How to Teach Effectively Using the Direct Method – Part 3: Vocabulary, Grammar and Reading Without Common Pitfalls

In this part, we move on to more advanced elements of the DLLAB Direct Method: how to introduce vocabulary, teach grammar and reading and how to avoid common traps that weaken learning outcomes.

In this post you will learn:

• How to introduce new words correctly – say, explain, show, repeat, but do not write.
• How to run grammar lessons so they support communication rather than replace it.
• What the main goals of reading are in the DLLAB Direct Method.
• Why learners’ books should be closed during oral work.
• Why we do not write new words on the board and how this affects pronunciation.

1. Introducing New Words: Say, Explain, Repeat (Without Writing)

In direct method classes, new vocabulary is always introduced using the same proven sequence: the teacher pronounces the new word clearly 1–2 times, then explains its meaning (through translation, demonstration or a simple definition in the target language), and finally students repeat the pronunciation several times. When several new words are introduced at once, it is worth going through them again, as in the revision at the beginning of the lesson, before moving on to questions.

What matters is that at this stage the teacher does not write new words on the board – students focus solely on the sound and they encounter the written form later during reading or in their own home study. DLLAB also emphasises showing meaning whenever possible (classroom objects, colours, gestures) or using simple definitions such as “unpleasant is the opposite of pleasant” instead of immediately reaching for translation.

 

2. Teaching Grammar: Explain, Practise, Return in Questions

In DLLAB coursebooks, grammar sections always consist of a short explanation with examples, followed by a set of questions that use the structure in real communication. The teacher reads the explanation and examples slowly and clearly, usually twice, pausing at more difficult terms and, if necessary, asking students to translate the most important fragments.

After the explanation, there are often short grammar exercises whose purpose is to check that students understand the structure before they have to pick it up from listening alone. Students do the tasks individually or in pairs, the teacher monitors and then they check the answers together – it is very important always to explain why a given form is correct. Only after the books are closed do we return to typical oral work: question-answer practice in which the new grammar appears many times in context.

 

3. Reading: Pronunciation, Spelling, and Revision in One

In the DLLAB Direct Method, reading is not just a “break from speaking” but another channel for consolidating material. Students read the entire unit from the coursebook: one reads the key word and question, the next reads the answer and the following question, then the next does the same and so on, while the teacher listens and corrects pronunciation and intonation. This usually takes about 10 minutes and deals with “x-5” material, that is, units covered several to a dozen lessons earlier.

Reading has three main goals: first, it gives the teacher an opportunity to correct pronunciation; second, it familiarises students with spelling and orthographic rules; third, it provides another form of revision of material that has already been practised orally. In Book 1, each reading is done twice (during two separate meetings), while at higher levels it is done once, according to the x-5 rule.

 

4. Closed Books During Oral Work: Why It Matters So Much

Students’ books must be closed during question-answer work. Open coursebooks create several problems at once: students would read questions instead of practising listening comprehension, they would read ready-made answers instead of forming them themselves and their attention would shift to spelling rather than pronunciation.

In addition, when eye-text becomes stronger than ear, pronunciation suffers, especially in languages where spelling differs significantly from sound, such as English. We open books only when the goal is reading, grammar exercises, or written work – in all other cases we focus on listening and speaking.

 

5. Do Not Write New Words on the Board – Natural Order: Ear, Mouth, Eye, Hand

One of the most frequently repeated DLLAB principles is not to write new words, grammar or questions on the board. This follows from the natural order of language acquisition: first we hear (ear), then we speak (mouth), only later do we read (eye) and finally we write (hand). If a learner sees the written form immediately, they will try to read the letters rather than reproduce the sound, which in languages like English quickly leads to pronunciation problems (for example, trying to read every letter in the word knight).

Writing on the board also has other costs: it distracts attention, pulls students away from what the teacher is saying and forces breaks when the teacher has to turn their back to the group to write. Since language is primarily a tool of spoken communication, in direct method lessons we focus on listening comprehension and speaking, and we introduce reading and writing gradually at the right stage.

 

How Part 3 Completes the Direct Method Picture

This third part of the series completes the picture of the DLLAB method from the content side: from how vocabulary is introduced, through work with grammar and reading, to avoiding typical pitfalls. Together with Part 1 (lesson structure and rhythm) and Part 2 (technique and classroom management), it gives a complete view of how to run effective, communication-focused courses using the direct method.