Grammar Translation method

 Grammar Translation method (up to 1840)

(Word as unit)

It is known as Anglo German method.

It is a classical method, most widely used, oldest and easy method for common teachers.

It focuses on the translation of a sentence

Believes that reading writing are more important than listening and speaking.

It was originally used to teach Greek and Latin, later applied to English in 19th and 20th century.

It is originated by J V Meidinger, J Seidenstrucker, Karl Plotz, and H S Ollendorf to teach English in Germany.

It is a teacher centered.

Less attention towards pronunciation.

Features of G T Method

Ø Word is the basic unit of teaching.

Ø Based on translation of every word, phrase and sentences from L2 to L1.

Ø Emphasis on study of grammar which is taught in deductive method.

Ø Focus on comparison of structures of both languages

Ø Teacher translates from L2 to L1, Child required to translate from L1 to L2. (Child becomes master in translation)

Ø Mother tongue dominates in teaching of English since there is a wholesale translation of English to L1 occurs.

Ø Language material presented for study is graded

Ø Presentation of grammar rules are followed by study of lists of vocabulary and translation exercises.

Merits

Ø Easy for common teacher.

Ø Proceeds from ‘known to unknown’.

Ø Learns English vocabulary with the help of L1, and the students remember those words in pairs.

Ø Doesn’t require any costly material, hence it is economical.

Ø It is a time saving, shortest and quickest way to learn English.

Ø Comparative and contrasting study of grammar and structures of L1 and L2 helps to learn easily and effectively.

Ø Comprehension of pupils can be tested quickly.

Ø Learners get the skill to translate in writing from L1 to L2 and L2 to L1.

Ø Abstract words are easily explained

 

Demerits

Ø There are no equivalent words of L1 in L2 since a language reflects the culture and environment of one’s nation to which it belongs.

Ø Stresses more on writing and reading than listening and speaking. It is like a keeping the cart in front of the horse.

Ø Grammar is presented in a logical order. Lessons are based on this logical order. Adults find it as logical but this grammatical bias doesn't make the lessons interesting for the young children.

Ø Mother tongue dominates in teaching, so very little teaching is done in L2

Ø Learners break up sentences into words to understand its meaning instead of understanding the meaning of the sentences as a whole

Ø Emphasis on grammar, not on its application

Ø This word-to-word translation is often meaningless. Ex: idioms can't be translated by word-to-word translation.

Ø No direct bond between thought and expression, so child thinks in L1 and the translates into L2.

Ø In “Modernism in language teaching” Moore says that children began to think in their L1 and convert them into L2. It is as far as from the goal as always.

 

Ø This method gives the wrong idea of what a language is, since it is seen as a collection of words.

Ø Little or no attention towards pronunciation

Ø It is boring and frustrating method

Ø Error correction is made immediately

Ø It makes student a passive listener

Ø It ignores habit formation. (doesn't use the children language habits which already have)

Ø No listening and speaking, focus only on reading and writing. (mainly on translation)