Comparison of the grammar translation method& direct

method & audio lingual method

Mahdie Hosseini

22

• GTM: the students should be able to read

literature written in the target

language.

• DM: the students should learn how to

communicate in the target language.

• ALM: the student should be able to use the

target language communicatively .

role of the teacher & the student

• GTM: the teacher is the authority in the

classroom.

the students do as she says so they

can learn what she knows.• DM: the students and teachers are more

like partners in the teaching-learning

process.

role of the teacher & the student

• ALM: the teacher direct and control the

language behavior of the students.

The students follow the teacher’s

direction and respond as accurately

and as rapidly as possible.

Characteristic of teaching/ learning process

• GTM: -student are taught to translate from

one language into another.

-students study grammar

deductively.

-students memorize native language

equivalents for target language

vocabulary words.

Characteristic of teaching/ learning process

• DM: -students need to associate meaning

with the target language directly.

-Grammar is taught inductively.

-the syllabus used in direct method is based

upon situation or topic.

-student practice vocabulary by using

new words in complete sentences.

Characteristic of teaching/ learning process

• ALM:-New vocabulary and structural

patterns are presented through

dialogues.

-The dialogues are learned through

imitation and repetition.

-Grammar is induced from the

examples given

-cultural information is contextualized in

dialogues or presented by the teacher

-Student’s reading and written work

is based upon the oral work they

did earlier.

The nature of student-teacher interaction & student-student

interaction• GTM: teacher to students.

little student initiation and little

student-student interaction.

• DM: teacher to student & student to teacher

students converse with one another.

• ALM: teacher and student

student to student : in chain drills: teacher-

directed

The feeling of the student

• GTM,DM,ALM:

THRE IS NO PRINCIPLE OF THESE

METHODS THAT RELATED TO THIS

AREA

How is the language viewed?

• GTM: literary language is considered.• DM: language is primarily spoken not

written.• ALM: everyday speech is emphasized and

comprises several different levels:

phonological, morphological,

syntactic.

How is culture viewed?

• GTM: culture is viewed as consisting of

literature and the fine arts.• DM: they study the history, geography and

daily lives of the speakers of the

language.• ALM: culture consists of the everyday

behavior and lifestyle of the target

language speakers.

What areas of language are emphasized?

• GTM: vocabulary and grammar

• DM: vocabulary

• ALM: sound system and grammatical

pattern.

What language skills are emphasized?

• GTM: reading and writing

• DM: reading, writing, speaking, listening

• ALM: listening, speaking, reading,

writing(natural order)

What is the role of the students’ native language?

• GTM: the students 'native language is

mostly used

• DM: the students’ native language should

not be used in the classroom.

• ALM: the target language is used in the

classroom.

How is evaluation accomplished?

• GTM: written tests in which students are

asked to translate.

• DM: we did not actually see any formal

evaluation in the class we observed.

• ALM: the answer to this question is not

obvious.

How does the teacher respond to students errors?

• GTM: the teacher gives them correct

answer.

• DM: the teacher tries to get students to

self-correct.

• ALM: students errors are to be avoided if

at all possible.