Emil Alfath Ilmawan

PMPBI 2013 Class B

The Oral Approach And Situational Language Teaching

BACKGROUND The origins of this approach began with the work of British applied linguists in the 1920s and 1930,and developed in 1930s to the 1960s. While it is unknown for many teachers, it had a big influence on language courses till the 1980s. Textbook such as Streamline English (Hartley and Viney 1979) was designed following the SLT approach principle. Situational Language Teaching is characterized by two major features: Vocabulary Control Focus on vocabulary and reading is one of the most salient traits of SLT. In fact, mastery of a set of high frequency vocabulary items is believed to lead to good reading skills. Grammar Control An analysis of English and a classification of its prominent grammatical structures in sentence patterns, also called situational tables, are believed to help learners internalize grammatical rules.

How can situational language teaching be characterized at the levels of approach, design, and procedure? APPROACH Theory of Language The theory of language underlying Situational Language Teaching can be characterized as type of British structuralism. Palmer, Hornby, and other British applied linguistic had prepared pedagogical descriptions of the basic grammatical structures of English and these were to be followed in developing methodology. Word order, structural words, the few inflections of English, and Conten Words will form the material of our teaching (Frisby 1957: 134). The British theoreticians, however, had a different focus to the version of structuralism the notion of situation. Our principal classroom activity in the teaching of English Structure will be the oral practice of structures. This oral practice of controlled sentence patterns should be given in

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Emil Alfath Ilmawan

PMPBI 2013 Class B

situations designed to give the greatest amount of practice in English speech to the pupil (Pittman 1963: 179).

Theory of learning The theory of learning underlying Situational language teaching is a type of behaviorists habit-learning theory. It addresses primarily the processes rather than the conditions of learning. Frisby, for example, cites Palmers views as authoritative:
As palmer has pointed out, there are three processes in learning a language- receiving the knowledge or materials, fixing it in memory by repetition, and using it in actual practice until it becomes a personal skill. (1957:136)

French likewise saw language learning as habit formation:

The fundamental is correct speech habits. The pupils should be able to put the words, without hesitation and almost without thought, into sentence patterns which are correct. Such speech habits can be cultivated by blind imitative drill.(1950, vol 3:9).

Situational Language Teaching adopts an inductive approach to the teaching grammar. The meaning of words or structures is not to be given through explanation in either the native language or target language but is to be induced from the way the form is used in a situation. if we give the meaning of new word, either language, as soon as we introduce it, we weaken the impression which the word makes on the mind (Billoows 1961: 28). This is how child language learning is believed to take place, and the same processes are thought occur in second and foreign language learning, according to practitioners of Situational Language Teaching.

DESIGN Objectives The objectives of the Situational Language Teaching method are to teach a practical command of the four basic skills of language, goals it shares with most methods of language teaching. But the skills are approached through structure. Automatic control of basic structures and sentence patterns is fundamental to reading and writing skills, and this is achieved through speech work. before our pupils read new structures and new vocabulary, we shall teach orally bot the new structures and new vocabulary

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Emil Alfath Ilmawan

PMPBI 2013 Class B

The syllabus Basic to the teaching of English in Situational Language Teaching is a structural syllabus and a word list. In situational language teaching, structures are always taught within sentences, and vocabulary is chosen according to how well it enables sentence pattern to be taught. Frisby (1957:134) gives an example of the typical structural syllabus around which situational teaching was based: 1st lesson This is.... That is.... 2nd lesson These are.... Those are.... book, pencil, ruler, desk chair, picture window

Types of learning and teaching activities The situation will be controlled carefully to teach the new language material. In such way that there can be no doubt in the learners mind of the meaning of what he hears. Almost all the vocabulary and structures taught in the first four five years and even later can be placed in situation in which the meaning is quite clear. (Pittman 1963: 155-156) By situation, Pittman means the use of concrete objects, pictures and realia, which together with action and gesture can be used to demonstrate the meaning of new language. The practice techniques employed generally consist of guided repetition and substitution activities, including chorus repetition, dictation, drills, and controlled oral based reading and writing task. Other oral practice techniques are sometimes used, including pair practice and group work.

Learner roles In the initial stages of learning, the learner is required to simply listen and repeat what the teacher says and to respond to question and commands. For example, the learner might lapse into faulty grammar or pronunciation, and learner forgets something they have gotten such as incorrect vocabulary, etc. This includes learner initiating responses and asking each other questions, although teacher controlled introduction and practice of new language is stressed throughout.

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Emil Alfath Ilmawan

PMPBI 2013 Class B

Teacher roles The teacher function is threefold. In the presentation stage of lesson, the teacher serves the model, setting up situation in which the need for the target structure is created and then modeling the new structures for students to repeat. Organizing review is a primary task for the teacher, according to Pittman (1963), who summarizes the teachers responsibilities as dealing with: a. Timing b. Oral practice c. Revision d. Adjustment to special needs of individuals e. Testing f. Developing language activities The teacher is essential to the success of the method, since the textbook is able only to describe activities for the teacher to carry out in class.

The role of instructional materials Situational language teaching is dependent on both a textbook and visual aids. The textbook contain tightly organized lessons planned around different grammatical structures. Visual aids may be produced by the teacher or may be commercially produced. In principle, the textbook should be used only as guide to the learning process. The teacher is expected to be master of his textbook. (Pittman 1963: 176). PROCEDURE Classroom procedures in situational Language Teaching vary according to the level of the class, but procedures at any lavel aim to move from controlled to free practice of structures and from oral use of sentence pattern to their automatic use in speech, reading, and writing. Pittman gives an example of a typical lesson plan:
The first part of the lesson will be stress and intonation practice. The main body of the lesson should then follow. This might consist of the teaching of a structure. If so, lesson would then consist of four parts: 1. 2. 3. Pronounciation Revision Presentation 4. Oral practice 5. Reading of material on the new structure.

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Emil Alfath Ilmawan

PMPBI 2013 Class B

CONCLUSION Procedures associated with Situational Language Teaching in the fifties and sixties are an extension and further development of well-established techniques advocated by proponents of the earlier Oral approach in the British school of language teaching. They continue to be part of the standard set of procedures advocated in many current British methodology texts (e.g., Hubbard et al. 1983), and as we noted above, textbooks written according to the principles of situational language. Teaching continues to be widely used in many parts of world. In the mid-sixties, however, the view of language, language learning, and language teaching underlying Situational Language Teaching was called into question. We discuss this reaction and how it led to communicative Language Teaching. But because the principle of Situational Language Teaching, with its strong emphasis on oral practice, grammar, and sentence patterns, conform to the intuitions of many practically oriented classroom teachers, it continues to be widely used in the 1980s.

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