Question

The Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) is strongly influenced by which school of thought in psychology?

• A. A. Cognitive Psychology
• B. B. Humanism
• C. C. Behaviorism
• D. D. Constructivism

Answer 1

Answer:

C. C. Behaviorism

Understanding the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) and Behaviorism

• The Audio-Lingual Method (ALM), also known as the 'Army Method' or 'New Key', emerged in the United States during World War II. Its primary goal was to enable military personnel to quickly acquire conversational fluency in foreign languages for intelligence and communication purposes.
• ALM is deeply rooted in Behaviorism, a school of thought in psychology that posits learning is a process of habit formation. It gained significant traction due to the influence of prominent behaviorists like B.F. Skinner and his theory of operant conditioning.

• Key Principles from Behaviorism applied in ALM:

  • Stimulus-Response-Reinforcement (S-R-R): Language learning is viewed as the development of a set of habits. A stimulus (e.g., a teacher's prompt) elicits a response (e.g., a student's utterance), and positive reinforcement (e.g., praise, successful communication) strengthens the habit.
  • Habit Formation: Errors are immediately corrected to prevent the formation of 'bad' habits. Correct responses are reinforced to solidify 'good' habits.
  • Mimicry and Memorization: Students are encouraged to mimic native speakers' pronunciation and intonation and to memorize dialogues and sentence patterns.
  • Pattern Drills: Repetitive drills (e.g., substitution drills, transformation drills, repetition drills) are central to ALM. These drills aim to automatize correct linguistic responses.

• Prominent Figures and Related Concepts:

  • B.F. Skinner: His book "Verbal Behavior" (1957), though controversial, provided a behaviorist account of language acquisition, arguing that language is learned through imitation and reinforcement.
  • Leonard Bloomfield: A prominent structural linguist whose work, especially his book "Language" (1933), influenced the linguistic component of ALM, focusing on descriptive analysis of language structures rather than meaning in context.
  • ALM combines principles of structural linguistics (focus on form, phonology, morphology, and syntax) with behaviorist psychology (habit formation through repetition and reinforcement).

• Characteristics of ALM in Practice:

  • Emphasis on Oral Skills: Speaking and listening are prioritized over reading and writing, with a focus on pronunciation and intonation.
  • Dialogue Memorization: Learners often memorize short dialogues as a basis for communication.
  • Limited Grammar Explanation: Grammar rules are often induced from patterns rather than explicitly taught, or taught through analogy.
  • Teacher-Centered: The teacher acts as the model and controller of the learning process.
  • Focus on Accuracy: Accuracy in pronunciation and grammatical structures is highly valued.
• Despite its initial success, particularly in the post-WWII era, ALM faced criticism for its lack of focus on meaningful communication, creativity, and the cognitive processes involved in language learning, leading to the development of communicative approaches. However, its historical significance in language teaching methodology remains crucial for competitive exams.