Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Liwei Zhang
Department of Language&Linguistics
Principle Characteristics
Shortcomings of Grammar-Translation Method
Innovations
The Reform Movement
Summary
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.
A typical lesson consists of the presentation of a grammatical
rule, a study of lists of vocabulary, and a translation exercise.
Personal understanding of this point:
Background
Because the Grammar Translation Method emphasizes
reading rather than the ability to communicate in a
language, there was a reaction to it in the 19th century
(see NATURAL APPROACH, DIRECT METHOD), and
there was later a greater emphasis on the teaching of
spoken language.
Principal Characteristics
Grammar Translation is a way of studying a language that approaches the
language first through detailed analysis of its grammar rules, followed by
application of this knowledge to the task of translating sentences and texts into
and out of the target language...
Grammar
Rules
Target
Language
Translation
Reading and writing are the major focus; little or no systematic attention is paid
to speaking and listening.
Vocabulary selection is based solely on the reading texts used, and words are
taught through bilingual word lists, dictionary study, and memorization.
The sentence is the basic unit of teaching and language practice. Much of the
lesson is devoted to translating sentences into and out of the target language,
and it is this focus on the sentence that is a distinctive feature of this method.
Principle Characteristics
Shortcomings
"a tedious experience of memorizing endless lists of unusable
grammar rules and vocabulary and attempting to produce perfect
translations of stilted or literary prose."
---Adapted from Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and
Methods in Language Teaching.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.4.
Innovations
Time: mid-nineteenth century
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.
--Adapted from Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and
Methods in Language Teaching.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.pp.5
link
Summary
Grammar teaching involves any instructional technique
that draws learners' attention to some specific
grammatical form in such a way that it helps them either
to understand it metalinguistically and/or process it in
comprehension and/or production so that they can
internalize
it
(Ellis,
2006,
cf.
Shih-Chuan
Chang,2011,pp.15).
Personal understanding:
metalinguistic understanding of grammatical form
internalization and use of it in comprehension and
production
References
Chellapan, K. (1982). Translanguage, Translation and
Second Language Acquisition. In F Eppert (Ed.), Papers on
translation: Aspects, Concepts, Implications (pp. 57-63)
Singapore: SEMEO Regional Language Center.
Ellis, R. (2006). Current issues in the teaching of
grammar: an SLA perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 40 (1):
83-107.
Further readings
Castro, Ruben. (2010). A Pilot Study Comparing Total Physical
Response Storytelling[TM] with the Grammar-Translation
Teaching Strategy to Determine Their Effectiveness in Vocabulary
Acquisition among English as a Second Language Adult Learners.
Online
Submission,
Retrieved
from
http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=
eric3&NEWS=N&AN=ED509467
Sadeghi, Sima & Ketabi, Saeed. (2010). Translation: Towards a
Critical-Functional Approach. Babel, 44(3), 4.