The document summarizes the Natural Approach, a philosophy of language teaching developed by Tracy Terrel and Stephen Krashen in the 1970s-1980s. It focuses on developing communicative competence through comprehensible input, using activities that enhance acquisition. The teacher emphasizes listening initially and allows for natural stages of speech production, without forcing early speech. The affective filter is important to help lower students' anxiety levels. The approach was later associated with more traditional methods but focused on principles of natural language acquisition.

1. Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador
Instituto Pedagógico de Caracas
Departamento de Idiomas Modernos
Programa Inglés
Cátedra de Lingüística
Didáctica del Inglés como Lengua Extranjera
Natural Approach
Arianny Rodríguez
Caracas, Marzo 2014

2. As stated from the very first proposal, the Natural
Approach is a philosophy of language teaching attempting to
the development of the “naturalistic” principles involved in the
acquisition of a second language.

4. 1977
• Tracy Terrel’s proposal for a new
“phislosophy” in language teaching
1983
• After a theoretical development hand to hand with
Stephen Krashen and Terrel publishes The Natural
Approach
Later on
• Association of the approach to traditional ones and
stated the different categories at a fisrt sight, mixed to
the Natural Method wich later on became the Direct
Method
Background

5. principles
Focuses on developing
communicative competence
rather than grammatical
perfection
At the beginning of class,
the emphasis is on listening.
Activities that enhance the
process of language
acquisition are the main part
of the class (input).
The affective filter is
especially useful.
Early speech goes through
natural stages (yes or no
response, one- word answers,
lists of words, short phrases,
complete sentences.)
Speech production comes
slowly and is never forced

6. Teacher Student

7. references
Krashen, S. und Terrell, T. The Natural Approach. Language Acquisition in
the classroom Hayward: Alemany Press, 1983
Richards, Jack and Rodgers, Theodore (2001) Approaches & Methods
In Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Braun, Estela (2009) online resource:
http://www.slideshare.net/lilianamonserrat/the-natural-approach