The document compares the Audiolingual Method and Communicative Language Teaching approaches. The Audiolingual Method focuses on form, memorization of dialogues, preventing errors, and teacher control. Communicative Language Teaching prioritizes meaning, contextualized language use, student creation of language, and the goal of effective communication. Overall, the Audiolingual Method emphasizes accuracy and habit formation, while Communicative Language Teaching stresses authentic language use and intrinsic motivation.

1. A comparison of the Audiolingual Method and Communicative Language
Teaching
(Finocchario&Brumfit, 1983)
AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING
1. Attends to structure and form more A. Drilling may occur, but peripherally
than meaning
2. Demands more memorization of B. Comprehensible pronunciation is
structure-based dialogues sought
3. Language items are not necessary C. Intrinsic motivation will spring from
contextualized an interest in what is being
communicated by the language
4. Language learning is learning D. Communicative competence is the
structures, sounds or words desired goal
5. Mastery or “overlearning” is sought E. Reading and writing can start from
the first day, if desired
6. Drilling is a central technique. F. Teacher helps learners in any way
that motivates them to work with the
language
7. Native-speaker-like pronunciation is G. Contextualization is a basic premise
sought
8. Reading and writing are deferred H. Language learning is learning to
until speech is mastered communicate
9. Linguistic competence is the desired I. Language is created by the individual
goal often through trial and error
10. The teacher controls the learners J. Effective communication is sought
and prevents them from doing
anything that conflicts with the theory
11. “Language is habit” so errors must K. The teacher can not know exactly
be prevented at all costs what language the students will use
12. The teacher is expected to specify L. Dialogues, if used, center around
the language that students are to use communicative functions and are not
normally memorized
13. Intrinsic motivation will spring M. Meaningisparamount
from an interest in the structure of the
language
Centro Cultural Colombo Americano Teacher Training Course– November 2012

2. A comparison of the Audiolingual Method and Communicative Language
Teaching
(Finocchario&Brumfit, 1983)
AUDIOLINGUAL METHOD COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE
TEACHING
Attends to structure and form more Meaningisparamount
than meaning
Demands more memorization of Dialogues, if used, center around
structure-based dialogues communicative functions and are not
normally memorized
Language items are not necessary Contextualization is a basic premise
contextualized
Language learning is learning Language learning is learning to
structures, sounds or words communicate
Mastery or “overlearning” is sought Effectivecommunicationissought
Drilling is a central technique. Drilling may occur, but peripherally
Native-speaker-like pronunciation is Comprehensiblepronunciationissought
sought
Reading and writing are deferred until Reading and writing can start from the
speech is mastered first day, if desired
Linguistic competence is the desired Communicative competence is the
goal desired goal
The teacher controls the learners and Teacher helps learners in any way that
prevents them from doing anything motivates them to work with the
that conflicts with the theory language
“Language is habit” so errors must be Language is created by the individual
prevented at all costs often through trial and error
The teacher is expected to specify the The teacher can not know exactly what
language that students are to use language the students will use
Intrinsic motivation will spring from Intrinsic motivation will spring from
an interest in the structure of the an interest in what is being
language communicated by the language
Centro Cultural Colombo Americano Teacher Training Course– November 2012