Group 1

Principles and Practice In Second Language Acquisition

Binsos Omisang (leader) Saptu Jamaludin Mohd.Salleh Hindia

PGSR SAINS KOHOT 2 IPGM KAMPUS TAWAU NOV 2009-NOV 2013

The Direct Method, also called Natural Method, was established in Germany and France around 1900. as an answer to the shortcomings of the Grammar Translation Method (failed to equip student with foreign languages communicating skill). It is a method for teaching foreign languages that uses the target language, discarding any use of mother tongue in the classroom. The idea was that foreign language teaching must be carried out in the same way people learn their mother tongue

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 (teaching aid) to teach concrete vocabulary. Abstract vocabulary is taught through association of ideas. Emphasis is put on correct pronunciation and grammar. Teaching through modeling and practice.

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It makes the learning of English interesting and lively by establishing direct bond between a word and its meaning. It is an activity method facilitating alertness and participation of the pupils. It is the quickest way of getting started as in a few months over 500 of the commonest English words can be learnt and used in sentences. This serves as a strong foundation of further learning. Due to application of the Direct Method, students are able to understand what they learn, think about it and then express their own ideas in correct English about what they have read and learnt. Psychologically it is a sound method as it proceeds from the concrete to the abstract. This method can be usefully employed from the lowest to the highest class. Through this method, fluency of speech, good pronunciation and power of expression are properly developed.

There are many abstract words which cannot be interpreted directly in English and much time and energy are wasted in making attempts for the purpose. This method is based on the principles that auditory appeal is stronger that visual. But there are children who learn more with visual than with their oral- aural sense like ears and tongue. The method ignores systematic written work and reading activities and sufficient attention is not paid to reading and writing. Since in this method, grammar is closely bound up with the reader, difficulty is experienced in providing readers of such kind. This method may not hold well in higher classes where the Translation Method is found suitable. In larger classes, this method is not properly applied and teaching in this method does not suit or satisfy the needs of individual students in large classes.

1) Reading Aloud (Reading sections of passages, plays or dialogs out loud)

(2) Question and Answer Exercise (Asking questions in the target language and having students answer in full sentences) (3) Student Self-Correction (Teacher facilitates opportunities for students to self correct using follow-up questions, tone, etc)

(4) Conversation Practice (Teacher asks students and students ask students questions using the target language)

(5) Fill-in-the-blank Exercise (Items use target language only and inductive rather than explicit grammar rules) (6) Dictation (Teacher reads passage aloud various amount of times at various tempos, students writing down what they hear) (7) Paragraph Writing (Students write paragraphs in their own words using the target language and various models)

 Students

are given some visual aids which is come with a passage. Teacher reads the passage and point to the part described by each sentence on the picture. Students are asked to follow. Q& A begin-students to answer the questions in target language in full sentences.

If students make mistake with their sentences they will given time to self correct. Motivate them by repeating their sentences but stopping at the point where the mistakes occurred. After the teacher are done with the Q&A session, it is the students turn to ask their friends question about the visual aids shown earlier. Only L2 is use in this conversations activities. Next give the student a Fill-in-the-blank Exercise related with the passage given in step 1. No grammar rule applied here After this step completed the Teacher reads passage aloud various amount of times at various tempos, students writing down what they hear at the end of the class ask the students to write paragraphs in their own words using the target language regarding the subject they just learned

Aspect

Direct

Grammar Translation

Audio-Lingual

Speed of Learning Listening Comprehension Reading Comprehension Speaking Capability Writing Capability Grammar Vocabulary

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+ -

++ +

+ ++ + ++ ++

++ ++ + ++

+ ----

 Input

Comprehensive Interesting and relevant to the acquirer Not grammatically sequence Provided in sufficient quantity
Stephen d Krashen University Of Southern California