1. 2012-2013
ELT Methods & Approaches
Chapter 4:
The Audio-Lingual Method
References
Approaches and methods in Language Teaching. J.C. Richards and T.S. Rodgers-
Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. D. Larsen Freeman
Making it Happen, From Interactive to Participatory Language Teaching: Evolving
Theory and Practice 4th Edition. Patricia A. Richard-Amato.
3. The Audio-Lingual Method
Similar to the direct method:
They both are oral-based approaches – pronunciation and
ability of speaking in the target language is superior to other skills
Grammar is learnt inductively
Different from the direct method:
Not only vocabulary but also grammatical sentence
patterns
Stronger theoretical base in linguistics (structural
linguistics) and psychology (behavioural psychology)
4. 1-Definition
The Audio-lingual Method is a method of foreign
language teaching which emphasizes the teaching of
listening and speaking before reading and writing. It uses
dialogues as the main form of language presentation and
drills as the main training techniques. Mother tongue is
discouraged in the classroom.
5. 2-Historical Background
The Audio-lingual Method was developed in the U.S.
during the Second World War. At that time, the U.S.
government found it a great necessity to set up a special
language-training program to supply the war with
language personnel. Therefore, the government
commissioned American universities to develop foreign
language program for military personnel.
6. Thus the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was
established in 1942.
The objectives of the army programs was for students to
attain conversational proficiency in a variety of foreign
languages.
The method used was known as the “informant method”,
since it used a native speakers of the language.
The informant served as a source of language for
imitation.
The intensive system adopted by the army achieved
excellent results.
Many colleges and universities offered foreign language
classes taught by teachers using this method.
In the 1960’s,Audiolingualism began to lose its popularity
but this method is still used today.
7. Theory of learning/ language
Speaking and listening skills preceded reading and writing skills.
Students practice particular patterns of language through
structured dialogue and drill until response is automatic.
Structured patterns in language are taught using repetitive drills.
The emphasis is on having students produce error free utterances.
Only everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught.
Mother tongue is discouraged in the classroom.
The three crucial elements in learning: a stimulus, a response and
reinforcement.
8. Objectives
The accurate pronunciation and grammar
The knowledge of vocabulary
The responding ability
The habits of learning language
9. Teacher roles
The teacher is a model of the target language – the teacher
and the materials s/he brings are the only resources of the target
language
The teacher should be like an orchestra leader – conducting,
controlling the students’ behaviour in the target language
The teacher is responsible for helping students to
overcome the habits of their native language – through
comparing the students’ native language and the target language
The teacher is also responsible to present information
about the culture of the target language
10. Learner roles
Learners are imitators of the teacher’s model or the
materials s/he supplies
Learners should learn to respond to both verbal and
nonverbal stimuli from the teacher
They follow the teacher’s directions and respond as
accurately and as rapidly as possible
11. Classroom Interaction
There is student-student interaction in drilling dialogs,
but this interaction is teacher-initiated
Most of the interaction between teacher and students is
initiated and sometimes controlled by the teacher
12. The role of instructional materials
•Books
•Tape recorders
• Audiovisual
•Language laboratory
13. A dialog from the text
Sally : Good morning, Bill.
Bill: Good morning, Sally.
Sally: How are you?
Bill: Fine, Thanks, And you?
Sally: Fine. Where are you going?
Bill: I’m going to the post office.
Sally: I am too. Shall we go together?
Bill: Sure. Let’s go.
14. Techniques
Dialogue and memorization.
Backward build-up drill.
Chain drill.
Single-slot substitution drill
Multiple-slot substitution drill
Transformation drill.
Question and answer drill.
Use of minimal pairs.
Complete the dialogue.
Grammar game.
15. Evaluation
Nature: discrete-point
→each question on the test would focus on only one point of
the language at a time.
Ex: students might be asked to distinguish between words in
a minimal pair.
16. Advantages
The first method to have a theory.
Making language teaching possible to large groups of
learners
Emphasizing sentence production , control over
grammatical structures and development of oral ability.
Developing simple techniques and making use of language
lab.
Developing the separation of the language skills
17. The decline of Audiolingualism
Reached its period of most widespread use in 1960’s.
Attacked as being unsound in language and learning terms.
Professionals had short expectations in results.
Unable to transfer skills
Boring and unsatisfying
Chomsky’s theory, Transformational theory based on behavior :
“Language is not a habit structure. Ordinary linguistic behavior
characteristically involves innovation, formation of new sentences
and patterns in accordance with rules of great abstractness and
intricacy” (Chomsky 1966:153)
