Direct Method

Dr. Chen Chinfen

Background
Founded by Francois Gouin, in 1860, he
observed hundreds of French students learning a
foreign language and concluded that learning a
foreign language should be in the same way by
which people learn their L1.
It aims to use the target language to communicate
with daily words. Grammar is taught inductively,
in which students discover the rules.
Background
Its to make up with the Grammar-Translation
Meth0od, which emphasizes reading and writing,
fixed rules for sentences patterns, and grammar
and translation skills.
So, in DM, no translation, no native language but
with meaningful context, realia, pictures, visual
aids, demonstration and dramatization to help
students learn words, preposition, grammar of
the target language.

Principles

No translate but demonstrate
Never explain but act
Never make a speech but ask questions
Native speaker to deliver teaching for
correct pronunciation, and better oral skills.

Techniques
Reading aloud:
Take turns reading sections of a passage, play, or
whatever teaching materials. The teacher uses
gestures, pictures, realia, examples, or other
means to make the meaning of the section clear.
Question and answer exercise
Students ask and answer Qs in full sentences and
practice new words and grammatical rules.

Techniques
Self-correction: :
To make students self-corrected by asking them
to make a choice between what they said and an
alternative answer he supplied;
Or the teacher may repeat a student said, using a
questioning tone or to repeat what the students
said and stop before the error to signal that
something is wrong with students answers.

Techniques
Conversation exercise:
For communication purpose, teaching contains
conversational activities: starting with questions
in the target language which contained a certain
grammar structure, then let students ask Qs with
each other with the same sentence patterns.
Finally, let student have free talk.

Techniques
Fill-in-blank exercise
Dictation: a normal speed phrase by phrase,
normal speed again.
Map drawing: A map with unnamed
geographical features. The teacher gives
directions and students label the map. Then
change the roles.
Paragraph writing: to write a paragraph in their
own words by using the teaching materials a
model.

Good points
Let students learn the correct pronunciation
and better oral skills because no native
language is used and communication is
main activity in the class. Whereas,
students enterprising spirits and the teacher
speaking the target language fluently are
required.

Disadvantages
Students may be afraid of asking Qs.
Its hard to practice the methods in a class
with more than 20 students. It needs a great
amount of teachers
Its hard to explain abstract words.
It takes much time for teacher to explain
the words that might be trivial.

Thanks for attention!
Reference website:
http://content.edu.tw/senior/english/t
p_tt/teachmethod/directmethod.htm