1. Direct Method
Lecture 5

2. Preview/Road Map of today’s lecture
Review of lecture 4
Flaws of GTM: Deductive method of grammar teaching, speaking and listening and pronunciation are ignored. No interaction among students. Teacher centered class. Focus on accuracy
Introduction to Direct Method: Natural Method of language teaching.
Principles of DM
Techniques of DM

3. Principles of Direct Method

4. What are the Goals of Teachers using DM?
To teach learners to think in target language without translating into L1
Teaching learners to communicate in target language.
Speak in target language
Listen to target language
Read in target language
Write in target language
Every day/ situational interaction

5. What is the role of the teacher?
To teach and make learners understand the passage
by reading the passage
To illustrate and demonstrate the meaning in target language
By body language, pointing to items such as board and map
By drawing on the board
To direct classroom activities e.g. labeling the items, written exerises, oral choral practice,
To involve students in classroom activities

6. Cont… To invite students to repeat after him
To ensure interaction and communication with students
To ensure students interact with each other
To be more democratic rather than autocratic
Give more time and space to students
To withdraw himself and let students participate

7. What are the characteristics of teaching/ learning process
Direct Association between target language and meaning
Demonstration of meaning use of realia, pictures, pantomime
Avoidance of translation in class
Realistic situational communication real life situations e.g. language used in banks, hospitals, grocery stores
Syllabus based on situations

8. Cont… Inductive teaching of grammar
Vocabulary practice by using words in full sentences

9. What is the nature of interaction?
Teacher-student interaction
Student-student interaction
Learner oriented class
Teacher as facilitator rather than provider of knowledge
Enhanced and diverse communication with the involvement of more participants.
A better model of real life communication
More participants, diverse views, situation based

10. How are the feelings of the students dealt with?
No principle to relate to the learner’s psychology
Learners at ease because teacher less authoritative
Learners comfort level high because of student- student interaction
Self correction saves students from sense of embarrassment

11. How is language viewed? Oral communication is primary communication
Language consists of multiple skills
Listening comprehension
Speaking/pronunciation/fluency
Reading
Writing/ sentence formation/ paragraph writing
Grammar
Vocabulary building

12. Cont… Language is meant for communication
Exchange of ideas, opinions
Exchange of knowledge/ information
Questioning, answering
Language learning is meaningful because of realistic and situational teaching
Common everyday speech is essential to learn

13. How is culture viewed?
Knowledge of target language culture can be learnt through
art
literature
geography
history
information of community life
knowledge of value system

14. What language skills are emphasized?
Vocabulary
Learning new words through sentence formation
Grammar
Practicing structures rather than learning rules
Speaking/ Pronunciation
Asking questions, answering questions, practicing modeled pronunciation
Listening
To diverse speakers ( teacher/ other students)
Reading
Loud reading of the passage
Writing

15. What is the role of student’s native language/ mother tongue?
Avoidance of MT
MT as an interference in learning target language
Positive transfer: when MT and target language have similarities and MT can facilitate learning
Negative transfer: when MT and target language differ in sound system, spelling system, grammar, etc. and MT becomes a barrier in learning

16. How is evaluation accomplished?
Objectives- teaching-evaluation
Purpose of evaluation: to check if objectives are achieved
Direct Method objectives: teaching both oral and written communication

17. Cont… Direct Method evaluation strategy: Oral exam: conversation,
question answer,
interview,
speaking skill,
listen and follow instructions such as label maps
pronunciation test,
discussion on a topic,
Read aloud

18. Cont… Written exam: sentence formation comprehension questions
paragraph writing,
dictation (listen and write)
fill in the blanks
grammar exercises

19. How does teacher respond to students’ errors?
Teacher ensures Self correction by students
An opportunity to review and reconsider response
Sense of liberation from teacher control
Avoidance of negative feelings like embarrassment, humiliation at being pointed, low self confidence, fear of being singled out, fear of being laughed at.

20. Summary
Principles of Direct Method