On Possibility Of Integration Of The Natural Approach And China's Traditional Teaching Method

Traditionally, English teaching in China is mainly dominated by Grammar-translation Method, Audio-lingual Method and an emphasis on rote learning. As a result, students have strong understanding of English grammar, good reading and writing skills. However, after years of English study, they are deficient in listening and speaking. To meet the China's economic development and open-door policy, English teachers have realized this and have been exploring an effective teaching method applicable in China's English teaching context.In 1983, Terrell and Krashen proposed the Natural Approach, which borrows advantages from TPR, the Direct Method and the Communicative Approach and considers input as the most important element of any language teaching program. The language learners are considered as processors of comprehensible input. They can decide when to speak, what to speak about, and what linguistic expressions to use in speaking. With its strong learning theory, the Natural Approach has been tested to be an effective and applicable teaching method by some American teachers and methodologists.This paper analyzes advantages and disadvantages of the Natural Approach and China's Traditional Teaching Method from perspectives of theories and practices to answer the following two questions:1. Which one can suit English teaching in China better?2. Is it possible to integrate the two? This paper first discusses the necessity of integration of the two from the perspective of social factors, and analyzes the possible hindrance of applying the Natural Approach in China's educational context. This paper holds that it is not only necessary but also possible to integrate the two to improve China's English language teaching. They have their own advantages and disadvantages. What the ELT teachers need to do now is to integrate the new with the old so as to adapt the Natural Approach to China's Traditional Teaching Method. To be eclectic, teachers are required to adopt the Natural Approach while accepting elements of the Traditional Teaching Method to improve China's English teaching to meet the need of society.