Importance of Direct Method in Language Teaching

History of Direct Method:

The subject of second or foreign language teaching has gone through many fluctuations and dramatic shifts over the years. Before the twentieth century, only two approaches used in language teaching methodology: one approach focused on using language from speaking and understanding perspectives and the second approach focused on analyzing the language from learning and grammatical point of view.

During classical and medieval periods, Greek and Latin were used as Lingua francas  and all the religious, political, philosophical works were accomplished in these languages all over Europe. Before the 20^th century, modern and classical languages were taught through grammar-translation methodology, systematic and analytic study of grammar.

Pendulum kept on swinging and direct method in language teaching became popular by the end of the 19^th century and established as a plausible alternative of GTM. The direct method is a foreign language teaching methodology that emphasizes the ability to use language rather than analyzing grammar. This method began to use widely in schools and emerged as a reaction against the Grammar Translation Method which had been failed to produce learners who could speak the foreign language practically that they had been learning.

Increased possibilities for communication amongst western countries created the demand for oral mastery in second (or foreign) language. Throughout centuries many attempts had been made to teach foreign language and Francois Gouin was the first reformer who attempted to form a methodology about studying child language learning.  One can only create conditions for learning to take place”.

The direct method places its focus on the ability to speak the language naturally as someone speaks mother-tongue.  

Chief characteristics of the Direct Method are:

a)      A teacher does not speak the mother language in the classroom. In other words, usage of mother tongue is strictly prohibited in the Direct Method of language teaching.

b)     An inductive approach is used to teach grammar and target culture.

c)      Pictures and physical actions constantly used to convey meanings.

d)     The teacher commences the lesson with dialogues or by telling short amusing anecdotes.

e)      Teachers should have mastery of foreign language. Their proficiency level of teaching foreign language should be like natives.

f)       Texts are studied for delight and are no longer examined grammatically.

g)      Everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught through demonstration.

h)     Errors are viewed as part of language learning and self-correction helps in learning the language.

Teaching techniques used in the Direct Method:

            a)      A teacher can extract the sentence from a literary text, make reasoning and relating to real-life experience and ask the students to read them loudly.

          b)     The technique of questioning in the classroom is a significant mean of teaching target language. Through this technique, the teacher keeps the student active and they engage in lesson keenly. It also enhances their confidence and motivation level.

        c)      Self-correction should be promoted in the classroom and a second chance should be given to students to correct themselves. Teachers can change their voice intonations to signal the students about their errors.

       d)     The teacher should ask the learners to write a paragraph on any topic in their own words. Paragraph writing should be encouraged in the classroom to teach the second language.

          e)      Language can also be taught through conversational practice. Students should be permitted to ask questions to the other fellows and teachers.  Through conversational practice, they will interact with one another and the process of second language learning will speed up.

         f)       In Direct Method example proliferation can be used by the teacher and instead of providing two or three examples to the students, she should present six or ten interesting examples so that they can understand the idea. The teacher should present the examples several times to students if necessary because repetition is the main component in the direct method.

Important of Direct Method: 

The sequence of teaching techniques is used in classrooms to teach the English language. As compare to the Grammar Translation Method where memorization of grammatical rules, conjugation of verbs and pluralization of nouns are explicitly taught, this method adopts the implicit approach to teach Language.

If a teacher wants to teach the pluralization of noun in ESL class, using this method she can bring pictures depicting lone and group objects and hold one picture for example of “flower” in right hand and “flowers” in left hand and emphasis on sound /s/, repeat  this practice several times so that students can understand the idea of pluralization.

According to cook, the first and foremost priority is to improve the listening and speaking skills of students so that they convey and receive messages and learn the use of language. However, the Grammar Translation Method promotes learning about the language. Students should be encouraged to talk in English in the classroom, it does not matter how imperfectly they talk.  

Teachers and students both play a very significant role in the classroom to learn the language. In the process of teaching and learning, they have a relationship of partners. Teachers and students freely cooperate and try their best to guess the meaning. The role of the teacher in the classroom is of a facilitator who demonstrates the things to learners whereas the learners' role in the Anti-grammar method is the active learner.

Students are very energetic and lively in the classroom and they discover new words and their meanings very quickly and actively in a foreign language.  They observe the given demonstrations and make attempts to figure out the meaning and try to communicate with other fellows in the classroom whatever they observe in the target language.

Giving feedback and correcting mistakes to students on their overall performance is an essential component of teaching.  Errors are considered a part of language learning and development.  It is additionally a sign of the natural development of learning the target language. However, in Grammar Translation Method errors are strictly prohibited and the teacher removed the errors through intensive drilling because the main focus was on accuracy.

Learners can make mistakes at different phases of language learning. Sometimes errors can occur due to the intervention of first language i.e. the word seems identical in both mother-tongue and foreign language but it has a different meaning. According to Jeremy Harmer, these kinds of errors are called “false friend”.  Some errors occur due to grammatical distinctions between the 1^st and 2^nd languages of students. For example, many learners frequently face difficulties with articles’ utilization while learning the English language.

Conclusion:

         It is believed that the learners who learn English through the Direct Method, they can use the target language in their social life. Believers of this method say that second language acquisition is the replication of the first language. This method emerged as a movement against the Grammar Translation Method. The core principles of this method are: Grammar is taught inductively; demonstration is used to teach concrete ideas; abstract thoughts are taught via affiliation of ideas; speaking and listening skills are improved; emphasis is also placed on correct pronunciation and grammar

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