Question- Show in what ways Direct Method is improvement over Translation cum-Grammar Method. How can a teacher effectively use it ?

Ans.

Direct Method is as reaction to the grammar-cum-translation method. Direct Method was evolved often described as the Natural Method or the Mother Method. This method is called the natural method because it enables the students to learn English in a nature way. The Direct Method is a method of teaching English directly. To teach english directly is to establish a direct or immediate association between experience and experience between the english word, phrase or idioms and its meaning in other words of establishing in connection with english the same habit of direct expressions of experience as exists in the use of the mother-tongue. In the words of Robert Lado, "The Direct Method over come the two major faults of the grammar-cum-translation method by substituting language contact for grammar recitation and language use for translation."

Direct method is a method of teaching a Foreign language through conversation, discussion and reading in the language itself without use of the translation and the study of formal grammar. Some points of improving English with the direct method are -

1. To make the pupil think in English language.

2. To enable the pupil to express his thoughts and feelings directly by means of English without the intervention of mother-tongue.

3. To enable the pupil to acquire the ability to grasp the sense of what he hears or reads in English as he grasp in his mother-tongue.

4. To develop in the pupil that instinctive, unerring language sense, which we all possess in varying degrees in the mother-tongue.

How can Teacher use Direct Method Effectively - The teacher can use Direct Method effectively based on the following principles -

(1) The use of Direct bond between word and idea.
(2) Should be a Direct link between the experience and its corresponding expression.
(3) Should be no interfering agency between the concept and word.
(4) Direct Method emphasis the value of oral training in learning English.
(5) Direct method lays the foundation of writing and aquiring fluency and naturalness in reading.
(6) The teaching English through direct method is started with the teaching of sentences and not the individual words.
(7) Mother tongue is inhibited in Direct Method. Direct bond between the word and meaning is ensured.

In the Translation-cum-Grammar method, grammar is taught deductively, children are taught some rules and definitions of grammar. They cram them up without understanding their use in speaking, reading and writing.

In the Direct Method this practice is discarded and grammar is taught inductively. First examples are given and then by the co-operation of students a grammatical rule or definition is introduced. After that rule is verified and practice is given in its use. In direct method the learning of grammar is not a pre-condition of learning the language. In this method language proceeds grammar.

Direct Method is an improvement over grammar-cum-translation method. Since it helps to overcome the pull of the mother-tongue which is a major problem of teaching a second language. Its emphasis on phonetics assists the learner to differentiate between the sound of the first and second language that appeal similar to the ears, but are actually different. The nature of English language differs from those of our Indian languages. English as a second language is introduced in our school when the pupils have already acquired working knowledge of their first language. Therefore the unconsciously replace the sound of the second language with the sound of their mother-tongue.

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