AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD

Carla Agost, Carmen Bosque, Natalia Cubero, Icíar Gómez,

Mercé Matalí, Bárbara Navarro and Ana Santiago
BACKGROUND: Where does it come from?
Before Second World War, there were three methods:

● A modified Direct Method Approach

● A reading Approach
● A Reading- Oral Approach

THESE METHODS WERE PROBLEMATIC

ORIGIN
During World War II

● Army Method
● Aural oral approach

Based on:

● Structural view of language

● Behaviourist theory of language learning
AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD → DIRECT
METHOD
Similarities

● Both considered as a reaction against Grammar Translation method

● Both REJECT the use of mother tongue
● Speaking and listening PRECEDED reading and writing competences

Differences

● Direct → Highlight VOCABULARY

● Audio-lingual → Focus on GRAMMAR DRILLS
APPROACH
Theory of Learning: STRUCTURALISM

● Structural view to language

○ Elements in a language are linearly produced in a rule-governed way
○ Language sample could be described at any structural level
○ Linguistic levels are pyramidally structured
APPROACH
Theory of learning: BEHAVIOURISM

● Based on Skinner’s Behaviourism Theory

● Human are organisms that are capable of learning many behaviours
● It depends on three elements:
1. Stimulus: Bring out behaviour
2. Response: Triggered by stimulus
3. Reinforcement: It marks the response as being appropriate or not and
encourages repetition → Vital in the learning process
APPROACH - Conclusions
Theory of Learning

● Foreign language learning is a process of mechanical habit-formation

● Language skills are learnt orally first and then in written form → More
effective
● Analogy is better than analysis
● The meanings that the words of a language have for the native speaker
are only learnt in a linguistic and cultural context → not in isolation
● Mistakes → BAD → Avoid mistakes because they are bad habits
OBJECTIVES
SHORT - TERM OBJECTIVES

● Training in listening comprehension

● Accurate pronunciation
● Recognition of speech symbols as graphic signs on the printed page
● The ability to reproduce these symbols in writing

LONG - TERM OBJECTIVES

● Language is used as a native speaker

● Knowledge of the L2 → Bilingualism → L1 = L2
ROLES
LEARNER ROLES

● Passive → They are directed by the teacher

● Reactive role by responding to stimuli
● Little control over the content or style of learning

TEACHER ROLES

● Active → Teacher-dominated method → Center of the process

● Controls the process of learning
● Corrects the learner’s performance

THE ROLES OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

● Materials in order to orient the teacher

● Audiovisual equipment often have central roles (provides models for
dialogues and drills)
 TRANSFORMATION CONTRACTION
REPETITION
EXPANSION
INTEGRATION
REJOINDER AUDIOLINGUAL TRANSPOSITION
REPLACEMENT
INFLECTION RESTATEMENT
RESTORATION COMPLETION
CONCLUSION

Although we have been talking about this method that is still present in many of the
schools, we have to recognize that we aren't agree with it. It isn't all about repeating
how students can learn, it is more important to let them discover and indagate in new
concepts.