Running Head: ARTICLE REVIEW 1

The Audio- Lingual Method: An Easy Way of Achieving

Speech

Article Review

Submitted by:
Emelyn A. Nombre
MAED- ELT 201

Submitted to:
Dr. Alice D. Ramos
ARTICLE REVIEW 2

A Review of The Audio- Lingual Method: An Easy Way of Achieving Speech

Emelyn A. Nombre
Master of Arts in Education Major in English Language Teaching
Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology

Abstract: The Audio-Lingual method aims to develop communicative competence of students

through dialogues. Dialogues and pattern drills that students need to repeat are used to form

habits in learners that will allow them to develop quick and automatic responses. Drills

are useful in foreign language teaching in that they give students the opportunity to perform

what they have learnt. The objective of this study is to demonstrate how the use of Audio-

Lingual method facilitates learning a foreign language.

This article was written by Cargi Turgul Mart from Department of Languages, Ishik

University, Erbil, Iraq. The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to enlighten the

readers on the effectiveness of the Audio- Lingual Method (ALM) in achieving speech.

According to him, ALM aims to teach grammatical patterns and vocabulary through dialogues

and repetition drills. As a result of those repeated activities, learners will be able to respond

quickly and accurately in spoken language. This article discussed the features of ALM which

that must be given proper attention and execution by the teacher if this method is applied. These

features are the teachers (as models), the tool (dialogues), and the practice (drills). According to

Maulyana, drill technique can improve the students’ speaking achievement in all aspect of

speaking, especially the pronunciation aspect. On the other words, drill technique is good for

teaching speaking ( Maulyana, 2016). In order to effectively apply this method, teachers must be

perfect models who will motivate and inspire the learners to strive for learning the target

language. The tool must be practiced repeatedly in order to speak the target automatically and
ARTICLE REVIEW 3

without thinking. Through that, learners are forming a habit. In this sense, teachers must provide

plenty of dialogues, drills, and practices in order to develop mastery among learners.

Mart is correct on his claim about the effectiveness of modelling and drills because based

on Thorndike’s Law of Exercise drill or practice helps in increasing efficiency and durability of

learning (Educational Psychology, 2010). Also, in behaviorism, behaviourists believed that any

person can potentially be trained to perform any task, regardless of genetic background,

personality traits, and internal thoughts (within the limits of their physical capabilities). It only

requires the right conditioning (Cherry, 2019). Proper and continues practice of the target

language may lead to its mastery. However, according to Noam Chomsky’s transformational

generative grammar, language learning is not a habit structure. It involves the use of complex

rules (Noam Chomsky, 1959). There is also a claim that in drilling method (which is an

important feature of ALM) students are not really learning. If the learning becomes too

predictable, students may not gain clear knowledge about the skills they are supposed to master.

They may just be memorizing the material and that can cause problems for them later on when

trying to accomplish more complex tasks and learn more advanced lessons (Lewis, 2019).

Furthermore, ALM appears to contribute to the development of basic speaking skills and in just

short period of time (Ghofur, et. al., 2017). It only proves that ALM is intended for younger

language learners to develop their basic speaking skills as a preparation to more complicated

learning opportunities. It can be an easy way to learn basic speaking skills but without

continuity and consistency of the drills and practices, mastery of the target language will not be

achieved.

This article provides ample information about ALM which are supported by earlier

studies. He mentioned notable claims from researchers and linguists which makes his
ARTICLE REVIEW 4

explanation of ALM a reliable one. However, he fell short in providing research –based or

outcome – based evidences on his claim that ALM is an easy way of achieving speech. The

author concentrated on the nature, features, and goals of ALM which only give the reader a clear

view of the method instead of providing proven evidences of how ALM becomes an easy way of

achieving speech.

Language teachers can effectively use ALM in teaching, sometimes, they are not

unaware that they use this method. We can possibly say that ALM is an effective method but not

in every lesson or class. According to Hidayati, Audio Lingual Method was considered boring.

This needs teachers’ creativity whether to provide variations, media, etc.in the teaching

(Hidayati, 2016). So, in order to successfully utilize ALM, it would be helpful if teachers

integrate technology in teaching and to make the class engaging and not a boring one. Varying

the method in teaching from time to time is an effective means of producing an efficient and

effective ESL/EFL class.

ARTICLE REVIEW 5

Works Cited

Educational Psychology (2010). Thorndike's laws of learning and its educational implications.

Available online: http://dgwaymade.blogspot.com/2010/10/thorndikes-laws-of-learning-

and-its.html

Cherry, K. (2019). History and Key Concepts of Behavioral Psychology.

Available online: https://www.verywellmind.com/behavioral-psychology-4157183

Maulyana, I. (2016). The Implementation of Drill Technique in Teaching Speaking at Smayp

nila bandar Lampung. 73

Chomsky, N. (1959). A Review of B. F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior

Lewis, V. (2019). The Advantages & Disadvantages of Practice & Drills inTeaching

classroom.synonym.com.

Available online: https://classroom.synonym.com/advantages-disadvantages-practice-

drills-teaching-8716462.html

Hidayati, K. H. (2016). Using Audio Lingual Method to Improve Students Pronunciation Ability

of Darul Mahdiah Private School. Volume 01, No. 1. 37.

Ghofur, Abd., et. Al. (2017) The Effect of Communicative Language Teaching and Audio-

Lingual Method on English Speaking Skill Across Different Learning Styles