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2.8. The Natural Approach 2.8.1. Background

As the name implies, its objective is the acąuisition óf a language as it is done by a child (naturally) without conscious knowledge of grammar rules.

The background of the Natural approach is related to research and theory into first and second language acąuisition, and attempt to apply this theory to the second language classroom. The most persuasive advocate of the acąuisitionist tradition is Stephen Krashen who along with Trący Terrell developed a method based on these principles called the Natural Approach.

Of the various principles set out by Krashen, the best known and most controversial is the suggestion that there are two distinct mental processes operating in second language development. The first of these is the acąuisition process, while the second is the learning process. The acąuisition process is very similar, if not identical, to what goes on in first language acąuisition, whereas learning is a conscious process, a device to help the leamer cope with the target language in the short term.

Acting on many of the claims of the TPR, Krashen and Terrell felt that (a) leamers would benefit from delaying production until speech “emerges“; (b) leamers should be as relaxed as possible in the classroom; and that (c) a great deal of communication and acąuisition should take place.

In fact, the Natural approach advocates the use of TPR activities at the beginning level of language learning.

There are a number of possible long-term aims of language teaching. In some cases foreign languages are leamed for orał communication, in other cases for written communication, and in still others, there may be an academic emphasis on listening to lectures, speaking in a classroom context, or writing a research paper. The Natural approach is aimed at the goal of basie personal communication skills, that is, everyday language situations -conversations, shopping, listening to the radio, etc.

The initial task of the teacher is to provide comprehensible input, i.e. spoken language that is understandable to the leamer. Learners need not say anything during this “silent period** until they feel to do so. The teacher is the source of the leamers" input and the creator of an interesting and stimulating variety of classroom activities, e.g. commands, games, and small-group work.

Leamers will move through three stages:

(1)    the pre-speaking stage in which the teacher only talks, mainly giving commands; this stage gready resembles the TPR method;

(2)    the early speech production stage, which will not take place until the leamer can recognize about 500 words; this stage is usually marked with errors as the leamer struggles with the language; the teacher focuses on meaning here, not on form, and therefore the teacher does not correct errors during this stage,

(3)    the last, the speech emergence stage, aims at promoting fluency through morę complex games, role-plays, open-ended dialogues, discussions, and extended small-group work. Errors are not corrected; the faulty sentence is rephrased by the teacher.

The most controversial aspects of the Natural approach are its “silent period** and its treatment of errors. The delay of orał production until speech “emerges** has shortcomings. What about the student whose speech never emerges? How does a teacher manage a classroom efficiently with “slow movers“ and “fast movers“? There is, however, the good advice that for a period of time, while the leamers are getting accustomed with the new language, their silence is beneficial. But there may come a point where the teacher has to be morę directive in urging students to speak, in order not to leave some behind.

The Natural approach is a method of second language teaching proposed by Krashen and Terrell. Its principles:

•    emphasise natural communication rather than formal grammar study,

•    are tolerant of learners' errors,

•    emphasise the informal acąuisition of language rules. (Richards 1992: 242)^;'

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