GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD of LANGUAGE

TEACHING

Presented by :

Aisha Ba’ayo

Amal Mahjup

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

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• .

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• Deductive application of rule It is important for students to learn about the

forms(grammar rules) of the target languageGrammar rules are presented with examplesStudents are asked to apply the rules on

examples they are given

• Fill in the blankTeacher give students sentences with word

missing.Students should fill in the blanks with the new

vocabulary or with a particular grammar type

• MemorizationStudents are asked to memorize new words,

grammatical rules, and verb conjugation

• 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 textThis technique can show whether students really

understand the new words

• CompositionStudents are asked to write a composition in the

target languageThe topic is based on some aspect of the reading

passage

Cognates

Students are taught to recognize cognates by learning the spelling or

sound patterns that correspond between the languages.

Fill-in-the-blanks

• Students are given a series of sentences with words missing.

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.

EXAMPLEEnglish

Hello Please Boy Girl

SENTENCEPlease give me thisEnglish book

Arabic

• مرحبا• فضلك من• الصبي

• الفتاة

الجملة• اللغة كتاب أعطني فضلك من

األنجليزية

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.

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.

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)

Discussion point :

• IS GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD REALLY BAD ?

CANDY OR TRUTH

Summary :

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.

Thanks for paying attention