The Natural Approach

The Natural Method is another term for what by 1900 had become
15. The Natural Approach known as the Direct Method (see Chapter 1). It is described in a report on
the state of the art in language teaching commissioned by the Modern
Language Association in 1901 (the report of the "Committee of 12"):
In its extreme form the method consisted of a series of monologues by the
teacher interspersed with exchanges of question and answer between the in-
structor and the pupil - all in the foreign language.... A great deal of pan-
tomime accompanied the talk. With the aid of this gesticulation, by attentive
listening and by dint of much repetition the learner came to associate certain
acts and objects with certain combinations of the sounds and finally reached
Backgrounp
the point of reproducing the foreign words or phrases.... Not until a con-
In 1977, Tracy Terrell, a teacher of Spanish in California, outlined "a siderable familiarity with the spoken word was attained was the scholar al-
proposal for a 'new' philosophy of language teaching which [he] called lowed to see the foreign language in print. The study of grammar was reserved
the Natural Approach" (Terrell 1977; 1982: 121). This was an attempt to for a still later period. (Cole 1931: 58)
develop a language teaching proposal that incorporated the "naturalis- The term natural, used in reference to the Direct Method, merely empha-
tic" principles researchers had identified in studies of second language
sized that the principles underlying the method were believed to conform
acquisition. The Natural Approach grew out of Terrell's experiences
tothe principles of naturalistic language learning in young children. Sim-
teaching Spanish classes, although it has also been used in elementary- to ilarly, the Natural Approach, as defined by Krashen and Terrell, is be-
advanced-level classes and with several other languages. At the same lieved to conform to the naturalistic principles found in successful second
time, he joined forces with Stephen Krashen, an applied linguist at the
language acquisition. Unlike the Direct Method, however, it places less
University of Southern California, in elaborating a theoretical rationale
emphasis on teacher monologues, direct repetition, and formal questions
for the Natural Approach, drawing on Krashen's influential theory of
and answers, and less focus on accurate production of target-language
second language acquisition. Krashen and Terrell's combined statement
sentences. In the Natural Approach there is an emphasis on exposure, or
of the principles and practices of the Natural Approach appeared in their
input, rather than practice; optimizing emotional preparedness for learn-
book The Natural Approach, published in 1983. The Natural Approach
ing; a prolonged period of attention to what the language learners hear
attracted a wider interest than some of the other innovative language
before they try to produce language; and a willingness to use written and
teaching proposals discussed in this book, largely because of its support other materials as a source of comprehensible input. The emphasis on the
by Krashen. Krashen and Terrell's book contains theoretical sections
central role of comprehension in the Natural Approach links it to other
prepared by Krashen that outline his views on second language acquisi-
comprehension-based approaches in language teaching (see Chapter 5).
tion (Krashen 1981; 1982), and sections on implementation and class-
room procedures, prepared largely by Terrell.
Krashen and Terrell identified the Natural Approach with what they Approach
call "traditional" approaches to language teaching. Traditional. ap-
proaches are defined as "based on the use of language in communicative Theory of language
-
situations without recourse to the native language" and, perhaps, need-
Krashen and Terrell see communication as the primary function of lan-
less to say, without reference to grammatical analysis, grammatical drill-
guage, and since their approach focuses on teaching communicative abil-
ing, or a particular theory of grammar. Krashen and Terrell noted that
ities, they refer to the Natural Approach as an example of a communicа-
such "approaches have been called natural, psychological, phonetic, new,
tive approach. The Natural Approach "is similar to other communicative
reform, direct, analytic, imitative and so forth" (Krashen and Terreli
approaches being developed today" (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 17).
1983: 9). The fact that the authors of the Natural Approach relate their
They reject earlier methods of language teaching, such as the Au-
approach to the Natural Method (see Chapter 1) has led some people to
diolingual Method, which viewed grammar as the central componenit of
assume that Natural Approach and Natural Method are synonymous
language. According to Krashen and Terrell, the major problem with
terms. Although the tradition is a commonon one, there are important
these methods was that they were built not around "actual theories of
differences between the Natural Approach and the older Natural
language acquisition, but theories of something else; for example, the
Method, which it will be useful to consider at the outset.
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178
 The Natural Approach
Current communicative,approaches
the ways they are used. Krashen and Terrell (1983) provi
de suggestions
learning. This is achieved in part through such Natural Approach tech- for the use of a wide range of activities, all of whic
h are familiar compo-
niques as not demanding speech from the students before they are ready nents of Situational Language Teaching,
Communicative Langu
for it, not correcting student errors, and providing subject matter of high Teaching, and other methods discussed in this book. To illustrate age
pro-
interest to students. cedural aspects of the Natural Approach, we will cite examples of how
Finally, the teacher must choose and orchestrate a rich mix of class- such activities be used in the Natural Approach classroom to
are to
room activities, involving a variety of group sizes, content, and contexts. provide comprehensible input, without requiring production of re-
The teacher is seen as responsible for collecting materials and designing sponses or minimal responses in the target language.
their use. These materials, according to Krashen and Terrell, are based 1. Start with TPR [Total Physical Response] commands. At first
not just on teacher perceptions but on elicited student needs and interests.
the com-
mands are quite simple: "Stand up. Turn around. Raise your right hand."
As with other nonorthodox teaching systems, the Natural Approach
2. Use TPR to teach names of body parts and to introduce numbers and se-
teacher has a particular responsibility tto communicate clearly and com-
quence. "Lay your right hand on your head, put both hands on your
pellingly to students the assumptions, organization, and expectations of shoulder, first touch your nose, then stand up and turn to the rightthree
the method, since in many cases these will violate student views of what times" and so forth.
language learning and teaching are supposed to be.
3. Introduce classroom
terms and props into commands. "Pick up a pencil
and put it under the book, touch a wall, go to the door and knock three
times." Any item which can be brought to the class can be incorporated.
The role of instructional materials
"Pick up the record and place it in the tray. Take the green blanket to Lar-
The primary goal of materials in the Natural Approach is to make class- ry. Pick up the soap and take it to the woman wearing the green blouse."
room activities as meaningful as possible by supplying "the extralinguis- 4. Use names of physical characteristics and clothing to identify members of
tic context that helps the acquirer to understand and thereby to acquire" the class by name. The instructor uses context and the items themselves to
(Krashen and Terrell 1983: 55), by relating classroom activities to the real make the meanings of the key words clear: hair, long, short, etc. Then a
student is described. "What is your name?" (selecting a student). "Class.
world, and by fostering real communication among the learners. Mate- Look at Barbara. She has long brown hair. Her hair is long and brown.
rials come from the world of realia rather than from textbooks. The
Her hair is not short. It is long." (Using mime, pointing and context to en-
primary aim of materials is to promote comprehension and communica- sure comprehension.) "What's the name of the student with long brown
tion. Pictures and other visual aids are essential, because they supply the hair?" (Barbara). Questions such as "What is the name of the woman with
content for communication. They facilitate the acquisition of a large the short blond hair?" or "What is the name of the student sitting next to
vocabulary within the classroom. Other recommended materials include the man with short brown hair and glasses?" are very simple to understand
schedules, brochures, advertisements, maps, and books at levels appro- by attending to key words, gestures and context. And they require the stu-
priate to the students, if a reading component is included in the course. dents only to remember and produce the name of a fellow student. The
Games, in general, are seen as useful classroom materials, since "games same can be done with articles of clothing and colors. "Who is wearing a
by their very nature, focus the students on what it is they are doing and yellow shirt? Who is wearing a brown dress?"
5.
Use visuals, typically magazine pictures, to introduce new vocabulary and
use the language as a tool for reaching the goal rather than as a goal in
to continue with activities requiring only student names as response. The
itself" (Terrell 1982: 121). The selection, reproduction, and collection of
instructor introduces the pictures to the entire class one at a time focusing
materials places a considerable burden on the Natural Approach teacher.
Since Krashen and Terrell suggest a syllabus of topics and situations, it is
usually on one single item or activity in the picture. He may introduce one
to five new words while talking about the picture. He then passes the pic-
likely that at some point collections of materials to supplement teacher ture to a particular student in the class. The students' task is to remember
presentations will be published, built around the "syllabus" of topics and the name of the student with a particular picture. For example, "Tom has
situations recommended by the Natural Approach. the picture of the sailboat. Joan has the picture of the family watching tele-
vision" and so forth. The instructor will ask questions like "Who has the
picture with the sailboat?, Does Susan or Tom have the picture of the peo-
Procedure ple on the beach?" Again the students need only produce a name in
response.
We have seen that the Natural Approach adopts techniques and activities
freely from various method sources and can be regarded as innovative
only with respect to the purposes for which they are recommended and
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 The Natural Approach
Current communicative approaches
Brown, J. M., and A. Palmer. 1988. Listening Approach: Methods and Materials -

for Applying Krashen's Input Hypothesis. Harlow, UK: Longman.

6. Combine use of pictures with TPR. "Jim, find the picture ofthe little gir!
with her dog and give it to the woman with the pink blouse.
" Cole, R. 1931. Modern Foreign Languages and Their Teaching. New York:
and conditionals. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
7. Combine observations about the pictures with commands
Ellis, R. 1997. Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
"If there is a woman in your picture, stand up. If there is
something blue in
Gregg, K. 1984. Krashen's monitor and Occam's razor. Applied Linguistics 5(2):
your picture, touch your right shoulder." 79-100.
8. Using several pictures, ask students to point to the picture
being described.
to be a fa-
Hashemipor, P., R. Maldonado, and M. van Naerssen (eds.). 1995. Studies in
Picture 1. "There are several people in this picture. One appears Language Learning and Spanish Linguistics: Festschrift in Honor of Tracy
ther,the other a daughter. What are they doing? Cooking. They are cook- D. Terrell. New York: McGraw-Hill.
ing a hamburger." Picture 2. "There are two men in this picture. They are Krashen, S. 1981. Second Language Acquisition andSecond Language Learning.
young. They are boxing." Picture 3... Oxford: Pergamon.
(Krashen and Terrell 1983: 75-77) Krashen, S. 1982. Principles and Practices in Second Language Acquisition.
Oxford: Pergamon
In all these activities, the instructor maintains a constant flow of "com-
Krashen. S. 1985. The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. London:
prehensible input," using key vocabulary items, appropriate gestures, Longman.
context, repetition, and paraphrase to ensure the comprehensibility
of the Krashen, S. 1989. We acquire vocabulary and spelling by reading: Additional
input. evidence for the input hypothesis. Modern Language Journal. 73(4): 440-
464.
Krashen, S. 1992. Fundamentals of Language Education. Beverley Hills, Calif.:
Laredo.
Conclusion
Krashen, S. 1993. The case for free voluntary reading. Canadian Modern Lan-
The Natural Approach belongs to a tradition of language teaching guage Review 50(1): 72-82.

methods based on observation and interpretation of how learners acquire Krashen, S. 1996. The case for narrow listening. System 24(1): 97-100.
Krashen, S. 1997. The comprehension hypothesis: Recent evidence. English
both first and second languages in nonformal settings. Such methods Teachers' Journal (Israel). 51: 17-29
reject the formal (grammatical) organization of language as a prerequisite Krashen, S. 1996. Principles of English as a foreign language. English Teachers'
to teaching. They hold with Newmark and Reibel that "an adult can Journal (Israel) 49: 11-19.
effectively be taught by grammatically unordered materials" and that Krashen, S., and T. Terrell. 1983. The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition
in the Classroom. Oxford: Pergamon.
such an approach is, indeed, "the only learning process which we know
for certain will produce mastery ofthe language at a native level" (1968: McLaughlin, B. 1978. The Monitor Model: Some methodological consider-
ations. Language Learning 28(2): 309-332.
153). In the Natural Approach, a focus on comprehension and meaning-
Newmark, L., and D. A. Reibel. 1968. Necessity and sufficiency in language
ful communication as well as the provision of the right kinds of com-
learning. International Review of Applied Linguistics 6(2): 145-164.
prehensible input provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for suc- Rivers, W. 1981. Teaching Foreign-Language Skills. 2nd ed. Chicago: University
cessful classroom second and foreign language acquisition. This has led of Chicago Press.
to a new rationale for the integration and adaptation
of techniques drawn Skehan, P. 1998. A Cognitive Approach to Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford
from a wide variety of existing sources. Like Communicative Langua
ge University Press.
Stevick, E. W. 1976. Memory, Meaning and Method: Some Psychological Per-
Teaching, the Natural Approach is hence evolutionary rather than revo-
spectives on Language Learning. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House.
lutionary in its procedures. Its greatest claim to originality lies not in the Terrell, T. D. 1977. A natural approach to second language acquisition and
techniques it employs but in their use in a method that emphasizes com- ☐ learning. Modern Language Journal 61: 325-336.
prehensible and meaningful practice activities, rather than production of Terrell, T. D. 1981. The natural approach in bilingual education. MS. California
grammatically perfect utterances and sentences. Office of Bilingual Education.
Terrell, T. D. 1982. The natural approach to language teaching: An update.
Modern Language Journal 66: 121-132.
Bibliography and further reading
Baltra, A. 1992. On breaking with tradition: The significance of Terrell's Natural
Approach. Canadian Modern Language Review 49(3): 565-593.
Berne, J. 1990. A comparison of teaching for proficiency with the natural aр-
proach: Procedure, design and approach. Hispania 73(4): 147-153. 191

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