DIRECT METHOD
PREFACE
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 a foreign 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.[1]
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 connected directly with
the target language, without going through the process of
translating into the students' native language.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Table of content
Background
Theory of language
Theory of learning
Objective
Learner’s role
Teacher’s role
The role of instructional materials
Syllabus
Procedures
The strengths and weakness of Direct Method
Conclusions
References
BACKGROUND
At the turn of 20th century the Direct Method became quite
widely known and practiced.
The basic premise of the Direct Method was
similar to that of Gouin's Series Method, namely, that second language
learning should be more like first language learning-lots of oral interaction, spontaneous use
of the language, no translation between
first and second languages, and little or no analysis of grammatical
rules. Richards and Rodgers summarize the
principles of the Direct Method[2].
The Direct Method enjoyed considerable
popularity through the end of the nineteenth century and well into
this one. It was most widely accepted in private language schools where students
were highly motivated and where native-speaking teachers could be employed.
One of the best known of its popularizers was Charles
Berlitz (who never used the term
Direct Method and chose instead to call his method the Berlitz
Method). To this day "Berlitz" is a household word;
Berlitz language schools are thriving in every country of the world. Enthusiastic
supporters of the Direct Method introduced it in France Germany United
States
But almost any "method" can succeed when clients
are willing to pay high prices for small classes, individual
attention, and intensive study. The Direct Method did not take well in public education where
the constraints of budget, classroom size,
time, and teacher background made such a method difficult to use. Moreover, the Direct Method was criticized for its
weak theoretical foundations. Its success may have been more a factor
of the skill and personality of the teacher than of the methodology itself.
By the end of the first quarter of 20th century
the use of the Direct Method had declined both in Europe
and in the United States
THEORY OF LANGUAGE
§ Strong
theoretical base in linguistics and psychology.
§ Language
is primarily spoken, not written.
§ The
basic unit of a language is sentence.
§ Learning
how to use a foreign language to communicate.
§ No
translation is allowed.
The using of target language is a
must in Direct Method, no translation and native language that used. Students
must think in the target language. The primary language is spoken not written.
Vocabulary is emphasized over grammar. The four skills (reading, writing,
speaking and listening) occurs from the start oral communication is seen as a
basic, pronunciation also became attention from the beginning of a course.
-
Suggestopedia
Practicing target language is the
purpose but in suggestopedia native language is still used to help student to
understand the meaning in target language. Grammar is showed by putting poster
on the walls which display information. The grammar is dealt with explicitly
but minimally. In fact it is believed that student will learn best if their
conscious attention is focused not on the language form, But on using the
language. Speaking communication is emphasized student also read (dialog, text)
and write (imaginative composition) in target language.
THEORY OF LEARNING
-
Direct Method
The theory of learning of Direct
Method is not translation and native language. Student must associate the
meaning in target language directly. Grammar is taught inductively, that is the
students are presented with example and they figute out the rule or
generalization from the example, students practice vocabulary by using new
words in complete sentences.
-
Suggetopedia
In helping student eliminate their
feeling about the barriers to learning the classes set up to make student
comfortable to environment and relax, that is why in the class there are soft
music, dim light, and arm chair in semi circle. There are some pictures on the
wall that support into one topic that will be taught, and it changes few weeks
based on the topic or theme. This class use target language and sometime native
language is still used.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of Direct method :
- Learn
how to communicate I the target language- learn to think in the target
language.
- Correct
pronunciation
- Emphasise
on listening and speaking. (GTM: reading, writing and translation)
- Think
in target languages. No native language. No translation.
- Learning
basic sentences, introducing daily life.
Teachers who use direct method
intend the student learn how to communicate in the target language, in order to
this successfully, student should learn to think in the target language. During
teaching learning process student just allowed to use target language by doing
this teacher hopes that student can use target language communicatively.
-
Suggestopedia
Teachers hope to accelerate the
process by which students learn how to use foreign language for everyday
communication. In order to do this the students mental powers must be tapped.
This accomplished by desuggesting the psychological barriers learners bring
with them to the learning the situation.
LEARNER’S ROLE
The student role in this method is less passive than
in The Grammar Translation Method. The teacher and the students are more like
partners in the teaching/learning process.
TEACHER’S ROLE
The role of the teacher is to direct class
activities, but students and teacher are partners in the learning process, and
there is a large amount of Learner-Learner interaction.
THE ROLE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
- Direct
communication: as baby learning mother tongue.
- Imitation:
repetition and practice.
- Association:
e.g.: hand – arm, shoulder, foot, leg…
§ Teacher begin the class activity by
reading a loud that can make correction to the wrong pronunciation and
answering student questions by using gestures, pictures, realia, example still
in target language, grammar is taught by asked some questions and student must
answer in complete sentence self correction and map drawing is used to give
listening comprehension.
§ - Suggestopedia
§ The class is made comfortable to the
environment by classroom set up to help student in facing barriers of learning.
Peripheral learning helps student to know the information and grammatical by
putting them on the walls, positive suggestion is given to support the student
mental reserves. Visualization make the student feels in the place where the
target language is spoken. Teacher gives each student new identity and
occupation and asks them to introduce each others by using target language.
Role play is used to make interaction from student and student.
SYLLABUS
The Direct Method allows students to perceive meaning
directly through the language because no translation is allowed. Visual aids
and pantomime are used to clarify the meaning of vocabulary items and concepts.
Students speak a great deal in the target language and communicate as if in
real situations. Reading and writing are taught from the beginning, though
speaking and listening skills are emphasized. Grammar is learned inductively.
PROCEDURES
The teacher explains new vocabulary using realia, visual aids or
demonstrations. In the classroom
Aspects of the Direct Method are still evident in many ELT classrooms, such as the emphasis on listening and speaking, the use of the target language for all class instructions, and the use of visuals and realia to illustrate meaning.
Techniques
1. 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.
2. 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 with new words and grammatical structure.
They have the opportunity to ask questions as well as answer them.
3. 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 alternate 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 knows that the next word was wrong.
4. Conversation Practice
The
teacher asks students a number of questions in the target language, which the
students have to understand to be able to answer correctly. In the class
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.
5. Fill-in-the-blank 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.
6. 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.
STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS
Advantages
Probably
the biggest advantage of this method of teaching English is that it actually
teaches the language and doesn’t teach about the language. Furthermore, due to
its emphasis on speech, it is better for students who have a need of real
communication in English. Finally, this method introduced the use of teaching
vocabulary using realia, which is still widely used today when teaching English
to speakers of other languages.
Disadvantages
One major disadvantage for this method is that is
works on the assumption that a second language is learnt exactly the same way
as the first. Second language acquisition varies considerably from first
language acquisition.
Another criticism of the direct method is that it
was hard for public schools to integrate it. In his book, R. Brown (1994:56)
explains that the direct method wasn’t successful in public schools because of
“constraints of budget, classroom size, time, and teacher background (native
speakers or native like fluency) made such a method difficult to use.”
The streng
of Direct Method ;
1.
Drawing and giving example make
student easy in understanding new vocabulary
2.
Speaking communication very make
student’s boredom lost
3.
Student can pronounce well the
vocabulary because the teacher teaches them
4.
Self correction make student know
their mistakes
5.
Giving exercise can provide mental
good learning
6.
The using of map help student to
know the geographical of the place where target language is spoken
7.
Dictation is good to know the
ability of student
8.
Student is train to think in target
language so them will learn fast
The Weakness of Direct Method;
1.
The class is depend on the teacher
2.
Student no allowed to translate
where as they still in lower level
3.
The class situation is bored because
there is no role play or song
4.
Student can’t speak communicatively
because the teacher guided and manage the student
5.
Student interaction is limit by the
teacher
6.
The syllabus that used is based upon
a situation
7.
Explicit grammar never be given
8.
There is not formal evaluation
9.
Student must memorize much
vocabularies
10.
Not all of the student have bravery
to ask to the teacher
Suggestopedia
1.
Comfortable environment in classroom
set up build mental power of student
2.
The using of native language help
student in solving target language problem
3.
Good suggestion can make student
believe to their ability and be confidence
4.
The picture is changed regularly
depend on the topic adding student knowledge
5.
Soft music can bring their mind to
the new environment
6.
Role play make student have fun and
enjoy the lesson
7.
Student can feel the real condition
of the place where the target language is spoken.
1.
Little attention is given to grammar
2.
Student must trust the teacher, if
not they will get difficulties in forming a good environment
3.
classroom set up not always possible
to provide by the teacher
4.
It is expensive because a teacher
must change the poster on the wall every week
5.
Teacher should proved de a relaxed
and comfortable environment
CONCLUSION
Direct Method is used when the GTM
is not suitable again for student since the purpose is for communication. No
translation is allowed student must think in target language so that the
learning process will be faster. The teacher leads the class directly in target
language. Drawing is used to range the meaning of something. Speaking
communicatively is used between teacher – student and student – student.
-
Suggestopedia
To make student succeed in learning
student need desuggested to solve the barriers of learning. The class is
arranged to make student relaxed and enjoyable by dim lighting, soft music,
etc. speaking communicatively is used to make student brave and believe to
their ability. Role play is used to make learning process easier.
REFERENCES
http://hadirukiyah2.blogspot.com/2009/09/comparison-of-two-methods-direct-method.html
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/eightapproaches.html
[1] Dianne Larsen –Freeman, Techniques and
Principles in Language Teaching, Oxford University Press, 1986, p.18-29
[2] Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to
Language Pedagogy, San Francisco
State University
[3] J. C. Richard and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in
Language Teaching Cambridge University Press, 1997, p.9-12
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