Behaviorism (Bottom Up Approach)
This is an important theory in learning languages; however,it clearly is lacking a full explanation of how we learn languages. In short, behaviorism sees learning as a response to positive and negative reinforcement from the teacher. In other words, students will continue language behavior that is reinforced.
Behaviorism also uses the concept of repetition: Through repetition and drilling of language students memorize language structure. Another important aspect of behaviorism is that the teacher is seen as the all knowing person and the student is basically a blank slate, and through imitation do the students learn language. The behaviorist classroom puts the teacher at the center of the learning process. The Audio-lingual method is the teaching method that is based on behaviorism.
Key words: Repetition, memorization, drilling, modeling, reinforcement, Skinner.
Here is a great video about Behaviorism and second language development.
Teaching Approaches that are generally associated with this theory: Audio-lingual method, Contrastive Analysis