The Natural Approach

The Natural Approach

1. Proposed by Tracy Terrell in 1977, as a new philosophy of language

   • This was an attempt to develop a language teaching proposal that incorporated the “naturalistic” principles researchers had identified in studies of second language acquisition.
   • This approach grew through the Terrel´s experience when he taught Spanish classes in California.
   • Used in several language teaching.

2. Other important exponent was Stephen Krashen. They (Terrel and Krashen) joined forces applying linguist at the University of Southern California

   • Krashen and Terrel
     • They combined practices and statements of this approach
     • Also, they wrote the book The Natural Approach that was published in 1983. It had an important interest because it contained theoretical sections about second language acquisition.
     • identified the Natural Approach with what they call “traditional” approaches to language teaching.

3. The Natural Method is another term for what by 1900 had become known as the Direct Method

   • Natural Approach and Natural Method are synonymous terms.

4. The term natural, used in reference to the Direct Method, merely emphasized that the principles underlying the method were believed to conform to the principles of naturalistic language learning in young children.

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