Metodika final exam. What is linguo-cultural teaching and learning?

What is Direct method.

The Direct Method is a method “in which a new word or expression is connected in the pupil’s mind directly with what it stands for and not through the medium of vernacular.” According to Webster’s New International Dictionary, “Direct Method is a method of teaching a foreign language, especially a modern language through conversation, discussion and reading in the language itself without use of the pupil’s language, without translation and without the study of formal grammar. The words are first taught by pointing to object or picture or by performing action.”

36. 
    Main advantages of direct method.
    

1. English is taught in the medium of English and not in the medium of the mother-tongue.
2. The child gets many opportunities to listen to spoken English. This is very important for language mastery.
3. The Direct Method follows the natural way of learning a language. The child listens and speaks. He acquires fluency in English speech.
4. The Direct Method lays stress on oral work. The child gets to improve his speech habits, including pronunciation.
5. The Direct Method helps the child to think in English without the aid of the mother-tongue. This strengthens his ability of self-expression.
6. There is an ample scope for the use of audio-visual aids. These aids make the teaching work easy, interesting and more concrete.
7. The method is the quickest way of getting started in English.
8. The Direct Method prepares an easy ground for written English.
9. There is good scope for activity. The teaching work becomes interesting.
10. It is the method of a living language, not of a dead one.

37. 
    Main disadvantages of teaching direct Method.
    

1. The method is no doubt, very useful for the early stage. It does not work well in higher classes. Certain aspects of language-study are neglected. It is an incomplete method.
2. Speech is given importance at the cost of reading and writing.
3. Every teacher cannot be expected to teach with the Direct Method. It requires teachers who are skilled in handling language material.
4. It is an expensive method. Aids have an important place in this method. But many schools cannot afford to buy such aids as projector, linguaphone, etc.
5. The method is more suitable for small-sized classes. In Indian schools, we have over-crowded classes. The use of the method may give out undesirable results.
6. All vocabulary items cannot be taught through direct association. The teacher may feel some difficulty when he wants to explain the difference between, say, ‘beautiful’ and ‘pretty’.
7. The success of the Direct Method depends upon Direct Method Readers. But such Readers are not available.
8. It is likely to prove a time-consuming method. Indian students have weak language sense or weak background. They will pose to have understood what is taught when actually they have not.
9. It lays stress on student’s command on language without systematic reading lessons and written work.

38.