Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
Department of Languages
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Online Lectures
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Year and Semester
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Year-3 Semester-2
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Subject
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English Language Teaching Methodology-5
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Subject Code
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ENGL 3212
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Course Unit
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Audio Lingual Method
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Date
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25.05.2020
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Time
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Theory (8.00 am-10.00 am)
Practical (3.30 pm-5.30 pm)
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Lecturer
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D.N. Aloysius
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Theory Hours
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02
Total No of Hours: 10
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Practical Hours
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02
Total No of Hours: 10
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Audio-Lingual Method
The Audio-Lingual method of teaching had
its origins during World War II when it became known as the Army Method.
It is also called the aural oral approach. It is based on the structural view
of language and the behaviorist theory of language learning.
The Audio-lingual
Approach to language teaching has a lot of similarities with the Direct Method.
Both were considered as a reaction against the shortcomings of the Grammar Translation method,
both reject the use of the mother tongue and both stress that speaking and
listening competences preceded reading and writing competences. But there are
also some differences. The direct method highlighted the teaching of vocabulary
while the audio-lingual approach focus on grammar drills
Structuralism
The
structural view to language is the view behind the audio-lingual method.
This approach focused on examining how the elements of language related to each
other in the present, that is, ‘synchronically‘
rather than ‘diachronically‘. It was also
argued that linguistic signs were
composed of two parts, a signifier (the sound pattern of a word)
and a signified (the concept
or meaning of the word). The
study of language aims at describing the performance, the“parole” as it is the only
observable part of language.
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is a philosophy of
psychology based on the proposition that all things which organisms do —
including acting, thinking and feeling—can and should be regarded as behaviors.
It contends that leaning occurs through associations, habit formation and
reinforcement. When the learner produces the desired behavior and is reinforced
positively, it is likely that behavior be emitted again.
The objective of the audio-lingual
method is accurate pronunciation and grammar, the ability to respond quickly
and accurately in speech situations and knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to
use with grammar patterns. Particular emphasis was laid on mastering the
building blocks of language and learning the rules for combining them. It was
believed that learning structure, or grammar was the starting point for the
student. Here are some characteristics of the method:
§ language
learning is habit-formation,
§ mistakes
are bad and should be avoided, as they are considered bad habits,
§ language
skills are learned more effectively if they are presented orally first, then in
written form,
§ analogy
is a better foundation for language learning than analysis,
§ the
meanings of words can be learned only in a linguistic and cultural context.
The main activities include reading
aloud dialogues, repetitions of model sentences, and drilling. Key structures
from the dialogue serve as the basis for pattern drills of different kinds.
Lessons in the classroom focus on the correct imitation of the teacher by the
students. Not only are the students expected to produce the correct output, but
attention is also paid to correct pronunciation. Although correct grammar is
expected in usage, no explicit grammatical instruction is given. It is taught
inductively. Furthermore, the target language is the only language to be
used in the classroom.
Advantages
§ It
aims at developing listening and speaking skills which is a step away from the
Grammar translation method
§ The
use of visual aids has proven its effectiveness in vocabulary teaching.
Disadvantages
§ The
method is based on false assumptions about language. The study of language
doesn’t amount to studying the “parole”, the observable data. Mastering a
language relies on acquiring the rules underlying language performance. That
is, the linguistic, sociolinguistic, and discourse competences.
§ The
behaviorist approach to learning is now discredited. Many scholars have proven
its weakness. Noam Chomsky ( “Chomsky, Noam (1959). “A Review of B. F. Skinner’s
Verbal behavior”) has written a strong criticism of the principles of
the theory.
Practical: Explain the Audio-Lingual Method and discuss its
advantages and disadvantages.
References:
1.
Richards, J. C. & Rogers, T. S.
(1986). Approaches and methods in language teaching: A description and
analysis. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
2.
Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of
language learning and teaching (4th ed.). New York: Longman
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