The Audio Lingual Method

 07/02/2023

The Audio-Lingual method of teaching had its origins during World War Il when it became known as the Army Method. The armies needed to become orally proficient in the languages of their allies and enemies as quickly as possible. This was first method to be based on linguistic theory and behavioral psychology.

The Audio-Lingual method emphasizes the teaching of listening and speaking before reading and writing. It uses dialoguetjas the main form of language presentation and drills as the main training techniques.

Its basic principles are:

• Separation of language skills into listening, speaking, reading and writing.

• Use of dialogues as the chief means of presenting the language.

• Emphasis on certain practice techniques: mimicry, memorization and pattern drills.

• Discouraging the use of the mother tongue in the classroom.

Based on Skinner's Behaviorism theory, it assumed that a human being can be trained using a system of reinforcement. Correct behavior receives positive feedback, while errors receive negative feedback

Some techniques that can be applied with the audio-linguistic method are: 

-Repetition drill: This exercise is often used to teach the lines of dialogue. Students are asked to repeat the teacher's model as accurately and quickly as possible. 

-Substitution drill: Students repeat the line of dialogue given to them by the teacher, substituting the cue in the line in its proper place.

-Question and answer exercise: This exercise allows students to practice answering questions. Students must respond quickly to the teacher's questions. It is also possible for the teacher to prompt students to ask questions.

-Transformation exercises: Students change sentences -usually- from affirmative to negative.

This method is still used today, although usually as part of individual lessons rather than as the basis of the course. Such lessons can be very popular, as they are relatively simple, from the teacher's point of view, and the student always knows what to expect.

The Audio-lingual Method is still in use today, though normally as a part of individual lessons rather than as the foundation of the course. These types of lessons can be popular as they are relatively simple, from the teacher’s point of view, and the learner always knows what to expect.

On this class I actually came up with an analogy that with this method, students could work in a similar way to parrots, as we would work with repetition, rather than understanding what the teacher was explaining.