What is perceived in the language becomes a conception; lots of oral interaction; inductive approach to grammar; vocabulary learning through pictures and associations; not much reading or writing.
THE AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD
Language learning equals habit formation; plenty of oral practice drills; contrastive analyses of languages reveal what should be studied; form (structure and pronunciation) over communicative functions (when to use what).
THE LEXICAL APPROACH
SITUATIONAL LANGUAGE TEACHING
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH
Focus on the different functions of language; differences in styles and nonverbal communication are considered; conveying meaning and proper use over structural accuracy.
THE GRAMMAR-TRANSLATION METHOD
Acquisition of high-frequency vocabulary; sentence patterns as situational tables; repetition as a way to fix knowledge in memory.
THE DIRECT METHOD
Language units should be taught in chunks; formulaic language is different from collocations; words carry meaning while grammar plays a managerial role; authenticity plays a fundamental part in language learning.
Memorization of vocabulary and passages by rote; grammar and rhetoric analyses; literary text translations; no listening or speaking.
