Methods of language teaching
Grammar-translation approach
The Grammar-Translation Method
The grammar-translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most traditional methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s. It was originally used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek, and this may account for its heavy bias towards written work to the virtual exclusion of oral production. As Omaggio comments, this approach reflected "the view of faculty psychologists that mental discipline was essential for strengthening the powers of the mind." (Omaggio 89) Indeed, the emphasis on achieving 'correct' grammar with little regard for the free application and production of speech is at once the greatest asset and greatest drawback to this approach.
What is the grammar translation method
1. The grammar- translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most tradition method.
2. It was original used to teach "dead" language (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek, involving little or no spoken communication or listening comprehension.
The characteristics
1.A focus on learning the rules of grammar and their application in translation passage from one language into the other.
2. Vocabulary in the target language is learner through direct translation from the native language , it is taught in the form of isolated word lists.e.g. with vocabulary tests such as
The house = la case
The mouse = el raton
3. Vary little teaching is done in the target language. Instead, readings in the target language are translation directly and then discussed in the native speaker. Little or no attention is give to pronunciation.
4. Grammar is taught with extensive explanations in the native speaker, and only later applied in the production of sentences through translation from one language to the other.
Principles
1. Literary language is superior to the spoken language.
2. Translating each language into each other is an important goal for learners.
3. The authority in the classroom is the teacher.
4. To be able to communicate with target language's speaker is not among the goals.
5.The primary skills to be improved are reading and writing.
6. Its focus is no accuracy and not fluency.
7. Error correction: If a student's answer of a question is incorrect, the teacher selects a different student to give the correct answer or she/he replies himself/herself.
Key features
According to Prator and Celce-Murcia in Teaching English as a Second Foreign Language (1979:3), the key features of the Grammar Translation Method are as follows:
1. Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language.
2. Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words.
3. Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.
4. Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words.
5. Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early.
6. Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis.
7. Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language into the mother tongue.
8. Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.
Typical Techniques
Diane Larsen-Freeman, in her book Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (1986:13) provides expanded descriptions of some common/typical techniques closely associated with the Grammar Translation Method.
The listing here is in summary form only.
1. Translation of a Literary Passage
(Translating target language to native language)
2. Reading Comprehension Questions
(Finding information in a passage, making inferences and relating to personal experience)
3. Antonyms/Synonyms
(Finding antonyms and synonyms for words or sets of words).
4. Cognates
(Learning spelling/sound patterns that correspond between L1 and the target language)
5. Deductive Application of Rule
(Understanding grammar rules and their exceptions, then applying them to new examples)
6. Fill-in-the-blanks
(Filling in gaps in sentences with new words or items of a particular grammar type).
7. Memorization
(Memorizing vocabulary lists, grammatical rules and grammatical paradigms)
8. Use Words in Sentences
(Students create sentences to illustrate they know the meaning