The audiolingual method was developed in the 1950s in response to the US military's need to rapidly teach languages during WWII. It views language as a set of habits learned through repetition and reinforcement. Lessons focus heavily on drilling pronunciation and grammar patterns through repetition exercises. While it was effective for teaching basic oral skills, critics argue its theoretical foundations were weak and lessons were boring. It declined in the 1970s as newer methods prioritized meaningful communication over habit formation.

1. THE AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD
Seminar on Language Teaching
Group Presentation
1. Desi Yanita K2208017
2. Zara Firsty Meutia K2208023
3. Jarmianik K2208037
4. Siti Fathonah W. K2208047

2. Content of Presentation
Background
Approach, Design, & Procedure
The Weakness & Strength
The Decline of ALM
The Application in Language Classroom

3. Background
• The entry of the United States into World War II
• ASTP (the Army Specialized Training Program)
• Student exchange

4. Approach
• A language is a set of habits … teach the language
not about the language … a language is what its
native speakers say, not what someone thinks
they ought to say… language are different
(quoted in Rivers 1964: 5)

5. Theory of language
• Language is seen a system of related elements.
The mastery of the system is the mastery of the
language
• Each language is seen to have its own unique
system

6. Theory of language learning
• Learning as behavioral psychology
• The occurrence of these behavior is dependent upon
three crucial element in learning:
a. Stimulus
b. Response
c. Reinforcement

7. • Foreign language learning is basically a process of mechanical
habit formation
• Language skills are learned more effectively if the items to be
learned in the target language are presented in spoken form
• Analogy provides a better foundation for language learning
than analysis
• The meaning that the words of language have for the native
speaker can be learned only in linguistic and cultural context
and not in isolation

8. Design
Objectives
Learner Roles;
Teacher Roles; Types of
& Role of learning &
DESIGN teaching
instructional
materials activities
Syllabus

9. Short-
Long-term
Term
Control of
structure: Natives-alike
sound, form, order Focus: oral / speaking skill;
depending on:
Acquaintance with •Major phonological
vocabulary Accuracy features of the
target language
•Use of key
Fluency grammatical
patterns
Meaning
Sufficient
Vocabulary

10. Objective Cont’d
• accurate pronunciation and grammar
• ability to respond quickly and accurately in speech
situation
• knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to use with grammar
patterns.

11. Linguistic Lexical
syllabus syllabus
Basic
phonology vocabulary
items
morphology
syntax

12. •Contextualizing key structures; illustrate
DIALOGUES situations
•Repetition; memorization
•Repetition, inflection, replacement, restate
DRILLS ment, completion, transposition, expansion,
etc. (see p. 60-62)

13. Learner Teacher
Central & Active 
Reactive 
Teacher-dominated
responding to stimuli
method
Modeling; Controlling
Little control over direction & pace of
content, pace, & style learning; monitoring &
of learning correcting learners’
performance

14. • Teacher-oriented
• Central roles: Language lab, tape-
recorders, & audio-visual equipments

15. Procedure
Presentation
(new
structure /
Pronunciation vocabulary) Reading
Revision Drilling

16. Application of ALM in Teaching
• Student’s correct imitation
• No explicit grammar instruction
• Correct output and pronunciation
• The use of target language only
• Drilling is emphasized

17. Teaching process.....
• Presentation
Dialogue
Little explanation
L1 discouraged
Errors correction
Emphasis on accuracy
Accurate repetition
Dialogue memorization

18. • Practice
 Pattern drills
 Structure mastery
 Emaphasis on fluency
• Application-----use of structure in different contecxt

19. Principles.....
• L-S-R-W
• Language skill=habit formation
• Drilling
• Structure pattern-----repetitive drill
• Error free utterance
• Kinesthetic learning style
• Daily vocabulary and sentences
• No printed words

20. STRATEGIES USING AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD
• Dialogue memorization
• Backward build up
• Transformation drill
• Complete the dialogue
• Dictation
• Flashcard
• Chain drill
• Alphabet drill

21. Using Audio-ligual Method...
(Teacher’s consideration)
• The produced sentences are similar to practiced patterns.
• Rapid drilling
• Ignoring pronunciation error in grammar practice section
• Using hand motion
• Using normal English stress and intonation
• Meaningful drilling
• drillling+alternative activity
• Do not stand in one place.

22. The decline of Audio-lingual Method
1. The theoretical foundations of Audiolingualism were
attacked as being unsound in terms of both language
theory and learning theory.
2. Practitioners found that the practical results fell short of
expectations
3. Several alternative method proposals appeared in the
1970s

23. AUDIOLINGUALISM (50’S) NEW PARADIGM (60’s):
CHOMSKY, INNATISM
Behaviourism is attacked Chomsky’s innatist position
Skinner’s ideas are criticised. Learning= making & testing
Mechanic learning is rejected. hypotheses.
Cognitive theory (mental processes)
Structuralism begins to lose Chomsky’s transformational
importance during the 60’s. generative
Language is a habit structure. grammar
Language is not a habit structure. It
involves the use of complex rules.
Chomsky focuses on competence over
performance.
The ALM does not provide good For over a decade no theoretically
results. Classes are boring and grounded method took the place of
ineffective (learners cannot ALM.
communicate in real situations) Minor methods Cognitive code, or
humanistic methods appear during the
60’s
& 70’s:TPR, Suggestopedia & Silent
way

24. The Advantages of Audiolingual Method
• Accessible for large group of learners.
• Drilling can be positively beneficial in helping a student to develop his
oral ability.
• Method leads to the development of simple techniques of varied,
graded, and intensive practice of specific features of the language,
and more scientifically selected and systematically arranged materials
and structural patterns to go with.

25. • It achieves noticeable success in developing aural comprehension and
oral fluency.
• The audiolingual theory is probably the first language teaching theory
that openly claims to be derived from linguistics and psychology.
• It develops the separation of the language skills into a pedagogical
device that is listening, speaking, reading and writing.

26. The Disadvantages of Audiolingual Method
• The theoretical basis of the Audiolingual Method was
found to be weak.
• Basic method of teaching is repetition.
• Teachers complain about the lack of effectiveness of the
techniques in the long run, and students complain about
the boredom caused by endless pattern drills.

27. • Learners have little control over the content, pace or
style of learning.
• The teacher’s role is central and active in the
Audiolingual Method.
• Materials in the Audiolingual Method are primarily
teacher-oriented.