The Direct Method in Language Teaching: A Literature Review of Its Effectiveness
Downloads
The Direct Method in language teaching, which emphasizes teaching language through immersion and avoiding the use of the learner’s native language, has been widely used in educational settings for over a century. Its focus on oral communication, everyday vocabulary, and inductive grammar teaching has made it a popular approach. However, debates about its effectiveness compared to more modern teaching methods have persisted, particularly in terms of long-term language acquisition and proficiency. This literature review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Direct Method by analyzing studies conducted across various educational contexts. The review examines how this method impacts learners’ speaking, listening, and overall communicative competence. By synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative research, the study provides a comprehensive view of the strengths and limitations of the Direct Method. The findings indicate that while the Direct Method improves oral proficiency and listening skills in the short term, it may not be as effective for developing reading and writing skills. Studies show that the method fosters greater student engagement and motivation but may not adequately address the complexities of advanced grammar and academic language. Furthermore, the method’s effectiveness depends heavily on the teacher’s skill in creating immersive language environments. In conclusion, the Direct Method offers valuable benefits for beginner and intermediate learners, especially in communicative aspects of language. However, it requires supplementation with other approaches to develop comprehensive language proficiency. Future research should explore ways to integrate the Direct Method with more advanced instructional techniques for a balanced approach to language teaching.
Abourehab, Y., & Azaz, M. (2023). Pedagogical translanguaging in community/heritage Arabic language learning. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(5), 398–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2020.1826496
Aceto, G., Persico, V., & Pescapé, A. (2018). The role of Information and Communication Technologies in healthcare: Taxonomies, perspectives, and challenges. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 107, 125–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnca.2018.02.008
Agbo, F. J., & Oyelere, S. S. (2019). Smart Mobile Learning Environment for Programming Education in Nigeria: Adaptivity and Context-Aware Features. In K. Arai, R. Bhatia, & S. Kapoor (Eds.), Intelligent Computing (Vol. 998, pp. 1061–1077). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22868-2_71
Ahmed, A. (2021). Postmemory and multilingual identities in English language teaching: A duoethnography. Language Learning Journal, 49(4), 483–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2021.1906301
Ait Si Ahmad, H., El Kharki, K., & Berrada, K. (2021). Agility of the Post COVID-19 Strategic Plan on Distance Learning at Cadi Ayyad University. An Opportunity Towards a Total Digital Transformation of the University. In L. S. Agrati, D. Burgos, P. Ducange, P. Limone, L. Perla, P. Picerno, P. Raviolo, & C. M. Stracke (Eds.), Bridges and Mediation in Higher Distance Education (Vol. 1344, pp. 199–213). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67435-9_16
Al-Ajmi, N. H. (2020). Factors influencing the use of multimedia technologies in teaching english language in Kuwait. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 15(5), 212–234. https://doi.org/10.3991/IJET.V15I05.12277
Alaofi, S. (2020). The Impact of English Language on Non-Native English Speaking Students’ Performance in Programming Class. Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, 585–586. https://doi.org/10.1145/3341525.3394008
Ali, Z. (2020). Artificial Intelligence (AI): A Review of its Uses in Language Teaching and Learning. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 769(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/769/1/012043
Allwood, J. W. (2011). Plant metabolomics and its potential for systems biology research: Background concepts, technology, and methodology. Methods in Enzymology, 500(Query date: 2022-06-04 06:46:33), 299–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-385118-5.00016-5
Amin, J. (2019). Brain tumor detection using statistical and machine learning method. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 177(Query date: 2022-09-15 11:16:12), 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmpb.2019.05.015
Anckar, C. (2008). On the applicability of the most similar systems design and the most different systems design in comparative research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 11(5), 389–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645570701401552
Andayani, S. (2020). A STUDY OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE USED IN ORIFLAME CATALOGUE OF JANUARY 2019. digilib.uin-suka.ac.id. https://digilib.uin-suka.ac.id/id/eprint/50193/
Brandão, F. C., Lima, M. A. T., Pantoja, C. E., Zahn, J., & Viterbo, J. (2021). Engineering Approaches for Programming Agent-Based IoT Objects Using the Resource Management Architecture. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 21(23), 8110. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21238110
Cai, J., & Hwang, S. (2020). Learning to teach through mathematical problem posing: Theoretical considerations, methodology, and directions for future research. International Journal of Educational Research, 102, 101391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.01.001
Dörnyei, Z. (2021). Teaching and researching motivation: New directions for language learning. In Teaching and Researching Motivation (p. 296). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351006743
Esawey, M. E. (2013). Analysis of unconventional arterial intersection designs (UAIDs): State-of-the-art methodologies and future research directions. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, 9(10), 860–895. https://doi.org/10.1080/18128602.2012.672344
Esteve-Mon, F. M., Llopis-Nebot, M. Á., & Adell-Segura, J. (2020). Digital teaching competence of university teachers: A systematic review of the literature. IEEE Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologías Del Aprendizaje, 15(4), 399–406.
Golfetto, M. A. (2020). Al-mihna wa’l-huwiyya. Motivational Dimensions of Arabic Heritage Learners in a Professionally-Oriented Education Setting. Annali Di Ca Foscari Serie Orientale, 56(Query date: 2022-06-03 19:30:11), 155–175. https://doi.org/10.30687/ANNOR/2385-3042/2020/56/006
González-Lloret, M. (2020). Collaborative tasks for online language teaching. Foreign Language Annals, 53(2), 260–269. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12466
Graesser, A. C., Sabatini, J. P., & Li, H. (2021). Educational Psychology Is Evolving to Accommodate Technology, Multiple Disciplines, and Twenty-First-Century Skills. Annual Review of Psychology, 73(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-020821-113042
Hidden, M. O. (2020). Are there any pegagogical innovations in the direct method of language teaching when learning to read and write?? Documents Pour l’Histoire Du Francais Langue Etrangere Ou Seconde, 64. https://doi.org/10.4000/dhfles.7471
Liu, Y. (2020). Federated learning for 6G communications: Challenges, methods, and future directions. China Communications, 17(9), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.23919/JCC.2020.09.009
Mudinillah, A., Kuswandi, D., Erwin, E., Sugiarni, S., Winarno, W., Annajmi, A., & Hermansah, S. (2024). Optimizing Project-Based Learning in Developing 21st Century Skills: A Future Education Perspective. Qubahan Academic Journal, 4(2), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.48161/qaj.v4n2a352
Oliver, B. R. (2021). Translation in Language Teaching: An excluded resource from the Direct Method classrooms? Bellaterra Journal of Teaching and Learning Language and Literature, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/jtl3.900
Ruslan. (2019). Spirituality of education in interaction of lecturer and student in learning Arabic literature. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 7(3), 87–101.
Sumaiya, A., Meliala, M. S., & Setiawan, T. A. (2022). The Influence of Investment Knowledge, Investment Motivation and Financial Literature on Investment Interest (Case Study in Indonesia Students Who Have Invested). Indikator: Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Dan Bisnis, 6(2), 112. https://doi.org/10.22441/indikator.v6i2.14153
Titon, A. P. (2018). Review of literatura on school psychology in professional, scientific and technological education. Psicologia Escolar e Educacional, 22(2), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-35392018010922
Wang, C. (2018). Learning Depth from Monocular Videos Using Direct Methods. Proceedings of the IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Query date: 2022-09-15 11:16:12, 2022–2030. https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR.2018.00216
Copyright (c) 2024 Andi Muhammad Dakhalan, Jem Cloyd M. Tanucan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
