2. Main points:
o What is grammar translation method?
o The goals of GTM
o Historical Background
o The Main principles and characteristics
o The techniques
o The advantages and dis advantages
o Methodologists opinions
o Activities
o Summary
o References

3. What is grammar
translation method?
“it is 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)

4. In other words…
• It is a way of teaching in which students
study grammar and translate words into
their own language. They do not practise
communication and there is little focus on
speaking. A teacher presents a grammar
rule and vocabulary lists and then students
translate a written text from their own
language into the second language.

5. Other names :
• Was known as Prussian Method
in USA
• Was known as Classical Method
in Western World.
• Changed to Grammar-
Translation Method in the 19th
century.

6. The goals of GTM:
• to help students learn foreign language to
be proficient in it .
• To read and translate literary
masterpieces and classics of the target
language.
• To help students read and appreciate
foreign language literature.
• to develop reading and writing skills.
• To be familiar with the grammar of their
native language and the target language.

7. Historical Background :
• The grammar- translation method of foreign language
teaching is one of the most traditional methods.
• Late in the 19th century , it was originally used to teach
‘dead’ languages (and literatures) such as Latin and
Greek, involving little or no spoken communication or
listening comprehension.
• Earlier in 20th century, this method was used for the
purpose of helping students read and appreciate foreign
language literature.

8. The main Characteristics of
GTM :
• The primary skills to be improved are
reading and writing.
• Literary language is superior to the
spoken language. Students study
literature and fine arts.
• .

9. • Grammar is taught deductively, it 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.

10. • Accuracy is emphasized (grammatical correctness)
and not fluency. Students are expected to attain
high standards in translating passages.
• The ability to communicate with the target
language is not among the goals of instruction.
• Vocabulary in the target language is learned
through direct translation from the native
language.
• Translating each language into each other is an
important goal for learners.
• Readings in the target language are translated
directly and then discussed in the native language.

11. • The teacher’s role is to be the authority in the
classroom. The student’s role is to do what the
teacher says.
• Most of the interaction in classroom is from the
teacher to the student.
• The language that is used in class is mostly the
student’s native language
• if students make errors or don’t know an
answer, the teacher supplies them with the
correct answer or ask an other student to give
the correct answer.
• Written test in which students have to translate
from there native language to the target
language or vise versa.

12. The techniques:
• Students are taught in their mother tongue and
sometimes using the targeted language.
• A lot of vocabulary is taught in form of the
isolated words.
Antonyms/synonyms
Students are given one set of words and are asked to find antonyms in the
reading passage as well as synonyms for a particular set of words
Reading comprehension questions
Students answer questions in the target language based on
their understanding of the reading passage
Students translate a reading passage from the target language into
their native language

13. The 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
• Reading comprehension questions
 Students answer these questions in the target language
 Answers to the questions may be:
Questions provided about the information in the text to make
inferences and to relate to experience.

14. • Deductive application of rule
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 on
examples they are given
• Fill in the blank
Teacher give students sentences with word
missing.
Students should fill in the blanks with the new
vocabulary or with a particular grammar type
• Memorization
Students are asked to memorize new words,
grammatical rules, and verb conjugation

15. • Antonyms / synonyms
• Students are asked to find antonyms in the reading
passage or, to define a set of words based on their
understanding of them as they occur in the reading
passage
• Use the 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
• Composition
Students are asked to write a composition in the
target language
The topic is based on some aspect of the reading
passage

16. Students are taught to recognize cognates by
learning the spelling or sound patterns that
correspond between the languages.

18. Fill-in-the-blanks
• Students are given a series of sentences
with words missing.

19. Memorization
• Students are given lists of target language
vocabulary words and their native language
equivalents and are asked to memorize them
Use words in sentences
• Students makes new sentences in which
they use the new words.
Composition
• The teacher gives the students a topic to write about in
the target language. Sometimes instead of creating a
composition, students are asked to prepare a
presentation of the reading passage.

20. EXAMPLE
English
 Hello
 Please
 Boy
 Girl
Please give me this
English book
Arabic
• ‫مرحبا‬
• ‫فضلك‬ ‫من‬
• ‫الصبي‬
• ‫الفتاة‬
‫الجملة‬
• ‫األنجليزية‬ ‫اللغة‬ ‫كتاب‬ ‫أعطني‬ ‫فضلك‬ ‫من‬

21. The advantages and disadvantages:
• An effective way for application of grammar and sentence structure
• Least stressful for students as they use their native language.
• 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 as they use their native language.
• Students learn the new language without contact with native speakers.
• Students will be able to read literature written in the target language
• Students will be able to translate from one language to another
• It Helps students to develop reading and writing skills.
• It helps students read and appreciate foreign language literature
• Students can become more familiar with the grammar of their native language
• It is helpful for mental exercise.
• The communication between the teacher and the learner have no linguistic
problems because the targeted language are not being actively used.

22. 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
• Exact translation is not possible. Translation is, indeed, a difficult task and
exact translation from one language to another is not always possible.
• The person who have learnt a foreign or second language through this method
find it difficult to give up the habit of first thinking in their mother tongue
and then translating their ideas into the second language.
• Wrong idea of what language is.
• Unnatural sequence . It starts with the teaching of reading not listening.
• Speech is neglected as it lays emphasis on reading and writing.
• It does not give pattern practice.
• Less learners’ motivation
• Create frustration for learners.

23. The methodologists’ opinions:
• Mainly focus on accuracy and not the fluency of speaking as the primary
skills for students to improve are the reading and writing skills.
• The important goal for the learner is to translate a language to other
language and not the abi;ity to communicate with the targerted language
speaker
• Grammar 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 (Ellis,
2006, cf. Shih-Chuan Chang,2011,pp.15).
• a“Translation can make the student come to closer grips with the target
language. A simultaneous awareness of two media could actually make the
student see the points of convergence and divergence more clearly and
also refine the tools of perception and analysis resulting in divergent
thinking."(Chellapan, 1982, cf.Shih-Chuan Chang, 2011,pp.16)

24. Discussion point :
• IS GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD REALLY
BAD ?

25. CANDY OR TRUTH

26. Summary :

27. References :
• Chellapan, K. (1982). Translanguage, Translation and Second
Language Acquisition. In F Eppert (Ed.), Papers on translation:
Aspects, Concepts, Implications (pp. 57-63) Singapore: SEMEO
Regional Language Center.
• Ellis, R. (2006). Current issues in the teaching of grammar: an
SLA perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 40 (1): 83-107.
• Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman Dictionary of
Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Pearson Education
Limited.
• Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and Methods
in Language Teaching.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Shih-Chuan Chang. (2011). A Contrastive Study of Grammar
Translation Method and Communicative Approach in Teaching
English Grammar. English Language Teaching, Vol. 4, No.
2,pp.15-16.