Write any two main features of the Audio Lingual method of language teaching.

The Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) of language teaching emerged in the mid-20th century and gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the United States. This method emphasizes the importance of oral skills and habit formation through intensive listening and speaking practice. Here are two main features of the Audio-Lingual Method:

1. Emphasis on Oral Skills and Listening Comprehension:

One key feature of the Audio-Lingual Method is its strong emphasis on developing oral proficiency and listening comprehension. This method prioritizes the acquisition of speaking and listening skills over written language skills. The rationale behind this emphasis is rooted in behaviorist theories of learning, which suggest that language learning is a habit-forming process akin to learning to drive or play a musical instrument.

• Listening Practice: Learners engage in extensive listening activities where they hear native speakers use the target language in authentic contexts. Audio materials such as dialogues, recordings, and drills are used to expose learners to the sounds, intonation, and rhythm of the language.

• Speaking Practice: Speaking activities are central to the Audio-Lingual Method. Learners are encouraged to mimic native speaker models and engage in repetitive drills to practice language patterns and structures. This approach aims to develop automaticity in speaking and improve pronunciation accuracy.

• Pattern Drills: Language structures and vocabulary are practiced through pattern drills, where learners repeat sentences or phrases with slight variations. These drills reinforce language patterns and help learners internalize grammatical structures.

2. Behaviorist Techniques and Reinforcement:

Another distinctive feature of the Audio-Lingual Method is its reliance on behaviorist principles of learning. According to behaviorism, language learning involves the formation of new habits through stimulus-response associations and reinforcement.

• Repetitive Practice: Learners engage in repetitive practice of language patterns and structures to reinforce correct usage. This repetition is believed to strengthen neural connections and facilitate language acquisition.

• Positive and Negative Reinforcement: Teachers provide immediate feedback to learners, reinforcing correct responses and correcting errors. Positive reinforcement (e.g., praise, rewards) is used to encourage desired language behavior, while negative reinforcement (e.g., correction of errors) helps learners self-correct and improve accuracy.

• Avoidance of Native Language: The Audio-Lingual Method discourages the use of learners' native language (the "mother tongue") during instruction. This approach aims to create an immersive language environment that promotes target language use and reduces interference from the native language.

Critique and Limitations:

While the Audio-Lingual Method has its strengths, it also has notable limitations:

• Limited Focus on Meaning: The method's heavy emphasis on form and structure sometimes neglects the importance of meaning and communicative competence.

• Rote Memorization: Excessive reliance on repetitive drills and memorization can lead to rote learning without deeper understanding or critical thinking.

• Lack of Authentic Communication: Learners may struggle to apply language skills in real-life communicative situations due to limited exposure to authentic language use.

In summary, the Audio-Lingual Method emphasizes oral skills development through extensive listening and speaking practice. It utilizes behaviorist techniques such as repetitive drills and reinforcement to promote language acquisition. While this method has been influential in language teaching history, modern approaches often integrate its principles with communicative and task-based methods to provide a more balanced and comprehensive language learning experience.