The Direct Method

As with the Grammar-Translation Method, The Direct Method is not new. Its principles have been applied by language teachers for many years. Since The Grammar-Translation Method was not very effectife in preparing students to use the target language communicatively, the Direct Method became popular.
The Direct Method has one very basic rule : Not translation is allowed. In fact, the Direct Method receives its name from the fact thet 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 (Diller 1978).

The Principles of the Direct Method are organized below by answering the ten question :

1. What are the goals of techers who use the Direct Method ?
The techers intend that students learn how to communicate in the target language and the studnts should learn to think in the target language.

2. What is the role of the teacher ? What is the role of the students ?
The techer is more active than the studens. They are more like partners in the learning process.


3. What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process ?
The teacher belive students need associate menaing and the targey language directly. In order to do this, when the techer introduces a new target language word or phrase, he demonstrates its meaning through the use of, pictures, realia, or pantomime. Students spek in target language a great deal and communicate as if they were in real situations. Grammar is taught inductively; that is, the students are presented with examples and they figure out of the rue or generalization from the example.

4. What is the nature of student-teacher interaction ? What is the nature of student-student interaction ?
The initation of the interaction goes both ways, from techer to students or vice-versa.

5. How are the feelings of the students dealt with ?
There are no principlea of the method which relate to this area.

6. How is language viewed ? How is culture viewed ?
Language is primarily spoken, not written. 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.


7. What areas of language are emphasized ? What language skills are emphasized ?
Vocabulary is emphasized over grammar. Althogh work on all four skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) occurs from the start, oral communication is seen as basic.

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 ?
The students asked to do so using both oral and written skills. For example, the students might be interviewed orally by teacher o might be asked to write a paragraph about something they have studied.

10. How does the teacher respond to students errors ?
The teacher, employing various techniques, tries to get students to self-correct whenever possible.