The Audio-Lingual Method is a method of foreign language teaching which emphasizes the teaching of listening and speaking before reading and writing
Audio Lingual Method
The Audio-Lingual Method, like Direct Method has a goal very different from that of the Grammar Translation Method. The Audio-Lingual Method was developed in the United States during World War II. The Grammar Translation Method did not prepare people to use the target language. While communication in the target language was the goal of the Direct Method, there were at the time exciting new ideas about language and learning emanating from the disciplines of descriptive linguistics and behavioral psychology. These ideas led to the development of the Audio-Lingual Method.
The Audio-lingual method has a lot of similarities with the Direct Method. Both were considered as a reaction against the shortcomings of the Grammar Translation method, both reject the use of the mother tongue and both stress that speaking and listening competences preceded reading and writing competences. But there are also some differences. The direct method highlighted the teaching of vocabulary while the audio-lingual method focuses on grammar drills. The main activities include reading aloud dialogues, repetitions of model sentences, and drilling.
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. The audio-lingual method advised that students be taught a language directly, without using the students' native language to explain new words or grammar in the target language.
This method considers LSRW as the logical sequence by the learner should learn the language. Listening is important in developing proficiency in speaking and speaking is effective through listening. Listening is foundation for speaking, but we neglect this fact and treat it as incidental to speaking rather than treating as a foundation for it. Activities are to be developed for the systematic development for listening.
The salient features of the audio- lingual method :
i. Language teaching begins with the spoken language.
ii. The target language is the only language of the classroom.
iii. New language items are practiced as per the situation.
iv. Vocabulary selection is based on an essential service vocabulary
v. Reading and writing are introduced once a sufficient lexical and grammatical basis is established.
vi. The teacher plays the role of role-model for drill and practice.
Steps involved in Audio-lingual Method
i. Dialogue Memorization- Short pieces of conversation between two people are used. Student memories the dialogue through mimicry. Certain sentence patterns and grammar points are included within the dialogue.
ii. Repetition Drill-Students are asked to repeat the teachers’ model as accurately as possible.
iii. Chain drill-The teacher begins the chain of asking and answering; the students responds; then turns to the next student, greets and asks; the chain continues.
iv. Substitution drill- The teacher says a line, usually from the dialogue leaving out something and gives a word or a phrase as the cue. The student fills in the slot, fitting the cue where it belongs. The number of slots may be increased progressively.
v. Question-answer drill, transformation drill- Students are asked to give answers to questions or transform sentences.
Advantages
i. It aims at developing listening and speaking skills which is a step away from the Grammar translation method
ii. The use of visual aids has proven its effectiveness in vocabulary teaching.
iii. Aural-oral skills developed in a meticulous manner.
iv. Teaching of vocabulary is made effective by the use of visual aids.
v. The basic principle is to be functional and easy for a larger group.
Disadvantages
i. The method is based on false assumptions about language. The study of language doesn’t amount to studying the “parole”, the observable data.
ii. The behaviorist theory of language learning is not considered prominently.
iii. The method is almost guided learning as it is dominated by the teacher.
iv. The learners are passive and they don’t have much control over their learning.
v. The scope for learning analytically is not there as it demands pattern practice, drilling, and memorization over functional learning.
vi. Language form alone is considered while meaning is treated secondarily.
vii. A balanced importance is not given to all the four skills.
