1. Oral Approach
Language education is the teaching and learning of a foreign or second language.
Language education is a branch of applied linguistics. The Oral Approach or Situational
Language Teaching is an approach developed by British applied linguists in the 1930s
to the 1960s. The Oral Approach relied on the structural view of language. Both speech
and structure were seen to be the basis of language and, especially on the speaking
ability.
Background
The origins of this approach began with the work of British applied linguists in the
1920s and 1930s. Beginning at this time, a number of outstanding applied linguists
developed the basis for a principled approach to methodology in language teaching.
Two of the leaders in this movement were Harold Palmer and A. S. Hornby, two of the
most prominent figures in British twentieth-century language teaching. Both were
familiar with the work of such linguists as Otto Jespersen and Daniel Jones, as well as
with the Direct Method.
Vocabulary and grammar control
Oral Approach aims at the achievement of these objectives:
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a practical command of the four basic skills of a language, through structure
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accuracy in both pronunciation and grammar
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ability to respond quickly and accurately in speech situations
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automatic control of basic structures and sentence patterns.
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establishing and maintaining social relations
expressing one's reactions
hiding one's intentions
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talking one's way out of trouble
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seeking & giving information
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learning or teaching others to do or make tasks and works.
Advantages
Although Situational Language Teaching was developed during the 1930s, it still
attracts the interest of many teachers. Its strong emphasis on oral practice, grammar
and sentence patterns conform to the intuitions of many practically oriented classroom
teachers.
Disadvantages
The views of language and language learning underlying Situational Language
Teaching were called into question. Chomsky (1957) showed that the structural and the
behaviour approaches to language were wrong and do not account for the fundamental
characteristic of language namely the creativity and uniqueness of individual
sentences. Children do not acquire their mother tongue through repetition and habit
formation. There must be an innate predisposition that lead them to a certain kind
about the linguistic competence.
2. Krashen's Theory of Second Language Acquisition
Krashen's theory of second language acquisition consists of five main hypotheses:
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The Acquisition-Learning hypothesis
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The Monitor hypothesis
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The Natural Order hypothesis
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The Input hypothesis
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The Affective Filter hypothesis.
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The Acquisition-Learning hipótesis
Learning a language, on the other hand, is a conscious process, much like what one
experiences in school. According to Krashen there are two independent systems of
second language performance: 'the acquired system' and 'the learned system'. The
'acquired system' or 'acquisition' is the product of a subconscious process very similar
to the process children undergo when they acquire their first language.
It requires meaningful interaction in the target language in which speakers are
concentrated in the communicative act. The 'learned system' is the product of formal
instruction and it comprises a conscious process which results in conscious knowledge
'about' the language, for example knowledge of grammar rules. According to Krashen
'learning' is less important than 'acquisition'.
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The Monitor hipótesis
The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning.
The monitoring function is the practical result of the learned grammar. The 'monitor'
acts in a planning, editing and assessment function when three specific conditions are
know: that is, the second language learner has sufficient time at their disposal, their
focus on form or thinks about correctness, and they knows the rule.
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The Natural Order hypothesis
The Natural Order hypothesis is based on research findings which suggested that the
acquisition of grammatical structures follows a predictable order. This order seemed to
be independent of the learners' age, first language background and conditions of
exposure. Krashen however points out that the implication of the natural order
hypothesis is not that a language program syllabus should be based on the order found
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in the studies. In fact, he rejects grammatical sequencing when the goal is language
acquisition.
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The Input hypothesis
The Input Hypothesis is one of five hypotheses of second language acquisition
proposed by Stephen Krashen.The Input hypothesis is Krashen's attempt to explain
how the learner acquires a second language. In other words, this hypothesis is
Krashen's explanation of how second language acquisition takes place. For example, if
a learner is at a stage 'i', then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to
'Comprehensible Input' that belongs to level 'i + 1'. The more input they heard the more
Input they will produce. The +1 represents new knowledge that we should be ready to
learn and to acquire.
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The Affective Filter hypothesis
Affective Filter hypothesis, embodies Krashen's view that a number of 'affective
variables' play a facilitative, but non-causal, role in second language acquisition. These
variables include: motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. Krashen claims that learners
with high motivation, self-confidence, a good self-image, and a low level of anxiety are
better prepared for success in second language acquisition.
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