1. ZaBrina Bridges Monday, September 14, 2009 The Natural Approach: Summing it up! Language forces us to perceive the world as man presents it to us. ~Julia Penelope The Natural Approach was developed in the 1980's by Tracy Terrell and Stephen Krashen. It is based on the idea that what happens when an individual acquires a second language is very much like what happens when they acquired their first language. In this approach there is a focus on content rather than a focus on form. The goal of the Natural Approach is to develop Basic Interpersonal communicative skills. (BICS) It is my perception that the levels of the Natural Approach are very useful, not only for new instructors of ELL students but, for seasoned ones as well due to the constant changes in education. Not only does it give you the cognition level of students but, also effective strategies to get them to understand the material. This approach contains the theory that students pass through 4 levels of language acquisition. The four stages are: Level 1: The Pre-Production PhaseLevel 2: The Early Production PhaseLevel 3: The Speech Emergence PhaseLevel 4: The Intermediate Fluency Phase Let’s begin with the Preproduction Level, the first level of the Approach. Students in this level are just beginning to learn the English Language. They are believed to be shy and respond non-verbally. It is advised to use lots of pictures and objects at this level and speak very simply. Level 2, Early Production are students with knowledge of one or two words responses in English. These students use 10% more expressive words than level 1. It is recommended that they are put in small groups for learning, this can also help with practicing English. Level 3, Speech Emergence are students who are exposed to English for one to three years. They can communicate using phrases and sentences. They are able to answer questions using complex responses. And, finally the Intermediate Fluency, Level 4 which states that students are exposed to the English language for at least three to four years. These students have the ability to understand English for academic purposes. They are able to analyze, write essays, and solve complex problems.
