Chapter 5 The Oral Approach

General Ideas The Oral Approach / Situational Language Teaching means an approach to language teaching developed by British applied linguists from the 1930s to the 1960s.

It is a grammar-based method in which principles of grammatical and lexical gradation are used and new teaching points presented and practiced through meaningful situation-based activities.

General Ideas Although no longer in fashion, techniques derived from this approach have shaped the design of many widely used EFL/ESL textbooks. It is of significance to understand the practices and principles of this approach.

1) This approach originated in Britain in the 1920s. Background 1) This approach originated in Britain in the 1920s. 2) Harold Palmer and A. S. Hornby were the most important and influential figures. 3) They were dissatisfied with the Direct Method. 4) Another objective was to develop principles of vocabulary control. 5) Frequency counts showed that a core of 2000 words occurred frequently in daily use and written texts.

9) Sentences patterns used to have oral practice. Background 6) Organization of the grammar content of a language course should be based on the principle of gradation. 7) Their view of grammar was very different from that of the Grammar-Translation Method. 8) Students acquire a little information at a time and learn to make meaningful statements. 9) Sentences patterns used to have oral practice.

Theoretical Basis

1) It can be characterized as a type of British “structuralism”. Theory of language 1) It can be characterized as a type of British “structuralism”. 2) Language as speech/Language was identified with speech, and speech ability was approached through oral practice of structure.

3) Language as rule-governed/British linguists believe that elements in a language were rule-governed/lower level systems of word classes (nouns, adjectives, and so on) led to higher level systems of phrases and sentences.

Theory of language 4) Emphasis on the close relationship between the structure, context and situation. 5) Primary importance attached to meaning, context and situation.

2) Language learning in revelopment of literacy Theory of learning 1) Behaviourist habit formation/Foreign language learning was considered basically a process of habit formation. 2) Language learning in revelopment of literacy

4) Naturalistic principles for classroom teaching Theory of learning 3) The habit formation of foeal life and language learning in the classroom: the acquisition of spoken language and the foreign language speech patterns 4) Naturalistic principles for classroom teaching 5) Direct and spontaneous uses of the target language

Basic principles

1) Language teaching begins with the spoken language Main features 1) Language teaching begins with the spoken language 2) The target language is the language of instruction. 3) New language is introduced and practiced in situations. 4) Speech habit is formed in the initial period of a language course.

5) Accuracy is maintained. 6) Common core words are covered. Main features 5) Accuracy is maintained. 6) Common core words are covered. 7) Simple forms of grammar are taught before complex ones, and inductively. 8) Reading and writing are introduced learning later.

Deciding on the content of learning Setting the space Teachers’ role Deciding on the content of learning Setting the space Setting up situations Model in the presentation stage Error detector in the practice stage & grammar.

The objectives of language teaching are to help the students: to get a practical command of the four basic skills of a language; to obtain accuracy in pronunciation

1) New sentences patterns presented in situations Techniques 1) New sentences patterns presented in situations 2) Drill-based practice 3) Guided repetition 4) Substitution activities 5) Dictation 6) Controlled reading and writing tasks

3) Individual imitation 4) Isolation 5) Building up to a new model Procedures 1) Listening 2) Choral imitation 3) Individual imitation 4) Isolation 5) Building up to a new model 6) Elicitation 7) Substitution drills 8) Question-answer drills 9) Correction

Summary and Comments

1) The first attempt to establish theoretical principles Advantages 1) The first attempt to establish theoretical principles 2) Developing a methodological framework for the first time

Disadvantages Not concentrated with appropriateness or rules for use in real discourse

1) What is the goal of teachers who use the Oral Approach? Discussion 1) What is the goal of teachers who use the Oral Approach? 2) What are some of the characteristics of this approach that make it so distinctive from the Direct Method?