Managing a class Teaching large classes Humanistic Approaches

Audiolingual Method (ALA)
1. Background: ALA had its origins during World War II when it became known as "The Army Method" because it was developed through a USA Army program called ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program). From about 1947-1967 the ALA was the dominant foreign language teaching method in the USA.
2. The goal is to develop in students the same ability as that of native speakers.
3. Language is an oral phenomenon and speech: thus major focus is on phonology and morphology and pronunciation.
4. Based on structural linguistics which involves the study of recurring patterns of language and language is perceived as a set of habits. A language is what native speakers say, not what they ought to say.
5. Based on Behavioural psychology where students learn best through stimulus-response and reinforcement. The more frequently a response is practiced, the better it is learned and the longer it is remembered.
6. L1 should be banned from the classroom.
7. Pattern drills are taught without explanation. Discussion of grammar should be very brief.
8. In developing the 4 skills, teachers should follow the natural sequence of L1 learning.
9. Textbooks have 3 basic parts: dialogue, pattern drills and application activities. The following example shows a typical Audio-lingual drill:
Teacher: There’s a cup on the table . . . repeat
Students: There’s a cup on the table
Teacher: spoon
Students: There’s a spoon on the table
Teacher: Book
Students: There is a book on the table
Teacher: on the chair
Students: There’s a book on the chair
etc. (Harmer 2001:79-80)
In-class reflection
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Humanistic Approaches

Language learning is an anxiety-causing and provoking activity so learners need to be relaxed and confident enough to exploit the learning opportunities available to them. Teachers should work on developing the students’ trust and regard them as their clients. Great care should be given to interpersonal relationships and to the social dynamics of the group.

Four methods, developed in the 1970s and 1980s, have had a considerable impact upon language teaching even if they are rarely used exclusively in ‘mainstream’ teaching. They are frequently described, together, as humanistic approaches because in three out of four cases at least, the designers are primarily concerned to lower the student’s affective filters . . . , and so remove a psychological barrier to learning (Harmer 2001:88).