2.1.3　The Audio-Visual Method

（1）Background

The Audio-Visual Method was initiated in World Popular French Research Institute of Saint Cloud Normal University in France by P.Guberina in Yugoslavian in the fifties.It's also called Saint Cloud Method.The representative work of the Audio-Visual Method is Voix et Images de France.The Audio-Visual Method was the direct product of the Direct Method and the Audio-Lingual Method，and it was produced and developed on the base of the Direct Method and the Audio-Lingual Method.But the Audio-Lingual Method is different from the Direct Method and the Audio-Lingual Method.The main differences lie in that the Audio-Visual Method has its unique features that put emphasis on Audio-Visual sense element.The famous representative figures of the Audio-Visual Method are P.Guberina and French G.Goughein and P.Rivene.In the mid sixties，with the reestablished relationship between China and France，the Audio-Visual Method began transmitted into China，but its application was only limited to departments in some universities and foreign language colleges.In the seventies，with the introduction of New Concept English，the Audio-Visual Method became widely used in our country.

（2）Principal features

A visually presented scenario provides the chief means of involving the learner in meaningful utterances and contexts.

（3）Objectives

Language learning is visualized as falling into several stages：the first stage to which the Audio-Visual Method is particularly applicable in which the earner becomes familiar with everyday language as defined in francais fondamental；the second stage involving the capacity to talk more consecutively on general topics and to read non-specialized fiction and the newspaper；and a third stage involving the use of more specialized discourse of professional and other interests.The Audio-Visual Method is intended particularly for the first stage.

（4）Techniques

The Audio-Visual Teaching Method usually consists of a carefully thought-out but rigid order of events.The lesson begins with the filmstrip and tape presentation.The sound recordings provide a stylized dialogue and narrative commentary.A filmstrip frame corresponds to an utterance.In other words，the visual image and spoken utterance complement each other and constitute jointly a semantic unit.In the second phase of the teaching sequence，the meaning of groups is explained by the teacher through pointing，demonstrating，selective listening，question and answer.In the third phase，the dialogue is repeated several times and memorized by frequent replays of the tape-recordings and the filmstrip，or by language laboratory practice.In the next stage of the teaching sequence，the development phase，students are gradually emancipated from the tape and filmstrip presentation，for example，the filmstrip is now shown without the tape recording，and，the students are asked to recall the commentary or make up their own or the subject matter of the scenario is modified，and applied to the student himself，his family or friend，by means of question and answer or role playing.Besides this thorough treatment of the dialogue situation，each lesson contains a portion for grammatical drill that practices a pattern or a group of patterns that has previously occurred in the context of the tape and filmstrip dialogue presentation.Grammatical as well as phonological features are practiced.No importance is attributed to linguistic explanations.Writing and reading，as in the Audio-Lingual Method，are delayed，but in due course are nonetheless given emphasis.

（5）Theoretical assumptions

The Audio-Visual Method seeks a basis in linguistics.It derives its grammatical and lexical content from descriptive linguistic studies such as francais fondamental method.But in contrast to the antecedents of the Audio-Lingual Method，the Audio-Visual Method stresses the social nature and situational embeddedness of language.The visual presentation is，therefore，not an added gimmick.It is intended to stimulate the social context in which language is used.

The assumed learning process of this method has an affinity with Gestalt psychology.It proceeds from a total view of the situation to particular segments of language.By its insistent on a non-analytical learning approach and its well-defined teaching sequence，the method makes definite assumptions about optimal ways of language learning.The learner is encouraged to absorb in a global fashion the utterances he hears on the tape in the context he sees on the screen，in other words，not to analyze.Equally，in teaching French phonology or grammar，the authors insist that intonation，rhythmic patterns，and semantic units should not be broken down.But the practice sequences，based on the global presentation，are not fundamentally different from those of the Audio-Lingual Method.However，the stimuli in the exercises is pictorial and the attempt is made to practice all features to be learnt in a meaningful context.Pure pattern practice without attention to meaning and outside a context is avoided.

（6）Critique

The Audio-Visual Method represents a distinctive modern attempt to come to grips with the problems of language learning.It has defined three different levels of language instruction.It has attempted to place language learning into a simplified social context and to teach language from the outset as meaningful spoken communication.The replacement of the printed text of the Direct Method by a scenario，presented visually by filmstrip and aurally by corresponding tape recordings，has provided a fresh alternative in language pedagogy，and was at the time when it was devised in the fifties a responsive and，at the same time，responsible way of exploiting technology for the benefit of language learning.Like the Audio-Lingual Method，it bases itself on declared linguistic and psychological principles.

The Audio-Visual Method is open to two major criticisms.Like the Direct Method，from which much of its pedagogy derives，it has difficulties in conveying meaning；the visual filmstrip image is no guarantee that the meaning of an utterance is not misinterpreted by the learner.The equivalence between utterances and visual images is often theoretically questionable，and presents practical difficulties.The other criticism that can be made is that the rigid teaching sequences imposed by this method are based on an entirely unproved assumption about learning sequences.