direct method

American  

noun

1. a technique of foreign-language teaching in which only the target language is used, little instruction is given concerning formal rules of grammar, and language use is often elicited in situational contexts.

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direct method British  

noun

1. a method of teaching a foreign language with minimal use of the pupil's native language and of formal grammar

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Etymology

Origin of direct method

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

direct method

The direct method is simple and avoids several tricky rules that apply to indirect rollovers.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 19, 2026

The team also tested a more direct method by injecting isolated mitochondria from both humans and mice into the dorsal root ganglia, clusters of nerve cells that send sensory information to the brain.

From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026

In the direct method, producers soak the moist beans directly in the solvent or in a water solution containing the solvent.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2024

But when the boxes proved cumbersome, the team employed a more direct method: flipping over heavy chunks of seafloor with the ROV’s robotic arm to collect what lay beneath.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 9, 2023

The strong emphasis placed upon the direct method in this article should not be misinterpreted as meaning that a fluent command of the spoken language is a conditio sine qua non.

From College Teaching Studies in Methods of Teaching in the College by Paul Klapper