HOW TO TEACH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

his book was first published in 1904 and is a classic in the field of language teaching. As well as being a methodological pioneer, Jespersen was one of the world’s seminal linguists and is noted for discovering the Great Vowel Shift in Early Modern English. In language teaching he is known as the father of the Direct Method — a landmark development in language teaching, providing a more humanist approach. Jespersen was one of the first proponents of the need for developing spoken proficiency and more natural production. As such, most modern language teachers today use a style that is inherited directly from this. The Direct Method represents the first movement away from Grammar Translation. It formed a much-needed practical and innovative revolution in teaching and while the book is over a century old, it still holds relevance and profound ideas for us now.