Inspirational story | Interview with an ELT sceptic

Paper
Russell Mayne (2022): Straw methods: clearing up misconceptions about ALM, Language & History
https://doi.org/10.1080/17597536.2022.2116264

Abstract
Much of the ELT literature presents a confused and misleading account of the history of the audiolingual method (ALM) and its theoretical origins. While mistakes are inevitable in research, this paper attempts to show that there is a tendency for the mistakes to create an overly negative ‘strawman’ portrayal of ALM. A pattern of negative associations has been built up over time and this account is so widespread as to be accepted, almost entirely uncritically, in the literature. This paper will attempt to show the numerous differences between the accepted version of ALM and reality. It will also be suggested that ALM has, through selective scholarship, become a ‘straw method’ largely presented in teachers’ resources as a foil for modern ‘enlightened’ teaching approaches.

If you’re interested in reading the original paper but don't have access to a university library (I guess that's most of us!) Russ is happy to send you a copy if you email him at russmayne@outlook.com.

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