Natural Approach

Natural Approach as a Traditional Approach

Based on the use of languages in communicative situations without recourse to the native
language. Therefore, with no reference to grammar analysis, grammatical drilling, or to a
particular theory of grammar. Such approaches have been called natural, psychological,
phonetic, new, reform, direct, analytic, and imitative and so forth.

Natural Approach Natural Method.

Natural in the Direct Method: Emphasized the principles of naturalistic language

learning in young children. Similarly, the Natural Approach is believed to conform to the
naturalistic principles found in successful second language acquisition. However, it places
less emphasis on T monologues, direct repetition, and formal questions and answers, and
less focus on accurate production of target language sentences.

In the Natural Approach, there is an emphasis on Exposure, or input, rather than practice,
optimizing emotional preparedness for learning, a prolonged period of attention to what the
language learners hear before they try to produce language and, a willingness to use written
and other materials as a source of comprehensible input. The Natural Approach is one of
the Comprehension-based Approaches

OBJECTIVES

To help adults in learning the foreign language naturally. The learner will be able to pick
up the grammar by himself or herself when they are ready.

Approach Theory of Language The essence of languages is meaning. Vocabulary, not

grammar, is the heart of language. (Brown, 2007)
Krashen & Terrell Communication, as primary function of language.

Therefore, the Natural Approach is a Communicative Approach. Moreover, they were

against earlier methods that had focused on grammar. Because they were built not around
actual theories of language acquisition, but on theories of something else, e.g. the structure
of language (Krashen & Terrell, 1983).

THEORIES

The Acquisition-Learning hypothesis

The most basic steps of all in the Krashens theory.

It is the most well-known among linguists and language practitioners.
The learner has two ways of learning the second language, which are the acquired system
and the learned system.
Acquisition: The natural unconscious process to language proficiency through meaningful
communication. Learning: Conscious process in which language rules are developed
through formal teaching and correction of errors. Therefore, Learning cannot lead to
Acquisition.

The monitor hypothesis

When the learner can check and correct language output. Conscious learning can function
only as a monitor or editor that checks and repairs the output of the acquired system.
Limits to success: Time. There must be sufficient time for a learner to choose and apply a
learned rule. Focus on form. The language user must be focused on correctness or on the
form of the output. Knowledge of rules. The performer must know the rules. The monitor
does best with rules that are simple in two ways. They must be simply describe and they
must not require complex movements and rearrangements.

The Natural Order hypothesis

 When people acquire language by using grammatical structures in a predictable order.
Research has shown a certain order in first language acquisition of English, and a similar
natural order is found in second language acquisition. Errors are signs of naturalistic
developmental processes.

The input hypothesis

The acquisition of languages are in a predictable order. Everybody have the same steps of
learning acquisition. It explains the relationship between what the learner is exposed to of a
language (the input) and language acquisition. The hypothesis relates to acquisition, and
not to learning. People acquire language best by understanding input that is slightly beyond
their current level of competence by understanding language containing I + 1 (Krashen &
Terrell, 1983). Clues based on the situation and the context, extra linguistic in formation,
and knowledge of the world make comprehension possible. The ability to speak fluently
cannot be taught directly, it "emerges" independently in time, after the acquirer has built up
linguistic competence by understanding input. If there is a sufficient quantity of
comprehensible input, I+1 will usually be provided automatically. Comprehensible input
refers to utterances that the learner understands based on the context in which they are used.
Input need not to be tuned to a learners current level of linguistic competence and in fact
cannot be so finely tuned in a language class, where learners will be at many different
levels of competence.

The Affective Filter hypothesis

When the learners emotional state can act as a filter that can prevent input from reaching
the learners language acquisition device. Krashen sees the learner's emotional state or
attitudes as an adjustable filter that freely passes, impedes, or blocks input necessary to
acquisition. Motivation. Learners with high motivation generally do better. Self-confidence.
Learners with self-confidence and a good self-image tend to be more successful. Anxiety.
Low personal anxiety and low classroom anxiety are more conducive to second language
acquisition. Acquirers with a low affective filter seek and receive more input, interact with
confidence, and are more receptive to the input they receive. The affective filter said to rise
in early adolescence, and this may account for children's apparent superiority to older
acquirers of a second language

Implications of these hypotheses

As much comprehensible input as possible must he presented. Whatever helps
comprehension is important. Visual aids are useful, as is exposure to a wide range of
vocabulary rather than study of syntactic structure. The focus in the classroom should be on
listening and reading; speaking should be allowed to "emerge. In order to lower the
affective filter, student work should center on meaningful communication rather than on
form; input should be interesting and so contribute to a relaxed classroom atmosphere.

Characteristics

The goal of the approach is aimed at the goal of basic personal communication skills
conversations, shopping, listening to the radio, etc. Learners move through three stages:

The preproduction stage is the development of listening comprehension skills.

The early production stage, marked with errors.

The last stage extends the production into longer stretches of discourse.

The teacher needs to focus on meaning, not on form.

The teacher does not correct errors.

The most noteworthy characteristic is its advocacy of a silent period, where

preproduction can begin.

The silent period encourages the delay of oral production until speech emerges.
The Natural Approach encourages the teacher not to insist that learners speak right away.

The Natural Approach blends well with things like TPR, which builds the learners
language and does not force them into risk-taking situation, which could embarrass them.

Role of teacher:

Act as an authority in the class

Generator of a constant flow of language input.

Creates a classroom atmosphere that is interesting, friendly, and in which there is a

low affective filter for learning.

Imitate the first language learning process

Creatively instruct students to do activities that benefit the language learning.

The teacher is seen as responsible for collecting materials and designing their use,
based not just on teacher perceptions but on elicited student needs and interests.

Role of the Student:

Take an active role in ensuring comprehensible input

Responds to the teacher by physical action

Interact to teacher and other students.

Activities.

For beginners:
 Pointing, handing objects, writing or drawing, standing, walking, sitting down

For advanced learners:

Like listening, reading, tasks that learners order pictures, follow written
instruction or maps.

Techniques

Using inputs like pictures, objects Mime, Body language, Audio-visual aids,
memorizing.

Advantages

This method is very easy

. Reliable as its widely used

There is no grammar instruction in this method.

Disadvantages

It takes long time and learner can do only elementary things.

It does not suit for those who do not have much time.

The method rarely concerns about correctness.

REFERENCES

Krashen and Terrell, selections from The Natural Approach ...En lnea en:
www.osea-cite.org/.../SELT_Reading_Krashen_.pdf. Accesado el 20 de
abril del 2016.

The Natural Approach. En lnea en:

www2.vobs.at/ludescher/.../natural_approach.htm. Accesado el 20 de
abril del 2016.

Romeo, K. Krashen and Terrell's "Natural Approach" - Stanford University.

En lnea en:
https://web.stanford.edu/.../NaturalApproach.htm. Accesado el 20 de abril del
2016.