The grammar-translation method overemphasizes written work over oral production. Kim (2008) stated that the method does not include spoken communication or listening comprehension. As a consequence, it stresses the rote memorization of vocabulary words and study of the explicit rules of grammar. According to Richards and Rodgers (2001), the grammar-translation method is a method without a theory in areas such as linguistics, psychology, or education. But the grammar-translation method is still popular in many parts of the world today, although this method underscores the importance of understanding the literary texts more than speaking and listening in the target language. Richards and Rodgers also attribute its popularity to the fact that the grammar-translation method does not require great skill by teachers. The historical foundations of the grammar-translation method provide valuable insights to situate and understand current practices in language instruction, though many new methodologies have been developed and employed.
Of course, this traditional method also has its own advantages. The development of accuracy is one of the major ones among others, although most often this accuracy is decontextualised.