Day: February 5, 2020

The Direct Method

The Direct Method
The direct method was originated in France in 1901. 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 the use of pupil’s language, without translation and without the study of formal grammar.”
Meaning
            A child learns his mother tongue in a natural environment where the learner experiences what he learns. In the learning of a foreign language also a natural environment should be created. “To teach directly is to establish a direct or immediate association between experience and expression, between English word, phrase or idiom and its meaning” says H.Champion
Aims of Direct method
The major aims of Direct Method are:
X  To make the pupil think and express his own thoughts and feelings in English without the intervention of his mother tongue.
X   To enable the child to grasp what he hears or reads in English.
Features of Direct Method
H.E. Palmer has enumerated the following feature of this method
1.      Translation in every shape of form is banished from the class room, including the use of mother tongue and of the bilingual dictionary
2.      Grammar, when it is taught, is taught inductively
3.      Oral teaching precedes any form of reading and writing
4.      The use of disconnected sentences is replaced by the use of connected texts
5.      Pronunciation si to be taught systematically on a more or less phonetic lines
6.      the meanings of words and forms are taught by means of objects orr by natural context
7.            The vocabulary and structure of the language are inculcated to a large  extent by questions asked by the teachers and  answered by the pupil

Principles of Direct Method
Oral Practice:  This method lays emphasis on oral teaching. Thorough drilling is given to the pupils for listening imitating and speaking. Phonetics is also given much importance. Thus the students acquire a good pronunciation and fluency.
The Unit of Speech is a sentence not a word:     In the direct method emphasis is laid on speaking full sentences and the teacher presents every sentence with the help of appropriate situations.

Inhibition of Mother Tongue:        As far as possible mother tongue is not used while teaching. The language should be associated with its meaning directly, without the assistance of mother tongue.

Inductive teaching of Grammar: Main emphasis is laid on functional grammar not on theoretical grammar. Hence grammar is taught inductively and indirectly.

Introducing New Words:   There are certain ways in which the teacher can introduce new words;          By direct association with an action, gesture or an object
By association with a representation of the same in a picture
By inferences from the context
By explanation in English using words already familiar to students

Advantages:
The method is Psychologically Sound:    It follows the main principles of education viz. “proceed from particular to general, proceed from concrete to the abstract and practice must precede theory”

Natural Method:   in the direct method, the order of teaching is listening, speaking, reading and writing. This is the natural order of learning a language. It begets fluency of speech:  a lot of attention is paid to oral training in this method. Direct association between word and meaning tends to improve expression of speech.

It facilitates thinking in English:  the inhibition of mother tongue creates a direct bond between idea and expression. It associates “words with things, things with context, and context with expression in the new language”

Increased use of Audio Visual aids:   the use of objects, pictures and models, other illustrations, activities, demonstrations, T.V., radio, computer, etc. makes the lesson more interesting and real. They leave ever lasting impressions in the minds of the pupils.

Limitations:
Incomplete Method:  this method makes only aural-oral appeal and ignores reading and writing skills. Aural oral appeal is stronger but all children are not linguistically minded.

Lack of Teaching Formal Grammar:  Since grammar is taught inductively, students may not acquire mastery over grammatical rules

Lack of Trained teachers:  this method requires expertise on the part of the teachers with proper training in phonetics and linguistics are few in number.Lack of teaching aids:  this method needs proper facilities with well equipped language laboratory, teaching aids such as radio, television, linguaphone, etc. they are not affordable in Indian circumstances.

Not suitable for all learners:   Dr. Breton says “only the clever child can profit by this method’. Dull learners and below average learners cannot cope up with this method.

Time consuming method:  Only limited number of words can be directly associated with objects. Precious time is wasted in elaborating meaning, which may be successfully conveyed in mother tongue.

Suggestive Measures:
In the opinion of P.Gurrey and Dr. West, “It is a principle which can be used along with some method.” Morris recommends the following modifications in Direct method.
™ The basis of language is its oral form. All lessons should be conducted on the lines of Direct method
™ Translation may be used when the other medium is not effective
™ It must be born in mind that this method is a positive method presented with briskness, liveliness and intensiveness.

Competition is Good

By Chemeketa SBDC

Do you sometimes wish your competition would just go away?  That you could be the only business in town that does what you do so you don’t have to worry about gaining or keeping customers? What if I told you that having competition can actually make your business stronger?
Whether it’s directly or indirectly, business owners almost always have to compete for their customers and then to retain those customers. And in an age of online shopping, the competition is both local and global. But, believe it or not, competition can be a good thing. It can help you understand your niche, it can show you where you are weak, it can motivate you to improve, and it can lead to unexpected partnerships. The key is to see your competition as an ally (of sorts) rather than an enemy.
In other words, competition doesn’t always have to be about winning and losing.  It can be about growth and learning, building and partnering. How would it feel to see your competition as there to help build your business? How would you do business differently if you believed that both you and your competitors can be profitable, that no one has to lose?
Here are a few things to think about the next time you look down the street, across town, or on the web to see what your competition is up to:
  • What do you know about your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?  How long have they been in business?  What are they particularly known for? How might you support them? Be open to discovering you have immense respect and admiration for those you have been competing “against.”
  • Do you know what sets your business, product or service apart from theirs? Use this information to get clear about your target market and how it differs from your competitors’.  Perhaps a potential customer is really a better fit for your competition: are you willing to refer them so your customer gets what they are really looking for?
  • Make a list of five reasons customers should choose your product over your competitions’ without putting your competitions’ product down. If you have to spend energy making another business look bad, you don’t have that energy available to tell your potential customers why your business, product, or service is the best possible choice for them (assuming it is). Besides, it’s not very becoming either.
  • Be honest with yourself about how your competition is better than you.  Is their product superior?  Do they have better customer service? How can you learn from and emulate what they do well? Are you willing to ask them for help?
  • How can you collaborate with your competition to create win-win situations that lead to greater profits for you both? Be willing to make referrals to your competition as appropriate and don’t be afraid to play nice in the sandbox; you never know where a positive relationship with your competitor might lead.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

More Than the Registration Fee: Reasons to Invest in LSAT Prep

There is a lot of conflicting advice out there about the best strategy for taking the LSAT – how long to study, how many times to take the test, and even about how “good” a predictor it is of anything at all. The one thing everyone seems to agree on? The LSAT is not just a test; it’s an investment. And it’s an investment that can significantly impact how much you pay for law school down the line. One major theme that emerged for hopeful law students who attended The True Cost of Law School: Budgeting Beyond Tuition on April 6: Invest in a quality LSAT prep program.
You’ve probably heard that law school admission is based on two things: LSAT and GPA. Of the two, many admissions officers will say the LSAT score is their priority in assessing how aid will be distributed. This is also true for merit-based aid. As the number of law school applicants has dropped, schools have begun to compete more actively for the best-qualified applicants – often using merit-based financial aid as incentive to attract those applicants. In this competitive environment, the higher your LSAT score, the better your odds not just for admissions, but also for scholarships. According to Benjamin Leff, professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, a three-point bump on the LSATS can mean the difference in thousands – or tens of thousands – of dollars in financial aid. Consider scholarships in India which is a very good alternative.
Another reason to commit your time and your money to preparing for the LSAT? It’s an opportunity to spend small (relatively – compared to law school tuition down the line) early in the process and figure out if law school is right for you. Though it’s often debated, research suggests that the LSAT is a key predictor of bar performance. Law schools often claim that your score is the most consistent predictor of how well you will do the first year in law school and on the bar exam. If studying and then sitting for a test like the LSAT isn’t something you’re willing to do, consider how you’ll handle the three or four months of studying you’ll eventually need to commit for preparing to pass the bar and become a practicing attorney.
For the budget-conscious law school hopeful, investing $1500 or more in an LSAT prep program might seem like a lot to ask. Be creative, and use all of your resources. Above the Law suggests online options like podcasts and videos, which may cost nothing. The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) makes available (for free) Official Prep Materials, including sample questions with explanations, old tests, and videos. There are even free apps you can download to practice exam questions, connect with instructors in a community forum, and more. However, even if your hope is to get your LSAT prep for free, Above the Law still recommends that you invest in real LSAT materials to use for practice. At a minimum, take your LSAT prep seriously. Don’t try to take the test cold, or with only minimal preparation. Look for high quality test prep materials with strong reviews from actual test takers at every price point.
If you decide to enroll in a commercial preparation course, do your homework – before and during the class. Talk to others who have taken the same course at the same location, ideally with the same instructor. Be skeptical of any course that makes outrageous claims about raising your score. Commit to the program – showing up for the classes is not the same as participating and will not be enough to improve your score. You’ll need to devote significant time outside the classroom to master the material. And lastly, ask about discounts or scholarships. Though not widely advertised, some of the larger prep companies provide discounts to students with demonstrated financial need.
Most importantly, remember that becoming a lawyer is embarking on a career, not just finding a job. Taking the LSAT is one of the earliest steps in beginning your legal career on solid ground. Take it seriously, and invest your resources accordingly.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

The Direct Method

The Direct Method
The direct method was originated in France in 1901. 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 the use of pupil’s language, without translation and without the study of formal grammar.”
Meaning
            A child learns his mother tongue in a natural environment where the learner experiences what he learns. In the learning of a foreign language also a natural environment should be created. “To teach directly is to establish a direct or immediate association between experience and expression, between English word, phrase or idiom and its meaning” says H.Champion
Aims of Direct method
The major aims of Direct Method are:
X  To make the pupil think and express his own thoughts and feelings in English without the intervention of his mother tongue.
X   To enable the child to grasp what he hears or reads in English.
Features of Direct Method
H.E. Palmer has enumerated the following feature of this method
1.      Translation in every shape of form is banished from the class room, including the use of mother tongue and of the bilingual dictionary
2.      Grammar, when it is taught, is taught inductively
3.      Oral teaching precedes any form of reading and writing
4.      The use of disconnected sentences is replaced by the use of connected texts
5.      Pronunciation si to be taught systematically on a more or less phonetic lines
6.      the meanings of words and forms are taught by means of objects orr by natural context
7.            The vocabulary and structure of the language are inculcated to a large  extent by questions asked by the teachers and  answered by the pupil

Principles of Direct Method
Oral Practice:  This method lays emphasis on oral teaching. Thorough drilling is given to the pupils for listening imitating and speaking. Phonetics is also given much importance. Thus the students acquire a good pronunciation and fluency.
The Unit of Speech is a sentence not a word:     In the direct method emphasis is laid on speaking full sentences and the teacher presents every sentence with the help of appropriate situations.

Inhibition of Mother Tongue:        As far as possible mother tongue is not used while teaching. The language should be associated with its meaning directly, without the assistance of mother tongue.

Inductive teaching of Grammar: Main emphasis is laid on functional grammar not on theoretical grammar. Hence grammar is taught inductively and indirectly.

Introducing New Words:   There are certain ways in which the teacher can introduce new words;          By direct association with an action, gesture or an object
By association with a representation of the same in a picture
By inferences from the context
By explanation in English using words already familiar to students

Advantages:
The method is Psychologically Sound:    It follows the main principles of education viz. “proceed from particular to general, proceed from concrete to the abstract and practice must precede theory”

Natural Method:   in the direct method, the order of teaching is listening, speaking, reading and writing. This is the natural order of learning a language. It begets fluency of speech:  a lot of attention is paid to oral training in this method. Direct association between word and meaning tends to improve expression of speech.

It facilitates thinking in English:  the inhibition of mother tongue creates a direct bond between idea and expression. It associates “words with things, things with context, and context with expression in the new language”

Increased use of Audio Visual aids:   the use of objects, pictures and models, other illustrations, activities, demonstrations, T.V., radio, computer, etc. makes the lesson more interesting and real. They leave ever lasting impressions in the minds of the pupils.

Limitations:
Incomplete Method:  this method makes only aural-oral appeal and ignores reading and writing skills. Aural oral appeal is stronger but all children are not linguistically minded.

Lack of Teaching Formal Grammar:  Since grammar is taught inductively, students may not acquire mastery over grammatical rules

Lack of Trained teachers:  this method requires expertise on the part of the teachers with proper training in phonetics and linguistics are few in number.Lack of teaching aids:  this method needs proper facilities with well equipped language laboratory, teaching aids such as radio, television, linguaphone, etc. they are not affordable in Indian circumstances.

Not suitable for all learners:   Dr. Breton says “only the clever child can profit by this method’. Dull learners and below average learners cannot cope up with this method.

Time consuming method:  Only limited number of words can be directly associated with objects. Precious time is wasted in elaborating meaning, which may be successfully conveyed in mother tongue.

Suggestive Measures:
In the opinion of P.Gurrey and Dr. West, “It is a principle which can be used along with some method.” Morris recommends the following modifications in Direct method.
™ The basis of language is its oral form. All lessons should be conducted on the lines of Direct method
™ Translation may be used when the other medium is not effective
™ It must be born in mind that this method is a positive method presented with briskness, liveliness and intensiveness.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1