To my knowledge, the term "audio-lingualism" has only ever been used among
linguists.  Yes, it is based on behaviorist theory, in keeping with the
thought of the day.  We now recognize that language learning is not so
simple as memorizing the right phrases.  In addition, the dialogs used in
such listening activities are contrived by linguists, not by people in real
time, and they have very few of the features of real conversation.  This has
all been documented in the literature.

Yet, the method still persists.  Many language learning materials are
behavioristic in nature.  Many computer language programs are
stimulus-response, form driven, right/wrong.  How many times do you ask
students to "listen and repeat?"  Substitution drills, etc.  Do these not
have the same things in common: a focus on form, decontextualization, and
just plain phoniness? (Who talks that way anyway?)

I prefer instead to teach students the *skill* of *focused listening* -
listening for the LOUD words - the information words - and THEN

Have the students talk to each other - solve a problem together - using the
information from the listening.

As for what they produce linguistically, if they solved the problem together
in English, then as far as I am concerned, their communication is fine.

Kudos to you, Wanda, for using authentic listening materials!!

Eugenia

On Sat, Jun 6, 2009 at 3:31 PM, Waconda Clayworth <wclayworth at yahoo.com>wrote:


> I am a boomer senior who started to learn a second language in the

> 60s..at school..Spanish....and at that time audio lingualism was a

> refreshing

> way to not have the grammar translation that had been the only way,

> especially

> for students in Catholic schools- when I was a kid in New Mexico-at my

> secondary schools in Taos- about 85-90 percent of the population was

> Hispanic,

> 5-10% were native Americans from the Taos pueblo and others were anglos..

> I missed the period when Spanish was not allowed on school grounds, but

> heard

> of that time, so a-l became the new way to use technology in the new age...

> but as machines can be very overused, it was....and I think that in various

> other

> places as in Asia, it was used to program people...but mostly I am refering

> to

> the fact that it was supposed to make language automatic and instead was

> used autocratically...I saw over and over...in Japan, starting with the

> military

> and especially with the YMCA the misuse of tapes....(not to mention the

> not so illegal, but very acceptable Asian way of copying them)..as a way to

> use a-l for nonthinking or nondoing...My first Y Japanese boss, Mr. Shimade

> made reference to this as I was just starting out teaching....and I took it

> to heart..

> if I used a tape, I made sure it meant something to students..and it wasnt

> a way

> to fill in time, or to be the teacher directed center of attention which I

> think

> traditional teaching often is (and again, a disclaimer..there are good and

> wonderful

> ways to use lecturing and teacher centerness...think of kids who don't have

> any

> direction at home or worse neglect or abuse and come into a strong day care

> or head start situation and need a strong bossie to help them get through

> life..).

> BUT!!!how many times did I get polite groans from students about overuse of

> the tape..when I got more confident, I started teaching and really I should

> say

> faciliating without tapes...now ,,,if you are on about pronunciation ...a

> tape or

> tapes at home that have several native speakers on them and can be listened

> to again and again, they are great...I went to my Spanish and French

> language

> labs at UNM many times a week and really found them useful...So to

> summarize:

>

> If audio materials are forced on students in any way, they can be

> oppressive..

> If they are used to help students learn, focus, re-remember what they

> forgot,

> they are good..

>

> I don't even know, except in linguistic histories if the term

> audio-lingualism is

> still used today..Is it??

> waconda

>

>

>

> Peace in 2009

>

>  ------------------------------

> *From:* Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>

> *To:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <

> englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> *Sent:* Thursday, June 4, 2009 12:12:18 PM

> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 4390] Re: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as

> language learners

>

> I do not understand the term "deadly oppression of audio lingualism."

> Waconda could you please explain what this means. Thank you.

>

> Steve

>

> On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 8:25 AM, Waconda Clayworth <wclayworth at yahoo.com>wrote:

>

>>   Hi and I am not sure why this appeared on my e-mail, but certainly

>> interesting....many teachers were star students which makes them

>> interested and to use this decades current buzz- passionate about

>> what they are doing-and informed...but many students are not

>> quick studies and even if it seems tedious need to acquire and

>> get language repeatedly without the deadly oppression of audio

>> lingualism....and 100 per cent agree that learning a second

>> language even if one is a quick learner really helps a teacher

>> to be emphathetic, to really understand that languge learning

>> is more than a task to be checked off on a to-do list...

>> I have managed 2 Roman languages and struggled with

>> an Asiatic one...and not any of that was easy, but think

>> that patience besides being virtuous can also be a learned

>> asset....

>> wec

>>

>> Peace in 2009

>>

>>  ------------------------------

>> *From:* Michael A. Gyori <mgyori at mauilanguage.com>

>> *To:* The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov>

>> *Cc:* The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <

>> englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

>> *Sent:* Wednesday, June 3, 2009 7:29:29 PM

>> *Subject:* [EnglishLanguage 4384] Re: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as

>> language learners

>>

>> I'm also posting this interaction to the Adult ELL list, as it primarily

>> belongs there, I believe...

>>

>> Hello Gail,

>>

>> I believe that ESL teachers should have experience learning a second

>> language at least as a foreign language, and ideally as a second language

>> (by having had to live for some time in a non-English speaking country).

>> My

>> sense if that at least many ESL teachers would further enhance their

>> teaching abilities by having themselves experienced what they teach.  The

>> challenges presented by learning how to play the piano or soccer are of a

>> different kind and may not directly inform issues related to L2

>> acquisition.

>>

>>

>> Thanks,

>>

>> Michael

>> www.mauilanguage.com

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>> Behalf Of Troy, Gail

>> Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 9:40 AM

>> To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>> Subject: [Technology 2056] Re: teachers as language learners

>>

>> Learning other languages (bilingualism) is good; but, teachers need to

>> learn something out of their comfort zone. That may be another language,

>> playing an instrument, learning a sports skill, higher math etc; then

>> the teacher will experience the frustrations that the student

>> experiences.

>>

>> Gail Troy, M.Ed

>> Nelson County Adult GED

>>

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov]

>> On Behalf Of Paul Rogers

>> Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 2:15 PM

>> To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>> Subject: [Technology 2049] teachers as language learners

>>

>>

>> Steve Kaufmann raises a very important point: teachers need to learn

>> other languages.

>> I refer to it as "putting the shoe on the other foot".

>> Paul Rogers

>> 805-258-3310

>> pumarosa21 at yahoo.com

>> PUMAROSA.COM <http://pumarosa.com/>

>>

>>

>> --- On Tue, 6/2/09, Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com> wrote:

>>

>> > From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>

>> > Subject: [Technology 2039] Re: Day 2 question to the list

>> > To: "The Technology and Literacy Discussion List"

>> <technology at nifl.gov>

>> > Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 9:20 AM

>> >

>> > I would also suggest that language teachers be asked to

>> > spend a little time learning another language using

>> > technology.

>> > On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 7:12 AM,

>> > <adam.kieffer at spps.org>

>> > wrote:

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> > "What will it take to help our colleagues (teachers

>> > and administrators) try

>> >

>> > technology infused teaching and learning, too?"

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> > I've had the role of technology coordinator for

>> > about a year now at my

>> >

>> > school, which is the center of a larger, urban ABE program

>> > and I'm a

>> >

>> > teacher by training. It's been one of my primary roles

>> > to do just what the

>> >

>> > above question poses. During my experience the past year, I

>> > noticed that

>> >

>> > several things are needed to help colleagues infuse

>> > technology into both

>> >

>> > their teaching and learning:

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> > 1. a desire to learn

>> >

>> > 2. a positive culture of learning in the school/site

>> >

>> > 3. an administration that values, and therefore plans and

>> > budgets for,

>> >

>> > hardware, tech training and development and expects tech

>> > and computer

>> >

>> > competency from staff and new hires

>> >

>> > 4. time (for change, for training, for practice, for things

>> > to grow)

>> >

>> > 5. persistance

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> > -Adam Kieffer

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> > ----------------------------------------------------

>> >

>> > National Institute for Literacy

>> >

>> > Technology and Literacy mailing list

>> >

>> > Technology at nifl.gov

>> >

>> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please

>> > go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>> >

>> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> > --

>> > Steve Kaufmann

>> > www.thelinguist.blogs.com

>> > www.kpwood.com

>> > 604-922-8514

>> >

>> >

>> > -----Inline Attachment Follows-----

>> >

>> > ----------------------------------------------------

>> > National Institute for Literacy

>> > Technology and Literacy mailing list

>> > Technology at nifl.gov

>> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please

>> > go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>> > Email delivered to pumarosa21 at yahoo.com

>>

>>

>>

>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> National Institute for Literacy

>> Technology and Literacy mailing list

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>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

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>> Email delivered to gtroy at nelson.k12.va.us

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>> Email delivered to mgyori at mauilanguage.com

>>

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>>

>>

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>>

>

>

>

> --

> Steve Kaufmann

> www.thelinguist.blogs.com

> www.kpwood.com

> 604-922-8514

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult English Language Learners mailing list

> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

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> Email delivered to eugenia.fitzgerald at gmail.com

>

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