The Grammar-Translation Method

INTRODUCTION

The Grammar-Translation Method is not new. It has had different names, but it has been used by language teachers for many years. At one time it was called the Classical Method. Earlier in this century, this method was used for the purpose of helping students read and appreciate foreign language literature.

Let us try to understand the Grammar-Translation Method by observing a class where the teacher is using it.

EXPERIENCE

When we enter the classroom, the class is in the middle of reading a passage in their textbook. How to apply the method ? The teacher it starting it with :

First, each student is called on to read a few lines from the passage.

Second, let them have any questions.

Third, ask them to write the answer to the comprehension questions.

Fourth, let them told for some review words and the others are new to them.

Fifth, give an easy trick for the student to remember the word.

Sixth, always say the new world when there is an opportunity.

The next section of the chapter deals with grammar. Give the student a review as they have encountered pharasal verb from the passage. Nevertheless, there are some new two-word verbs in the passage the students haven’t learned yet. Then give the rule for use of a direct object with two-word verbs :

If the two-word verb is separable, the direct object may come between the verb and its particle. However, separation is necessary when the direct object is a pronoun. If the verb is inseparable, then there is no separation of the verb and particle by the object. For example :

John put away his book.

but not

John put away it.

[because ‘put away’ is a separable two-word verb]

The student are asked to tell which of the following two-word verbs, taken from the passage, are separable and which inseparable. They refer to the passage for clues. If they cannot tell from the passage, they use their dictionaries or ask their teacher.

Finally, they asked to put one of these phrasal verbs in the blank of each of the ten sentences they are given.

For homework, the teacher asks the students to memorize the translation for the first twenty words and to write a sentence using each word.

1. Write out the translation of the reading passage.

2. State the rule for the use of a direct object with two-word verbs, and apply it to other phrasal verbs.

3. Do the remaining exercises in the chapter that include practice with one set of irregular past participle forms. The students will be asked to memorize the present tense, past tense , and past participle forms of this irregular paradigm.

4. Write a composition in the target language about an ambition they have.

5. Memorize the remaining vocabulary items and write sentences for each.

6. Take a quiz on the grammar an vocabulary.

THINKING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE

The principles of the Grammar-Translation Mehtod will be listed in the right column :

	Observations	Principles
1	The class is reading.	A fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to read literature written in it. Literary language is superior to spoken language. Students' study of the target culture is limited to its literature and fine arts.
2	Students translate the passage.	An important goal is for students to be able to translate each language into the other. If students can translate from one language into another, they are considered successful language learners.
3	The teacher asks students in their native language if they have any questions. A student asks one and is answered in her native language.	The ability to communicate in the target language is not a goal of foreign language instruction.
4	Students write out the answers to reading comprehension questions.	The primary skills to be developed are reading and writing.
5	The teacher decides whether an answer is incorrect, the teacher selects a different student to supply the correct answer or the teacher herself gives the right answer.	The teacher is the authority in the classroom. It is very important that students get the correct answer.
6	Students translate new words.	It is possible to find native language equivalents for all target language words.
7	Ex ; Students learn that English '-ty' corresponds to -dad and -tad in Spanish.	Learning is facilitated through attention to similarities between the target language and the native language.
8	Students are given a grammar rule for the use of a direct object with two-word verbs.	It is important for students to learn about the form of the target language.
9	Students apply a rule to examples they are given.	Deductive application of an explicit grammar rule is useful pedagogical technique.
10	Students memorize vocabulary.	Language learning provides good mental exercise.
11	The teacher asks students to state the grammar rule.	Students should be conscious of the grammatical rules of the target language.
12	Students memorize present tense, past tense, and past participle forms of one set of irregular verbs.	Wherever possible, verb conjugations and other grammatical paradigms should be committed to memory.

REVIEWING THE PRINCIPLES

1. What are the goals of teachers who use the Grammar-Translation Mehod ?

; To be able to read literature written in the target language.

2. What is the role of the teacher ? What is the role of the students ?

; The teacher is the authority in the classroom. The students do as she says so thet can learn what she knows.

3. What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process ?

; To translate from one language to another. They translate are in the target language about some aspect of the culture. Students study grammar deductively. They also learn grammatical paradigms. They memorize native-language equivalents for target-language vocabulary words.

4. What is the nature of student-teacher interaction ? what is the nature of student-student interaction ?

; Most of the interaction in the classroom is from the teacher to the students. There is little student initiation and little student-student interaction.

5. How are the feelings of the students dealt with ?

; There are no principles of the method which realte to this area.

6. How is the language viewed ? How is the culture viewed ?]

; Literary language is considered superior to spoken language and is therefore the language that students study. Culture is viewed as consisting of literature and the fine arts.

7. What areas of language are emphasized ? What language skills are emphasized ?

; Vocabulary and grammar are emphasized. Reading and writing are the primary skills and less attention to speaking and listening.

8. What is the role of the students’ native language ?

; The target language is made clear by translating it into the students’ native language.

9. How is evaluation accomplished ?

; Written tests in which students are asked to translate from their native language to the target language or vice versa are often used.

10. How does the teacher respond to student errors ?

; If student make errors or do not know an answer, the teacher supplies them with the correct answer because get the correct answer is very important.

REVIEWING THE TECHNIQUES

Below is an expanded description of some of the Grammar-Translation Method.

Translation of a literary passage

Students translate a reading passage from the target language into their native language. The reading passage then provides the focus for several classes : vocabulary and grammatical structures in the passage are studied in subsequent lessons. The translation may be written or spoken or both. Students should not translate idioms and the like literally, but rather in a way that shows that they understand their meaning.

Reading comprehensions questions.

Students answer questions in the target language based on their understanding of the reading passage. Often the questions are sequenced so that the first group of questions asks for information contained within the reading passage. In order to answer the second group of questions, students will have to make inferences based on their understanding of the passage. This means they will have to answer questions about the passage even though the answer are not contained in the passage itself. The third group of questions requires students to realte the passage to their own experience.

Antonyms / synonyms

A similar exercise could be done by asking students to find synonims / antonyms for a paticular set of words. Or students might be asked tod efine a set of words absed on their understandingof them as they occur in the reading passage.

Cognates

Students are taught to recognize cognates by learning the spelling or sound patterns that correspond between the language. Students are also aked to meorize words that look like cognates but have meanings in the target language thar are different from those in the native language.

Deductive application of rule

Grammar rules are presented with examples. Exceptions to each rule are also noted. Once students understand a rule, they are asked to apply it to some different examples.

Fill-in-the-blanks

They fill in the blanks with new vocabulary items or with items of a particular grammar type, such as prepositions or verbs with different tenses.

Memorization

Students are given lists of target language vocabulary words and their native language equivalents and are asked to memorize them. Students are also required to memorize grammatical rules and grammatical paradigms such as verb conjugations.

Use words in sentences

They make up sentences in which they use the new words.

Composition

The teacher gives the student a topic to write about in the target language.

Conclusion

You have now had an opportunity to examine the principles and some of the techniques of the Grammar-Translation Method. Try to make a connection between what you have understood and your own teaching situation and beliefs.