An overview of Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) is and how it works. It is an oral based approach and the aim of this method is to make students use the target language communicatively and automatically without stopping to think and also to help students to acquire the structural patterns.
The Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) arose as a direct
result of the need for foreign language proficiency in listening and speaking
skills during and after World War II. It is closely tied to behaviorism, and thus
made drilling, repetition, and habit-formation central elements of instruction
(Freeman, 2000).
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In the classroom, lessons were often organized by
grammatical structure and presented through short dialogues. Often, students
listened repeatedly to recordings of conversations and focused on accurately
mimicking the pronunciation and grammatical structures in these dialogues (Ricarhard
& Rodger, 2013).
When looking at Audio-Lingual Method in the classroom, the teachers control the directions and pace of the learning, and monitors and corrects the learners' performances. If I understand it correctly, empowering the learners means that teachers should relinquish some of their powers and hand it over to the students. In a classroom where audio-lingual method of language teaching is been used, the teacher is in control and has power in the classroom compare to a classroom where communicative language teaching is been used, the teacher lets the students take control of the activities in the classroom. The teacher control the instruction in the classroom and the students follow what instruction is given to them by the teacher.
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The audio-lingual method is one dimensional. Students learn by listening and repeating but there is no text for the students to consult and no detailed notes to consolidate students' understanding. Interaction, engagement and collaboration can only be seen depending on the drill use for the method. When use chain drill, that is when collaboration, interaction and engagement is shown.
Chain drill is a chain of conversation that forms around the room as students, one-by-one ask and answer questions of each other. Usually the teacher begins the chain by greeting a particular student or asking him/her a question. That student responds, then turns to the student sitting next to him/her and greet and ask a question and the chain continues. With this drill, we can see there is collaboration. The students are collaborating with one another by greeting and asking each other questions. Using this drill, it allows some controlled communication, even though it is very limited. This drill also give teachers an opportunity to check for students' speech.
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Clearly listening is used to learn, but not all language learners use it consciously. Listening to understand is one level of listening but focused listening is not something that most learners use as a strategy. When using this method, the students have to listen carefully as the teacher present the correct model of a sentence and the students will have to repeat. Some language learners need to see an image or visual aid in order for them to understand. Most
of the time when using this method, students can memorized short dialog but the comprehension is not there.
of the time when using this method, students can memorized short dialog but the comprehension is not there.
Sources
Freeman, D. L. (2000, 02 12). Techniques and
Principles of Language Teaching [Online
forum comment]. Retrieved from
Ricarhard, S. J., & Rodger, T. (2013). Approaches and Method in Language Teaching.
(2nd ed., pp. 49-60). Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://www.tjtaylor.net/english/teaching-method-audio-lingual
