The Grammar – Translation Method

INTRODUCTION
The Grammar – Translation Method is not new. At one time it was called the Classical Method since it was first used in the teaching of the classical language, Latin and Greek ( Chastain 1988 ). This method was used for the purpose of helping students read and appreciate foreign language literature. Finally, foreign language learning would help students grow intellectually; it was recognized that students would probably never use the target language, but the mental exercise of learning it would be beneficial anyway.
EXPERIENCE
As we enter the classroom, the class is in the middle of reading a passage in their textbook. The passage is an excerpt entitled ‘The Boys’Ambition’ from Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi. After they have finished reading, they are asked to translate into Spanish the few lines they have just read. The teacher helps them with new vocabulary items. The teacher asks them in Spanish if they have any questions. One girl raises her hand and says, ‘ what is paddle wheel ? ‘ The teacher replies, ‘ Es una rueda de paletas ‘. Another student says, ‘ No understand “ gorgeous. “ The teacher translate, ‘ Primoroso ‘. A student reads out loud, ‘ When did Mark Twain live ? ‘ Another student replies, ‘Mark Twain lived from 1835 to 1910 ‘. ‘ Bueno, ‘ says the teacher, and the students begin working quietly by themselves.
After one-half hour, the teacher, speaking in Spanish, asks the students to stop and check their work. If it is correct, the teacher calls on another students to read the next question. If the answer is incorrect, the teacher selects a different student to supply the correct answer, or the teacher herself gives the right answers.
When they have finished this exercise, the teacher reminds them that English words that look like Spanish words are called ‘ cognates ‘. The English ‘ –ty ’, she says for example, often, corresponds to the Spanish endings –dad and –tad. She calls the students attention to the word ‘ possibility ‘ in the passage and tells them that this word is the same as the Spanish possibilidad.
The next section of the chapter deals with grammar. This is a review for them as they have encountered phrasal verbs before. These are listed following the description, and the students are asked to translate them into Spanish. Then they are given the rule for use of a direct object with two-word verbs :


If the two-word verb is separable, the direct object may come between the verb and its particle. However, separation is necessary when the direct object is a pronoun. If the verb is inseparable, then there is no separation of the verb and particle by the object. For example :
John put away his book
Or
John put his book away/John put it away.
But not
John put away it.
(Because ‘put away ‘is a separable two-word verb )
THINKING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE
this has been just a brief introduction to the Grammar – Translation Method, but it is a probably true that this method is not new to many of you. Whether this is true or not, let us see what we have learned about the Grammar – Translation Method. Our observations will be listed in the left column; the principles will be listed in the right column. We will make our observations in order, following the lesson plan of the class we observed.

Observation Principles
1. The class is reading an excerpt from Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi A fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to read literature written in it. Literary language I superior to spoken language.
2. Students translate the passage from English to Spanish An important goal is for students to be able to translate each language into the order. If they can they are considered successful language learners.
3. The teacher asks students in their native language if they have any question The ability to communicate in the target language is not a goal of foreign language instruction.
4. Students write out the answers to reading comprehension questions. 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 decides whether an answer is correct or not The teacher is authority the classroom
6. Students translate new words from English into Spanish It is possible to find native language equivalents for all target language words
7. Students learn that English ‘ –Ty ‘ corresponds to –dad and –tad in Spanish Learning is facilitated through attention to similarities between the target language and the native language.
8. Students are given a grammar rule for the use of a direct object with two-word verbs. It is important for students to learn about the form of the target language.
9. Students apply a rule to examples they are given Deductive application of an explicit grammar rule is a useful pedagogical technique.
10. Students memorize vocabulary Language learning provides good mental exercise.
11. The teacher asks students to state the grammar rule Students should be conscious of the grammatical rules of the target language
12. Students memorize present tense, past tense, and past participle forms of one act of irregular verbs Wherever possible, verb conjugations and other grammatical paradigms should be committed to memory.

REVIEWING THE PRINCIPLES
The principles of the Grammar – Translation Method are organized below by answering the ten questions posed in Chapter 1. Not all the questions are addressed by the Grammar – Translation Method; we will list all the questions, however, so that a comparison among the methods we will study will be easier for you to make.
1. What are the goals of teachers who use the Grammar – Translation Method?
According to the teachers who use the Grammar – Translation Method, a fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to read literature written in the target language. In addition, it is believed that studying a foreign language provides students with good mental exercise which helps develop their minds.
2. What is the role of the teacher? What is the role of the students?
The roles are very traditional. The teacher is the authority in the classroom.
3. What are some characteristics of the teaching/learning process?
Students are taught to translate from one language to another. They also learn grammatical paradigms such as verb conjugations. They memorize native-language equivalents for target language vocabulary words.
4. What is the nature of student-teacher interaction? What is the nature of student-student interaction?
Most of the interaction in the classroom is from the teacher to the students. There is little student initiation and little student-student interaction.
5. How are the feelings of the students dealt with?
There are no principles of the method which relate to this area
6. How is the language viewed? How is culture viewed?
Literary language is considered superior to spoken language and is therefore the language that students study.

7. What areas of language are emphasized? What language skills are emphasized?
Vocabulary and grammar are emphasized. Reading and writing are the primary skills that the students work on.
8. What is the role of the students native language?
The meaning of the target language is made clear by translating it into the students native language
9. How is evolution accomplished?
Written tests in which students are asked to translate from their native language to the target language or vice verse are often used. Questions about the target culture or questions that ask students to apply grammar rules are also common.
10. How does the teacher respond to student errors?
Having the students get the correct answer is considered very important. If the students make errors do not know an answer, the teacher supplies them with the correct answer.

REVIEWING THE TECHNIQUES
Ask yourself if any of the answer to the above questions make sense to you. If so, you may choose to try some of the techniques of the Grammar – Translation Method from the review that follows.
Translation of a literary passage
Students translate a reading passage from the target language into their native language. 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.
Reading comprehension questions
Students answer questions in the target language based on their understanding of the reading passage. The questions are sequenced so that the first group of questions asks for information contained within the reading passage.
Antonyms/synonyms
Students are given one set of words and are 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. 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.

Deductive application of rule
Grammars 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.
Memorization
Students are given lists of target language vocabulary words and their native language equivalents and are asked to memorize them.
Use word 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 topic is based upon some aspect of the reading passage of the lesson.

Conclusion
You have now had an opportunity to examine the principles and some of the techniques of the Grammar – Translation Method. Try to make a connection between what you have understood and your own teaching situation and beliefs.