C. Reading Approach
Following the Coleman Report in 1929, reading became the goal of most foreign language programs in the United
States and its popularity lasted until World War II (Richards & Rodgers, 2003). This approach began to function as an
alternative to the Direct Approach and was chosen for practical reasons, limited class hours, the qualification of the
teachers, and the need of the learners. It was claimed in this approach that reading knowledge could be achieved
through the gradual introduction of words and grammatical structures in simple reading texts.
The vocabulary used in the reading passages is controlled at beginning levels and is chosen according to their
frequency and usefulness. The acquisition of vocabulary is considered to be more important than grammatical skills and
is expanded as fast as possible through intensive and extensive reading. The translation of vocabulary items and
sentences are permitted.
The Reading Approach held sway in the United States until the late 1930s and early 1940s (Darian, 1972; West,
1941). When the World War II broke out and made it imperative for the U.S. military force to quickly and efficiently
learn foreign languages, the popularity of this approach waned. The deficient vocabulary knowledge gained through the
Reading Approach and its lack of emphasis on oral-aural skills gave rise to language learners who could not
communicate in the target language (Celce-Murcia, 2001).