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).