Ally Voronova

PRESENTATION Audio-Lingual Approach In the period when US entered into World War II it was essential to rapidly educate government and army personnel who were fluent in many foreign languages. In order to achieve this goal United States required linguists to set up special training program which would be emphasized on fast and easy foreign language acquisition. By 1942, the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was established and over Fifty-five American universities were involved in the project. The ASTP, the so-called Army method, had a significant impact on linguistics and the way foreign languages were taught. Within ten years after Army method was created, there were discussions of its usage in regular biases. Especially after the successful campaign of the US army in World War II America acquired international power and English became popular; thus, the development of a new approach in teaching foreign languages was necessary. During this period, many linguists were involved in the development of new approaches in teaching English as a second language. That was the beginning of a new era in teaching foreign languages through an audio-lingual approach, which became really popular in mid-fifties. Audio-Lingual approach is a method of teaching foreign languages that was commonly used in mid-fifties and developed from the Aural-Oral or Structural Approach and Army method of teaching and learning languages. The first step towards Audiolingualism was Army method which was based on Leonard Bloomfields technique of memorization and repetition in simple foreign language patterns. In particular, Yale University used the informant method, where 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). However, after World War II this particular method was insufficient and, in order to learn and teach foreign language at a new level, it was suggested that reassessing older approaches would be beneficial. The Aural-Oral approach became the second step towards Audiolingualism. The inventor of this approach was director of the first English Language Institute at Michigan University, Charles Fries. According to Fries, language should be taught by using intensive oral drilling of its basic patterns (Richards, J.C. et-al. 1987). Additionally, this method emphasized proper pronunciation and intonation which was adopted by audio-linguistic approach. 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). Contrastive analysis of two languages 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, according to Richards (1987), 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. In general, Audio-lingual approach to language learning suggests that students be taught phonology, morphology, and syntax of the language; all these patterns can be learned through contrastive analysis of the

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differences between the native tongue and the target language, which helps students to acquire new language easier. In Audio-lingual approach, second language skills development is based on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. At first, the second language may be presented entirely orally (usually, in early stages of learning language written materials are not presented). However, as soon as the students understood and memorized how to say some language patterns orally, they could try to do reading and writing activities. In order to minimize the possible mistakes, reading and writing exercises are based on what students already know how to say orally. Repetition, oral drills and memorization of simple patterns are the basis of audio-lingual approach. As it was mentioned above, drills and pattern practice are typical of the Audio-lingual method. (Richards, J.C. et-al. 1987) These include the main things such as: 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.

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? 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

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Transposition: A change in word order is necessary when a word is added. EXAMPLE. Im 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 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. This is important. - It is important that they be honest. 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? M y 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. In audio-lingual approach, activities are presented not only in drilling short patterns, but also in varieties of dialogues, which students have to listen to, repeat and memorize. Dialogues provide for students 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, hobbiesetc.) that help students to memorize which utterance is suitable for each situation. By repeating and memorizing whole dialogue or some specific parts of it, learners should emphasize on proper pronunciation, intonation, stress and rhythm usage.

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By talking about Audio-lingual approach we should mention that it was established in the period of the rise of 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). According to Brown (1980), behaviorism is based on three main elements of learning: stimulus, response and reinforcement. If we apply this schema to foreign language learning we notice that the stimulus is the information about foreign language, the response is students reaction on the presented material and the reinforcement is natural self-satisfaction of target language use (Richards & Rodgers, 1987). Richards and Rogers also pointed out that descriptive linguistics proposed a number of hypotheses of how to learn language, which were applied to audio-lingual approach. For instance, it was considered that foreign language learning should mainly be based on speech training programs rather than writing or reading (Richards & Rodgers, 1987).

All hypotheses of teaching and learning languages that existed at that time in some ways had an impact on the way Audiolingualism was formed. As a result, the main learning principles of audio-lingual method were introduced: 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: 1922). In Audiolingualism the roles of teacher and learner are strictly determined. The learner should be guided by skilled training techniques in order to produce correct answers. The role of the teacher is central and active. 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 instructors intonation and pronunciation as closely as possible. According to Richards and Rodgers (1987), teachers must provide varieties of drills and tasks to keep learners 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.

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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.

The other important thing that we should mention is the role of instructional materials in Audio-lingual approach. First of all, Audio-lingual materials are teachers oriented. If, at the early stages of learning, a students textbook is withheld, teachers still have access to a teachers book that provides lesson structure and materials. When students are able to memorize and reproduce simple language patterns, reading and writing materials gradually can be introduced. Tape recorders as well as audiovisual aid are one of the most common ways of learning materials representation. For example, dialogues that are recorded by second language speakers help students to imitate proper intonation and pronunciation. The Audio-Lingual Method was widely spread all over North American colleges and universities and reached its height of success in the mid-fifties. This particular approach provided fundamental methodology for foreign language learning materials of that time. However, 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). Audiolingual theory of learning and teaching languages was based on behaviorist theory that, according to Chomsky (1966), 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 learners underlying competence (Richards & Rodgers, 1987). With the appearance of Chomskys 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.

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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 Audiolingual 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.