Now I will review about the principles of Direct Method.

We will answer 10
questions posed earlier
1. What are the goals of teachers who use the Direct Method?
As you know, Direct Method aims the students learn how to communicate
using target language. So that, teachers who want to use the Direct Method
successfully should encourage students in learning to think in target language.
Therefore, classroom intruction was conducted exclusively in the target
language.
2. What is the role of the teacher? What is the role of the students?
I have 1 question for you: In the Grammar-Translation Method, what is
the role of the teacher? → The teacher is the authority in the classroom. The
students do as he says so they can learn what he knows.
In this method, teacher still directs the class activities. However, the
students’ role is less passive than in the Grammar-Translation Method. The
interaction appears and goes BOTH way, which means the teacher and the
students are more like partners in the teaching – learning process.
3. What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process?
Why is this method called Direct Method? Because teachers who use this
method believe students need to associate meaning and the target language
DIRECTLY. One very basic rule is No translation is allowed.
So, how can students acquire the language? When the teacher introduces
a new target language word or phrase, he uses the demonstration and visual aids
such as realia /riˈeɪ.li.ə/, pictures, or pantomime /ˈpæn.tə.maɪm/. What does it
mean by realia? Realia means the use of real objects to teach. For example,
when the teacher wants to teach them the word “apple”, he is not supposed to
translate the word but he is supposed to bring the real apple and show it to the
students and then ask them some questions like “do you know what is it?”. Of
course there is no recourse to the students’ native language. Objects present in
the classroom environment should be used to help students to understand the
meaning. So teacher should demonstrate not explain or translate. New
vocabularies are introduced through demonstrations
The syllabus is based on CURRENT ISSUE or SITUATION not usually
on linguistic structures. For example, one unit would consist of language that
people would use at a bank, in the supermarket or at school. And the topics are
about geography, money, the weather and so on.
Then grammar should be taught inductively. Which means students
are presented with examples and they figure out the rule or generalization
/ˌdʒen.ə r.əl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ from the examples. An explicit /ɪkˈsplɪs.ɪt/ grammar
rule may never be given. Students practice vocabulary by using new words
in complete sentences because sentence is the basic unit of language. In
GTM they memorize the words without paying attention to any context.
Here in DM, all the words that we teach should be contextualized, should
be put in the context. So students can learn them and use them in different
situations.
4. What is the nature of student-teacher interaction? What is the
nature of student-student interaction?
The interaction goes both ways, from teacher to students and from
students to teacher, although the latter is often teacher-directed. Students
converse with one another as well. Teachers ask students questions and vice
versa.
5. How are the feelings of the students dealt with?
There are no principles of the method which relate to this area.
6. How is language viewed? How is culture viewed?
Language is primarily spoken, not written. Therefore, students study
common, everyday speech in the target language. The purpose of the language
learning is communication and students should use the language in the real
context. That’s why lessons should contain some conversational activities to
encourage students to speak as much as possible.
Students also study culture consisting of the history of the people who
speak the target language, the geography of the country or countries where the
language is spoken, and information about the daily lives of the speakers of the
language. Students study in the same way as one learns one’s mother tongue.
7. What areas of language are emphasized? What language skills are
emphasized?
Vocabulary is emphasized over grammar. Although work on all four skills
(reading, writing, speaking, and listening) occurs from the start, oral
communication is seen as basic. Oral communication skills are built up in a
carefully graded progression which is organized around question – and –
answer exchanges between teacher and students in a small intensive classes.
Although there will be the reading and writing exercises, they are based upon
what the students practice orally first.
Pronunciation also receives attention right from the beginning of a course.
For example, the teacher asks the student to pronounce the word “focus”, but he
pronounces fokious, then the teacher asks him to pronounce it again /ˈfəʊ.kəs/.
Learning another language also involves learning how speakers of that
language pronounce. Unlike the Grammar-Translation Method. GTM it doesn’t
give any attentions to pronunciation. But here in the Direct Method, it is
concerned with promoting communicative skills. So it is necessary to give
attention to pronunciation as well.
8. What is the role of the students' native language?
The students' native language should not be used in the classroom. It
means there is no translation like we do in Grammar-Translation Method.
Students should make direct assosiation between the target language and the
meaning so here students should rely basically on the target language to
understand the lesson without resorting to the mother tongue.
9. How is evaluation accomplished?
We did not actually see any formal evaluation in the class we observed;
however, 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 students might be interviewed
orally by the teacher or might be asked to write a paragraph about something
they have studied.
10. How does the teacher respond to student errors?
The teacher, employing various techniques, tries to get students to self-
correct whenever possible. Self correction facilitates language learning. In this
way students will be able to develop critical thinking as well. Teachers are not
always the one who corrects students’ mistake and errors but he can ask other
students to correct to each other

It largely depends on the teacher’s skill, rather than the text book. Not all
the teachers are proficient enough in the target language to follow the
principles of the method.
What should teachers do?
- Never translate: demonstrate instead using different techniques
- Never explain: act such as gestures, body language
- Never make a speech: ask questions
- Never imitate mistakes: correct them immediately
- Never speak with single words: use sentences
- Never speak too much: make students speak instead
- Never go too fast: keep the pace of the students. So that students could
catch up with what they are learning
- Never speak too slowly, quickly, loudly: speak naturally. Students can
learn from the way the teachers using the target language
- Never be impatient: take it easy. Students are the one who start learning a
new language. So don’t need to rush