An overview of The Direct Method of Language Teaching

An overview of

The

Direct Method

of language teaching

also known as: "the Reform Method,"

"The Natural Method," "The Anti-grammatical method" AND "The Berlitz Method"

Strategies of the Direct Method

Students and teachers interact orally, and if a student makes a mistake, they are instructed to correct their own errors so that they learn by self-correction

Basic vocabulary comes first and is practiced through conversation, reading aloud and real-world texts.

All teaching content is transferred orally to encourage both speech and listening comprehension

Key

Ideas and Principles

of the Direct Method

No translation is allowed.

2. Language can be taught the same way the first language is learnt, through "total immersion," imitation, self-correction, questions and responses

A reaction to the grammar-translation method!

3. Classroom instruction is conducted exclusively in the target language.

4. The teacher should not explain; meaning is associated through action and demonstration

5. learners implicitly, or inductively learn grammar through example and trial and error.

History of the Direct Method

The method remained popular by adapting to new principles and strategies

Popularity was short-lived in the early 20th Century; replaced by the Audiolingual Method

"largely dependent on the teacher's skill...not all teachers proficient enough adhere to the principles of the method"

Criticism & Decline

Maximilian D. Berlitz founded the "Berlitz School of Languages" in the United States in 1878 after observing the success of student immersion in a target language.

Sauveur (1826-1907) "who used intensive oral interaction in the target language...opened a language school in Boston in the late 1860s, and his method soon became referred to as the Natural Method."

self-correction of mistakes

Here's a short example of a Direct Method lesson...

Several logistical restrictions to fulfilling the requirements of successful teaching in the Direct Method led to criticisms of the method as unrealistic

The Direct Method ”did not take well in public schools where the constraints of budget, classroom size, time, and teacher background (native speakers or nativelike fluency) made such a method difficult to use.” (Brown, 1994:56)

The syllabus is NOT based on linguistics, but on common topics and contexts

"These natural language learning principles provided the foundation for what came to be known as the Direct Method."

(http://www2.vobs.at/ludescher/Alternative%20methods/direct_method.htm)

common terms repeated as new vocabulary is added

From Berlitz's ideas came the international Berlitz brand, and school of languages was founded and expanded, synonymous with the term "total immersion."

lesson is entirely in English

With an emphasis on production of language, the direct method involves little memorisation and/or explicit vocabulary, in favour of conversational fluency

"this enjoyable conversational style of teaching has been proven effective by millions of Berlitz graduates from all walks of life – a record that has yet to be matched."

http://berlitz.com.au/?page_id=67