NATURAL METHOD
The natural approach was developed by Tracy Terrell and supported by Stephen Krashen. It is a
language teaching approach which claims that language learning is a reproduction of the way
humans naturally acquire their native language. The approach adheres to a communicative approach
to language teaching and rejects earlier methods such as the audio-lingual method and the situational
language teaching approach which Krashen and Terrell (1983) believe are not based on “actual theories
of language acquisition but theories of the structure of language.”
The Natural Approach vs The Direct Method
Although The Natural approach and the Direct Method (also called the natural method) share
some features, there are important differences. Like the direct method, the natural approach is
“believed to conform to the naturalistic principles found in second language acquisition. Unlike the
direct method, however, it places less emphasis on teacher monologues, direct repetition and formal
questions and answers, and less focus on accurate production of target language sentences.”
Theory of Language
Krashen and Terrell view communication as the primary function of language, and adhere to a
communicative approach to language teaching, focusing on teaching communicative abilities rather than
sterile language structures.
What really distinguishes the Natural approach from other methods and approaches are its premises
concerning the use of language and the importance of vocabulary:
Language is viewed as a vehicle for communicating meaning and messages.
Vocabulary is of paramount importance as language is essentially its lexicon!
This means that language acquisition cannot take place unless the acquirer understands messages in
the target language and has developed sufficient vocabulary inventory. In fact it should be easier to
reconstruct a message containing just vocabulary items than one containing just the grammatical
structures.
Theory of Learning
Krashen grounded the Natural approach on a number of theory of learning tenets.
The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
Krashen makes a distinction between acquisition and learning.
Krashen defines acquisition as developing competence by using language for real
communication. It is the natural way, paralleling first language development in children and
refers to an unconscious process that involves the naturalistic development of language
proficiency through understanding language and through using language for meaningful
communication.
Learning, however, refers to formal knowledge of a language. It is the process in which
conscious rules about a language are developed. It results in explicit knowledge about the forms
of a language and the ability to verbalize this knowledge. Formal teaching is necessary for
“learning” to occur, and correction of errors helps with the development of learned rules.
The Monitor Hypothesis
Conscious learning can function only as a monitor or editor that checks and repairs the output of the
acquired system. The Monitor Hypothesis states that we may use the learned knowledge to correct
ourselves when we communicate, but that conscious learning has only this function. Three conditions
limit the successful use of the monitor:
1. Time. Sufficient time for a learner to choose and apply a learned rule.
2. Focus on form. Focus on correctness or on the rule to be monitored.
3. Knowledge of rules. Knowing the rules is a prerequisite for the use of the monitor.
The Natural Order Hypothesis
The acquisition of grammatical structures proceeds in a predictable order. Certain grammatical
structures or morphemes are acquired before others in first language acquisition of English, and the
Natural Order Hypothesis claims that the same natural order is found in second language acquisition. It
is also believed that errors are signs of order is found in second language acquisition. It is also believed
that errors are signs of naturalistic developmental processes. Similar developmental errors occur in
learners during naturalistic development processes. Similar developmental errors occur in learners
during acquisition (but not during learning) no matter what their native language is.
The Input Hypothesis
The Input Hypothesis relates to acquisition not to learning and states that people acquire
language best by understanding input that is slightly beyond their level of competence. Krashen refers to
this by the formula L+1 (where L+1 is the stage immediately following L along some natural order.)
Comprehension is achieved through linguistic and extra linguistic context clues including knowledge
about the world, the context of the situation etc. Comprehension precedes the emergence of speaking as
fluency appears only as a result of the provision of sufficient comprehensible input. By comprehensible
input Krashen means the utterances that learners understand based on linguistic and extralinguistic
context and which consists of a sort of simplified code. He contends that when there is such
comprehensible input, language acquisition proceeds successfully. Krashen also claims that when there
is enough of such comprehensible input, L+1 will usually be provided automatically.
Affective Filter Hypothesis
There are three types of emotional attitudinal factors that may affect acquisition and that may
impede, block or freely access necessary input for acquisition. These are motivation, self confidence and
anxiety. Acquirers with high affective filter are less likely to develop competence.
In a nutshell
Teaching according to the Natural Approach involves the following principles:
Teaching according to the Natural Approach focuses on communicative abilities.
One of its objectives is to help beginners become intermediate-level users.
Vocabulary is considered prior to syntactic structures.
Use of comprehensible input must be provided.
Use of visual aids will help in comprehension.
Focus is on listening, then reading. Speaking emerges later.
Reducing the high affective filter by
o focusing on meaningful communication rather than on form.
o providing interesting comprehensible input
o The techniques used in this approach are often borrowed from other methods and adapted
to meet the requirement of the approach.
These include:
o Total Physical Response command drills.
o The Direct Method activities: mime, gestures, and context are used to elicit questions and
answers.
o Communicative Language Teaching group work activities where learners share
information to complete a task.
Conclusion
The Natural Approach belongs to a tradition of language acquisition where the naturalistic
features of L1 acquisition are utilized in L2 acquisition. It is an approach that draws a variety of
techniques from other methods and approaches to reach this goal which is one of its advantages. But the
originality of this approach does not lie in these techniques but on the emphasis on activities based on
comprehensible input and meaningful communication rather than on only grammatical mastery of
language.
