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Grammar Translation Method

The grammar translation method focuses on teaching students to read and write in the target language through translation exercises, with little emphasis on developing oral communication skills. Key principles include using literature as the basis for cultural exposure, prioritizing translation between languages as a goal, and viewing the teacher as the sole authority. Techniques center around translating passages, answering reading comprehension questions, working with vocabulary through activities like finding antonyms and cognates, applying grammatical rules deductively, and memorizing words and rules.

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246 views4 pages

Grammar Translation Method

The grammar translation method focuses on teaching students to read and write in the target language through translation exercises, with little emphasis on developing oral communication skills. Key principles include using literature as the basis for cultural exposure, prioritizing translation between languages as a goal, and viewing the teacher as the sole authority. Techniques center around translating passages, answering reading comprehension questions, working with vocabulary through activities like finding antonyms and cognates, applying grammatical rules deductively, and memorizing words and rules.

Uploaded by

nilsusude
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD

PRINCIPLES

1. A fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to read literature in it. Literary language is superior to spoken language. Students study of the target culture is limited to its literature and fine arts. 2. An important goal is for students to be able to translate each language into the other. If students can translate from one language into another, they are considered successful language learners. 3. The ability to communicate in the target language is not a goal of foreign language instruction. 4. The primary skills to be developed are reading and writing. Little attention is given to speaking and listening, and almost none to pronunciation. 5. The teacher is the authority in the classroom. It is very important that students get the correct answer. 6. It is possible to find native language equivalents for all target language words. 7. Learning is facilitated through attention to similarities between the target language and the native language. 8. It is important for students to learn about the form of the target language. 9. Deductive application of an explicit grammar rule is a useful pedagogical technique. 10. Language learning provides good mental exercise. 11. Students should be conscious of the grammatical rules of the target language. 12. Wherever possible, verb conjugations and other grammatical paradigms should be committed to memory.

TECHNIQUES

Translation of a literary passage

Students translate a reading passage from the target language into their native language. The reading passage then provides the focus for several classes, vocabulary and grammatical structures in the passage are studied in subsequent lessons. The passage may be excerpted from some work from the target language literature, or a teacher may write a passage carefully designed to include particular grammar rules and vocabulary. The translation may be written or spoken or both. Students should not translate idioms and the like literally, but rather in a way that shows that they understand their meaning.

Reading comprehension questions

Students answer questions in the target language based on their understanding of the reading passage. Often the questions are sequenced so that the first group of questions asks for information contained within the reading passage. In order to answer the second group of questions, students will have to make inferences based on their understanding of the passage. This means they will have to answer questions about the passage even though the answers are not contained in the passage itself. The third group of questions requires students to relate the passage to their own experience.

Antonyms /synonyms

Students are given one set of words anda re asked to find antonyms in the reading passage. A similar exercise could be done by asking students to find synonyms for a particular set of words. Or students might be asked to define a set of words based on their understanding of them as they occur in the reading passage. Other exercises that ask students to work with the vocabulary of the passage are also possible.

Cognates

Students are taught to recognize cognates by learning the spelling or sound patterns that correspond between the languages. Students are also asked to memorize words that look like cognates but have meanings in the target language that are different from those in the native language. This technique, of course, would only be useful in languages that share cognates.

Deductive application of rule

Grammar rules are presented with examples. Exceptions to each rule are also noted. Once students understand a rule, they are asked to apply it to some different examples.

Fill in the blanks

Students are given a series of sentences with words missing. They fill in the blanks with new vocabulary items or with items of a particular grammar type, such as prepositions or verbs with different tenses.

Memorization

Students are given lists of target language vocabulary words and their native language equivalents and are asked to memorize them. Students are also required to memorize grammatical rules and grammatical paradigms such as verb conjugations.

Use words in sentences

In order to show that students understand the meaning and use of a new vocabulary item, they make up sentences in which they use the new words.

Composition

The teacher gives the students a topic to write about in the target language. The topic is based upon some aspect of the reading passage of the lesson. Sometimes, instead of creating a composition, students are asked to prepare a precis of the reading passage.

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