CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background
Direct Method has unique history in its background. This method is
only one of many kinds of method or approach in language learning. Even,
there is more than one method in one century. The nineteenth century with its
Grammar Translation Method and Direct Method, the 1950s- with its Audio-
lingual Method, the twentieth century and the new era are the example of many
kinds of the method.
The focus of this paper is centered in the nineteenth century when the
Direct Method was established. This is the most widely cited method during
this period of reform. Toward the mid-nineteenth century several factors and
demands for oral proficiency contributed to reject the older Grammar
Translation Method. The Direct Method was developed as the rejection or
movement against this method.
In this paper, the writers will explained one of method that t have been
very commonly used by educators in teaching and learning in English. The
author will explain about the Direct Method.
B. Problem Formulation
1. What is direct method and how is its background?
2. What are the basic principles of direct method?
3. What are the reviewing of the techniques?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of direct method?\
5. What is the teacher-student roles in the direct method?
 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
A. Definition of Direct Method
The Direct Method of teaching, which is sometimes called the natural
method, is the method that associated with Francois Gouin and Charles Berlitz.
The meaning of the name "Direct Method" comes from the fact that the action
like demonstration and visual aids are needed to convey the meaning directly
into the target language. Gouin developed an approach to teaching a foreign
language based on his observations of children’s use of language. He believed
that language learning was facilitated through using language to accomplish
events considering of a sequence of related actions.
Direct method is a way in presenting lesson items of foreign language
where the teacher use that foreign language directly as medium of instruction
and without using even little the pupils' language in teaching, if there is a word
which is difficult to be understood by pupils, so the teacher can explain it by
using physic appliance, demonstrating, illustrating and the others. The main
argumentation of this method is that a foreign language could be taught by use
the learner’s native tongue without translation. It also means that The Direct
Method insists on thinking and communicating the target language directly
without explanation in translation.
B. Historical Background of Direct Mehod
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.
C. The Goals of Direct Method
Teacher uses method in their teaching learning activities, in order to
implement the plans of learning and reach the goal optimally. A method is the
important role and determines the success of the learning. Every methods has
its goals, included the Direct Method.
The intention of the teachers who use the Direct Method is to make
their students learn how to communicate by using the target language. In order
for the hope that possible, students will learn to think target language and the
teacher avoids native language emerged during the teaching learning activities.
D. The Teacher-Student Roles in The Direct Method
Although the role of teachers in this method is the ‘director’ class,
students are more active role when compared to the Grammar-translation
method. Teachers and students are more like partners in purpose learning /
teaching. Interaction between teachers and students walking from two
directions, either from teacher to student or from students to teachers, but most
interactions went from teacher to student. Interaction among students is also a
lot happening in this method.
The teacher asks the student through target language directly and the
students are expected to do what the teacher asked. It would be helpful to use
gesture, picture or pantomimes to make the meaning clear. So, the student will
be easy to be actively involved in using target language during the teaching
learning process.
E. Basic Principle of Direct Method
1. Classroom instruction is conducted exclusively in the target languange.
The teacher should demonstrate, not explain or translate.
2. Only everyday vocabulary and senteces are taught.
3. Grammar is taught inductively. There may never be an explicit grammar
rules given.
4. New teaching points are introduced orally.
5. Correct pronunciation and grammar are emphasized.
6. Both speech and listening comprehension are taught.
 7. Vocabulary is taught through known words, demonstration, authentic
objects (realia), pictures, and miming.
8. The teacher, by asking the student to make a choince, gets him to correct
his own error.
9. The syllabus is based on situations or topics, not usually on linguistic
structures.
10. Learning is not only merely restricted with formal languange knowledge; it
also involves speaker conventions and descriptive usage.
11. Students should learn to think in the target languange as soon as possible.
Vocabulary is acquired more naturally if students use it in full sentences,
rather than memorizing word lists.
12. The purpose of languange learning is communication, therefore students
need to learn how to ask questions as well as answer them.
F. Reviewing of the Techniques
1. Reading Aloud
Students ake turns reading section of a passage, play, or dialogue out loud.
At the end of each srtudent’s turn, the teacher uses gestures, pictures,
realia, examples, or other means to make he meaning of he section clear.
2. Question and Answer Exercise
His exercise is conducted only in the target language. Students are asked
question and answer in full sentences so that they practice new words and
grammatical structures. They have opportunity to ask question as well as
answer them.
3. Getting Student to Self Correct
The teacher of this class has the student self correct by asking them to
make a choice between what they said and an alternative answer he
suplied. There are, however, oher ways of geting sudents to self-correct.
For example, a teacher might simply repeat what a student has jus said,
using a questioning voice to signal to the students hat something was
wrong with it. Another possibiliy is for the teacher to repeat what the
students said, stopping just before the error.
 4. Conversation Practice
The teacher ask students a number of question in the target language,
which the student have to understand to be able to answer correctly. In the
class observed, he teacher asked individual students questions about
themselves. The question contained a particular grammar structure. Later,
the students were able to ask each other their own questions using the
same grammatical structure.
5. Fill-in-the-blank Exercise
This techniques has already been discussed in Grmmatical-Translation
Method, but differs in its application in the Direct Method. All the items
are in he arget language: furthermore, no explicit grammar rule would be
applied. The students would have induced the grammar rule they need o
fill in the blanks from examples and practice with earlier parts of the
lesson.
6. Dictation
There are some steps in this activity. The teacher chooses a grade
appropiate passage and reads the text aloud three time.
7. Map Drawing
The class included one example of a techniques used to give students
listening comprehension practice. The students were given a map with the
geographical features unnamed. The the teacher gave them directions.
8. Paragraph Writing
The teacher asked the students to write a paragraph in their own words on
he major geographical features of the United States. They could have done
his from memory, or they have used he reading passage in the lesson as a
model.
G. The Advantages of Direct Method
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:
 1. It gives the Pupils a Real Command of English Language. It facilitates in
understanding English by establishing a direct association between the
word and its meaning and it enables the student to grasp the sentence
patterns he hears or reads in English. The student is able to express his
thought and feelings directly in English. It develops fluency of speech and
efficiency in writing.
2. This Method makes the Study of English Interesting and Lively. Study of
language through this method becomes interesting, motivating, and active
participation because of its emphasis on the spoken idiom. The use of
illustrations, objects, use of audio-visual aids, demonstrations etc.
3. It Facilitates Reading and Students learn to speak fluently and to write
fairly quickly and correctly. They develop a love for the English language.
4. This Method is psychologically Sound. All the principles of modern
education, e.g., to proceed from particular to general is emphasized.
H. The Disadvantages of Direct Method
1. This Method does not Consider all Aspects of Language Teaching. It puts
much emphasis on speech and ignores other skills like reading, writing,
hearing, etc.
2. Mostly time Students makes spelling errors.
3. There is not enough writing, there is not enough reading.”
4. Emphasis on Aural-Oral Appeal is Defective. This method is based on the
principle of aural-oral appeal. There are children who learn more with the
help of their eyes than with that, of ears and tongue. Such children are
affected.
5. Lack of Suitable Teachers. Most of our teachers in English have a
inaccurate pronunciation of English. Their knowledge in English is also
limited and imperfect. They face difficulties to handle the classes. This
paucity of good English teachers is responsible for the failure of this
method.
6. Direct Method is Expensive. Our schools cannot provide sufficient
equipment and other facilities that are essential to follow this method.
 7. Lack of Standard Textbooks. We don’t have standard textbooks properly
graded in respect of grammar and composition.
8. There is Difficulty in Explanation. We usually follow four ways to explain
the words. Direct Method completely ignores translation. As a result, it
becomes difficult to explain the ideas.
9. Direct Method Ignores Human Nature and Pupil’s Nature. A student of
our country cannot learn English ignoring the mother-tongue altogether.
We have tried this method but we failed achieve the desirable goal.
Though the Direct Method is still widely talked about, it is hardly
practiced anywhere in its original and pristine form except in a few private
language schools of Europe and It has failed to function in public
secondary schools, by and large. However, some of its principles have
since been adopted by the relatively new approaches and are being adhered
to with necessary modification and adjustment.
I. The teacher-student roles in the Direct Method
Although the role of teachers in this method is the ‘director’ class,
students are more active role when compared to the Grammar-translation
method. Teachers and students are more like partners in purpose learning /
teaching. Interaction between teachers and students walking from two
directions, either from teacher to student or from students to teachers, but most
interactions went from teacher to student. Interaction among students is also a
lot happening in this method.
The teacher asks the student through target language directly and the
students are expected to do what the teacher asked. It would be helpful to use
gesture, picture or pantomimes to make the meaning clear. So, the student will
be easy to be actively involved in using target language during the teaching
learning process.

Teacher’s role The role of the teacher is to direct class activises,

encourage sudebns to participate in class and
corrects heir mistakes immediately. But sudent
 teacher are partner in the learning process
Student’s role Students are very active. Oral cummunicaion skills
are emphasized, there is a large amou of learner-
learner interaction
Error correction The eacher, using various techniques, tries to ge
students to seft correct whenever possible
Use of mother tongue Sudent’s native language shouldn’t be used in the
classroom

J. Grammar-Translation Method Vs. The Direct Method: A Comparison

No Differences Grammar translaion mehod direct method

1 Grammar The GTM focuses on grammar In the direct method,
rules and their application. the teacher provides
Languange is learned through the grammar
rules. knowledge in grammar
inductively through
speaking.
2 Vocabulary The vocabulary is learned The vocabulary is
through direct translation of learned through
L1. Students learn vocabulary practice every day.
when they are translated
3 Teacher The role of teacher is not very The role of the teacher
aittude active because he/she just is of great importance.
limits his/her work to translate He asks questions to
for the students. students constantly,
encourages them to
practice in class and
corrects their mistakes
immediately.
4 Sudent The accurary from the students The students are very
attiude is expected and they have to activies, their oral
practice by translation. communication skills
are emphasized. They
have to speak a lot.
5 Languange Primary skills to be improved: Oral communication
skills reading and writing. skills are built up in a
carefully grade.
 CHAPTER III
CLOSING
A. Conclusion
Direct Method is the method that associated with Francois Gouin and
Charles Berlitz and focused in thinking and communicating the target language
directly without explanation in translation. The Direct Method was developed
as the rejection or movement against Grammar Translation method.
The principles or the characteristics of Direct Method are: Grammar is
taught by situation and through inductive way; only everyday vocabulary and
sentences are taught during the initial phase; grammar, reading and writing are
introduced in intermediate phase; oral communication skills are built up in a
carefully graded progression; new teaching points are introduced orally;
concrete meaning of vocabulary is taught through demonstration, objects, and
pictures; the abstract one is taught by association of ideas; both speech and
listening comprehensions are taught; the last, correct pronunciation and
grammar are emphasized.
The goal of Direct Method is to make their students learn how to
communicate by using the target language, think the target language and the
teacher avoids native language emerged during the teaching learning activities.
The teachers and students role are more like partners in purpose learning
teaching. Interaction between teachers and students walking from two
directions, either from teacher to student or from students to teachers, but most
interactions went from teacher to student.
The application and example of Direct Method can be realized in
teaching grammar of Simple Past Tense that presented in this paper. In
teaching grammar, teachers use inductive approach, giving examples before the
student know the formula, using classroom situations for conversation or
giving example, use the routines activities for making example, and gives the
motivation and helps the students to find the formula or to make the conclusion
from the examples.
 REFERENCES
Freeman, Diane Larsen. 2000. Techniques and Principle in Language
Teaching. New York: Oxford University Press
Fathoni, Ahmad. 2016. Direct Method. (Online),
http://www.belajarbahasainggris.us/2012/01/direct-method.html.
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Rhalmi, Mohammed. 2009. The Direct Method. (Online),
http://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/the-direct-method/. Diakses Pada
14 September 2017