The direct method of teaching was a rebellion against the somber and book-intensive grammar-translation method of the previous era. The pendulum swung hard away from verb conjugations and towards speaking/listening skills. Rather than having students pore over volumes of ancient Latin texts, this teaching method incorporated lots of visual aids, role-playing activities, and pictures.
Another major change was in how native language was perceived in a foreign language classroom. Previously, the students’ native language (L1) was seen as the key to unlocking the secrets of this strange new language (L2). In the direct method, the L1 is shunned entirely. There is no translation. The idea was to create an immersive environment in which students learned the new language naturally, as though they were learning their first language. Ultimately, students should be thinking in their new language.
Typical Lesson
8th grade English class for native Spanish speakers
- The teacher presents different pictures of life in the country of Nepal, showing pictures of new vocab words like “yak,” “monsoon,” and “mountaineering.”
- Students watch a short video, narrated in English, about Nepal.
- Teacher breaks students into groups and assigns each group a specific aspect of the country to research โ its food, traditional clothing, music, etc.
- Students do research online. All inter-group discussion is in English.
- Students give a group presentation about their aspect of Nepal.
- The teacher grades on content, speaking, and participation level, perhaps subtracting points for having used L1 at any time during the class.
Role of the Teacher
Though this system relies heavily on outside materials, group work, and collaboration between students, the teacher actually has a more demanding role than with other teaching methods. This is due to the fact that achieving an L2-only classroom is not going to come easily, and no one is going to make it happen except for the teacher.
For young learners or students with very little experience with the L2, a classroom environment that is 100% in a foreign language can be a very bewildering and at times completely incomprehensible place. The teacher needs to guide everyone through this new world step-by-step, making sure students do not fall behind and that the L2 environment is formed and then maintained.
Positives
- More interactive and fun for students;
- Provides lasting and well-rounded communicative language skills;
- A “natural” learning method, as it attempts to model how we innately learn a language โ by observing and interacting with our environments.
Negatives
- Can neglect reading, grammar, and writing skills;
- Shy students or those not at the L2 level of their classmates may fall further behind, as they’re more prone to withdraw from the dynamic activities.
- Harder to implementfor younger learners;
- May be impossible to achieve if students only have an hour of the L2 class a day or if the teacher does not have a high L2 level.
Final Thoughts
This style of foreign language education is one of the most engaging around, and through continuous practice, students gain skills and confidence to communicate fluently in the L2. This system produces students who “speak” rather than just “know” a language.
As attractive as it is, however, it’s simply not possible with all schools/classes. Not every school is able to hire teachers with significant experience and skill in that language, and then trying to enforce an L2-only classroom with very low-level learners can result in nothing but frustration.
