Lecture
5:
The Direct
Method
INTRODUCTION
Increasing demand for oral proficiency in foreign
languages
Specialists in the Reform Movement sought new ideas
and advocated:
The study of the spoken language: learners should
hear the language first, before seeing it in written form.
Phonetic training.
Sentences should be taught in meaningful contexts.
The use of dialogues to introduce conversational
phrases and idioms.
An inductive approach to the teaching of grammar.
Avoidance of translation or the mother tongue.
The Direct Method has one very basic
rule: No translation is allowed.
i.e.
The Direct Method (Berlitz method)
received its name from the fact that meaning
is to be connected directly with the target
language, without going through the process
of translating into the students' native
language.
General Goal
Learning how to communicate in the target
language + learning to think in the TL: no native
language.
Correct pronunciation.
Emphasis on listening and speaking. (GTM:
reading, writing and translation).
Principles
The native language should not be used in the classroom:
The teacher should demonstrate, not translate. It is
desirable that students make a direct association between
the target language and meaning.
Meaning demonstrated through the use of realia, pictures,
and pantomime: Objects or pictures present in the
immediate classroom environment should be used to help
students understand the meaning.
The purpose of language learning is communication;
therefore, students need to learn how to ask questions as
well as answer them). Ss speak in the target language a
great deal and communicate as if they were in real
situations.
Principles
Lessons should contain some conversational activity, an
opportunity for students to use language in real contexts.
Students should learn to think in the target language as
soon as possible.
Pronunciation should be worked on right from the
beginning of language instruction.
Self-correction facilitates language learning.
Ss practise vocabulary by using new words in complete
sentences.
Principles
Grammar is taught inductively.
inductively There is no grammar
rule given. Ss are presented directly with
examples.
Writing and reading are important skills to be
developed during instruction.
The syllabus is based on situations or topics, not on
linguistic structures.
Learning another language involves also learning
about how speakers of that language live: their culture.
Techniques
Reading Aloud
Question and Answer Exercise
Getting Students to Self-correct
Conversation Practice
Fill-in-the-blank Exercise
Dictation
Techniques
Reading aloud
Students take turns reading sections of a passage,
play, or whatever teaching material. The teacher
uses gestures, pictures, realia, examples, or other
means to make the meaning of the section clear.
Question and answer exercise
Students ask and answer Qs in full sentences and
practise new words and grammatical rules.
Techniques
Self-correction
- Make students self-correct by asking them to
make a choice between what they said and an
alternative answer the teacher supplies;
- Or the teacher may repeat what a student said,
using a questioning tone or repeat what the
students said and stop before the error to signal
that something is wrong with students’ answers.
Techniques
Conversation exercise
For communication purposes, teaching contains
conversational activities:
- starting with questions in the target language
which contain a certain grammar structure,
- then letting students ask Qs with each other
with the same sentence patterns.
- finally, students have free talk.
Techniques
Fill-in-blank exercise
Dictation: at normal speed – phrase by phrase.
Map drawing: A map is given with unnamed
geographical features. The teacher gives
directions and students label the map. Then
change the roles.
Paragraph writing: They write a paragraph in
their own words by using the teaching materials
as a model.
Role of the teacher/ students
Teacher-centered.Student role is less
passive than in GTM.
T/S are partners.
Teacher is the only demonstrator. He/she
never translates but demonstrates the
meaning through the use of realia, pictures
or pantomime.
Advantages
Studentslearn the correct pronunciation
and better oral skills because no native
language is used and communication is the
main activity in the class.
Disadvantages
Students may hesitate asking Qs.
It’shard to practise the method in a class
with more than 20 students.
It’s hard to explain abstract words.
Ittakes much time for the teacher to
explain the words that might be trivial.
Disadvantages
It requires teachers who are native speakers or who have
native-like fluency in the foreign language.
Critics pointed out that strict adherence to the principles of
the Direct Method is often counterproductive, since
teachers are required to avoid using the native tongue,
when sometimes a simple brief explanation in the students’
native tongue would be a more efficient route to
comprehension.
Its success depends on teacher’s skill and personality
more than on the methodology itself.
Overemphasizes the similarites btw L1 and L2 learning.
Thanks for your
attention!
