Julieta Gonzlez Erika Acosta 1C

Introduction to Didactics

Teaching method: The Direct Method

A brief History:

Richards and Rogers

According to Richards and Rogers, we can find the foundations basis of the
Direct Method in authors such as Sauveur and Franke. Sauveur, who was born
in 1826 and died in 1907, firmly believed that intensive oral interaction was a
natural way of learning a foreign language. For that purpose, in the nineteenth
century he tried to apply these principles to language classes. Natural principles
as a way of presenting and eliciting language. That is what we know as Natural
Method or Direct Method. In addition to this, he argued that learning a foreign
language should be intended without translation or use of the learner's first
language. This kind of fact requires conveying of meaning through
demonstration and action and focuses on question-answer patterns. What is
more, Franke provided a theoretical justification for a monolingual approach to
teaching. Franke in 1884, said that a language could best be taught by using it
actively in the classroom in a systematic oral lesson where learners focus on
pronunciation (centrality of spoken language, including a native-like
pronunciation) and can induce rules of grammar by using an inductive
approach. The basis of new vocabulary are words that learners already known
using mime, demonstrations and pictures (Teaching concepts and vocabulary
through pantomiming, real-life objects and other visual materials).

Principles

The most common principles used in this conception are: a classroom

instruction conducted exclusively in the target language, where only everyday
vocabulary and sentences are taught during the initial phase and grammar,
reading and writing are introduced in an intermediate phase; oral
communication skills carefully graded and centred on question-and-answer
models. Moreover, grammar is taught inductively, and new points are only
introduced orally. Owe to this is needed to teach through demonstration, any
realia and abstract vocabulary is taught by linking ideas. Speaking and listening
are extremely important, and for that correct pronunciation and grammar are
emphasized.

Larsen Freeman

According to Larsen Freeman the goal of instruction becomes learning how to

use a foreign language to communicate, and for that the basic rule is no
translation is allowed, being meaning conveyed directly in the target language
with use of demonstration and visual aids. This author said that principles of
Direct Method consist in which reading skill will be developed through practice
with speaking, especially from the beginning of language instruction and owe to
this, language is primarily speech. The only way being successful learning a
foreign language is not using the mother tongue in the classroom. But use a
good amount of realia and pictures to demonstrate meaning about what is being
taught. As the basic rule is no translation is allowed, the teacher only has to
demonstrate and not translate to specify meaning. It is expectable in this
moment that students should make associations between the target language
and the meaning, significance and significant. This helps students to think in
the target language and vocabulary is acquired fluently. Memorizing word list is
not meaningful, but when language is used in full sentences, it is useful because
the aim of language learning is communication and for that working in
pronunciation since the very beginning of learning is extremely important. As
lessons have conversation activities, self-correction is required. The only way of
learning a new language is the time of exposure students have with it, in
classroom, in real context. And if students the only chance of having a
conversation is in the classroom, the teacher should encourage learners to talk
as much as possible to learn it. As a consequence the teaching of grammar
should be made by induction, but writing might be taught since the beginning of
the instruction the same as pronunciation. Another important fact is that the
syllabus is based in thematic units and not in linguistic structures. Then,
learning a foreign language implies knowing the culture surrounding it.

If learners of a foreign language can communicate in the target language, then

teachers have achieved their goals as teachers. And of course, teachers and
students have a particular relationship; they are like partners in the learning
process. During this process, as we said before, teachers use realia and pictures
to demonstrate meaning, in an environment where students speak as if they
were in real situations, according to the thematic unit in which is based the
syllabus. And as students are presented with examples an explicit grammar rule
is never been given. Language is spoken no written and for that purpose as
students study culture of the language they study, they use that information to
speak in the classroom. In this method the four known language skills are
worked, but vocabulary and speaking is emphasized over grammar. How
evaluate teachers according to this method? Students are asked to use the
language not to demonstrate knowledge about the language and the feedback
about errors should be made by self-correction. The most common techniques
to allow all these are: reading aloud, question and answer exercises, getting
students to self-correct, conversation practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises,
dictation, map drawing and paragraph writing.

Today these principles are still followed in contemporary Berlitz schools.

Learning Theory

This theory supports that inductive learning is essential. There is a direct

relation between form and meaning. It establishes that Second Language
learning is similar to First Language acquisition. There is a direct exposure to
the target language, so learning occurs naturally.

Language Theory

The Language Theory basis is that language is for oral use. Each language is
unique. Consequently, no other language should interfere when learning a
language. There is a direct relation between form and meaning.

Objectives

The objectives of the Direct Method are based on teaching the students how to
communicate and think in the target language.

Syllabus
The syllabus should be focused on situations and topics.

Types of Teaching and Learning Activities

Reading aloud
Question answer exercise
Self-correction
Conversation practice
Fill-in-the-blank exercise
Dictation
Paragraph writing

Teacher's Role

The teachers usually direct the interactions but they are not as dominant as in
GTM.

In Direct Method, teachers introduce a new target language word or phrase to

the students and there no other language involved. Therefore, the role of the
teacher is of a demonstrator because the teacher demonstrates the meaning of
words through the use of realia, pictures, or pantomime; they never translate it
into the students native language.

Student's Role

Students are active participants, sometimes pair works take place. Even the
teacher takes roles in activities. The teacher and the students are more like
partners in the teaching/learning process. Teacher/student interaction is fuller.
The students role in Direct Method is the active learner. They are active in
exploring new words, expressions, etc. in target language. The students are also
the observers and practitioners. In Direct Method, the students observe the
target language used by the teacher and they try to get the meaning based on the
demonstration given and then they will practice the target language, using it to
communicate with their classmates and teacher in classroom.

Advantages of the Direct Method

The Direct Method is a clear shift away from the Grammar Translation Method.
One of its positive points is that it promises to teach the language and not about
the language. More advantages can be the following:

Only the target language is used and the learning is contextulized.

Its emphasis on speech made it more attractive for those who have needs
of real communication in the target language.

It was one of the first methods to introduce the teaching of vocabulary

through realia.

Disadvantages of the Direct Method

The major fallacy of the Direct Method it is the belief that a second language
should be learned in the same way in which the first language was acquired by
total immersion technique. But obviously, there is far less time and opportunity
in schools, compared with small child learning their first language.

There are many abstract words which cannot be interpreted directly in

English and much time and energy are wasted in making attempts for the
purpose.

The method ignores systematic written work and reading activities and
sufficient attention is not paid to reading and writing.

In larger classes, this method is not properly applied and teaching in this
method does not suit or satisfy the needs of individual students in large
classes.

Conclusion

The Direct Method of teaching was developed as a response to the Grammar-

Translation Method. It sought to immerse the learner in the same way as when a
first language is learnt. All teaching is done in the target language, grammar is
taught inductively, there is a focus on speaking and listening, and only useful
everyday language is taught. The weakness in the Direct Method is its
assumption that a second language can be learnt in exactly the same way as a
first, when in fact the conditions under which a second language is learnt are
very different. The teacher and the students are more like partners in the
teaching/learning process. Teacher/student interaction became fuller, guessing
of context or content, completing fill-ins, and doing cloze exercises were the
order of the day. The teacher is as the facilitator of the language and the
students is the active learners who are active in learning and exploring the
target language.