान्त (Principle of concreteness) कहता है कि शब्दों का अर्थ वास्तविक वस्तुओं, चित्रों, मॉडलों या हाव-भाव के माध्यम से दिखाया जाए। इससे बच्चे के मन पर स्थायी छाप पड़ती है और मातृभाषा के प्रयोग की आवश्यकता नहीं रहती।

Question 73

Arousing, expectancy and incentive are the techniques of _________ principle.

  1. Agradation
  2. Binterest
  3. Cmotivation
  4. Dconcreteness

Explanation

रुचि जगाना (arousing), अपेक्षा उत्पन्न करना (expectancy) और प्रोत्साहन (incentive) अभिप्रेरणा (motivation) के सिद्धान्त की तकनीकें हैं, जिनसे छात्र सीखने के लिए प्रेरित होते हैं।

Practice questions

Question 1

A teacher shows a real mango while teaching the word ‘mango’. She is following the principle of

  1. Aproportion
  2. Baccuracy
  3. Cconcreteness
  4. Dgradation

Explanation

Showing a real object to clarify meaning is the principle of concreteness. Proportion is about balancing skills, and gradation is about sequencing.

Question 2

Teaching ‘This is a book’ before ‘Is this a book?’ reflects the principle of

  1. Amotivation
  2. Bgradation
  3. Cinterest
  4. Dnaturalness

Explanation

Teaching a simple statement before the question built from it follows the simple-to-complex order, which is the principle of gradation.

Question 3

‘The Principles of Language-Study’ (1921) was written by

  1. ANoam Chomsky
  2. BHarold E. Palmer
  3. CC. J. Dodson
  4. DMichael West

Explanation

This book was written by Harold E. Palmer in 1921, and it sets out nine principles ranging from initial preparation to multiple line of approach.

Question 4

According to the principle of proportion, a teacher should

  1. Ause only the mother tongue
  2. Bteach grammar before everything else
  3. Cteach writing before speaking
  4. Dgive balanced attention to all language skills

Explanation

Proportion means giving balanced attention to listening, speaking, reading, writing and every aspect of language. Over-emphasising any one aspect goes against this principle.

Question 5

The natural order of acquiring language skills is

  1. Alistening, speaking, reading, writing
  2. Breading, writing, listening, speaking
  3. Cspeaking, listening, writing, reading
  4. Dwriting, reading, speaking, listening

Explanation

A child first listens, then speaks, then learns to read, and finally to write — the LSRW order.

Question 6

Daily practice of greetings like ‘Good morning, ma’am’ helps pupils mainly through the principle of

  1. Aselection
  2. Bconcreteness
  3. Cproportion
  4. Dhabit formation

Explanation

Regular, repeated use of a correct language form builds a habit, so this is an example of habit formation.

Question 7

Stephen Krashen’s idea of ‘comprehensible input’ is represented as

  1. Ai − 1
  2. Bi + 1
  3. Ci + 10
  4. Di × 2

Explanation

According to Krashen, language is acquired when the learner gets comprehensible input a little above their current level (i), which is written as i+1.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT in line with the principle of naturalness?

  1. ASpeaking to pupils in English during games
  2. BEncouraging pupils to talk in English with classmates
  3. CMaking pupils memorise grammar rules before they can speak
  4. DArranging English conversations in groups

Explanation

Naturalness relies on learning through actual use of the language; making children memorise grammar rules before they can speak is the opposite of that. The other three options all build a natural language environment.

Question 9

In a Class 3 English lesson, most pupils do not understand an abstract word even after pictures and actions. The teacher should

  1. Atranslate the whole lesson into Hindi
  2. Bgive its meaning briefly in the mother tongue and continue in English
  3. Cskip the word altogether
  4. Dpunish the pupils for not understanding

Explanation

A brief, judicious use of the mother tongue is appropriate to clarify meaning, after which practice should continue in English. Translating the whole lesson reduces exposure, and skipping the word isn't a solution either.

Question 10

Using stories, pictures, songs and a quick class survey in the same lesson best reflects

  1. Athe principle of accuracy
  2. Bthe multiple line of approach
  3. Cthe grammar-translation method
  4. Drote learning

Explanation

Combining several approaches — stories, pictures, songs, a quick class survey — within the same lesson, as the situation demands, is Palmer's multiple line of approach. Accuracy is about correct usage, and GTM is centred on translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions does REET ask from Principles of Language Teaching?+

There's no fixed number. REET 2024's shifts carried 10 questions from this topic in the English sections.

What is the principle of naturalness?+

Teaching the second language the same natural way a child learns the mother tongue — living within the language, listening and speaking first, then reading and writing.

Who wrote 'The Principles of Language-Study'?+

Harold E. Palmer; published in 1921, it sets out nine principles of language teaching.

Should the mother tongue be used in an English classroom?+

Yes, but judiciously and in limited amounts — to clarify meaning and put the child at ease. NCF 2005 treats the home language as a resource; teaching the whole lesson through translation is not appropriate.

What does the principle of gradation cover?+

Selecting content and sequencing it properly — known to unknown, simple to complex, concrete to abstract, and oral before written.

Keep reading

Subject–Verb Agreement

Previous topic: subject-verb agreement

Methods of Teaching English

Next topic: methods of teaching English

REET Syllabus

The complete official syllabus for Level 1 and Level 2

REET 2024 Solved Paper

Questions, answer keys and explanations for every shift

Official Sources

  1. Harold E. Palmer, The Principles of Language-Study (Project Gutenberg)
  2. NCERT Position Paper: National Focus Group on Teaching of English
  3. NCERT — National Curriculum Framework 2005

Change Log

  • 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked