ESL Teaching Techniques Using the Direct Method

Dictation

• Teachers using the direct method read aloud to students in the target language. The teacher reads a passage appropriate for the student's speaking level three times. The first time, students listen. The second time, the teacher reads the passage sentence by sentence, slow enough so students can write down what they hear. The third time, the teacher reads the passage normally and students check over what they've written to make sure it's correct.

Question and Answer

• Emphasis is placed on speech, rather than reading and writing, when ESL teachers use the direct method. To accomplish this, the teacher will ask simple questions she knows the students have the ability to answer at their current level, even if doing so is a bit of a struggle. The teacher will choose a student and ask a question such as "What are you going to have for lunch today?" then wait for the student to answer using a complete sentence. To prepare for this, the teacher demonstrates that a complete answer would be "I am going to have a sandwich and a banana for lunch today" rather than "A sandwich and a banana."

Reading Out Loud

• When using the direct method, the teacher wants students to speak as much as possible in the target language, but a student's ability to do so on their own may be limited. To get the students to speak in the target language above their current level, the teacher chooses passages from novels, plays, magazines or other sources and has students take turns reading aloud. Students are exposed to new words and receive practice with pronunciation, comprehension and speaking speed.

Self-Correction

• Rather than correct students outright, a teacher using the direct method leads students to think through their own mistakes while speaking. If a teacher asks "What are you going to have for lunch today?" and the student answers "I am going to have a sandwich with bananas" instead of "a sandwich and a banana" the teacher might ask "Your sandwich has bananas on it or are you eating a banana and a sandwich?" The student has to stop and think about the way he worded the sentence and correct himself.