2. The Grammar-Translation Method
"a method of foreign or second
language teaching which makes
use of translation and grammar
study as the main teaching and
learning activities."
---Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman Dictionary
of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Pearson Education
Limited. pp.231.
3. History
Dates back to Erasmus 1466-1536
Originally used to teach Latin and
Greek in the late 19th
and early 20th
centuries
Earlier in 20th century, this method
was used for the purpose of helping
students read and appreciate foreign
language literature.
4. Background
Traditional method of second language
teaching in schools
Most common language teaching method
Stressed the literacy development
Teacher centered
5. Introduction
Original purposes
Helping students read and
appreciate foreign language
literature
Students can become more familiar
with the grammar of their native
language also write and speak their
native language better
Helpful for mental exercise
6. Prator and Celce-Murcia in Teaching English as a Second Foreign
Language (1979:3),
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 rules for putting words
together, and instruction often focuses on the form
and inflection of words.
Key Features
7. 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.
Often the only drills are exercises in
translating disconnected sentences from the
target language into the mother tongue.
8. Principles and Techniques
Translation of a literary passage
Students will be asked to read a
literary passage and then translate the
target language into their native
language
Translation may be written or spoken
Translation made by the students can
show that they understand their
meaning
9. Advantages
Easiest for teachers to use
Does not require teachers to speak good
English or make good lesson
preparations.
Only uses the textbook
Least stressful for students-teaching occurs
in the first language
Students learn the new language without
contact with native speakers.
10. Disadvantages
Students lack comprehension-only
translating word-for-word
Does not allow students to create
meaning in English
Students do not learn to read.
Extensive memorization
Very little student/teacher and
student/student interaction
11. Principles and Techniques
The ability of communicating in the
target language is not a goal
The students ask questions in their
native language and are also answered
by the teacher also in their native
language
The teacher asks students in their
native language
12. Principles and Techniques
Deductive application of rules
It is important for students to
learn about the forms(grammar
rules) of the target language
Grammar rules are presented with
examples
Students are asked to apply the
rules to examples they are given
13. Principles and Techniques
Reading comprehension questions
Students answer these questions in the
target language
Answers to the questions may be in the
reading text, or based on the
understanding of the students or
students’ own experiences related to
the text
14. Principles and Techniques
Teacher as the authority
Teacher decides whether the students’
answers are correct
It is important for students to get the
correct answers
If students answer incorrectly, the
teacher will provide the correct answer
15. Principles and Techniques
Memorization
Students are asked to memorize new
words, grammatical rules, and verb
conjugation
16. Principles and Techniques
Fill-in-the-blanks
Teacher give students sentences with
word missing
Students should fill in the blanks
with the new vocabulary or with a
particular grammar type
17. Principles and Techniques
Use words in sentences
Students are asked to make up sentences
with the new words they learn in the
text
This technique can show whether
students really understand the new
words
18. Principles and Techniques
Composition
Students are asked to write a
composition in the target language
The topic is based on some aspect of
the reading passage
19. Conclusion
Teaching involves any instructional
technique that draws learners' attention
to some specific grammatical form in such
a way that it helps them either to
understand it metalinguistically and/or
process it in comprehension and/or
production so that they can internalize it.
