Although various writers emphasize different aspects of this theory, five basic tenets of the audio-lingual approach emerge from the implications discussed in the preceding section. 5
1. The goal is to develop in the students the same types of abilities that native speakers have. That is, the students should reach the point at which they can handle language at an unconscious level. As Brooks (1964, pp. 49, 62) puts it, " The single paramount fact about language learning is that it concerns, not problem solving, but the formation and performance of habits ." He also states that . . the acquisition of nonthoughtful responses is the very core of successful language learning. . . ."
2. In order to achieve their goal, audio-lingual proponents advocate teaching the second language without referring to the first-language system. The new language skills are to be developed in the contexts in which they occur in that language. Brooks (1964) regards the grammar-translation method as being "compound" teaching: i.e., the two languages are constantly associated with each other. Instead of this approach, he proposes that a "coordinate" system be developed in the students. That is, the new language system is to be established separate from that of the first language.
In order to accomplish this separation of languages, the first language is banned from the classroom, and a "cultural island" is maintained.
3. The desired skills are acquired basically by setting up teaching-learning situations in which the students are conditioned to give correct responses to oral or written stimuli. They must not be allowed time to think about their answers. If there is any hesitation, the teacher should turn to another student or have the entire class repeat the correct answer. The basic task boils down to one of establishing automatic, nonthoughtful responses to language stimuli. For example, if the teacher greets her students with "Good morning. How are you?", they do not think to themselves, "Gee, she used an irregular verb in the second person plural of the present tense.
Now we must answer with the same verb in the same tense, but in the first person singular," before replying, "I'm fine, thanks." They have learned to talk without paying attention to the way language is put together. Their native language is a habit with them. They must learn to use the second language in the same manner. The very core of audio-lingual teaching is to condition the same types of responses by means of dialog memorization
and pattern drills. In these drills, the students are given a stimulus, they respond chorally or individually to the stimulus, and then they are immediately reinforced by hearing the correct reply. Gradually they are conditioned to supply the appropriate form of the verb to correspond to Yo , )e, Ich or whatever without consciously making that selection based on some grammatical explanation.
4. Pattern drills are to be taught without explanation. That is, the students practice the patterns before having the structure explained to them. The purpose of the drill is to establish a nonthinking response. Knowledge of the rule, according to audio-lingual proponents, only impedes the students' progress. Experience with the native language has proven that one cannot use a language and think about its constructions at the same time. Therefore, the generalization is given only after the students have been thoroughly drilled in the pattern, and then only in brief terms. The complete explanations of the grammar-translation method are not used.
5. In developing the four language skills, the teacher follows the "natural sequence" that the students followed in learning their own language. That is, the students first learn to understand, then to speak, later to read, and finally to write. In the elementary levels, the pupils are to say nothing that they have not heard, read nothing that they have not spoken, and write nothing that they have not read. Thus, many audio-lingual classes begin with a prereading period, and most try to maintain the sequence of language skills throughout the year. Of the four skills, the oral skills are more important than the written. However, the written skills are not omitted. They are simply taught later, and less importance is attached to them.