A.

Background
An important revolution in terms oI language teaching methodology coincided with World
War II, when the USA realised that it needed people to learn Ioreign languages very quickly
as part oI its overall military operations. The "Army Method" was suddenly developed to
build communicative competence in translators through very intensive language courses
Iocusing on aural/oral skills. This in combination with some new ideas about language
learning coming Irom the disciplines oI descriptive linguistics and behavioral psychology
went on to become what is known as the Audiolingual Method (ALM). It is a combination oI
structural linguistic theory by American linguists in the 1950s, contrastive analysis, aural-oral
procedures and behaviourist psychology. It was widely used Ior teaching Ioreign language Ior
some time; however, in the late 1960s, ALM started to lose its popularity. Today, it is
occasionally used Ior some speciIic purposes in certain cases.

B.Approach
DissatisIaction with the traditional methods, their validity and adequacy, especially with their
treatment oI spoken language led to the birth oI the Audio-Lingual method which is based on
the aural-oral approach. Based on structural linguistics, ALM gives priority to speech in
language teaching. In this theory language is seen as having its own unique system and
language learning is viewed as the acquisition oI a practical set oI communication skills. It
entails language and learning the rules by which these elements are combined Irom phoneme
to morpheme to word or phrase to sentence. Language is seen primarily spoken and only
secondarily written.


C. Theory oI learning
Methodologists and theoreticians who created ALM both had a linguistic theory
(structuralism) and a psychological theory (behaviourism). They claimed that Ioreign
language acquisition is similar to L1 acquisition and it is habit Iormation. So, three vital terms
occurred in learning: stimulus (subject/motive), response (reaction) and reinIorcement
(Ieedback) .
ALM has Iour major psychological Ioundations:
1-Foreign language learning is habit Iormation and verbal behaviour. Good habits are adopted
by correct responses. Memorizing dialogues and repetition minimizes the risk oI mistakes.
2-In order to learn the language more eIIectively, one needs Iirst the spoken Iorm to be
presented. Other language skills are built upon aural-oral training.
3-Anaology is more beneIicial than analysis. Making generalisations and Iinding similarities
help learners.
4-Foreign language learning should not be held in isolation so creating a cultural context is
important.

D- Design
Audiolingualists like the 19
th
century reIormers emphasised the importance oI speech-based
instruction and so dismissed the study oI grammar or literature as the only aim oI Ioreign
language teaching.

B. Objectives
The aim oI this method is:
1. to make students able to use the target language communicatively and automatically
through oral practice based on repetition and comparison without stopping to think
2. to help students to acquire the structural patterns.
The syllabus:
ALM has a linguistic and structuralist view both in theory and in practice and in ALM
language is taught in the order oI listening, speaking, reading and writing. ThereIore, it has a
linguistic syllabus which is composed oI phonology, morphology and syntax according to the
order oI teaching. Furthermore, it has a lexical syllabus oI basic vocabulary items.

Types oI learning and teaching activities: Dialogues and drills are the most important and
widely used classroom activities in ALM since they are seen useIul to provide repetition and
so memorization and habit Iormation. While doing these exercises, there is always emphasis
on pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation. There is wide range oI drill kinds. Some oI
them are repetition, replacement, restatement, transIormation, integration etc.

Learner roles: Learners are imitators. Though at the very beginning, they have diIIiculty in
understanding what they are repeating or responding to, they soon get a new Iorm oI verbal
behaviour.

Teachers roles: The teacher is central, active and seen as the source. She models, controls,
monitors and corrects the learners` mistakes. So, iI the teacher Iails to do her duty and the
learners do not memorize essential patterns, it should not be considers as the Iault oI the
method. (Brooks-1964)


Instructional Materials:
Materials that include mostly drills and dialogues help the teacher create an appropriate
teaching environment and they are teacher-centred. Printed materials are not recommended
because they distract attention Irom the aural input. There is a huge need oI a language
laboratory.

D. PRocedure
Those are the common Ieatures oI the Audio-Lingual method oI language teaching. Again,
there may be substantial variation in practice. The lesson typically begins with a dialogue,
which contains the structure and vocabulary oI the lesson. The student is expected to mimic
the dialogue and eventually memorize it. OIten, the class practices the dialogue as a group,
and then in smaller groups. The dialogue is Iollowed by pattern drill on the structure
introduced in the dialogue. The aim oI the drill is to strengthen habits`, to make the pattern
automatic`.
The techniques derived Irom the principles oI the Audio-Lingual method are as Iollows:
1. Students listen to a native-like model such as the teacher oI a tape-recorder.
2. Students repeat the new material chorally and individually.
3. Teachers correct students` errors immediately and directly.
4. Dialogues are memorized by reversing roles between (teacher-student) (student-student).
5. Students are encouraged to change certain key words or phrases in the dialogue.
6. Students write short guided compositions on given topics.
7. Students are encouraged to induce grammatical rules.
8. Students are involved in language games and role-play.
9. Filling-in the blanks exercise is used.
10. Minimal pairs are used.
11. Teachers ask questions about the new items or ask general questions.
12. Substitution drills, chain drills, transIormation drills and expansion drills are used.
13. Language laboratory is used Ior intensive practice oI language structures as well as supra
segmental Ieatures.
14. Dialogue is copied in students` notebook.
15. Students are asked to read aloud.


the decline oI ALM

AUDIOLINGUALISM (50`S) NEW PARADIGM (60`s):
CHOMSKY, INNATISM
Behaviourism is attacked
Skinner`s ideas are criticised.
Mechanic learning is rejected.

Chomsky`s innatist position
Learning making & testing hypotheses.
Cognitive theory (mental processes)

Structuralism begins to lose
importance during the 60`s.
Language is a habit structure.

Chomsky`s transformational generative grammar
Language is not a habit structure. It involves the use oI complex rules.
Chomsky Iocuses on competence over perIormance.

The ALM does not provide good results. Classes are boring and
ineffective (learners cannot communicate in real situations)

For over a decade no theoretically grounded method took the place oI ALM.
Minor methods Cognitive code, or humanistic methods appear during the 60`s
& 70`s:TPR, Suggestopedia & Silent way


The principles oI this method are:
1. Instructions are given in the target language.
2. Language Iorms occur within a context.
3. Students` native language interIeres as little as possible with the students` attempts to
acquire the target language.
4. Teaching is directed to provide students with a native-speaker-like model.
5. Analogy provides a better Ioundation Ior language learning than analysis.
6. Errors are careIully avoided because they lead to the Iormation oI bad habits.
7. Positive reinIorcement helps the student to develop correct habits.
8. Students are encouraged to learn to respond to both verbal and nonverbal stimuli.
9. The teacher is regarded as an orchestra leader-conducting, guiding and controlling the
students` behavior in the target language.
10. Learning a Ioreign language is treated on par with the native language learning.
11. A comparison between the native language and the target language is supposed to help
teachers to Iind the areas with which their students probably experience diIIiculty: this is
expected to help students to overcome the habit oI the native language.
12. Language is not seen separated Irom culture. Culture is the everyday behavior oI people
who use the target language. One oI the teachers` responsibilities is to present inIormation
about that culture in context.
13. Students are taken to be the imitators oI the teacher`s model or the tapes.
14. The dialogue is the chieI means oI presenting vocabulary, structures and it is learned
through repetition and imitation.
15. Mimicry, memorization and pattern drills are the practice techniques that are emphasized.
16. Most oI the interaction is between the teacher and the learner and it is imitated by the
learner.
17. Listening and speaking are given priority in language teaching, and they precede reading
and writing.
18. Correct pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation are emphasized.
19. The meanings oI the words are derived in a linguistic and cultural context and not in
isolation.
20. Audio-visual aids are used to assist the students` ability to Iorm new language habits.