Definition

1. Adjective: Relating to or characteristic of a language teaching method that emphasizes listening and speaking skills through repetition and pattern drills, often to the exclusion of explicit grammar instruction.

Usage

• The audio-lingual method was widely used in the mid-20th century.
• Our language lab is designed for audio-lingual practice.
• Critics argue that the audio-lingual approach neglects reading and writing.

Examples

• The teacher used an audio-lingual technique, having students repeat dialogues until they were memorized.
• This course follows an audio-lingual philosophy, so we will focus heavily on pronunciation drills.
• Is there any evidence that the audio-lingual method is effective for long-term language acquisition?

Advanced Usage

• Audio-lingual habit formation: A key theory behind the method, positing that language learning is a process of forming correct habits through stimulus-response reinforcement.
• Audio-lingual drills: Specific exercises, such as substitution drills, where a word in a sentence pattern is replaced with another.

Variants and Related Words

• Audio-lingualism (n): The theory or practice of using the audio-lingual method.
• Audio-lingually (adv): In a manner relating to the audio-lingual method (e.g., The class was taught audio-lingually).

Synonyms

• Aural-oral: Pertaining to listening and speaking.
• Pattern-based: Focusing on grammatical patterns through repetition.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Direct Method: Another language teaching method that also emphasizes oral skills but avoids translation and favors immersion.
• Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): A subsequent teaching approach that often contrasts with the audio-lingual method by prioritizing meaningful communication over rote drills.

Adjective

1. of or relating to a method of teaching language that focuses on listening and speaking