GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD

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.

vThe grammar translation method has eight characteristic;

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

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

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

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

ü  Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early.

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

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

ü  Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.

v  The grammar translation method has nine Techniques;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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