Grammar Translation Method

INTRODUCTION

Grammar-Translation Method or it called The Classic Method first time it was used in
the teaching of the classical language, Latin and Greek (Chastain 1988). The
purpose of this method to help student read and appreciate foreign language
literature, and also it can through the study of the grammar of the target language.
With this method student will be ore familiar with the grammar of their native
language and thats would help them to speak and write their native language
better.

THE TECHNIQUES

1. Translation of Literary Passage

Student translate a reading passage from the foreign language into their native
language.

2. Reading Comprehension Questions

Student answere question in the target language based on their understanding of

the reading passage.

3. Antonyms/Synonyms

Students give one set of words and are asked to find antonyms in the reading
passage.

4. Cognates

Students are taught to recognize between the languages by learning the spellingor
sounds patterns that correspond between the languages.

5. Deductive Application Rule

Grammar rules are presented with examples.

6. Fill-In-The-Blank

Student are given a series of sentence with words missing.

7. Memorization

Student are given list of target language vocabulary words and their natives
language equivalences and are asked to memorize them

8. Use Words in Sentences

In order to show that students understand the meaning and use of a new
vocabulary item, they make up sentences in which they use the new words.

HOW DOES IT WORKS

The lesson start with the students in classroom reads an foreign language articles
from books each student is called on to read a few lines from that articles. After
they finished reading, they are asked by their teacher to translate the few lines they
have just read into native language, teacher helps with new vocabulary items.
When the students have finished reading and translating passage, the teacher asks

them in native language if the have any questions. The teacher answer the
questions from students and explain every word with native language until the
students have no more question.

Since the student have no more questions, the teacher asks them to write the
answere from the comprehension question which appear at the ends of articles. The
question are in foreign language, and the students are instructed to write the
answer to the in foreign language as well. They do the first one togather example.
After one-half hour, teacher ask the student to stop and check their work. One by
one the students reads a question and read his or her response if it is correct the
teacher calls another student to read the next question, if it is incorrect teacher
selects a different student to supply the correct answer, or the teacher him/herself
gives the right answer.

The next activity is there are list of word on the next page in the book. The
introduction tells the students that this words are taken from the article that they
have just read. The student are instructured to give a native language word for each
of the. This exercise the class doing togather, if no one knows the native language
equivalent, the teacher gives it.

The next section of the chapter deals with grammar. The student follow in the books
as the teacher reads a description *phrasal verbs. This is a review for them as they
have encountered phrasal verbs before. The teacher give a grammar rule about
phrasal verbs before. after that the student do the exercise, when the student are
finish with it, they read their answer loudly.

At the end of this chapter there is a list of vocabulary items that appear in. the
teacher ask to the students to memorize the native language traslation words for
the first twenty words and to write a sentence in english using each word.

This material is jjust example according to the exercise given from book.

THE PRICIPLES FOR EACH EXERCISE

1. The class is reading an article from book, the student will be able to read
literature written in a foreign language. Literary language is superior to spoken
language.

2. Translate the articles, an importan goal is for student to be able to translate each
language into the other.

3. The teach ask the students in their native languages, principles it to train the
ability to communicate in the target language is not agoal of foreign language
instruction.

4. Student write out the answers to reading coprehenshion questions, the primmary
skill to developed are reading and writing.

5. The teacher decides wether an answer is correct or not, the teacher authority in
the classroom. It is very immportant that the student get the correct answer.

6. Students translated new words from foreign language to native language, its
possible to find the native language equivealentes for all target language words.

7. Student are given a grammmar rules of phrasal verbs, students learns from of the
target language.

8. Student apply a rule to examples they are given, deductive application of an

explicit grammar rules is a useful pedagogical technique.

9. Students memorize vocabulary, learning providers good memntal exercise.

History

The Grammar Translation Method is an old method which was originally used to
teach dead languages which explains why it focuses mainly on the written form at
the expense of the oral form. It was designed according to the faculty psychology
approach which was very popular during the 18th and 19th century. It contended
that mental discipline was essential for strengthening the powers of the mind.
The way to do this was through learning classical literature of the Greeks and
Romans.

Method

Use of mother tongue.Vocabulary items are taught in the form of word

lists.Elaborate explanations of grammar.Focus on the morphology and
syntax.Reading of difficult texts early in the course.Practice focuses on exercises
translating sentences or texts from mother tongue to the target language and vice
versa.

It is surprising to see that the Grammar Translation Method was still in use in some
classrooms during the late decades of the 20th century. May be, its because it
bears some advantages.

Advantages

Translation is the easiest and shortest way of explaining meaning of words and
phrases.Learners have no difficulties to understand the lesson as it is carried out in
the mother tongue.It is a labor-saving method as the teacher carries out everything
in the mother tongue.

Criticism

What the method is good at is teaching about the language , not teaching the
language.Speaking or any kind of spontaneous creative output was missing from
the curriculum.Students lacked an active role in the classroom.Very little attention is
paid to communication.Very little attention is paid to content.Translation is
sometimes misleading.

Because of all these disadvantages, instructors tried to find better ways to remedy
the pitfalls of the grammar translation method. The Direct Methodwas the answer.

Reference:

Brown, H. Douglas, 2006. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fifth

Edition, Pearson ESL.

Richards, Jack C. and Theodore S. Rodgers (1986).Approaches and methods in

language teaching: A description and analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press