TSLB3033

Audio-Lingual Method

Asyiqin
Lo Kam Siong
DEFINITION

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.

Also known as the Army Method

Popularised by the need to learn basic skills in
foreign languages during WW 2.
BACKGROUND

The Audio-lingual Method was developed in the U.S. during the Second World War.

At that time, the U.S. government found it a great necessity to set up a special language-training
programme to supply the war with language personnel

Therefore, the government commissioned American universities to develop foreign language programmme
for military personnel

Thus, the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was established in 1942.
The objectives of the army programme was for students to attain conversational proficiency in a variety
of foreign languages.
 The method used was known as the informant method, since it used a native speaker of the
language, the informant, and a linguist.

.The informant served as a source of language for imitation, and the linguist supervised the learning
experience.

The intensive system adopted by the army achieved excellent results.

Language Focus
Similiar to Direct Method
Teaches the language directly
Not Focusing on vocabulary
Students are drilled in the use of grammar
BEHAVIORIST PSYCHOLOGY

Originated from the Behaviourist theory of learning

languages (empirically based approach to the study of
human behaviour)

Behaviourist psychology states that people are

conditioned to learn many forms of behaviour, including
language, through the process of training or condtioning.
Basic Principles

Separation of language skills into listening, speaking,

reading and writing with emphasis on the teaching of
listening and speaking before reading and wrting;
Use of dialogues as the chief means of presenting the
languages;
Emphasis on certain practice techniques: mimicry,
memorization and pattern drills;
Discouraging the use of the mother tongue in the
classroom
Objectives
The general objectives of the Audio-lingual Method :
To enable the target language communicatively.

Short-range objectives include:

training in listening comprehension
accurate pronunciation
reading comprehension and production of the Audio-
lingual Method are the development of mastery in all four
language skills
Long-range objective/ Ultimate goal:
to develop in the students the same types of abilities that
native speaking have
to use it automatically without stopping to think
Methodology

There are 4 parts to the Audio Lingual Method.

Repitition
The students repeat what the teacher says:

Teacher: I want to buy some fruit

Students: I want to buy some fruit

The students copy the teacher word by word

Inflection

The teacher says a word or sentence, the students change

the form of verb

Teacher: I want to buy some fruit

Students: I wanted to buy some fruit
Replacement

The teacher says a sentence and the students replace a

word in the sentence.

Teacher: I want to buy some bananas

Students: I want to buy some apples
Restatement

The teacher says a sentence and the students rephrase the

sentence.

Teacher: Tell me to speak louder

Students: Speak Louder
Teacher/Learner roles

In Audio-Lingual Method, the teacher is like an orchestra

leader
Providing students with a good model for imitation

Students are imitators

Example

Sally: Where is the cat?

Bill: The cat is under the table
Introduces a new dialogue
uses a backward build-up drill
uses a repetition drill (group)
initiates a chain drill (individual)
leads a single-slot substitution drill