The Direct Method: Lesson Plan

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.

Principles:

 In practice it stood for the following principles and procedures.

1. Classroom instruction was conducted exclusively in the target language.
2. Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.
3. Oral communication skills were built up in a carefully graded progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges between teachers and students in small, intensive classes.
4. Grammar was taught inductively.
5. New teaching points were introduced orally.
6. Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures; abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas.
7. Both speech and listening comprehension were taught.
8. Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

These principles are seen in the following guidelines for teaching oral language, which are still followed in contemporary Berlitz schools:

• Never translate: demonstrate
• Never explain: act
• Never make a speech: ask questions
• Never imitate mistakes: correct
• Never speak with single words: use sentences
• Never speak too much: make students speak much
• Never use the book: use your lesson plan
• Never jump around: follow your plan
• Never go too fast: keep the pace of the student
• Never speak too slowly: speak normally
• Never speak too quickly: speak naturally
• Never speak too loudly: speak naturally
• Never be impatient: take it easy

The teaching techniques rely mostly on

·         Reading aloud,

·         Question answer exercise,

·         Self-correction,

·         Conversation practice,

·         Fill-in-the-blank exercise,

·         Dictation

·         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:

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

Others sources:

Wikipedia: The Direct Method

Lesson Objectives
Unit objectives (textbook)	Specific Objectives
Ø  Read, comprehend and summarize texts.    Ø  Ask and answer questions.      Ø  Read travel ads and talk about them.    Ø  Write letters to friends describing places of interest.	Ø  To make a section meaning clear.    Ø  Opportunity to ask question as well as answer them.    Ø  Self-correct by making a choice.    Ø  To use language in real context.

Teaching Material	English For Today Book and general classroom materials.	Class	9
Unit	Lesson 1 :   Our Neighbors	No. of Students	30/40
Analysis of Teaching Material	1.     The textbook is designed under the Communicative Approach in language teaching. 2.     The practice part of the textbook is based on Direct Methods by using visual aids.	Time	45 minutes
		Teaching Aids	Multi-media Textbook Worksheets
Analysis of Students’ Background	1.   Students are in the 9th in Junior High School. 2. Ss are able to listen to and speak classroom English and conversation in daily life. 3.    Ss are willing to answer questions.	Teaching Methods	Direct Method (DM)
Goal	Communicate in L2	Objectives
Techniques	Ø  Reading aloud, Ø  Question answer exercise, Ø  Self-correction, Ø  Conversation practice, Ø  Fill-in-the-blank exercise, Ø  Dictation Ø  Paragraph writing	Interactions	T-Ss Ss-T Ss-Ss
Lesson Plan Lesson : 1 Our Neighbors Time 45m Stage Aim Procedure Interaction 3m Warm-up ü  To make Ss more comfortable. - Greeting & introduction. - Telling a story related with the topic/ summarizes the previous class. - Declaration of the lesson. T-Ss 15m Activity 1 Read aloud ü  To develop reading skill through practice with speaking. ü  To help Ss understand the meaning.  ü  To learn how to ask questions as well as answer them. Presentation - T will place some picture in the front of the class and ask Ss to open their book to a certain page number. - T will ask Q/A and Ss answer them. T-Ss  - T will call Ss one by one to read loudly the text and other will follow. - In the meantime T will point A part of the picture after each sentence is read. - T will use gestures, pictures, examples, or other means to make the meaning of the section clear. - T will use the target language to ask Ss it they have any question. - Ss will use the target language to ask their Q/A. - T will answer Ss’ questions by drawing on the board or giving examples. - T will use the target language to tell meaning of any word which Ss are unable to understand. 15m Activity 2 Q/A Self-correction Conversation practice ü  To make a direct association between the TL and meaning. ü  To make Ss self-corrected. Production - T will ask Q/A about the picture in the target language, to which Ss reply in a complete sentence in the target language. - Ss will ask question and class replies. T-Ss Ss-Ss - T will work with Ss on pronunciation. -T will correct grammar error by asking Ss to make a choice.  10m Activity 3 Fill in the blanks Dictation ü  To teach grammar inductively. ü  To develop from the beginning of language instruction. Production -T will instruct Ss to complete fill in the gaps. - Ss read a sentence out loud and supply answers as they are reading. - T will give dictation to write a long paragraph. T-Ss Ss-T T-Ss 2m Warp-up ü  To engage Ss at home. - T will instruct Ss to write a paragraph in the target language as home work. T-Ss