The words methods, strategies, approaches and techniques tend to be confusing, especially once you see them appended to the words “language learning.” Every time you see a term like “language learning method,” you can’t help but ask, “Isn’t that the same as a language learning strategy?”
By definition, a language learning method refers to the overall plan you have for learning a target language. This plan will have to conform to the specific approach you selected. This method refers to a very specific design, where you can concoct a practical plan for how the learning will occur, taking into account all the different techniques, obstacles and details accomplishing that will involve.
Many packaged learning courses use a single method, most of them developed through the proprietors’ own experiences with language learning. Samples of these methods include Counseling Learning, Dynamic Immersion and Total Physical Response. Each of them are governed by different approaches and filled with different techniques, employing a variety of tools, from direct interactions to language software, to achieve their targets.
Like every type of learning, finding the best among this lot isn’t exactly a straightforward affair. For the most part, you’ll need to make your own research on each method, reading experiences from its practitioners and deciding on whether it’s one that appeals to you.