Oral Approach

The Oral Approach (also called the Oral Method) refers to the systematic method of language teaching developed by Harold Palmer in the 1920s–1930s, primarily through his work at the Institute for Research in English Teaching in Tokyo (1922–1936). Palmer was arguably the first applied linguist to bring scientific rigour to language pedagogy, and his work laid the foundation for Situational Language Teaching and ultimately for the PPP lesson framework.

Palmer's Contribution

Palmer's key insight was that the intuitive, unsystematic approach of the Direct Method could be improved by applying principles of selection (which items to teach), gradation (in what order), and presentation (how to make meaning clear without translation). He combined:

• Structural grading — sequencing language items from simple to complex based on linguistic analysis.
• Oral practice — speech as the primary medium, with structures practised orally through systematic repetition before being encountered in written form.
• Substitution tables — Palmer pioneered the use of sentence pattern tables where students could generate multiple correct sentences by selecting items from columns. This anticipated the substitution drills of the Audiolingual Method.

Core Features

• The teacher presents a structure in a clear context, models it, and has students repeat.
• Practice moves from imitation through substitution to guided production.
• Grammar is taught inductively through patterns, not through explicit rules.
• Reading and writing follow oral mastery.
• Vocabulary selection is based on frequency counts and pedagogic utility.

Legacy

Palmer's Oral Approach was developed further by A.S. Hornby (who applied it to dictionary design and coursebook writing — the Oxford Progressive English series) and Pittman, evolving into what became known as Situational Language Teaching. The controlled-to-free practice sequence that Palmer established remains the backbone of mainstream ELT lesson design.

Key References

• Palmer, H.E. (1921). The Principles of Language Study. Harrap.
• Palmer, H.E. (1917). The Scientific Study and Teaching of Languages. Harrap.
• Smith, R. (1999). The Writings of Harold E. Palmer: An Overview. Honbu, Japan: IRLT.
• Howatt, A.P.R. & Widdowson, H.G. (2004). A History of English Language Teaching (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.