The present paper addresses the question of methods and approaches in foreign language teaching and how the pendulum has been swinging in various directions for more than a century now. The main thrust of the argument is that prescriptive methods and ready-made formulae can only be short-lived and can never cater for a multitude of variables such as local environment, learner level, the cultural dimension and learner preferences. The paper ends with a critical appraisal of what is dubbed here cyber-method, the different avenues that have been opened up in the teaching of foreign languages by the introduction of various technological possibilities.
Keywords: method; approach; post-method; cyber-method; blended learning; language teaching.
