The Audio-Lingual Method

1) History While the grammar-translation method and direct method are largely developed in the European continent, the audio-lingual method is in origin mainly American. But it has had a considerable influence on language teaching in most parts of the orld. A systematic audio-lingual method can hardly be as proposed by Broo's, and the method as a clear as later severely artime identified until the late !"s. #t appeared under various names. #n the !"s, it as most fre$uently referred to as the aural-oral method. %he term of &audio-lingual& language teaching theory lasted only for a brief period from about 1(!( to 1()) and

challenged and critici*ed. %he origin of the method came from the &Army +ethod& of American -ries and .ado, the ne 1(!4)

language programs in WW##. Bloomfield,s behavioristic theory, the contrastive linguistics developed by technology of the language laboratory and the generous financial support for language research and training for military purposes in the /.0.A. 1%he 2ational 3efense Education Act in ere factors contributing to the development of audio-lingual method. 5homs'y shoo' the theoretical bases of audiolingualism and led to a prolonged and heated debate on the method bet een 1()) and 1(46. 6) %heory and %echni$ue Audio-lingual method reflects the descriptive, structural, and contrastive linguistics of the !"s and )"s. #ts psychological basis is behavioristic. +ainly follo ing 0'inner, but also influenced by neobehaviorists such as 7sgood, its theory is an interpretation of language learning in terms of stimulus and response, operant conditioning and reinforcement small s'ills---- listening, spea'ing, reading and ith an emphasis on successful error-free learning in ell-prepared steps and stages. %he distinctive features of the method are 11) separation of the riting---- and the primacy of the audio-lingual over other

methods8 16) the use of dialogues as the chief means of teaching the language8 19) emphasis on certain practice techni$ues such as imitation, memori*ation, and pattern drills8 1:) the use of the language laboratory8 1!) the development of language teaching theory for the method on the basis of linguistic and psychological principles. #n the audio-lingual method the dominant emphasis is placed on the fundamental s'ills. .istening and spea'ing are given priority and in the teaching se$uence precede reading and %he ob;ective is to ac$uire practical communicative s'ills to meet the practical needs. Audiolingual method does not emphasi*e teaching grammatical 'no ledge as grammar-translation method does nor does it strictly restrict the use of the first language in the language class or in learning materials as it as in the direct method. %he learning process emphasi*es active and simple practice, habitation and conditioning rather than intellectual analysis. %he specific learning techni$ues employed by A. method are memori*ation of dialogues, imitative repetition and pattern drills. .anguage tape recordings and language labs offer the language learners imitation. 9) Assessment #n the early )"s the audio-lingual method had raised hopes of ushering in a ne age of language learning and teaching. #ts ma;or contributions are evident. -irst, it recommended the development of a language teaching theory on the basis of linguistic and psychological principles. 0econd, it attempted to ma'e possible language teaching to large numbers of ordinary learners outside the classroom. %hird, it ith practices in spea'ing and listening. %he intention is to ma'e language learning less of a mental burden and more a matter of effortless and fre$uent repetition and riting.

stressed synta<

hile previous methods had only been preoccupied as

ith vocabulary and morphology.

-ourth, it led to the development of simple teaching techni$ues8 lastly, it separated the language s'ills for teaching purposes. But the A. method the learners. ea' in its theoretical basis. %he teaching te<tboo's or materials compiled in the audio-lingual manner ere not effective in the long run and became very dull to