The Direct Method

The Direct Method, also called Natural Method, was established in Germany and France
around 1900. It appeared as an answer to the shortcomings of the Grammar Translation
Method. It is a method for teaching foreign languages that uses the target language,
discarding any use of mother tongue in the classroom. As teachers became frustrated with
the students inability to communicate orally, they began to experiment with new
techniques. The idea was that foreign language teaching must be carried out in the same
way people learn their mother tongue!

The method
Translation is completely banished from any classroom activity. Classroom activities
are carried out ONLY in the target language.
Oral teaching comes before any other kind of reading and writing activities.
Use of chain activities accompanied by verbal comments like: I go to the door. I open
the door. I close the door. I return to my place. I sit down. (called the Gouin series)
Grammar is taught inductively. (i.e. having learners find out rules through the
presentation of adequate linguistic forms in the target language.)
Use of realia to teach concrete vocabulary. Abstract vocabulary is taught through
association if ideas.
Emphasis is put on correct pronunciation and grammar.
Teaching through modeling and practice.
The teaching techniques rely mostly on

reading aloud,
question answer exercise,
self correction,
conversation practice,
fill-in-the-blank exercise,
dictation
and paragraph writing.
Advantages
Clearly the Direct Method is a shift away from the Grammar Translation Method. One of
its positive points is that it promises to teach the language and Not about the language.
More advantages can be listed as follows:
It is a natural method which teaches language the same way the mother tongue is
acquired. Only the target language is used and the learning is contextulized.
Its emphasis on speech made it more attractive for those who have needs of real
communication in the target language.
It was one of the first methods to introduce the teaching of vocabulary through realia

Criticism
In spite of its achievements, the direct method fell short from fulfilling the needs of
educational systems. One of its major shortcomings is that it was hard for public schools
to integrate it. As Brown (1994:56) points out, the Direct Method

did not take well in public education where the constraints of budget, classroom size,
time, and teacher background made such a method difficult to use.

After a short popularity in the beginning of the 20th century, it soon began to lose its
appeal because of these constraints. It then paved the way to the Audiolingual Method.

References:

To read more on Situational Language Teaching and other methods:

Richards, J. C. & Rogers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and methods in language teaching: A

description and analysis. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.). New York:
Longman

Wikipedia: The Direct Method

6thApril 2017
Teacher: BIAU GHEORGHIA ALINA