Link:

http://oswaldoipc.wordpress.com/2007/06/22/the-grammar-translation-method/

http://www.nthuleen.com/papers/720report.html

http://www.aber.ac.uk/~mflwww/seclangacq/langteach3.htm

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Historical review of the Grammar-Translation Method  

3. Characteristics of the Grammar-Translation Method  

4. Techniques of the Grammar-Translation Method  

5. Advantages of the Grammar-Translation Method  

6. Main procedures, teaching techniques and materials  

7. The role of the teacher  

8. The role of the student  

9. Disadvantages of the Grammar-Translation Method  

10. Main procedures, teaching techniques and materials  

11. The role of the teacher  

12. The role of the student  

13. Reasons why it is still used

14. Conclusion  

15. References

1. INTRODUCTION:

The grammar-translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most traditional

methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 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.

The grammar-translation method (GTM) to teach foreign languages dominated from the

midnineteenth century to the beginning of World War Two and it is still used in some countries

today. In the late eighteenth century, Prussia in Germany was the first place which began to

establish GTM as the main method to teach a second language (L2) at national high schools, known

as Gymnasiums. As Howatt (1997, p.131) stated the method took “... an almost impregnable

position as the favoured methodology of the Prussian Gymnasien after their expansion in the early

years of the nineteenth century”. Indeed GTM was in the mid-nineteenth century the only widely

used teaching method in the schools, not only in Germany also in other European countries.

Originally it was used to teach Greek and Latin. Five hundred years ago Latin was the “official” or

main language of education, religion, business and authorities in Europe. After political changes in

Europe Latin changed gradually (a process of more than three hundred years) from a living language

to “a school curriculum language” and was replaced by English, German, French or Italian as the

main language for communication purposes (Richards and Rodgers, 1997). In the mid-nineteenth

century, Latin remained as an im-portant subject in education for the upper class. For centuries Latin

was taught to understand the fundamentals of grammar and translation in order to read or interpret

Latin texts. Most of the students who were taught Latin were very well educated and therefore it

was easier for them to learn a different language. It was thought that the same teaching method to

teach Latin could be used to teach other foreign languages such as German, French or English. The

same method to teach very well educated people should suit to teach younger learners as well. In

the mid-nineteenth century the main aim was to learn a L2 for the purpose of gaining access to its

literature in order to develop the learner’s minds mentally. Due to this historical background GTM is

also known as the traditional or classical method, as the grammar school method or in America as

the Prussian method. Along with industrialisation more opportunities for communication had been

arising especially in Europe and consequently new methods for language teaching were developed

in order to meet the needs of the new class of language learners (Howatt, 1997).

2. HISTORICAL REVIEW OF GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD:

Orrieux, C. (1989: 79) History of Ancient Civilizations 

 “Latin and Ancient Greek are known as “dead languages”, based on the fact that people no

longer speak them for the purpose of interactive communication.  Yet they are still

acknowledged as important languages to learn (especially Latin) for the purpose of gaining

access to classical literature, and up until fairly recently, for the kinds of grammar training

that led to the “mental dexterity” considered so important in any higher education study

stream.”    

Morris, S. (1996: 12) Techniques in Latin Teaching 

 “Latin has been studied for centuries, with the prime objectives of learning how to read

classical Latin texts, understanding the fundamentals of grammar and translation, and gaining

insights into some important foreign influences Latin has had on the development of other

European languages.  The method used to teach it overwhelmingly bore those objectives in

mind, and came to be known as the Classical Method.  It is now more commonly known in

Foreign Language Teaching circles as the Grammar Translation Method.” 

The Grammar Translation Method

Howatt  in  his book,  The Empirical Evidence for the Influence of L1  in  Interlanguage

(1984: 98) points out The Classical Method (Grammar translation Method) was originally

associated with the teaching of Latin and – to a much lesser extent – ancient Greek.            

The aim of teaching Latin and Greek was (and is) obviously not so that learners would be

able to speak them. The aims were/are rather to develop : 

•          Logical thinking 

•          Intellectual capacities to attain a generally educational and  civilizing effect 

•          An ability to read original texts in the languages concerned , at least in the better

learners.           

Interestingly, Howatt (1984: 131) also states:  “Grammar and Translation are actually not the

distinctive features of GT, since they were already well-accepted as basic principles of

language teaching. What was new was the use of invented, graded sentences rather than

authentic literary texts in order to make language learning easier.”  

The major characteristic of the grammar-translation method is, precisely as its name

suggests, a focus on learning the rules of grammar and their application in translation

passages from one language into the other. Vocabulary in the target language is learned

through direct translation from the native language

As Omaggio describes is, testing of the students is done almost exclusively through translation:

"students had learned the language well if they could translate the passages well." (Omaggio 90)

Learners were taught in their mother tongue with little oral production of the target language. L2

learning was seen as an intellectual activity where a lot of vocabulary in the form of isolated word tables

was learnt as well as deductive explanations of intricate grammar given and then practised through

translation exercises. The grammar provides the rules to put the learnt vocabularies together related to

the native language rules and meanings. The native language was seen as the reference construction in

the L2 learning (Stern, 1996). Only a little attention was paid to the content of texts, which was used

only as a basis for exercises in grammatical analysis. Very often the students were constrained to

translate disconnected accurate sentences into and out of the target language. Hardly any attention was

paid to speaking and listening. Strong emphasis was placed on accuracy and form, fluency and meaning

were neglected. The learner was expected to produce the target language accurately and there was a

low tolerance for mistakes or errors. The error correction was performed straightaway by the teacher

with the correct answer or a different student was asked to supply the answer. The student was

consciously aware of the L2 learning process. Because the teacher is in control of the class GTM is

suitable for larger groups. Most of the time the teacher lectured the learners and there was just a little

interaction between the learners and the teacher and almost no interaction between students. The GTM

forced students to produce the target language from the early stages of their L2 learning. According to

Krashen (1995), students should feel ready to produce the L2 in order to avoid anxiety and keep the

affective filter low. The time until the students feel ready to produce the L2 is called the silent period.

3. Characteristics of the Grammar-Translation Method

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:  

Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language.  

Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words. 

Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.  

Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the

form and inflection of words.  

Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early. 

Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical

analysis.  

Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target

language into the mother tongue.  

Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.           

4. 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.  

  Translation of a Literary Passage                                         

(Translating target language to native language) 

  Reading Comprehension Questions                                         

(Finding information in a passage, making inferences and relating to personal

experience)  

  Antonyms/Synonyms                                                         

(Finding antonyms and synonyms for words or sets of words).  

Cognates                                                                           

(Learning spelling/sound patterns that correspond between L1 and the target language)  

  Deductive Application of Rule                                     

(Understanding grammar rules and their exceptions, then applying them to new

examples)  

  Fill-in-the-blanks                                                                    

(Filling in gaps in sentences with new words or items of a particular grammar type).  

Memorization                                                                   

(Memorizing vocabulary lists, grammatical rules and grammatical paradigms)  

  Use Words in Sentences                                                          

(Students create sentences to illustrate they know the meaning and use of new words)  

  Composition                                                                          

(Students write about a topic using the target language)    

5. ADVANTAGES:

Obviously, there are many drawbacks to the grammar-translation approach. Virtually no

class time is allocated to allow students to produce their own sentences, and even less

time is spent on oral practice (whether productive or reproductive). Students may have

difficulties "relating" to the language, because the classroom experience keeps them from

personalizing it or developing their own style. In addition, there is often little

contextualization of the grammar -- although this of course depends upon the passages

chosen and the teacher's own skills. Culture, when discussed, is communicated through

means of reading passages, but there is little direct confrontation with foreign elements.

Perhaps most seriously, as Omaggio points out, the type of error correction that this

method requires can actually be harmful to the students' learning processes: "students are

clearly in a defensive learning environment where right answers are expected." (Omaggio

91)

Despite all of these drawbacks, there are certain positive traits to be found in such a rigid

environment. Although far from trying to defend or reinstate this method, I must still say:

my highschool German class was almost entirely grammar-translation based, with the

exception of a few dialogues from the textbook, and I don't really feel it "harmed" or

even hampered my acquisition of the language -- and it certainly gave me a strong

grounding in German grammar! For left-brained students who respond well to rules,

structure and correction, the grammar-translation method can provide a challenging and

even intriguing classroom environment. For those students who don't respond well to

such structures, however, it is obvious that the grammar-translation method must be

tempered with other approaches to create a more flexible and conducive methodology.

6. DISADVANTAGES:

The Grammar Translation Method may make the language learning experience

uninspiring and boring.

The Grammar Translation Method may also left the students with a sense of frustration

when they travel to countries where the studied language is used  (they can’t understand

what people say and have to struggle mightily to express themselves at the most basic

level)

This method neither approaches nor encourages the students’ communicative

competence.

7. REASONS WHY IT IS STILL USED:

The Grammar Translation Method is still common in many countries – even popular.  Brown

in his book Incremental Speech Language (1994) attempts to explain why the method is still

employed by stating: 

“This method requires few specialized skills on the part of teachers.”  

“Grammar rules and Translation Tests are easy to construct and can be objectively scored.” 

“Many standardized tests of foreign languages still do not attempt to test communicative

abilities, so students have little motivation to go beyond grammar analogies, translations and

other written  exercises.”   

8. CONCLUSION:

The Grammar Translation Method was developed for the study of “dead” languages and to

facilitate access to those languages’ classical literature.  That’s the way it should stay. 

English is certainly not a dead or dying language, so any teacher that takes “an approach for

dead language study” into an English language classroom should perhaps think about taking

up Math or Science instead.  Rules, universals and memorized principles apply to those

disciplines – pedagogy and communicative principles do not.  

1. Introduction

During the history of foreign language teaching many methods and approaches have been developed to teach students language competence and performance. In this respect more or less successful techniques have been developed.

Literature often distinguishes between methods and approaches used in language teaching. Jack Richards and Theodore Rodgers “describe an approach as a set of beliefs and principles that can be used as the basis for teaching a language”. 1 They can be interpreted and applied individually and extended by new methods. According to Richards and Rodgers, methods are teaching systems that are specific about teaching techniques and the roles of learners and teachers. They do not allow interpretation and are acquired by the teachers through training. 2 In the following essay mainly teaching methods will be described.

Beginning with the Grammar Translation method and ending with Humanistic approaches, this essay will focus on a couple of the main foreign language teaching methods and approaches in the 19 th and 20 th century. First it will be described how language teaching approaches and method can be analysed. Then some techniques will be explained. Here the focus will be on the main principles of the techniques and their effect on the learner. From some minor methods and approaches only central aspects will be considered.

1 Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 2 nd ed. (New York: CUP,

2004), 244.

2 See: Ibid., 244-245.

2. Characteristics of a Language Teaching Method

A language teaching method can be defined according to a couple of characteristics. Johnson gives “seven questions to ask about a method” 3 which are helpful to characterize and to identify a language teaching method.

First the basic ideas of a method should be found out. Then the theory behind the method has to be identified and “in an ideal world, [the method] would be supported by a view both of language and of language learning.” 4 The third question asks which role the mind plays. A behaviourist theory for instance, demands less engagement of the mind than a mentalist view does. It is also important to find out, if the approach is deductive or inductive. A deductive method gives the learner a rule first which is then demonstrated in examples. When the method is inductive the learners deduce the rule from examples they are given. In most cases the rule is stated at the end of the sequence but sometimes it is never given clearly. Johnson then suggests to investigate how much the native language (L1) is used in the classroom and if it is allowed at all. The sixth question is about, which skills are being developed. There are the spoken skills (listening, speaking) and the written skills (reading, writing). The last “question to ask about a method” is concerned with the authenticity of the target language. It has to be investigated if realistic language is used or if the student learns a language that will never enable him to communicate competently in the foreign language (L2). 5

The investigation of the teaching methods in the following paragraphs will mainly rely on the points explained above. Sometimes other features will be added and some of the above ideas will not be considered.

3 Keith Johnson, An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching (Edinburgh: Pearson Education Limited,

2001), 162.

4 Ibid., 162.

5 See: Ibid., 162-163.

3. Teaching Methods and Approaches

3.1 Grammar-Translation Method (GT)

The Grammar-Translation Method was developed in the early to mid nineteenth century. Karl Plötz and Heinrich Ollendorf are often associated with this method of foreign language teaching. 6

3.1.1 Central Characteristics

GT consists of “a sequence of classroom activities” 7 . First a grammatical rule is explained and examples are given. Then the learners get a bilingual vocabulary list which they should learn by heart. The lists often contain complex constructions which also should be learned with their translations. These constructions can contain sentences like: I see myself, you see yourself, he sees himself etc. Afterwards translation exercises (sentences and whole passages) from L1 to L2 and vice versa are done. 8

This method requires the engagement of mind very much. Compared to languages like Latin and Greek the study of modern languages at university was widely regared as the “soft option” 9 . To overcome that view and to demonstrate that modern languages also have intellectual value “one way […] was to make the explanations difficult” 10 . Because first the rules are stated and then examples are given the students learn the grammar deductively. These explanations are entirely given in the native language, hence L1 is very much used in the classroom. Besides that many translation tasks are given to the learner. In this method the foreign language (FL) is approached through L1. Another aspect of this method is that it mainly concentrates on written language. The reason for that is partly because Latin and Greek were not spoken and because written language seemed more suitable for acadamic use. One can also recognize that the language taught in this method is not very authentic because here the focus is on grammar and on written language, not on communication. Example sentences are used to demonstrate particular grammatical problems and not intended to be used in conversation,

6 See: Ibid., 164-165.

7 Ibid., 164.

8 See: Ibid., 164.

9 Ibid., 165.

10 Ibid., 165.

hence they are very unreal. The important role of “sentence-level-practice” 11 where whole passages often constist of question and answer sentences following each other led to “what Howatt […] calls ‘manic interrogation’ sequences”. An example for manic interrogation is the following: 12

3.1.2 Effects of GT on the Learner

GT mainly concentrates on form not on meaning and the learners have to read and write a lot. The method is dominated by giving grammatical rules to the learner. The sentences and texts used in the lessons serve to demonstrate these rules. Hence the learners try to translate each single word and to figure out the grammatical problem without understanding the message of the text. Besides that, the selected passages often are boring for the students. This method also wants the learners to construct complete and correct sentences, which can raise the “anxiety level” for them and therefore it can block their thoughts. 13 In my opinion this can also lead to slow speech because the students have to think a lot about rules to avoid mistakes when producing sentences. Eventually the learners will not be able to enter a proper conversation in the foreign language, because they get ready-made chunks of language that represent grammatical rules and that are to be learned by heart. Hence it is difficult for them to build sentences freely. Besides that, there is payed to much attention to the written skills, in contrary to the spoken ones.

11 Ibid., 165.

12 See: Ibid., 165-166.

13 See: Stephen D. Krashen, Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (London: Prentice-Hall

International, 1987), 128-129.