We use semantically related lexicon and graded grammar in the form of monologs, which the instructor produces with the help of realia, visuals, and body language. We believe pronunciation should be drilled in the context of the grammar, and vocabulary should be treated in an integrative fashion by reading aloud brief texts. Our approach also includes indirect training in the skill of reading for comprehension, which we believe cannot be introduced through natural input at the beginning stages of foreign language learning. Natural language can only be presented as a supplement. The teaching of reading comprehension cannot and should not be the sole activity of a language class.
Children practice reading and learn how to read by actually reading.
In fact, by the time they start their formal education, they have already internalized the basic structure of their language and have plenty of vocabulary. On the other hand, the recognition of ready-made chunks, suffixes, parts of speech, and syntax involves the direct teaching of grammar. The basic structure of this new Script-based Approach involves explicit learning, mainly deductive procedures, and extensive reference to the native language system. Our approach is not less communicative than the approaches of those who advocate communication from the start, but it is, we think, more realistic. It is also in accord with today s foreign language teaching environment, which is characterized by large classes, limited exposure of students to the target language, and limited time devoted by most teachers to training.