The Communicative Approach reflects the fact that most learners are less than fond of grammar exercises by stressing the importance of communication. Learners spend their time making requests, talking about past events, listening to native speakers, or describing images. All of these activities are guided by the goal of producing meaningful communication at all language levels using authentic materials. 

The Communicative Approach allows the instructor to take someone with little to no ability to communicate in the target language and make the person comfortable in a variety of real situations in a relatively short amount of time.

The Natural Approach (aka Direct Method) aims to foster naturalistic language acquisition, and to this end it emphasizes communication while placing decreased importance on explicit correction of student errors. It refrains from using the learners’ native language and uses only the target language.

The Natural Approach looks to the process of first language acquisition to set the context and techniques for second language acquisition. Efforts are also made to make the learning environment as stress-free as possible. In the Natural Approach, language output is not forced but allowed to emerge spontaneously. Some degree of conscious grammar study is beneficial. Different activities promote subconscious language acquisition, while the student is engaged in personalized activities such as tailored subject matter, sharing their favorite music, playing games, and problem-solving.

The Structural Approach to teaching, also known as the Grammatical or Deductive Approach, focuses on the explicit teaching of grammar rules, sentence structures, and vocabulary acquisition. It aims to provide learners with a systematic understanding of the target language’s grammatical structures and how they are used in communication. It is commonly used for a student to grasp a language’s system and patterns.

The Structural Approach is what many students think of when deciding to learn a new language. The Structural Approach, while often daunting, is an excellent method to learn the how and why of a language’s inner systems.