The Direct Method

Teaching Methods / By cambridgetkt

As with the Grammar-Translation Method, the Direct Method is not new. Its
principles have been applied by language teachers for many years. Most
recently, it was revived as a method when the goal of instruction became
learning how to use another language to communicate. Since the Grammar-
Translation Method was not very effective in preparing students to use the
target language communicatively, the Direct Method became popular.

The Direct Method has one very basic rule: No translation is allowed. In fact, the
Direct Method receives its name from the fact that meaning is to be conveyed
directly in the target language through the use of demonstration and visual aids,
with no recourse to the students’ native language.

1 What are the goals of teachers who use the Direct Method?
Teachers who use the Direct Method intend that students learn how to
communicate in the target language. In order to do this successfully, students
should learn to think in the target language.

2 What is the role of the teacher? What is the role of the students?
Although the teacher directs the class activities, the student role is less passive
than in the Grammar-Translation Method. The teacher and the students are
more like partners in the teaching–learning process.

3 What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process?

Teachers who use the Direct Method believe students need to associate
meaning with the target language directly. In order to do this, when the teacher
introduces a new target language word or phrase, he demonstrates its meaning
through the use of realia, pictures, or pantomime; he never translates it into the
students’ native language. Students speak in the target language a great deal
and communicate as if they were in real situations. In fact, the syllabus used in
the Direct Method is based upon situations (for example, one unit would consist
of language that people would use at a bank, another of the language that they
use when going shopping) or topics (such as geography, money, or the
weather). Grammar is taught inductively; that is, the students are presented with
examples and they figure out the rule or generalization from the examples. An
explicit grammar rule may never be given. Students practice vocabulary by
using new words in complete sentences.

4 What is the nature of student–teacher interaction? What is the nature

of student–student interaction?
 The initiation of the interaction goes both ways, from teacher to students and
from students to teacher, although the latter is often teacher-directed. Students
converse with one another as well.
5 How are the feelings of the students dealt with?
 There are no principles of the method which relate to this area.
6 How is language viewed? How is culture viewed?
Language is primarily spoken, not written. Therefore, students study common,
everyday speech in the target language. They also study culture consisting of
the history of the people who speak the target language, the geography of the
country or countries where the language is spoken, and information about the
daily lives of the speakers of the language.

7 What areas of language are emphasized? What language skills

are emphasized?
 Vocabulary is emphasized over grammar. Although work on all four skills
(reading, writing, speaking, and listening) occurs from the start, oral
communication is seen as basic. Thus the reading and writing exercises are
based upon what the students practice orally first. Pronunciation also receives
attention right from the beginning of a course.
8 What is the role of the students’ native language?
 The students’ native language should not be used in the classroom.
9 How is evaluation accomplished?
 We did not actually see any formal evaluation in the class we observed;
however, in the Direct Method, students are asked to use the language, not to
demonstrate their knowledge about the language. They are asked to do so,
using both oral and written skills. For example, the students might be
interviewed orally by the teacher or might be asked to write a paragraph about
something they have studied.
10 How does the teacher respond to student errors?
 The teacher, employing various techniques, tries to get students to self-correct
whenever possible.
Observations and Principles Behind Them

The students read aloud a passage about the geography of the United
States of America.
Reading in the target language should be taught from the beginning of language
instruction; however, the reading skill will be developed through practice with
speaking. Language is primarily speech. Culture consists of more than the fine
arts.

The teacher points to a part of the map after each sentence is read.
Objects (e.g. realia or pictures) present in the immediate classroom
environment should be used to help students understand the meaning.

The teacher uses the target language to ask the students if they have a
question. The students use the target language to ask their questions.
The native language should not be used in the classroom.

The teacher answers the students’ questions by drawing on the

whiteboard or giving examples.
The teacher should demonstrate, not explain or translate. It is desirable
that students make a direct association between the target language form and
meaning.

The teacher asks  questions about the map in the target language, to
which the students reply in a complete sentence in the target language.
Students should learn to think in the target language as soon as possible.
Vocabulary is acquired more naturally if students use it in full sentences,
rather than memorizing word lists.

Students ask questions about the map.

The purpose of language learning is communication (therefore students need to
learn how to ask questions as well as answer them).

The teacher works with the students on the pronunciation of

‘Appalachian.’
Pronunciation should be worked on right from the beginning of language
instruction.

The teacher corrects a grammar error by asking the students to make a

choice.
Self-correction facilitates language learning.

The teacher asks questions about the students; students ask each other
questions.
Lessons should contain some conversational activity—some opportunity for
students to use language in real contexts. Students should be encouraged to
speak as much as possible.

The students fill in blanks with prepositions practiced in the lesson.

Grammar should be taught inductively. There may never be an explicit grammar
rule given.
The teacher dictates a paragraph about United States geography.
Writing is an important skill, to be developed from the beginning of language
instruction.

All of the lessons of the week involve United States geography.

The syllabus is based on situations or topics, not usually on linguistic structures.

A proverb is used to discuss how Americans view punctuality.

Learning another language also involves learning how speakers of that
language live.
Techniques Used in Direct Method

Reading Aloud
Students take turns reading sections of a passage, play, or dialogue out loud. At
the end of each student’s turn, the teacher uses gestures, pictures, realia,
examples, or other means to make the meaning of the section clear

Question and Answer Exercise

This exercise is conducted only in the target language. Students are asked
questions and answer in full sentences so that they practice new words and
grammatical structures. They have the opportunity to ask questions as well as
answer them.

Getting Students to Self-correct

The teacher of this class has the students self-correct by asking them to make a
choice between what they said and an alternative answer he supplied. There
are, however, other ways of getting students to self-correct. For example, a
teacher might simply repeat what a student has just said, using a questioning
voice to signal to the student that something was wrong with it. Another
possibility is for the teacher to repeat what the student said, stopping just before
the error. The student then knows that the next word was wrong.

Conversation Practice
The teacher asks students a number of questions in the target language, which
they have to understand to be able to answer correctly. In the class we
observed, the teacher asked individual students questions about themselves.
The questions contained a particular grammar structure. Later, the students
were able to ask each other their own questions using the same grammatical
structure.

Fill-in-the-blanks Exercise
This technique has already been discussed in the Grammar-Translation
Method, but differs in its application in the Direct Method. All the items are in the
target language; furthermore, no explicit grammar rule would be applied. The
students would have induced the grammar rule they need to fill in the blanks
from examples and practice with earlier parts of the lesson.

Dictation
The teacher reads the passage three times. The first time the teacher reads it at
a normal speed, while the students just listen. The second time he reads the
passage phrase by phrase, pausing long enough to allow students to write
down what they have heard. The last time the teacher again reads at a normal
speed, and students check their work.

Map Drawing
The class included one example of a technique used to give students listening
comprehension practice. The students were given a map with the geographical
features unnamed. Then the teacher gave the students directions such as
the following, ‘Find the mountain range in the West. Write the words
“RockyMountains” across the mountain range.’ He gave instructions for all
the geographical features of the United States so that students would have a
completely labeled map if they followed his instructions correctly. The students
then instructed the teacher to do the same thing with a map he had drawn on
the board. Each student could have a turn giving the teacher instructions for
finding and labeling one geographical feature.

Paragraph Writing
The teacher in this class asked the students to write a paragraph in their own
words on the major geographical features of the United States. They could have
done this from memory, or they could have used the reading passage in the
lesson as a model.

Ask yourself ...

Do you agree that the goal of target language instruction should be to teach
students how to communicate in the  target language?

Does it make sense to you that the students’ native language should not be
used to give meaning to the target language?

Do you agree that the culture that is taught should be about people’s daily lives
in addition to the fine arts?

Should students be encouraged to self-correct?

Are there any other principles of the Direct Method which you believe in? Which
ones?

Is dictation a worthwhile activity?

Have you used question-and-answer exercises and conversation practice
before? If not, should you?

Is paragraph writing a useful thing to ask students to do?

Should grammar be presented inductively?

Are there any other techniques of the Direct Method which you would consider
adopting? Which ones?