Understanding the Belief: 'Language is a Habit'

The question asks which language teaching-learning approach views language acquisition primarily as the formation of habits. This perspective stems from behaviorist psychology, which suggests that learning occurs through stimulus, response, and reinforcement, leading to the development of automatic patterns of behavior, or habits.

Analyzing Language Teaching Approaches

Let's examine the provided options:

• Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): This approach emphasizes using language for meaningful communication. While it involves practice, the core idea isn't habit formation but rather the ability to use language flexibly in real-life situations.
• Cooperative Language Learning: This method focuses on students working together in groups to achieve learning goals. It promotes interaction but doesn't center on the "language is a habit" theory.
• Natural Approach: Developed by Stephen Krashen, this approach emphasizes comprehensible input and acquisition over learning. It aims to replicate first language acquisition and doesn't focus on habit formation through drills.
• Audio-lingualism: This method is strongly rooted in behaviorist principles. It views language learning as the formation of correct linguistic habits through intensive listening, repetition, pattern drills, and memorization. Errors are seen as bad habits that must be avoided or corrected immediately.

Audio-lingualism and Habit Formation

The Audio-lingual method, popular in the mid-20th century, is the most direct embodiment of the belief that 'language is a habit'. Key characteristics include:

• Behaviorist Roots: It draws heavily from the work of psychologists like B.F. Skinner, who viewed language learning as a process of habit formation driven by conditioning.
• Drills and Repetition: Techniques like substitution drills, repetition drills, and memorization of dialogues were central. These were designed to create automatic responses and ingrained linguistic patterns.
• Focus on Oral Skills: Emphasis was placed on listening and speaking, often involving mimicry and memorization before reading and writing.
• Error Avoidance: Errors were considered detrimental, suggesting the formation of bad habits. Teachers aimed to prevent errors through careful structuring of practice.

Therefore, the approach that fundamentally believes 'language is a habit' is Audio-lingualism.