DIRECT METHOD

Direct Method

Direct method is a way to present foreign language learning in which the teacher directly using the foreign language as the language of instruction, and without using native language in teaching. If there are any words that are difficult to understand by the students, then teachers can interpret using visual aids, demonstration, describe and others. Direct method is a method of language teaching associated with Francois Guin and Charles Berlitz and direct method was introduced in France.

There are some the goals of teachers use the direct method, such as:

a.      Teachers who use the direct method intend that students learn how to communicate in the target language.

b.      They intend that student learn how to communicate in the target language. In order to do this successfully, students should learn to think in the target language.

c.       Teachers are to create such a classroom atmosphere to make to students ready to understand and talk about the dialogues or the passages.

d.      Teachers are also expected to use actions and pictures related to the teaching matters in the dialogues.

e.       Teachers create conversations about the passages.

f.       They are to give chances to every student to take part in any way in the conversations.

The role of the teacher

In this method the teacher and the student are more like partners in the teaching/ learning process. But beside that the teachers are the key figures in the English learning process. Their influence is fundamental to their students’ progress or lack therefore. To achieve the desired result in teaching English, i.e. guiding students to its successful acquisition, teachers have to be aware of and adhere to certain essentials.

The role of the students                       

Student preparation plays  important part in the learning. They are one of the defining traits of direct method learning is the increased independence of learners. Only if they are motivated, disciplined and self directed be successful.

Principles of the direct method:

a.      Classroom instructions are conducted exclusively in the target language.

b.      Only everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught during the initial phase; grammar, reading and writing are introduced in intermediate phase.

c.       Oral communication skills are built up in a carefully graded progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges between teachers and students in small, intensive classes.

d.      Grammar is taught inductively.

e.       New teaching points are introduced orally.

f.       Concrete vocabulary is taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures; abstract vocabulary is taught by association of ideas.

g.      Both speech and listening comprehensions are taught.

h.      Correct pronunciation and grammar are emphasized.

i.        Student should be speaking approximately 80% of the time during the lesson.

j.        Students are taught from inception to ask questions as well as answer them.

The Principles of Direct Method

Ø  Reading in the target language should be taught from the beginning of language instruction. Reading skill will be developed through practice with speaking. The main focus is on speaking.

Ø   Materials should be used in classroom to help the students understand the meaning.

Ø  The native language should not be used in the classroom.

Ø  The teacher is the demonstrator, not translator. As the teacher demonstrates, students are expected to guess the meaning.

Ø  Thinking in the target language should be achieved immediately.

Ø  Vocabulary memorization is not an effective technique. Students are expected to learn the words naturally while they use the   target language.

Ø  Communication is the main purpose of language learning rather than reading or writing in the target language.

Ø  Since communication is the main purpose, pronunciation has a considerable importance.

Ø  Self correction is more effective than teacher correction.

Ø  Using authentic materials in classroom facilitates learning.

Ø  Students should be encouraged to speak as much as possible.

Ø  Grammar should be taught inductively. There may never be an explicit grammar rule given.

Ø  Writing is very important and it should be developed as much as possible.

Ø  The syllabus is not based on grammar, but on topics.

There are some characteristics of the teaching / learning use this method, such as:

Ø  Demonstration (true, pictures, pantomime)

Ø  No translation

Ø  Speaking in the target language

Ø  Inductive grammar ( no explicit grammar rule)

Ø  Subject matter is first given word by word, and sentence structure

Ø  Students are not required to memorize formulas of grammar, but that important the students can to speak the language goodly.

TECHNIQUES IN THE DIRECT METHOD

Ø   Reading Aloud: Students take turns reading sections of a passage, play or dialog loud. At the end of each students turn, the teacher uses gestures, pictures, reality, examples or other means to make the meaning of the section clear.

Ø  Question and Answer Exercise: This exercise is conducted only in the target language. Students are asked questions and answer in full sentences so that they practice with new words and grammatical structure. They have the opportunity to ask questions as well as answer them.

Ø   Getting Students To Self-Correct:   The teacher the class has the students self-correct by asking them to make a choice between what they said and an alternate 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 questioning 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 error. The student knows that the next word was wrong.

Ø   Conversation Practice: The teacher asks students a number of questions in the target language, which the students have to understand to be able to answer correctly.

Ø   Fill-in-the-blank Exercise: This technique is 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.

Ø  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 a normal speed and students checked their work.

Ø   Map Drawing: An Example: The students are given a map with the geographical features unnamed. Then the teacher gives the students directions such as the following, “Find the mountain range. Write the words “Toros Mountains” across the mountain range”. The teacher gives instructions for all the geographical features of Turkey so that students will have a completely labelled map if they follow the teacher’s instructions correctly. The students then instruct the teacher to do the same thing with a map he has drawn on the blackboard. Each student can have a turn giving the teacher instructions for finding and labelling one geographical sentence.

Ø  Paragraph Writing: On an example topic about geography the teacher may ask the students to write a paragraph in their own words on the major geographical features of Indonesia. They can do this from memory, or they can use the reading passage in the lesson as a model.

How is evaluation accomplished?

In the direct method, students are asked to use the language, not to demonstrate their knowledge about the language. They are asked to do so using both oral and written skills. For example, the student might be interviewed orally by the teacher or might be asked to write a paragraph about something they have studied.

There are some advantages of using direct method:

·         The students are motivated to understand and pronounce words or sentences in foreign language that thought by the teacher, especially when the teacher uses media/ reality.

·         The students get more experience in speaking foreign language even only simple sentences at first.

·         The students are trained to speak in foreign language well.

      There are some disadvantages of using direct method:

·         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

·         Teaching and learning process will be passive if the teacher can not motivate the students to participate the class discussion.

·         It is hard to apply in Indonesia since several teachers in Indonesia are not expert in speaking English.