Direct method
THE
DIRECT METHOD
Submitted
to fulfill the task of Technique and Principles in Language Teaching
Written
by:
Mutiara
Mega Ashari 153221114
Tika
Fatmalasari 153221117
Feby
Wanda S 153221141
ENGLISH
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
ISLAMIC
EDUCATION AND TEACHING TRAINING FACULTY
THE
STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF SURAKARTA
2017
INTRODUCTION
There is a widespread assumption
that language is best learnt when student actively use it the classroom. The
Direct Method, which is also known as natural method or conversational method,
has been popular since it enables students to communicate in the foreign
language. The Direct Method through focusing on everyday language, and using
questions and answer lays an emphasis on teaching oral language. The primary
objective of this method is associate meaning and the target language directly
through the use of realia, pictures or pantomime (Larsen-Freeman, 1986, p.29)
Rivers
summarizes the characteristics of the Direct Method as “student learn to
understand a language by listening to a great deal of it and that they learn to
speak it by speaking it-associating speech with appropriate action” (Rivers,
1968, s.18).
In
the Direct Method language is learnt for communication, as larsen-Freeman
(2000) states language is primarily speech. Classroom instruction and classroom
activities are carried out in the target language; therefore, students are
actively involved in using the target language. Conversational activities hold
an important place in this method. Through using language in real contexts,
students stand a better chance of thinking, and speaking in the target
language. Similarly, stern points out that the Direct Method is characterized
by the use of the target language as a means of instruction and communication
in the language classroom, and by the avoidance of the use of the first language
of translation as a technique (Stern, 1983).
The
Direct Method will enable students to understand the language which will help
them to use the language with ease; moreover, as L1 is not allowed students
learn the language through demonstration and conversation which will lead them
to acquire fluency. The Direct Method has been useful in that it “provided an
exciting and interesting way of learning the foreign language trough activity.
It proved to be successful in releasing students from the inhibitions all too
often associated with speaking a foreign tongue, particularly the early
stages.” (Rivers, 1968, s.20)
Similarly,
Richardson through explaining the learning process in the Direct Method
stresses the role of teachers as “they all insisted on the primacy of phonetics
as a basis for language teaching; on the importance of oral practice and the
necessity for making the reader the Centre of instruction; on the principle of
direct association between the thing referred to and the new word in the foreign
language; on the teaching of grammar by inductive methods, and of the avoidance
of the written or printed word until the pupil's pronunciation was so sound
that it would not be influenced by seeing how the words were spelt,” (1983,
s.38)
The Direct Method received strong
criticism in that it required teachers speak with a native-like fluency
(Richards and Rodgers, 2007). Because the success of this method depends on the
competence of the teachers, students will not have a good opportunity to
develop their language skills unless this native-like proficiency is obtained
by the teachers. As the professors of the Pennsylvania State University state
“a successful teacher of the Direct Method needs competence in his language,
stamina, energy, imagination, ability and time to create own materials and
courses, immense vitality, robust health, real fluency in the modern language
he teaches. He must be resourceful in the way of gesture and tricks of facial
expression, be proof against linguistic fatigue in the language teaching day
and be able to sketch rapidly on the board.” (Duchackova, 2006).
However, taking the students’
comprehension capacity into consideration, as long as the classroom instruction
is conducted in the target language students will benefit a lot from the use of
this method. Though this method was criticized for not teaching listening
strategies systematically, there is no question that students’ listening
development relies on listening to the target language continuously. Students
who listen to the target language constantly tend to develop their listening
skills.
DISCUSSION
A.
The
History of Direct Method
The Direct Method of teaching, which is sometimes
called the natural method, is the method that associated with Francois Gouin
and Charles Berlitz. The meaning of the name "Direct Method" comes
from the fact that the action like demonstration and visual aids are needed to
convey the meaning directly into the target language. Gouin developed an
approach to teaching a foreign language based on his observations of children’s
use of language. He believed that language learning was facilitated through
using language to accomplish events considering of a sequence of related
actions. The main argumentation of this method is that a foreign language could
be taught by use the learner’s native tongue without translation. It also means
that The Direct Method insists on thinking and communicating the target
language directly without explanation in translation.
Bambang Setiyadi in his book presented a brief story
of the birth of the method that adapted from Mackey (1975: 143-148). A long
before Direct Method was widely used, there were a lot of reactions against the
teaching of grammar through explanation and translation. One of the first
extreme reactions was the idea that the target language was taught through
inductive grammar by using texts written in the target language. With the
coming of the inductive teaching of grammar, the Grammar Translation Method
became an end. In the latter half of the century, there was a movement that
advocated the abolition of translation and grammar, and teaching of the target
language through abundant listening. This way of teaching was then improved by
adding physical activity in presenting language material. One of the pioneers of this movement was
Gouin of France.
For addition, the book of Jack C. Richards and
Theodore S. Rodgers presented the opinion of a German Scholar F. Franke (1884)
that strengthened the Direct Method. Frank said that a language could be best
taught by using it actively in the classroom. Rather than using analytical
procedures that focus on explanation of grammar rules in classroom teaching,
teachers must encourage direct and spontaneous use of foreign language in the
classroom. Learners would then be able to induce rules of grammar. The teacher
replaced the textbook in the early stages of learning. Speaking began with
systematic attention to pronunciation. Known words could be used to teach new
vocabulary, using mime, demonstration, and pictures. This statement became the
principles of natural language learning and provided the foundation for Direct
Method. From it, Direct Method refers to the most widely known of the natural
methods.
B.
Principles
of The Direct Method
Larsen-freeman
(2003: 28-30) provides principles associated with the direct method as follows:
1. The
goals of the teacher who use the Direct Method intend that students learn how
to communicate in the target language. And the students should learn to think
in the target language.
2. The
role of the teacher is to direct class activities; the student role is less
passive than Grammar Translation Method. The students and teacher are more like
partners in the learning process.
3. The
characteristics of the teaching/ learning process is teacher who use the direct
method believe students need to associated meaning and the target language
directly. In order to this, when the teacher introduces a new target language
word or phrase, he demonstrate its meaning through the use of realia, picture,
or pantomime, he never translates it into the student native language. Students
speak in the target language a great deal and communicate as if they were in
real situation.
4. The
Nature of student- teacher interaction is 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. The
areas of Language skill are emphasized is vocabulary is emphasized over
grammar. Although work on all four skills (reading, speaking, writing, 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.
6. The
student’s native language should not be used in the classroom.
7. The
teacher respond to the student errors is the Teacher, employing various
techniques, tries to get students to self- correct whenever possible.
C.
The
Techniques of the Direct Method
Larsen-freeman (2003:30-32) provides typical
techniques associated with the direct method as follows:
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 question
and answer in full sentences so that they practice new words and grammatical
structures. They have the opportunity to ask question 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 the
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 question 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 question 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
question 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 the normal
speed, and students check their work.
7. Map
drawing
The
class include 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 “Rocky
Mountain” across the mountain range.’ He gave instruction 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 blackboard. Each student could have a turn giving the teacher
instruction for finding and labeling one geographical feature.
8. 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 Stated. They could have
done this from memory, or they could have used the reading passage in the lesson
as a model.
D.
The
key features of the Direct Method.
According
to Richards and Rodgers (2001), the key features of the direct method are:
1. Classroom
instruction is conducted exclusively in the target language.
2. Only
everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught.
3. Grammar
is taught inductively.
4. Concrete
vocabulary is taught through demonstration, realia, and pictures; abstract
vocabulary is taught by association of ideas.
5. Both
speech and listening comprehension are taught.
6. Correct
pronunciation and grammar are emphasized.
E.
The
advantages of The Direct Method
According
to Richards and Rodgers (2001), the advantages of the direct method are:
1. It follows the
natural order in which a child learns L1, that is, listening, speaking,
reading, writing.
2. It lays great emphasis
on speaking, the most important skill for many learners.
3. Students learn the
correct pronunciation and better oral skills because no native language is used
and communication is main activity in the class.
4. It avoids the unnatural
block of translation in the communication process.
5. Learners learn the
language, not about the language.
6. Learners have an
active role.
7. Lively classroom
procedures motivate the learner.
8. The learning is
contextualized.
9. The emphasis on speech
makes it attractive for those who need real communication in L2.
10. The teaching of
vocabulary through realia brings authenticity into the classroom.
F.
The disadvantages of The
Direct Method
According
to Richards and Rodgers (2001), the disadvantages of the direct method are:
1.
Learning L2 is not like learning L1. The child learning L1
has no previous language-learning experience, but the learner learning L2 does.
2.
There is little systematic structural practice.
3.
Learners run the risk of inducing incorrect rules.
4.
The method can be effectively used only by teachers who are native
speakers.
5.
The learner is confronted with unstructured situations too soon.
6.
A great deal of teacher-energy is required.
7.
Students may be afraid of asking Question.
8.
It’s hard to practice the methods in a class with more than 20
students. It needs a great amount of teachers.
9.
It’s hard to explain abstract words.
10. It takes much time for
teacher to explain the words that might be trivial.
CONCLUSION
The
direct method is a method of teaching language directly with the target
language without translation into the native language. Teachers should value
students’ talk. Acquisition of a good oral proficiency is of paramount
importance in foreign language learning process. Creating a communicative
environment encourages students to get engaged in the target language, and
enhances their oral language development. The teacher should be aware of
his/her potential in the direct method as it will positively influence language
development of students.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bambang Setiyadi. 2006. Teaching English as Foreign Language. Yogyakarta:Graha
Ilmu.
Jack C. Richard
and Theodore S. Rodgers. 2001. Approaches
and Methods in
Language Teaching,
2nd ed. New York: CAMBRIDGE
University Press.
Larsen-Freeman,
Diane. 2003. Technique and Principles In
Language Teaching
Second Edition.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Anonymus. 2013. Teaching English as a Foreign Language The
Direct Method
DirectMethod.html,
access on September 22nd 2017, at 12 pm.
Mart, Cagru
Tugrul. 2013. The Direct-Method: A
Good Start to Teach Oral Language.
International journal of academic research in business
and social sciences vol.
3. 182-183.
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