1. Grammar Translation Method
Lecture 2

2. What is a Method?
A particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one.
The method in this course means principles and techniques employed to teach a foreign language.
Method composed of both the principles and techniques.
What are the principles?

3. What is a method? Cont….
Principles involve five aspects of second or foreign language teaching.
The teacher
The learner
The teaching process
The learning process
The target language/culture

4. Grammar Translation Method:

5. Review of Lecture 1 Introduction to TEFL
Introduction to Language teaching methods
Scope of TEFL
Overview of the contents

6. Definition
"a method of foreign or second language teaching which makes use of translation and grammar study as the main teaching and learning activities.“
Old name: Classical Method

7. Background
The Grammar Translation Method was the traditional way Latin and Greek were taught in Europe.
In the 19th century it began to be used to teach “modern” languages such as French, German, and English, and it is still used in some countries today.

8. Purpose Help students read and appreciate foreign language literature
Study grammar of the target language
Better understand grammar of the native language through familiarity
Speak and write their native language better
Intellectual growth through grammar exercises

9. Sample GTM Class Level of students: high intermediate Strength: 42
Class duration: 2hrs thrice a week
Setting: Columbia
Mother tongue: Spanish

10. Proceedings Reading a literary passage of English
‘life on the Mississippi’ by Mark Twain
Translation from English to MT
Word meanings English to MT
Oral comprehension discussion in MT
Teacher provides answers and meanings to difficult items
Written Comprehension question answers in English
Teacher determines if the answer is correct or not.
Focus on finding the CORRECT answer

11. … proceedings
For a given list of English words, students are asked to locate antonyms from the text.
Grammar Rule for the use of Direct object read by teacher
Examples are provided by the teacher
Students identify separable and inseparable phrasal verbs from the text.
Students fill in the blanks in the given sentences with a list of phrasal verbs.
First two items done collectively, rest separately

12. … proceedings
Home assignment: Memorization of translation of list of English phrasal verbs and idioms, sentence formation based on English vocabulary list
Follow up classes agenda
Translation
Direct object rule memorization
Practice of grammar rules
Use of irregular verb forms and memorization of list of verbs
Composition writing about students ambition
Translation from Spanish to English

13. Summary of Lecture 2
GTM
Definition
Purpose
Proceeding

14. Lecture 3 Review of previous lecture
GTM
Definition
Purpose
proceedings
Principles of GTM (concept, theory, rules, regulations)
Techniques of GTM (What is being taught, how it is being taught, what exercise used, what activities used, how class is conducted)
Flaws of GTM

15. What is a principle? Abstract and underlying rules and regulations
Conceptual details/ Theoretical details of a subject
A principle determines techniques used in the class
Example:
Principle: Memorization
Technique: class room learning of verb forms list

16. Principles:

17. Principles of GTM 1: What are the goals of teachers using GTM?
Develop ability to read foreign language literature
learning grammar rules
Learning foreign language vocabulary
Studying foreign language is good for student mental exercise

18. 2: Role of teacher in GTM Traditional Authoritative
Provider of knowledge
Students do what he/she asks them to.

19. 3: Characteristics of teaching/learning process
Translation from one language to another
Study of culture and literature of target language community
Deductive study of grammar: rules first, followed by practice of rules (general to particular)
Grammatical paradigms memorization such as verb forms/ conjugations
Memorization of vocabulary lists

20. Paradigm/conjugations

21. 4: Nature of student-teacher interaction
Most of interaction is teacher-student interaction
Little or no student-student interaction
No pair work, no discussion, no group work
Only individual work
Feelings of students not dealt with

22. 5: How is language/ culture viewed?
Literary language is considered superior to spoken language
Focus on teaching only the language of literature
Culture of foreign language community through their literature and art

23. 6: Which language skills are emphasized?
Vocabulary
Grammar
Reading skills: literary text reading
Writing skills : comprehension questions and composition writing

24. 7: What is the role of students’ native language?
Language of classroom interaction between teacher and students
Language used for understanding and translating the foreign language text

25. 8: How is evaluation accomplished?
Written tests focusing on translation from one language to the other
Questions about foreign language culture
Questions on the application of foreign language grammar rules.

26. 9: Teacher’s response to student errors
Correction is emphasized/ appreciated
Errors as unnecessary and signs of failure
Accuracy to be attained
Teacher knows the RIGHT answer

27. Review of Techniques of GTM
What is a technique?
What is being taught.
How it is taught.
What activities used.
What exercises done.

28. 1. Translation of Literary passage
Reading Skills emphasized
Literary text as core text for grammar and vocabulary practice
Teacher may pick a literary passage
Teacher may write a passage for grammar and vocabulary practice
Translation may be spoken or written
Phrasal verbs and idioms not to be literally translated by meaningfully understood in mother tongue
To kick the bucket

29. 2: Reading Comprehension Questions
Purpose: to check understanding of the passage
First type of questions: information questions from the text
When did Mark Twain live?
Second type of questions: Inference questions based on understanding of the passage
Do you think the boy was ambitious? Why or why not?
Third type of questions: Related the passage to the personal experience
Have you ever thought of running away from home?

30. 3: Antonyms/ Synonyms
Students given a set of words and asked to search antonyms from the text
Students given a set of words and asked to search synonyms from the text
Define difficult words from the text
Other vocabulary exercises

31. 4: Cognates
Students are taught to recognize the spellings or sound patterns which are similar in foreign language and mother tongue
English word ‘Possibility (-ty)
Spanish word ‘Posibilidad (-dad)

32. Cont… 5: Deductive application of rules
6: Fill in the blanks : use of prepositions, verbs, helping verbs, pronouns and other vocabulary exercises
7: Memorization: vocabulary lists, rules, conjugations,
8: Sentence formation
9: composition: writing exercise that makes use of words and structures learned from the text and bringing students personal experience in class

33. Flaws of GTM Explicit grammar rule based teaching
Focus on memorization rather than meaningful learning
Speaking and listening skills ignored
Pronunciation ignored, fluency ignored
No communication/ interaction encouraged
Teacher oriented classes
Students feelings and pace of learning ignored
Students not having freedom in language practice
Focus on accuracy and correctness

34. Factors that lead to the rejection of Grammar-Translation Method:
A. Increased opportunities for communication among Europeans created a demand for oral proficiency in foreign languages.
B. Language teaching specialists also turned their attention to the way modern languages were being taught in secondary schools.
C. New approaches to language teaching were developed by individual language teaching specialists.

35. Summary of Lecture 3
Principles of GTM
Techniques of GTM
Flaws of GTM