Grammar Translation Method

·       Definition of Grammar Translation Method

The grammar-translation method is a method of teaching foreign languages derived from the classical (sometimes called traditional) method of teaching Greek and Latin. In grammar-translation classes, students learn grammatical rules and then apply those rules by translating sentences between the target language and their native language. Method has two main goals: to enable students to read and translate literature written in the target language, and to further students’ general intellectual development.

·        The grammar translation method has eight characteristic

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

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

3. Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.

4. Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words.

5. Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early.

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

7. Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language into the mother tongue.

8. Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.

·        The grammar translation method has nine Techniques:

1. Translation of a Literary Passage (Translating target language to native language)

2. Reading Comprehension Questions (Finding information in a passage, making inferences and relating to personal experience)

3. Antonyms/Synonyms (Finding antonyms and synonyms for words or sets of words).

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

5. Deductive Application of Rule (Understanding grammar rules and their exceptions, then applying them to new examples)

6. Fill-in-the-blanks (Filling in gaps in sentences with new words or items of a particular grammar type).

7. Memorization (Memorizing vocabulary lists, grammatical rules and grammatical paradigms)

8. Use Words in Sentences (Students create sentences to illustrate they know the meaning and use of new words)

9. Composition (Students write about a topic using the target language).