Natural Approach.
Natural Approach.
Natural Approach.
Based on the use of languages in communicative situations without recourse to the native
language. Therefore, with no reference to grammar analysis, grammatical drilling, or to a
particular theory of grammar. Such approaches have been called natural, psychological,
phonetic, new, reform, direct, analytic, and imitative and so forth.
In the Natural Approach, there is an emphasis on Exposure, or input, rather than practice,
optimizing emotional preparedness for learning, a prolonged period of attention to what the
language learners hear before they try to produce language and, a willingness to use written
and other materials as a source of comprehensible input. The Natural Approach is one of
the Comprehension-based Approaches
OBJECTIVES
To help adults in learning the foreign language naturally. The learner will be able to pick
up the grammar by himself or herself when they are ready.
THEORIES
When the learner can check and correct language output. Conscious learning can function
only as a monitor or editor that checks and repairs the output of the acquired system.
Limits to success: Time. There must be sufficient time for a learner to choose and apply a
learned rule. Focus on form. The language user must be focused on correctness or on the
form of the output. Knowledge of rules. The performer must know the rules. The monitor
does best with rules that are simple in two ways. They must be simply describe and they
must not require complex movements and rearrangements.
The acquisition of languages are in a predictable order. Everybody have the same steps of
learning acquisition. It explains the relationship between what the learner is exposed to of a
language (the input) and language acquisition. The hypothesis relates to acquisition, and
not to learning. People acquire language best by understanding input that is slightly beyond
their current level of competence by understanding language containing I + 1 (Krashen &
Terrell, 1983). Clues based on the situation and the context, extra linguistic in formation,
and knowledge of the world make comprehension possible. The ability to speak fluently
cannot be taught directly, it "emerges" independently in time, after the acquirer has built up
linguistic competence by understanding input. If there is a sufficient quantity of
comprehensible input, I+1 will usually be provided automatically. Comprehensible input
refers to utterances that the learner understands based on the context in which they are used.
Input need not to be tuned to a learners current level of linguistic competence and in fact
cannot be so finely tuned in a language class, where learners will be at many different
levels of competence.
When the learners emotional state can act as a filter that can prevent input from reaching
the learners language acquisition device. Krashen sees the learner's emotional state or
attitudes as an adjustable filter that freely passes, impedes, or blocks input necessary to
acquisition. Motivation. Learners with high motivation generally do better. Self-confidence.
Learners with self-confidence and a good self-image tend to be more successful. Anxiety.
Low personal anxiety and low classroom anxiety are more conducive to second language
acquisition. Acquirers with a low affective filter seek and receive more input, interact with
confidence, and are more receptive to the input they receive. The affective filter said to rise
in early adolescence, and this may account for children's apparent superiority to older
acquirers of a second language
Characteristics
The goal of the approach is aimed at the goal of basic personal communication skills
conversations, shopping, listening to the radio, etc. Learners move through three stages:
The last stage extends the production into longer stretches of discourse.
The silent period encourages the delay of oral production until speech emerges.
The Natural Approach encourages the teacher not to insist that learners speak right away.
The Natural Approach blends well with things like TPR, which builds the learners
language and does not force them into risk-taking situation, which could embarrass them.
Role of teacher:
The teacher is seen as responsible for collecting materials and designing their use,
based not just on teacher perceptions but on elicited student needs and interests.
Activities.
For beginners:
Pointing, handing objects, writing or drawing, standing, walking, sitting down
Like listening, reading, tasks that learners order pictures, follow written
instruction or maps.
Techniques
Using inputs like pictures, objects Mime, Body language, Audio-visual aids,
memorizing.
Advantages
Disadvantages
It does not suit for those who do not have much time.
REFERENCES
Krashen and Terrell, selections from The Natural Approach ...En lnea en:
www.osea-cite.org/.../SELT_Reading_Krashen_.pdf. Accesado el 20 de
abril del 2016.