THE AUDIO –LINGALTEACHING METHOD & DR.WEST’S NEW METHOD

 Introduction       

            Language Teaching method are dependent on and influenced by different theories of Language and language learning. The history of language teaching put forward different kinds of methods. These methods are adopted by different people in different situations according to the need of the learners. Different methods may be appropriate to different contexts.

            The efficiency of a method depends upon a complex of factors which vary from place to place and situation to situation. The challenge today is to avoid dogma and rigidity through fresh consider- of priorities, and to root all new strategies ratio in the realities of the situation. An attempt has been made here to take into sweep the history of language teaching methods beginning from the earliest times to the present time.

Definition

            A procedure or process for attaining an object such as a systematic procedure, technique or made of inquiry employed by or proper to a particular discipline or art.

                                                                                                            -Merriam Webster-

            An established habitual, logical, or prescribed practice or systematic process of achieving certain with accuracy and efficiency, usually in an ordered sequence of fixed steps. See also scientific method and procedure.

                                                                                                              -Business dictionary

Dr. WEST’S NEW METHOD

Introduction

        Dr. West worked as a teacher and principal in a Teacher Training College in Dacca and he conducted an extensive research and experiment on the problems of teaching English as a foreign language in India. The   outcome of his research is ‘The New Method. It stood as a reaction against the Direct

      Dr. West holds that “Indian boys first need to be able to read English then to write  it and lastly to speak it and understood  it when spoken “ Moreover; he maintains that “learning to read a language is by far the shortest road to learning to speak and write it According to him “it is easier to acquire the reading skill then speaking skill” so the teacher ‘s main concern should be to develop the habit of purposeful Silent reading in the children and not the habit of oral reading. Dr. west was of the opinion that in India, English is taught due to  the following reasons,

·        It promotes internationalism

·        It is a medium of communication among different parts of the world

·        No Indian language is rich in the field of science.

Main Features

The West’s method puts emphasis important element.

·        Reading

·        Readers with selected vocabulary and

·        Judicious use of the mother tongue

1. Emphasis on Reading

            Dr West insists through his method that Indian school Children should first be taught how to read English .The teacher should engage them in purposeful silent reading This would increase the students’ power of comprehension .In order to develop the habit of purposeful silent reading in the children he provides a new type of reading books containing interesting reading matter and a specially selected by Dr. West for his readers is 2,280 which has been classified under following four heads:

·        Essential Words

This, that he, it, a shall, may.etc

·        Common environmental words

Chair, table glass, bus car, door, house, ect

·        General Words

      Good, bad, nice, sweet, happy, ect.

·        Specific environmental words

        Tree, garden, River Mountain, sky.ect.

            The new words have been evenly distributed in the lesson and they are frequently repeated in the subsequent students families with them A good number .of use of the mother –tongue in his method whenever there is a necessity .Moreover, there are “companion Book” with the meaning of the new words in native language Students; comprehension in reading is measured with the help of comprehension tests

            Dr. West holds that “Supplementary Readers “should be used along with the new method readers in order to arouse interest in other reading and to give more practice in silent Supplementary Readers. In this method, the teacher has to give necessary help when called for.

2. Emphasis on Oral Work

            Dr West Dr .West stresses silent reading He also stresses some oral work mainly in the form of reading aloud before silent reading begins .An alternative short primer has been provided for speech training on  a subsequent reading  of the language The primer is meant for only those teachers who intended   to start with a small amount of speech training . Dr. West has taken oral work as a preliminary support for developing reading skill.

3. Emphasis on Training in Speech

            Dr West  has give some scope for training in speech make his method complete .in order to give a scheme of speech training he has made a distinction between speech and vocabulary. According to him “The ideal vocabulary is the most easily learnt and most easily used set of works which are capable of expressing correctly the largest number of ideas “The size of the speaking vocabulary is much smaller than that of the reading vocabulary.

            Dr. West has selected a minimum speaking vocabulary of 1,158 words capable of expressing all our ordinary ideas He has classified these words under two main heads viz from in speaking and content works. Dr West holds that specific practice n speaking and drill in vocabulary. Should be give in order to develop the speaking ability in children.

            In his new method composition books he provided questions orders and other forms of exercises for his purpose .According to him no attempt should made to teach any two language skills at the same time .He also holds that written work should be correlated with oral work in the New, Method theoretical grammar is not taught separately, but  is used for curative purposes when necessary. Dr West holds that grammar should be regarded “not as a diet but as a drug.

            Dr West   considered English as a skill subject and emphasized the principal of specific practice for this purpose he wanted teachers to work out different types of exercises and to conduct  drills his “Teachers’ Hand Book serve as quire books for teaches.

Emphasis on Developing Reading ability

            This method lays more emphasis on the development of reading abilities, improvement

of vocabulary. Dr. West laid more emphasis on the development of reading ability due to the following reasons.

·        Though English is a compulsory subject in many States, all second language learners do not have to speak English in schools or at their jobs. It was enough if all of them develop the reading skill which was an attainable goal for everyone goal for everyone.

·        Reading is a ‘passive’ activity whereas speaking and writing are ‘active’ activities. The passive work is like the foundation of active work.

·        Students after leaving school can continue self-education by reading English material.

·        By reading pupil can have an idea of structure of English language

·        Pupil can also develop a taste of English literature.

·        Reading facilitates speaking and writing.

·        Indian students have more chances of hearing incorrect English. therefore Dr. West says, “ Children should better be entrusted to the guidance of books”.

Stress on silent reading

          Dr .West designed new type of books called ‘readers and rapid readers’

Features of book are,

·        New words and phrases equally distributed over the pages

·        Mother- tongue is frequently used

·        Matter is explained with the help of pictures

·        Grammatical rules are not explained

·        Long stories included for developing reading habits.

In this method reading vocabulary is emphasized more.

Comprehension Test

          The comprehension test is taken by the teacher by asking questions.

Advantages of West‘s Method

1. Children improve their reading skill with this method.

2. It initiates pupils for self-activity

3. Reading helps in the development of power of comprehension

4. Reading helps to make the speaking and writing easy

5. The use of the mother –tongue makes student feel at home

6. It helps to increase the vocabulary of the student.

7. Develops a taste over the English literature.

8. Pupils do not feel the over –load of grammatical rules.

9. Both in terms of time and money, it is an economical method.

10. It develops the habit of reading books in other subjects.

Conclusion

            Though Dr. West’s method has a few drawbacks, the techniques be used for developing reading skill with the support of different types of readers is his real contribution to the teaching of English

Audio Lingual Method

Introduction

            This method was developed in the US during the 11 World War when the Americans realized the necessity of teaching languages to their army in order to have communication with their allies or with their enemy contacts. A quick method was developed , which involved “small classes of native informants, explanation of structure by linguistic experts, and long hours of drilling and active practice with graded materials based on this analysis of structure” to give a high degree of aural –oral skill to their army. This method which was known as ‘Army Method’ later came to be known as the Audio-Lingual Method or the Aural – oral Method. An analysis of the principles laid down that a language is learn in its spoken form first, even before the graphic form is introduced.

            The Audio-lingual Approach to language teaching has a lot of similarities with the Direct Method. Both were considered as a   reaction against the shortcomings of the Grammar Translation method, both reject the use of the mother tongue and both stress that speaking and listening competences preceded reading and writing competences. But there are also some differences. The direct method highlighted the teaching of vocabulary while the audio-lingual approach focus on grammar drills.

Behaviorist Psychology

            The learning theory of audio legalism is behavioral psychology which is empirically based approach to the study of human behavior. Behaviorism tries to explain how an external event (a stimulus) caused a change in behavior of an individual (a response) without using concepts like ‘mind’ and ideas or any kind of mental behavior. Behaviorist psychology states that people are conditioned to learn many forms of behavior, including language, through the process of training or conditioning.

Characteristics of the Method

·        Drills are used to teach structural  patterns

·        Set phrases are memorized with a focus on intonation

·        Grammatical explanations are kept to a minimum

·        Vocabulary is taught in context

·        Audio-visual aids are used

·        Focus is on pronunciation

·        Correct responses are positively reinforced immediately

Basic Principles

·        Separation of language skills into listening, speaking, reading and writing with emphasis on the teaching of listening and speaking before reading and writing.

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

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

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

Techniques used

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

·        Substitution drill: the student repeat the line from the dialogue which the teacher has given them, substituting the cue into the line in its proper place.

·        Question and answer drill: The drill gives the students practice with answering questions.

·        Explanation drill: This drill helps students to produce longer sentence bit by bit, gradually achieving fluency.

·        Clause combination drill: Students learn to combine two simple sentences into a complex one.

·        Chain drill: The teacher begins the chain by greeting a particular student, and then turns to the student sitting next to him.

·        Completion: The student is asked to complete the sentence using meaningful words.

Advantages

1.      The first method to have a theory.

2.      Making language teaching possible to large groups of learners.

3.      Emplacing sentence production, control over grammatical structures and development of oral ability.

4.      Developing simple techniques and making use of language Labs.

5.      Developing the separation of language skills.

Disadvantages

1.      Weak basis of theory.

2.      Not developing language competence, lack of effectiveness, and boredom caused by endless pattern drills.

3.      Learners have little control over their learning.

4.      Teacher’s domination of the class.

5.      Teacher oriented materials.

Conclusion

            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.

            The extensive memorization, repetition and over learning of patterns was the key to the method’s success, as students could often see immediate results, but it was also its weakness. The method’s insistence on repetition and memorization of standard phrases ignored the role of context and knowledge in language learning. As the study of linguistics developed, it was discovered that language was not acquired through a process of habit formation, and that errors were not necessarily bad.

            It was also claimed that the methodology did not deliver an improvement in communicative ability that lasted over the long term.