ALM

THE AUDIO LINGUAL METHOD

Submitted to fulfill the task of Technique and

Principles in Language Teaching

Written by:

Fahrunisa Kurniati             153221123

Diah Ayu Ningrum TPS     153221142

Alviani Satyarisa                153221144

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

ISLAMIC EDUCATION AND TEACHING TRAINING FACULTY

THE STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF SURAKARTA

2017

INTRODUCTION

Audio-lingual Method is a method for foreign language teaching which point out the teaching of listening and speaking before reading and writing. History before World War II, there were three methods, there are the first is a modified direct method approach, the second is a reading approach and the third is reading-oral approach. Based on the three methods above, there were two problems. One is the method lacked standardization of vocabulary and grammar, while the other is no one could agree the importance of teaching beginners, intermediate, and advanced students. The lacked structure. World War II changed everything.

This method combines behavioural psychology and linguistic. It is also known as the 'Army Method' because this method occurred since the World War II for the American armies who has a need to learn the language quickly and intensively. The structural theory of language constituted its backbone. One of the theory underlies this method is called the "Structural Linguistics". Structural Linguistics influenced audio-lingualism as a more practical interest in language study. It viewed language as a system of structurally related elements for the expression of meaning. These elements is based on language samples that could be described at any structural level(phonetic, phonemic, morphological, sentence types). Linguistic levels are structured in a pyramid. Phonemic systems led to morphemic and these led to phrases, clauses, and sentences.

The language theoreticians and methodologists is behavioural psychological which is an empirically based approach to the studying of human behaviour. Behaviourism attempts to explain how an external event (stimulus) caused a change in the behaviour of an individual( response) without using 'concept' or an 'idea'. In the Audio-lingual Method, students first hear a language. Then, they speak the language and proceed with reading and writing. Mother tongue is not allowed to use in the classroom when we used this method. The Audio Lingual Method does not focus on lots of vocabulary. The teacher drills speaking and grammar. Grammar is the most important in this method, particularly when the student have to repeat the grammar pattern after the teacher. This method also similar to the direct method.

There was a time came when audio-lingual method is no longer being as a popular method in teaching English Language. In the 1950s, a linguists name Noam Chomsky documented that there were many shortfalls in this method. The behaviourist psychology to language learning was also questioned and this method was quickly phased out.

DISCUSSION

A.    The definition of Audio Lingual Method (ALM)

The Audio Lingual Method (ALM) is a method which was introduced in the United States of America (USA) in 1940s. Even though the method is considered very old, many language teachers still like it and believe that it is a powerful method. The emergence of the method was a response to the need for a radical change of foreign language teaching due to the unfriendly relationship between USA and Russia, which lunched its first satellite in 1957. The United States prevented from its people from becoming isolates people from scientific advances made in other countries. The method was much influenced by a method called Army Specialized Training Program (ATSP). The ATSP was triggered by the condition from which USA entered World War II and tried to send its army to take up positions in other countries. USA government found itself in a need of personnel trained in a large number and wide variety of language, and the audio-lingual method could be the answer. The method was also a response to the Reading Method and the Grammar Translation Method. At that time many Americans felt unsatisfied with the reading aim and they thought that speaking was more important then reading.

The method was finally developed from the combination of the principles of structural linguistic theory, contrastive analysis, aura-oral procedures, and behaviorist psychology (Richard and Rodgers, 2001: 54-55). The method was accepted by people in other countries and introduced in Indonesia in 1960’s. Not much literature on the audio-lingual method is now available and most of the ideas in this part have been adapted from how to Teach Foreign Languages Effectively (Huebener, 1969).

B.     The Principles of Audio Lingual Method (ALM)

Laser-Freeman (2003: 45-47) provides principles associated with the audio lingual method as follows:

1.      The goal of the teacher use the audio lingual method is want their students to be able to use their target language communicatively and learn to use it automatically without stopping think.

2.      The role of the teacher are like an orchestra leader, controlling the language behavior of the students and providing with a good model for imitation. The roleof the students is becameimitator from the teacher.

3.      The characteristic of the teaching/learning process is by presented through dialogs. The dialogs are learned through imitation and repetition. Drill (such as repetition, backward build-up, chain, substitution, transformation, and question and answer) are conducted based upon the patterns present in the dialog.

4.      The student and teacher interaction is directed and initiated by the teacher. The student and student interaction is in chain drills or when students take different roles in dialogs.

5.      The view of language is by descriptive linguists. And the view of culture is in the everyday behavior and lifestyle of the target language speakers.

6.      The area of language are emphasize is vocabulary is kept to a minimum while the students are mastering the sound system and grammatical patterns. The area of language skills are emphasize is presentation adhered to listening, speaking, reading and writing. The oral skills receive most of the attention.

7.      The role of the students native language is should not to be use the native language but use the target language in the classroom.

8.      The evaluation accomplish is the question on the test would focus on only one point of the language at the time.

9.      The teacher respond the students errors is avoided if at all possible through the teachers awareness of where the students will have difficulty and restriction of what they are taught to say.

C.    The Techniques of Audio Lingual Method

Laser-Freeman (2003: 45-47) provides typical techniques associated with the audio lingual method as follows:

1.      Dialog Memorization

Students memorize the dialog through mimicry , the students usually take the role of one person in the dialog. In the audio lingual method certain patterns and grammatical points are included within the dialog. These patterns and points are later practiced in drills based on the lines of the dialog.

2.      Backward Build-up (Expansion) Drill

This drill is used when a long line of a dialog is giving students trouble. The teacher break down the line into several parts. The students repeat a part of the sentence, usually the last phrase of the line. Then, the following the teachers cue, the students expand what they are repeating part by part until they are able to repeat the entire line. The teacher begins with the part at the end of the sentence (and works backward from there) to keep the intonation of the line as natural as possible. This also directs more students attention to the end of the sentence, where new information typically occurs.

3.      Repetition Drill

The students are asked to repeat the teachers model as accurately and as quickly as possible. This drill is often used to teach the lines of the dialog.

4.      Chain Drill

A chain drill gets its name from the chain of conversation that forms around the room as students, one by one, ask and answer question of each other. A chain drill allows some controlled communication, even though it is limited. A chain drill also gives the teacher an opportunity to check each students speech.

5.      Single Slot Substitution Drill

The teacher says a line, usually from the dialog. Next, the teacher says a word or phrase called cue. The students repeat the line the teacher has given them, substituting the cue into the line in its proper place. The major purpose of this drill is to give the students practice in finding and filling in the slots of a sentence.

6.      Multiple Slot Substitution Drill

This drill is similar to single slot substitution drill. The difference is that the teacher gives cue phrases, one at a time, that fit into different slots in the dialog line. The students must recognize what part of speech each cue is, or at least where it fits into the sentence, and make  any other changes, such as subject-verb agreement. They then say the line, fitting the cue phrase into the line where it belongs.

7.      Transformation Drill

The teacher gives a certain kind of sentence pattern, an affirmative sentence for example, the students are asked to transform this sentence into a negative sentence. Other examples of transformation to ask of students are changing a statement into a question, an active sentence into a passive sentence one, or direct speech into reported speech.

8.      Question and Answer Drill

This drill gives students practice with answering question. The students should answer the teacher question very quickly. Although we did not see it in our lesson here, it is also possible for the teacher to cue the students to ask questions as well. This gives students practice with the question patterns.

9.      Use of Minimal Pairs

The teacher works with pairs of words which differ in only one sound, for example, ‘ship/sheep’. Students are first asked to perceive the difference between the two words and later to be able to say the two words. The teacher selects the sound to work on after she has done a contrastive analysis, a comparison between the students native language and the language they are studying.

10.  Complete The Dialog

Selected words are erased from a dialog students have learned. Students complete the dialog by filling the blank with the missing words.

11.  Grammar Games

Games like the supermarket alphabet game describe in this chapter are used in the audio lingual method. The games are designed to gets students to practice a grammar point within a context. Students are able to express themselves. Although it is rather limited in this game. Notice there is also a lot of repetition in this game.

D.    The Advantages of Audio Lingual Method

According to Charles C Fries, the advantages of audio lingual method are :

1.      Learners be able speaking the target language communicatively.

2.      Learners have no difficulties to understand the lesson as it is carried out in the mother tongue.

3.      Learners are able to give correct response directly.

4.      Learners more concern about the combination between behavioral psychology and linguistic.

E.     The Disadvantages of Audio Lingual Method

According to Charles C Fries, the advantages of audio lingual method are :

1.      Speaking or any kind of spontaneous creative output was missing from the curriculum.

2.      Students lacked an active role in the classroom.

3.      Very little attention is paid to communication.

4.      Very little attention is paid to content.

5.      Process of learning only focus in speaking.

CONCLUSION

The Audio Lingual Method has been explained in detail. The Audio Lingual Method (ALM) is a method which was introduced in the United States of America (USA) in 1940s. The method was accepted by people in other countries and introduced in Indonesia in 1960’s.

Form the explaining in the first chapter until second chapter it can be concluded that the Audio Lingual Method is the teaching method which emphasize the speaking and listening skill. It makes the students can pronoun and listen well. The Audio Lingual Method can make circumstance of teaching in the class more life. The Audio Lingual Method is more effective to make pronunciation and listening skill. However, this method does not emphasize grammar in detail.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BambangSetiyadi. 2006. Teaching English as a foreign language (the fifth semester book of TEFL1).Yogyakarta :GrahaIlmu.

Larsen – freeman Diane. 2003. Techniques and principles in language teaching Second Edision. New York : Oxford University Press.

Anonymus. 2013. Teaching English as a Foreign The Audio Lingual Methodhttps://sriartini46.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/audio-lingual-method/ , access on September 25nd 2017 at 11 am.

Anonymus. 2013. Teaching English as a Foreign The Audio Lingual Methodhttp://pridarieca.blogspot.co.id/2013/07/audio-lingual-method.html?m=1 , access on September 26nd 2017 at 4 pm.