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students taught using the direct method and the ones taught using the Audio- lingual Method in SMP N 3 Purwodadi.
Those researchers are basically implementing the effectiveness of Audio- lingual Method to influence the speaking ability. Later, in this study, I intend to
conduct the similar study dealing with Audio-lingual Method. Yet, in this case, the focus of the study is on how effective the Audio-lingual method can improve
the students’ oral past tense. In addition, after reconsidering the effectiveness of using Audio-lingual
Method in teaching and learning English as a second or foreign language, I merely focus on the oral past tense of sentence pattern that affects students’ speaking
skill.
1.8 Audio-lingual Method
2.2.1 General Concept of Audio-lingual Method
Audio-lingual Method or Audio-lingualism is a theory or style of teaching used in teaching foreign languages. It is based on behaviorist theory which is the belief
that learning should be based on psychological study of observable and measurable psychology only; psychological theory based on stimulus-response
influenced audiolingualism. This concept is strongly associated with the American psychologist B. F.
Skinner 1904-1990. The philosophy behind behaviourist models is that learning takes place through interaction with the world through exposure to examples,
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possitive and negative stimuli, and then trial and error rather than from any inner faculty Hughes, 2002: 17.
This approach is similar to the previous one, the direct method. Like the direct method, the Audio-lingual Method supposed that the students are taught a
foreign language directly, without using the students native language to explain new words or grammatical rule in the target language. However, unlike the direct
method, the Audio-lingual Method doesn’t focus on teaching vocabulary. Rather, the teacher drills the students in the use of spoken grammar.
On the other hand, Freeman 2000: 37 states the Audio-lingual Method drills students in the use of grammatical sentence pattern. It indicates that the
focus of this lesson is to improve students’ target language communicatively. The The goal of this method for the students is to be able to use target language.
Meanwhile, Audio-lingual Method consists of eleven techniques which can be achieved by the students. Therefore, I intend to restrict those techniques to
be implemented in this study in order to ease the research later on. They are single-slot substitution drill and transformation drill. The consideration why I take
those techniques to be implemented in this study is to check the students’ grammatical sentence pattern especially in the simple past tense orally.
The characteristics of the Audio-lingual Method may be summed up in the following order adapted from Parator and Celce-Murcia, 1979:
1. New material is presented in dialogue form.
2. There is dependence on mimicry, memorization of set phrases, and over-
learning.
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3. Structures are sequenced by means of contrastive analysis and taught one at a
time. 4.
Structural Patterns are taught using repetitive drills. 5.
There is little or no grammatical explanation. Grammar is taught by inductive analogy rather than by deductive explanation.
6. Vocabulary is strictly limited and learned in context.
7. There is much use of tapes, language labs, and visual aids.
8. Great importance is attached to pronunciation.
9. Very little use of the mother tongue by teachers is permitted.
10. Successful responses are immediately reinforced.
11. There is a great effort to get students to produce error-free utterances.
12. There is a tendency to manipulate language and disregard content.
2.2.2 Kinds of Techniques in Audio-lingual Method
