THE DIRECT METHOD OF TEACHING ENGLISH & ITS AIM AND PRINCIPLE,

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

 Since the earliest times, there have been many changes in the ways of learning and teaching of
English language.
 Let us have a look at the direct methods of learning /teaching the English language.
 Since the grammar-translation method wasn’t very effective in preparing students to use the
target language communicatively, the direct method became popular.

What is meant by direct method of teaching English?

 The method Direct is named “direct” because meaning should be connected directly with the
target language without translation in to the native language.
 Procedure
 Only English used
 A lot of teacher-students dialogues, later systematic teaching of grammar and vocabulary
 Mainly speaking, both communication and stressed a grammatical syllabus
 The Direct teaching method is a method of foreign and second language teaching which consist
that only the target language should be used in class and meaning should be communicated
“directly” by associating speech forms with action, objects, mime, gesture and situations.
 The direct method has one very basic rule: no translation is allowed. In fact, the direct method
receives its name from the fact that meaning is to be connected directly with the English
language, without going through the process of translating in to the students’ native language.

Characteristics of direct method of teaching English:-

 The direct method of teaching English is one the most widely known methods. It enjoyed
immense popularity because it overcame the two major defects of the Grammar-Translation
method. It substituted “Language contact” for “Grammar recitation” and “Language use” for
translation.
 The salient feature of the direct method of English teaching as follows:
A. Emphasis on oral language
B. Intensive speech practice, usually with training in phonetics.
C. The exclusive use new language.
D. The approach initially inacceptable any choice to the mother tongue either for exercise
on translation or for clarification of vocabulary and grammar.
E. It was hopefulness expected that by banishing the language from the classroom the
students would be compelled to do their thinking in the new medium.
F. The learner experiences the new language in the same way in which he has
experienced his mother tongue.
 Aims of direct method of teaching English:-
 The direct method aims at establishing a direct bond between experience and expression.
According to the direct method, the students should think directly in English.
 There should be no intervention of the mother tongue in the translation method the student
comes across a sentence in the English language (say E). He immediately thinks of its native
language equivalent (say N), and then he thinks of the idea or the concept underlying that
sentence. So in the translation method the link is like this:
E----------> N-------------> C
 Where’ E ‘stands for the English language, N for the native language and c for the concept.
 In the direct method there is no intervention of the native language. So the link is like this:

E-------------> C
 The direct method aims at developing an instinctive unerring language sense in the people.

The principles of the Direct Method in teaching English:-

1. Reading in the target language should be taught from the beginning of the language
instruction; however, the reading skill will be developed through practice with speaking.
Language is primarily speech. Culture consists of more than the fine arts (e.g. in this lesson
we observed the students studying geography and cultural values.
2. Objects (e.g., realia or pictures) present in the immediate classroom environment should
be used to help students understand the meaning.
3. The native language shouldn’t be used in the classroom.
4. The teacher should demonstrate, not explain or translate. It is desirable that students
make a direct association between the target language and meaning.
5. Students should learn to think in the target language as soon as possible. Vocabulary is
acquired more naturally if students use it in full sentences, rather than memorizing.
6. The purpose of language learning is communication (therefore, students need to learn
how to ask questions as well as answer them).
7. Pronunciation should be worked on right from the beginning of language instruction.
8. Self-correction facilitates language learning.
9. Lesson should contain some conversational activity—some opportunity for students to
use language in real contexts. Students should be encouraged to speak as much as
possible.
10. Grammar should be taught inductively. There may never be an explicit grammar rule
given.
11. Writing is an important skill, to be developed from the beginning of language instruction.
12. The syllabus is based on situations or topics, not usually on linguistic structures.
13. Learning another language also involves learning how speakers of that language live.

Advantages of Direct Method in Teaching English:-

 The following are the advantages of the Direct Method in teaching English:-
 Direct method helps learner to acquire correct pronunciation.
 It provides better understanding
 Time saving
 Helped in teaching idioms
 It provides better fluency of language
 Based on psychological principle
 No gap between active and passive vocabularies.

1. It is natural method:
 In the direct method the order of teaching is observing, listening, speaking, reading and writing.
This is the natural order of learning a language. The method makes use of demonstration and
conversation.

2. It gives fluency of speech:

 As a lot of attention is paid to oral training in this method, the students acquire fluency of
speech. This is the reason why students who are taught by the direct are fluent speakers as
compared to those who are taught by the translation method.

3. It improves pronunciation:
 As the students are made to speak a lot and they are also taught phonetics, their pronunciation
improves.

4. It aids written work:

 Fluency of speech leads to case in writing. To express themselves in writing, the students have
only to learn spellings, if a students can express as himself clearly in speaking, he can express
himself in writing as well.

5. It facilities the study of literature:

 It is believed that since the student acquires an ear for the language in direct method, it facilities
the study of literature.

6. It makes use of audio-visual aids:

 Audio-visual aids are used in the direct method. This makes the lesson interesting.

Disadvantages of Direct Method Teaching of English language:-

 Direct method is difficult as there no use of mother language.
 It isn’t economical as it is requires various teaching aids.
 Mayn’t be suitable for average or weaker students.
 It requires competent teachers.
 It gives overemphasis on listening and speaking skills.
 It isn’t effective in early stages of learning.

1. It is an incomplete method:
 Direct method lays too much emphasis on speaking. It neglects reading and writing. The
tendency is to give insufficient attention to reading and not to teach written work systematically.

2. It requires efficient teachers:

 Every teacher can’t make a success of the direct method. Only that teacher can work out this
method successfully, who is good at English? Especially conversational English.

3. It requires linguistic minded students:

 Direct method can succeed only with those students who are linguistically minded, that is,
students who have got a fine ear for the language. Only the clever child can profit by this
method.

4. Material facilities aren’t available:

 Direct method requires the use of audio-visual aids, but these aren’t available in a majority of
our schools.

5. The classes are over-crowded:

 Small classes are needed for the direct method so that the teacher can pay individual attention.
But in a majority of schools the classes are very large.

6. It is difficult for explanation:

 The meaning of new words in the direct method is explained by material association,
explanation in the target language and use in suitable context. The mother tongue is not used
although in certain cases its use more economical and effective in telling meaning.s
Chapter Overview

Chapter 7 introduced you to direct instruction for teaching facts, rules, and action sequences. Now we
consider indirect instruction for teaching concepts, inquiry, and problem solving.

An old adage says: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."
The teaching of concepts, inquiry, and problem solving are different forms of indirect instruction that
actively involve your learners in seeking resolutions to questions and issues while they construct new
knowledge. Indirect instruction is an approach to teaching and learning in which (1) the process is
inquiry, (2) the content involves concepts, and (3) the context is a problem.

These three ideas are brought together in special ways in the indirect instruction model. This chapter
presents teaching strategies you can use to compose your own indirect teaching approach that asks
your learners to share the excitement of becoming actively involved in their own learning and
contributing new knowledge to solve real-world problems. We begin by looking into two classrooms,
one in which Tim Robbins is teaching a lesson with the direct instruction model and the other in which
Kay Greer is teaching the same lesson with the indirect instruction model.

This chapter introduced you to indirect instruction strategies. Its key terms and main points were:

Comparing Direct and Indirect Instruction

1. Indirect instruction is an approach to teaching and learning in which concepts, patterns, and
abstractions are taught in the context of strategies that emphasize concept learning, inquiry,
and problem solving.
2. In indirect instruction, the learner acquires information by transforming stimulus material into
a response that requires the learner to rearrange and elaborate on the stimulus material.

Examples of Problem Solving, Inquiry, and Concept Attainment

Strategies

1. Generalization is a process by which the learner responds in a similar manner to different

stimuli, thereby increasing the range of instances to which particular facts, rules, and
sequences apply.
2. Discrimination is a process by which the learner selectively restricts the acceptable range of
instances by eliminating things that may look like the concept but differ from it on critical
dimensions.
3. The processes of generalization and discrimination together help students classify different-
appearing stimuli into the same categories on the basis of essential attributes. Essential
attributes act as magnets, drawing together all instances of a concept without the learner
having to see or memorize all instances of it.
4. The following are instructional strategies of the indirect model:

 Use of advance organizers

 Conceptual movement—inductive and deductive
 Use of examples and nonexamples
 Use of questions to guide search and discovery
 Use of student ideas
 Student self-evaluation
  Use of group discussion

Content Organization

1. An advance organizer gives learners a conceptual preview of what is to come and helps them
store, label, and package content for retention and later use.
2. Three approaches to organizing content and composing advance organizers are the concept
learning, inquiry, and problem-solving approaches.

Conceptual Movement: Induction and Deduction

1. Induction starts with a specific observation of a limited set of data and ends with a
generalization about a much broader context.
2. Deduction proceeds from principles or generalizations to their application in specific contexts.

Using Examples and Nonexamples

1. Providing examples and nonexamples helps define the essential and nonessential attributes
needed for making accurate generalizations.
2. Using examples and nonexamples includes the following steps:

 Providing more than a single example

 Using examples that vary in ways that are irrelevant to the concept being defined
 Using nonexamples that also include relevant dimensions of the concept
 Explaining why nonexamples have some of the same characteristics as examples

The Use of Questions to Guide Search and Discovery

1. In indirect instruction, the role of questions is to guide students into discovering new
dimensions of a problem or new ways of resolving a dilemma.
2. Some uses of questions during indirect instruction include the following:

 Refocusing
 Presenting contradictions to be resolved
 Probing for deeper, more thorough responses
 Extending the discussion to new areas
 Passing responsibility to the class

Learner Experience and Use of Student Ideas

1. Student ideas can be used to heighten student interest, to organize subject content around
student problems, to tailor feedback to fit individual students, and to encourage positive
attitudes toward the subject. Because these goals should not become ends unto themselves,
there should be a plan and structure for using student ideas in the context of strategies to
promote problem solving, inquiry, and concept learning.
2. Student-centered learning, sometimes called unguided discovery learning, allows the student
to select both the form and substance of the learning experience. This is appropriate in the
context of independently conducted experiments, research projects, science fair projects, and
 demonstrations. However, the preorganization of content is always necessary to ensure that
the use of student ideas promotes the goals of the curriculum.

Student Self-Evaluation

1. Self-evaluation of student responses occurs during indirect instruction when you give students
the opportunity to reason out their answers so you and other students can suggest needed
changes. Students can most easily conduct self-evaluation in the context of student-to-
student-to-teacher exchanges, wherein you encourage students to comment on and consider
the accuracy of their own and each others' responses.

Use of Group Discussion

1. A group discussion involves student exchanges with successive interactions among large
numbers of students. During these exchanges, you may intervene only occasionally to review
and summarize, or you may schedule periodic interaction to evaluate each group's progress
and to redirect the discussion when necessary.
2. The best topics for discussion include those that are not formally structured by texts and
workbooks and for which a high degree of consensus among your students does not yet exist.
3. Your moderating functions during discussion include the following:

 Orient students to the objective of the discussion.

 Provide new or more accurate information that may be needed.
 Review, summarize, and relate opinions and facts.
 Redirect the flow of information and ideas back to the objective of the discussion.

Final Word

1. Direct and indirect instruction is often used together, even within the same lesson, and you
should not adopt one model to the exclusion of the other. Each contains a set of strategies
that can compose an efficient and effective method for the teaching of facts, rules, and
sequences and to solve problems, inquire, and learn concepts.