1. Grammar Translation Method
2. What is Grammar Translation Method? • The grammar-translation method of
foreign language teaching is one of the most traditional methods. • It was originally
used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek, involving
little or no spoken communication or listening comprehension.
3. Characteristics • A focus on learning the rules of grammar and their application in
translation passages from one language into the other. • Vocabulary in the target
language is learned through direct translation from the native language, it is taught in
the form of isolated word lists. e.g. with vocabulary tests such as: the house = la casa
• the mouse = el ratón
4. Very little teaching is done in the target language. Instead, readings in the target
language are translated directly and then discussed in the native language. Little or
no attention is given to pronunciation. • Grammar is taught with extensive
explanations in the native language, and only later applied in the production of
sentences through translation from one language to the other. eg: • Do you have my
book? = ¿Tienes mi libro? • I don't know where your book is = No sé donde está tu
libro
5. Principles • Literary language is superior to the spoken language. • Translating each
language into each other is an important goal for learners. • The authority in the
classroom is the teacher. • To be able to communicate with target language’s
speakers is not among the goals. • The primary skills to be improved are reading and
writing. • Its focus is on accuracy and not fluency. • Error correction: If a student’s
answer of a question is incorrect, the teacher selects a different student to give the
correct answer or s/he replies himself/herself.
6. A class working with the Grammar Translation Method looks like this: • Classes
are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language. • Much
vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words. • Long elaborate
explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given. • Grammar provides the rule for
putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of
words. • Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early. • Little attention is paid to
the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis.
7. Disadvantages
8. This method gives pupils the wrong idea of what language is and of the
relationship between languages. Language is seen as a collection or words which
are isolated and independent. • Worst effect of this method is on pupil's motivation.
Because (s)he cannot succeed - leads to frustration, boredom and indiscipline.
9. Jelou shilrren, hoy vamo’ a ver el “ver-tu-bi” Ai am Llu ar Ji is… • It seemed there
was no need for students to master the four skills of English (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing) • The grammar-translation method is the easiest for a teacher to
employ. It doesn't require a teacher to speak good English or make good lesson
preparations.
10. Exercises of a class using this method • 1. Translation of a Literary Passage •
Students translate a reading passage from the target language into their native
language. • 2. Reading Comprehension Questions • Students answer questions in
the target language based on their understanding of the reading passage. • 3.
Antonym/synonyms • Students are given one set of words and are asked to find
antonyms in the reading passage. • 4. Fill-in-the-blanks • Students are given a series
of sentences with words missing. • 5. Deductive Application of Rule • Grammar rules
are presented with examples. Once students understand a rule, they are asked to
apply it to some different example.
1. The Grammar – Translation Method
2. Background • The grammar-translation method of foreign or second language
teaching (which owes its name to its making use of translation and grammar study as
the main teaching and learning activities) is one of the most traditional methods.
3. Also called The Grammar-Translation Method was called the Classical Method
since it was first used in the teaching of the classical languages, Latin and Greek
(Chastian, 1988).
4. The Method in Its Context: Birth & Motivation • This approach emerged in the
15th century, and was historically / originally used in the study and teaching of Greek
and Latin in Europe, which were 'dead' languages (and literatures), involving little or
no spoken communication or listening comprehension. • This may account for its
heavy bias towards written work to the virtual exclusion of oral production.
5. The GTM dominated language teaching from the 1840s (the mid of the
nineteenth century) to the 1940s. • As modern vernacular languages began to
replace Latin, they were taught using the same basic procedures that were used for
teaching Latin. • Thus the method became the standard way /was generalized to
teaching modern languages such as French, German and English • The method is
still being used in some of today’s classrooms in many countries.
6. Objectives 1. To read literature in target language • The ultimate objective of the
method is to be able to read and understand written target language literature
through the study of the grammar of the target language. • The culture of the target
language is confined to the literature and the fine arts 2. To develop minds • It was
thought that foreign language learning would help students grow intellectually.
Language learning is a mental exercise, learning a foreign language is a good mental
exercise for students. Learning of the target language empowers students mentally (it
was recognized that students would probably never use the target language, but the
mental exercise of learning it would be beneficial anyway.) • The ability to
communicate in the target language is not a goal of foreign language instruction in
this method. Hence the emphasis on reading and writing, rather than listening and
speaking.
7. Principles • Literary language is superior to the spoken language. • Translating each
language into each other is an important goal for learners. • The authority in the
classroom is the teacher. • The primary skills to be improved are reading and writing.
Little attention is given to speaking and listening and almost none to pronunciation. •
Its focus is on accuracy and not fluency. • It seemed there was no need for students
to master the four skills of English (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) • To be
able to communicate with target language’s speakers is not among the goals.
8. What does it involve? - Characteristics • The method focuses on learning the rules
of grammar and their application in translating passages from one language into the
other. • Grammar is taught with extensive and elaborate explanations provided in the
native language, and only later applied in the production of sentences through
translation from one language to the other. eg: • Do you have my book? = ¿Tienes mi
libro? • I don't know where your book is = No sé donde está tu libro
9. Vocabulary in the target language is taught in the form of isolated word lists
through direct translation from the native language. e.g. with vocabulary lists such as:
• the house = la casa • the mouse = el ratón • Reading of difficult texts is begun early
in the course of study. Little attention is paid to the content of texts. • Often the only
drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences. • Little or no attention is
given to pronunciation. • Classes are taught in the students' mother tongue, i.e. very
little teaching is done in the target language. Instead, readings in the target language
are translated directly and then discussed in the native language.
10. A Typical Grammar Translation Lesson • The Method: • A typical lesson / A
chapter in a distinctive textbook of this method (Grammar Translation Style) in the
mid-nineteenth century would consist of the following: • 1 (Study Vocabulary) - begin
with a study of a massive bilingual vocabulary list. • 2 (Study Grammar) - preparation
of a grammatical rule - Grammar points come directly from the texts and are
presented contextually in the textbook. • This would be explained and elaborated by
the instructor. • Grammar thus provided the rules for assembling words into
sentences. • 3 (Translation Exercise) - Tedious Translation (of a passage) and
grammar drills would be used to exercise and strengthen the knowledge without
much attention to context. • Sentences would be translated and eventually entire
texts would be translated from the target language into the native language. • Very
little attention was placed on pronunciation or any communicative aspects of the
language. • The skill exercised was reading and then only in the context of
translation.
11. The Pros (Positive Points: • Classes are taught in the students' mother tongue,
making it easier for the beginner. • Focus on vocabulary and translation of
vocabulary, thus making it easy to learn vocabulary for beginners. A good first
step….. • Elaborate explanations of grammar are always provided. Students are
conscious of the grammatical rules of the target language. (Deductive grammar ) •
Grammar instruction provides the rules for putting words together; instruction often
focuses on the form and inflection of words.
12. The Pros • Learning is facilitated through attention to similarities between the target
language and the native language.(but beware of cases of misleading similarity=faux
amis) • The grammar-translation method seems to be the easiest for a teacher to
employ. It doesn't require a teacher to speak good target language or make good
lesson preparations.
13. The Cons (Negative Points / Drawbacks ): • Classes are taught in the students’
native language, with little active use of the target language. No class time is
allocated to allow students to produce their own sentences. • There is often little
contextualization of the grammar • The type of error correction can be harmful to the
students’ learning processes. • Vocabulary is taught in the form of isolated word lists.
14. Reading of difficult texts is begun early in the course of study. Little attention is
paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis. •
The primary focus is memorization of words, grammar rules and vocabulary • Often
the only drills are exercises in translating whole texts or disconnected sentences from
the target language into the mother tongue, and vice versa – word for word. • Little or
no attention is given to pronunciation. • The Language produced is not natural… •
Meaning is not fully understood/ grasped…. • It is usually regarded as noncommunicative, non-motivational • The only thing students may gain from this
method is the ability to read and interpret? a text
15. The Cons • The teaching of conversation is postponed and underestimated • This
method gives pupils the wrong idea of what language is. In fact, Language is seen as
a collection or words which are isolated and independent. • Worst effect of this
method is on pupil's motivation. • Because (s)he cannot succeed, this leads to
frustration, boredom and indiscipline
16. Teacher role is Traditional: The teacher is the authority in the classroom. Student
role It is very important that students get the correct answer. Student errors / Error
correction:the correct answer important- If a student’s answer of a question is
incorrect, the teacher selects a different student to give the correct answer or s/he
replies himself/herself. There is little student-student interaction. Roles
17. Thus what occurred?Main disadvantage • It does virtually nothing to enhance the
student's communicative ability in the language. • An inability to verbally
communicate using the target language.
18. Materials: • The grammar book • The dictionary
19. Techniques Memorize the following: I am You are He/she/it is We are They are •
Practice exercises to apply the grammatical notions in a deductive way •
Memorization of long vocabulary lists • Reading comprehension and vocabulary
exercises of a text • Translation of literary texts • Compositions • Assessment Exams
to evaluate the capacity to understand written texts and to translate sentences
20. Evaluation • Learning is understood as a result of a great intellectual effort where the
memorization of rules and vocabulary is necessary. • Written tests in which students
are asked to translate from their native language to the target language or vice versa
are often used. • If students can translate from one language into another, they are
considered successful language learners. • questions about Foreign lang/culture
21. The Method in Its Context 2: • Because the GTM emphasizes reading rather than
the ability to communicate in language there was a reaction to it in the 19th century. •
The Grammar translation method stayed in schools until the 1960s when a complete
foreign language pedagogy evaluation was taking place. Teachers experimented with
approches like the direct method in post-war and depression era classrooms. • It may
be still be used today because of the lack of pressure put on the teacher, who is not
required to speak the L2.
22. Assignments • Prepare a detailed lesson plan according to the GrammarTranslation Method. Be ready to teach it to your fellow colleagues in the next
meeting. Use intermediate textbooks for making your lesson plan. • Write down your
critique of the method indicating weaknesses and strengths and how to maximize
benefit from the method in our schools.
23. It’s Lesson Time!! Open your textbook!!
24. An Example to the Point • ???? The textbook consists of chapters or lessons. The
central part of each lesson is the grammar section dealing with grammar points
raised by a selected text. The grammar rules are explained, and illustrated by
example sentences. Grammar points are frequently presented in the form of
paradigms. Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given. •
Wherever possible, verb conjugations and other grammatical paradigms are to be
committed to memory. • Grammar provides the rule for putting words together, and
instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words. • All Classes are taught
(and explanations given) in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target
language. • Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words. • Reading
of difficult classical texts is begun early. • Little attention is paid to the content of
texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis. • Thus, the textbook is
codified into frozen rules of morphology and syntax to be explained, and eventually
memorized.
25. Exercises of a classusingthismethod From a textbook (see examples)
26. Questions What does it mean to say that “In the GTM Language is reduced to the
grammatical system”
27. The End
1. Students learn the new language withoutcontact with native speakers. Least
stressful for students-teaching occursin the first language Only uses the textbook
Does not require teachers to speak goodEnglish or make good lessonpreparations.
Easiest for teachers to useAdvantages
2. 10. Very little student/teacher andstudent/student interaction Extensive
memorization Students do not learn to read. Does not allow students to
createmeaning in English Students lack comprehension-onlytranslating word-forwordDisadvantages
3. 11. The teacher asks students in theirnative language The students ask questions
in theirnative language and are also answeredby the teacher also in their
nativelanguage The ability of communicating in thetarget language is not a
goalPrinciples and Techniques
4. 12. Students are asked to apply therules to examples they are given Grammar
rules are presented withexamples It is important for students tolearn about the
forms(grammarrules) of the target language Deductive application of
rulesPrinciples and Techniques
5. 13. Answers to the questions may be in thereading text, or based on
theunderstanding of the students orstudents’ own experiences related tothe text
Students answer these questions in thetarget language Reading comprehension
questionsPrinciples and Techniques
6. 14. If students answer incorrectly, theteacher will provide the correct answer It is
important for students to get thecorrect answers Teacher decides whether the
students’answers are correct Teacher as the authorityPrinciples and Techniques
7. 15. Students are asked to memorize newwords, grammatical rules, and
verbconjugation MemorizationPrinciples and Techniques
8. 16. Students should fill in the blankswith the new vocabulary or with aparticular
grammar type Teacher give students sentences withword missing Fill-in-theblanksPrinciples and Techniques
9. 17. This technique can show whetherstudents really understand the newwords
Students are asked to make up sentenceswith the new words they learn in thetext
Use words in sentencesPrinciples and Techniques
10. 18. The topic is based on some aspect ofthe reading passage Students are asked
to write acomposition in the target language CompositionPrinciples and
Techniques