Audio-Lingual

Approach
 Outline
1. Audio
Audio--lingual approach definition
2. Background
3. Main Characteristics
4. Types of activities
5. Behaviorist theory
6. Main principles of Audiolingualism
7. Teacher’s role
8. Lerner’s role
9. Role of instructional materials
10. Decline of Audio-
Audio-lingualism
 AUDIO-LINGUAL
AUDIO-
APPROACH
is “…a technique of foreign-
language instruction that emphasizes
audio-lingual skills over reading and
writing and is characterized by
extensive use of pattern practice”
(dictionary.com).
com).
 History

IN the period of World War II United States required linguists

to set up special training program which would be emphasized on
fast and easy foreign language acquisition.

The Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was established in

1942.

The ASTP, the so-called Army method, had a significant impact on

linguistics and the way foreign languages were taught.
 The 1 st
step towards
Audiolingualism
…was “Army method”.

It was based on Leonard Bloomfield’s

technique (informant method) of
memorization and repetition in simple
foreign language patterns.

In brief, the linguist, without knowing

the language, was trained to absorb its
basic structure from the
informant/native speaker and together
with students “gradually learned how to
speak this language, as well as to
understand much of its basic grammar”
(Richards, J.C. et-al. 1987). Leonard Bloomfield, 1887 -1949,
American linguist
 The 2 nd
step towards
Audiolingualism
…became The Aural-Oral approach,
which was invented by Charles Fries.

According to Fries, language should be

taught by using “intensive oral drilling of
its basic patterns” (Richards, J.C. et-al.
1987).

This method emphasized:

• proper pronunciation and intonation

Charles Fries, director of the

first English Language Institute
at Michigan University
 The beginning of
Contrastive Analysis
Fries published “his principles in Teaching and Learning
English as a Foreign Language (1945), in which the
problems of learning a foreign language were attributed to
the conflict of different structural systems (e.g., differences
between the grammatical and phonological patterns of the
native tongue and the target language)”. The idea of
contrastive analysis of two languages was presented in this
work. It was essential in order to prevent potential problems
in second language acquisition and it became the basis for a
major branch of applied linguistics called systematic
comparisons. This development of systematic comparison
provided a new perspective towards Foreign Language
Teaching.
 The emergence of
Audio-linguistic
approach
Richards (1987), “this method claimed to have
transformed language teaching from an art to science,
which would enable learners to achieve mastery of a
foreign Language effectively and efficiently”
 Main Characteristics
Audio-lingual approach suggests that students be taught
phonology, morphology, and syntax of the language; all these
patterns can be learned through contrastive analysis of the
differences between the native tongue and the target language,
which helps students to acquire new language easier.

Audio-lingual approach is based on:

listening speaking reading writing

 Mechanism of teaching

1. Foreign language is presented entirely

orally.
(in early stages of learning language written materials are not
presented)

2. Reading and Writing activities

(are based on what students already know how to say orally)
 The basis of audio
audio--
lingual approach
• Repetition
of simple
patterns are
• oral drills the basis of
audio-lingual
• memorization approach.
 Types of activities
• Repetition: where the student repeats an utterance as soon as he
hears it, without looking at printing materials. After a student
has repeated an utterance, he may repeat it again and add a few
words, then repeat that whole utterance and add more words.
EXAMPLES.
I used to know him. – I used to know him.
I used to know him years ago…
• Inflection: Where one word in a sentence appears in another
form when repeated
EXAMPLES.
I bought the ticket. -I bought the tickets.
He bought the candy -She bought the candy.
 Types of activities
• Replacement: Where one word is replaced by another word

EXAMPLES.
He bought this house cheap. -He bought it cheap
Helen left early - She left early.

• Restatement: The student rephrases an utterance and addresses it

to someone else, according to instructions.

EXAMPLES.
Tell him to wait for you. Wait for me.
Ask her how old she is How old are you?
 Types of activities
• Completion: The student hears an utterance that is complete except for
one word, then repeats the utterance in completed form.

EXAMPLE.
I'll go my way and you go … - I'11 go my way and you go yours

• Transposition: A change in word order is necessary when a word is

added.

EXAMPLE.
I’m hungry. /so/ - So am I

• Contraction: A single word stands for a phrase or clause.

EXAMPLE.
Put your hand on the table. -Put your hand there
 Types of activities
• Transformation: A sentence is transformed by being made
negative or interrogative or through changes in tense, mood,
voice, aspect, or modality.

EXAMPLES.
He knows my address.
He doesn't know my address.

• Integration: Two separate utterances are integrated into one.

EXAMPLE.
They must be honest. It is important that
This is important. they be honest.
 Types of activities
• Rejoinder: Student makes an appropriate rejoinder to a given pattern.
Usually student told in advanced to respond in one of the following
ways: (polite, answer the question, agree, disagree, express surprise,
etc.)
EXAMPLES:
Thank you. You're welcome.
What is your name? My name is Sam.
• Restoration: is one of the most common patterns that can be found in
ESL textbooks; student is given a sequence of words that have been
pulled from a sentence, but still keep the meaning. The main aim of
this exercise is to build the sentence using this word sequence.
EXAMPLE:
kids/waiting /school bus Kids are waiting for school bus.
 Types of activities
• dialogues, which students have to
listen to, repeat and memorize, focusing
on proper pronunciation, intonation,
stress and rhythm usage.
They provide the structure and idea of
how to use some types of patterns in some
sort of situations. Usually dialogues
illustrate socio-cultural situations of a
target language, such as greeting, opinion
exchanges, likes or dislikes, standard safe
topics (weather, hobbies…etc.) that help
students to memorize which utterance is
suitable for each situation.
 Behaviorist theory

Behaviorist psychology and eventually it had a significant impact

on the teaching and learning principles of audio-lingual method.
Behaviorist psychology claimed that it knows the “secrets of all
human learning including languages” (Richards & Rodgers, 1987).
Behaviorism is based on three main elements of learning:

stimulus response reinforcement

Brown (1980)
 Audio--lingual approach
Audio
…utilizes this schema. If we apply this to foreign language learning
we notice that

• the stimulus is the information about foreign language

• the response is student’s reaction on the presented
material
• the reinforcement is natural “self-satisfaction of target
language use” (Richards & Rodgers, 1987)
 Main principles of
Audiolingualism
• First of all, foreign language learning is a mechanical process.
Memorization and repetition of dialogues or other drill patterns
minimize the risk of making a mistake and increase the chances
of giving a correct answer that leads to reinforcement of good
habits.
• Second, Foreign language can be learned and taught more
effectively if it is presented in spoken form before students will see
written form. “Aural-oral training is needed to provide the
foundation for the development of other language skills” (Richards &
Rodgers, 1987).

• Third, the meaning of words and phrases of a second language

should be learned and taught in a linguistic and cultural context.
“Teaching a language thus involves teaching aspects of the
cultural system of the people who speak the language” (Rivers, 1964: 19-
22).
 Teacher’s role
According to Richards and Rodgers (1987), teachers must provide
varieties of drills and tasks to keep learner’s motivation. “Failure to learn
results only from the improper application of the method, for example,
from the teacher not providing sufficient practice or from the learner not
memorizing the essential patterns and structures; but the method itself is
never to blame” (Richards & Rodgers, 1987).
The main principles that every teacher should use in audiolingualism,
according to Brooks (1964) are:
• Minimization of vocabulary until al1 common and simple structures
will be learned.
• Teaching new vocabulary only in the context.
• Learning the structure of second language without explanation,
memorising the patterns of sound, order and form.
• Subordination of the native language to the second language by
translating foreign language into mother tongue.
 Learner’s role

The learner should be guided by skilled

training techniques in order to produce
correct answers.
Basically, students’ results depend on the
way instructors will direct the lesson. At
the beginning students cannot always
understand the meaning of learning
materials; however, in Audiolingualism
learners should repeat carefully all the
information that is presented by teacher,
trying to imitate the instructor’s
intonation and pronunciation as closely
as possible.
 Role of instructional
materials
• First of all, Audio-lingual materials
are teachers oriented.

• Second, at the early stages of

learning, a student’s textbook is
withheld (however teachers still have
access to a teacher’s book that
provides lesson structure and
materials)

• Third, other materials (reading,

writing) gradually can be introduced
as soon as students will be able to
memorize and reproduce simple
language patterns.
 Decline of Audio-
Audio-
lingualism
In the1960s many linguists criticized Audiolingualism, claiming
that the theoretical foundation of this approach is weak and
students were found to be unable to use skills learned in the
classroom in real communication (Richards & Rodgers, 1987).

In 1966, Chomsky criticized behaviorist theory, that was the main

basis of Audiolingualism. He claimed, that this theory could not
function as a model of how humans learn languages. Chomsky
introduced an alternative theory of language learning, explaining
that languages are not acquired by repetition and imitation, but
“generated from the learner’s underlying competence” (Richards &
Rodgers, 1987).
 Decline of Audio-
Audio-
lingualism

With the appearance of Chomsky’s transformational grammar

theory, Audiolingualism lost its popularity that led to a crisis in the
American language teaching system. (Richards & Rodgers, 1987).
Therefore, current teaching practices still use audio-lingual
approach, but combine it with traditional practices in order to make
it more effective.
 Bibliography
Brooks. N 1964. Language and Language Learning: Theory and Practice, 2nd
ed. New York: Harcourt Brace.

Chomsky, S. 1966. Linguistic theory. Reprinted in J. P. B. Allen and P. Van

Buren (eds.), Chomsky: Selected Readings, pp. 152-9. London: Oxford
University Press.

Fries, C. C, 2nd A. C. Fries. 1961 Foundations for English Teaching Tokyo:

Kenkyusha.

Richards, J.C. y T.S. Rodgers (1987). The Audio-lingual Method. En

Approaches and Methods in
language teaching (pp. 44-63). Reino Unido: Cambridge University Press.

Rivers, W M. 1964. The Psychologist and the Foreign Language Teacher.

Chicago. University of Chicago Press.