Grammar Translation

Method

Lecture 2

What is a Method?

• A particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one.• The method in this course means principles and

techniques employed to teach a foreign language.• Method composed of both the principles and

techniques.• What are the principles?

What is a method? Cont….

• Principles involve five aspects of second or foreign language teaching.

i)The teacherii)The learneriii)The teaching processiv)The learning processv)The target language/culture

Grammar Translation Method:

Review of Lecture 1

• Introduction to TEFL• Introduction to Language teaching methods• Scope of TEFL• Overview of the contents

Definition

• "a method of foreign or second language teaching which makes use of translation and grammar study as the main teaching and learning activities.“

• Old name: Classical Method

Background

• The Grammar Translation Method was the traditional way Latin and Greek were taught in Europe.

• In the 19th century it began to be used to teach “modern” languages such as French, German, and English, and it is still used in some countries today.

Purpose

• Help students read and appreciate foreign language literature• Study grammar of the target language• Better understand grammar of the native language

through familiarity• Speak and write their native language better• Intellectual growth through grammar exercises

Sample GTM Class

• Level of students: high intermediate• Strength: 42• Class duration: 2hrs thrice a week• Setting: Columbia• Mother tongue: Spanish

Proceedings

•Reading a literary passage of English• ‘life on the Mississippi’ by Mark Twain

•Translation from English to MT•Word meanings English to MT•Oral comprehension discussion in MT•Teacher provides answers and meanings to difficult items•Written Comprehension question answers in English•Teacher determines if the answer is correct or not.•Focus on finding the CORRECT answer

… proceedings

• For a given list of English words, students are asked to locate antonyms from the text.• Grammar Rule for the use of Direct object read by

teacher• Examples are provided by the teacher• Students identify separable and inseparable phrasal

verbs from the text.• Students fill in the blanks in the given sentences

with a list of phrasal verbs. • First two items done collectively, rest separately

… proceedings

• Home assignment: Memorization of translation of list of English phrasal verbs and idioms, sentence formation based on English vocabulary list• Follow up classes agenda• Translation• Direct object rule memorization• Practice of grammar rules• Use of irregular verb forms and memorization of list of

verbs• Composition writing about students ambition• Translation from Spanish to English

Summary of Lecture 2

• GTM• Definition• Purpose• Proceeding

Lecture 3

• Review of previous lecture• GTM

• Definition• Purpose• proceedings

• Principles of GTM (concept, theory, rules, regulations)• Techniques of GTM (What is being taught, how it is

being taught, what exercise used, what activities used, how class is conducted)• Flaws of GTM

What is a principle?

• Abstract and underlying rules and regulations• Conceptual details/ Theoretical details of a subject• A principle determines techniques used in the class• Example:

Principle: MemorizationTechnique: class room learning of verb forms list

Principles:

Principles of GTM

1: What are the goals of teachers using GTM?• Develop ability to read foreign language literature• learning grammar rules• Learning foreign language vocabulary• Studying foreign language is good for student mental

exercise

2: Role of teacher in GTM• Traditional• Authoritative• Provider of knowledge• Students do what he/she asks them to.

3: Characteristics of teaching/learning process• Translation from one language to another• Study of culture and literature of target language

community• Deductive study of grammar: rules first, followed

by practice of rules (general to particular)• Grammatical paradigms memorization such as verb

forms/ conjugations• Memorization of vocabulary lists

Paradigm/conjugations

4: Nature of student-teacher interaction• Most of interaction is teacher-student interaction• Little or no student-student interaction• No pair work, no discussion, no group work• Only individual work• Feelings of students not dealt with

5: How is language/ culture viewed?• Literary language is considered superior to spoken

language• Focus on teaching only the language of literature• Culture of foreign language community through

their literature and art

6: Which language skills are emphasized?• Vocabulary• Grammar• Reading skills: literary text reading• Writing skills : comprehension questions and

composition writing

7: What is the role of students’ native language?• Language of classroom interaction between

teacher and students• Language used for understanding and translating

the foreign language text

8: How is evaluation accomplished?• Written tests focusing on translation from one

language to the other• Questions about foreign language culture• Questions on the application of foreign language

grammar rules.

9: Teacher’s response to student errors• Correction is emphasized/ appreciated• Errors as unnecessary and signs of failure• Accuracy to be attained• Teacher knows the RIGHT answer

Review of Techniques of GTM• What is a technique?• What is being taught.• How it is taught.• What activities used.• What exercises done.

1. Translation of Literary passage

• Reading Skills emphasized• Literary text as core text for grammar and vocabulary

practice• Teacher may pick a literary passage • Teacher may write a passage for grammar and

vocabulary practice• Translation may be spoken or written• Phrasal verbs and idioms not to be literally translated by

meaningfully understood in mother tongue• To kick the bucket

2: Reading Comprehension Questions• Purpose: to check understanding of the passage• First type of questions: information questions from

the text• When did Mark Twain live?

• Second type of questions: Inference questions based on understanding of the passage• Do you think the boy was ambitious? Why or why not?

• Third type of questions: Related the passage to the personal experience• Have you ever thought of running away from home?

3: Antonyms/ Synonyms

• Students given a set of words and asked to search antonyms from the text• Students given a set of words and asked to search

synonyms from the text• Define difficult words from the text• Other vocabulary exercises

4: Cognates

• Students are taught to recognize the spellings or sound patterns which are similar in foreign language and mother tongue• English word ‘Possibility (-ty)• Spanish word ‘Posibilidad (-dad)

Cont…

• 5: Deductive application of rules• 6: Fill in the blanks : use of prepositions, verbs,

helping verbs, pronouns and other vocabulary exercises• 7: Memorization: vocabulary lists, rules,

conjugations, • 8: Sentence formation• 9: composition: writing exercise that makes use of

words and structures learned from the text and bringing students personal experience in class

Flaws of GTM• Explicit grammar rule based teaching• Focus on memorization rather than meaningful

learning• Speaking and listening skills ignored• Pronunciation ignored, fluency ignored• No communication/ interaction encouraged• Teacher oriented classes• Students feelings and pace of learning ignored• Students not having freedom in language practice• Focus on accuracy and correctness

Factors that lead to the rejection of Grammar-Translation Method:• A. Increased opportunities for communication

among Europeans created a demand for oral proficiency in foreign languages.

B. Language teaching specialists also turned their attention to the way modern languages were being taught in secondary schools.

C. New approaches to language teaching were developed by individual language teaching specialists.

Summary of Lecture 3

• Principles of GTM• Techniques of GTM• Flaws of GTM