The Natural Approach, followed by development of The Natural Approach, followed by development of

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), resulted in less-Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), resulted in less-

structured and more natural, communicative and experimental structured and more natural, communicative and experimental

approaches and pointed to the importance of early real-world approaches and pointed to the importance of early real-world

human interaction in foreign language learning.human interaction in foreign language learning.

• -- Speech is often ungrammatical. Speech is often ungrammatical. Requiring oral speech to be grammatically Requiring oral speech to be grammatically “correct” may serve to make it “artificial.”“correct” may serve to make it “artificial.”

-- The Natural Approach is therefore The Natural Approach is therefore setting language learning at an setting language learning at an Intermediate or survival kind of language Intermediate or survival kind of language learning in order to lower anxiety and learning in order to lower anxiety and stress.stress.

-- Beginning language instruction should Beginning language instruction should focus on immediate communicative focus on immediate communicative competence rather than on grammatical competence rather than on grammatical perfectionperfection

-- Affective rather than cognitive Affective rather than cognitive factors are primary to language factors are primary to language learning.learning.

-- An important key to language An important key to language learning is building a large vocabulary.learning is building a large vocabulary.

-- Design classroom activities to evoke Design classroom activities to evoke communication.communication.

-- Use simplified speech at first:Use simplified speech at first:

◦ -use yes/no questions, tag questions*, forced -use yes/no questions, tag questions*, forced choice (either/or) questions, and questions choice (either/or) questions, and questions with a sample answer providedwith a sample answer provided**It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?

-- Preproduction phase*Preproduction phase*◦ Listening comprehension practiceListening comprehension practice◦ No requirement to speak in TL (early)No requirement to speak in TL (early)

**This phase lasts about five class hours for This phase lasts about five class hours for university students, but may last several university students, but may last several months for younger students.months for younger students.

◦ -Comprehension achieved through -Comprehension achieved through contextual guessing, TPR techniques, use contextual guessing, TPR techniques, use of gestures/visual aids, data gleaned from of gestures/visual aids, data gleaned from personalized student inputpersonalized student input

-- One technique used is to describe a One technique used is to describe a person in terms of physical attributes and person in terms of physical attributes and have student stand up when they recognized have student stand up when they recognized he was describing them.he was describing them.

-- After the pre-production phase, these After the pre-production phase, these techniques can be used as warm ups for techniques can be used as warm ups for individual classesindividual classes

-- Early speech production:Early speech production:◦ -Occurs after students know about -Occurs after students know about

500 words500 words

◦ -Begin production activities with yes/no, -Begin production activities with yes/no, single word, or questions in which you have single word, or questions in which you have provided the choicesprovided the choices

Speech emergenceSpeech emergence

◦ -- Occurs after early speech Occurs after early speech production phaseproduction phase

◦ -- Achievement of this level is Achievement of this level is encouraged through games, encouraged through games, personalized activities, and personalized activities, and information and problem-solving information and problem-solving activities—no error correction givenactivities—no error correction given

This approach is geared This approach is geared toward toward proficiency, however, the lack of error proficiency, however, the lack of error correction may reduce the level of correction may reduce the level of proficiency. Many authors suggest ways proficiency. Many authors suggest ways to overcome these problems in a variety to overcome these problems in a variety of adaptations.of adaptations.