Grammar – Translation Methodd

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The rammar Translation

Method

By:

Dr. Khalid Al-Nafisah

Dr. Abdallah Ismail



A historical perspective

• It has been estimated that 60 percentof the world population is multilingual.

Latin was the world’s most used

language, today, English.



• Latin was taught prescriptively.

(Explain in reference to prescriptive

grammar).



• As modern vernacular languages began toreplace Latin, they were taught using the same

basic procedures that were used for teachingLatin. By the nineteenth century, this approachbased on the study of Latin had become thestandard way of studying foreign languages inschools. A typical textbook in the mid-nineteenth

century consisted of chapters or lessonsorganized around grammar points. Eachgrammar point was listed, rules on its use wereexplained, and it was illustrated by example

sentences. Thus, textbooks are codified intofrozen rules of morphology and syntax to beexplained, and eventually memorized.



Objectives

• The ultimate objective to be able to read, understandand appreciate written target literature.

• Through the study of the grammar of the targetlanguage, the students will be more familiar with thegrammar of their mother tongue. This familiarity willhelp them speak and write their native languagebetter.

• It was thought that foreign language learning wouldhelp students grow intellectually. Language learningis a mental exercise, learning a foreign language is a

good mental exercise for students. Learning of thetarget language and the mother tongue empowerstudents mentally (it was recognized that studentswould probably never use the target language, butthe mental exercise of learning it would be beneficial

anyway.)



1. The method dominated language teachingfrom the 1840s to the 1940s (and is still being

used in some of today’s classrooms).2. The goal of foreign language study is to learn a

language in order to read its literature or inorder to benefit from the mental discipline and

intellectual development that result fromforeign language study.

3. It approaches the language first throughdetailed analysis of its grammar rules, followed

by application of this knowledge to the task oftranslating sentences and texts into and out ofthe target language.



4. The first language is maintained as the

reference system in the acquisition of the

second language/ foreign language.5. Reading and writing are the major focus; little

or no systematic attention is paid to speaking

and listening (oral language).

6. Vocabulary selection is based solely on the

reading texts used, and words are taught

through bilingual word lists, dictionary study,

and memorization (some aspects are still validin today’s teaching although the objective is

different).



7. The grammar rules are presented and

illustrated, vocabulary items are presented with

their translation equivalents.8. The sentence is the basic unit of teaching and

language practice. It is this emphasis on the

sentence that is a distinctive feature of the

method. Emphasis on the sentence rather than

on the text (as earlier approaches) was an

attempt to make language learning easier.

9. Accuracy is emphasized over fluency. Thiswas a prerequisite for passing the increasing

number of formal written examinations.



10. Grammar is taught deductively. Presentation

and study of grammar rules followed by

examples and exercises. Grammar rules weresequenced along the syllabus in an attempt to

teach grammar in an organized and systematic

way.

11. The students’ native language was the

medium of instruction. It was used to explain

new grammar and vocabulary items and to

enable comparisons to be made between thestudents’ mother tongue and the target

language.



Procedures

(the experience)

Activity 1

Reading Comprehension

• The class begins with a reading passage fromthe foreign language literature.

• Each student is called upon to read a few linesfrom the passage, then they translate into theirmother tongue the few lines they have just read.

The teacher helps them with suitabletranslations in case the lack the requiredvocabulary.



• After finishing reading and translating the

passage, the teacher asks them in their

mother tongue if they have any

questions. Questions and answers arecommunicated using the mother

tongue!!!!



• The teacher asks students to write down answers tothe comprehension questions at the end of the

passage. The questions are in English and answersshould be in English as well. (the written mode is dealtwith in English while the spoken mode = questions aredealt with in the mother tongue. (see step 3 ).Questions on the passage include three types of

questions. The first is " right here" or direct questions.These are the simplest type whose answer is stateddirectly in the passage. The second is the inferencequestions whose answers are not explicitly stated inthe passage, students have to make inferences based

on their understanding of the passage. The third typeis the application questions that require students torelate the passage to their own experiences.



• After answering the questions, the

teacher asks students one by one to

read the question and their answer to

that question. If the answer is not correct,

the teacher selects another student to

supply the correct answer, or the teacher

himself gives the "right answer".



Activity II: Vocabulary

• Students turn to a list of words taken from the passage,and are asked to give the mother tongue equivalent foreach one of them. This is conducted as a whole classactivity. If no one knows the equivalent of a certain word,

the teacher provides it.• Students are given another list of words from the

passage and are asked to provide the opposites of thesewords (antonyms).

• The same procedure is repeated with words that look the

same in English and Arabic (cognates). Students areasked to search the passage for examples of cognatesand to translate them into their mother tongue.



Activity III : Grammar

• The teacher reads a list of two-word verbs (phrasalverbs). He begins with phrasal verbs that are familiar tothem, then moves to new phrasal verbs in the passage.

• students are asked to translate them into their mother

tongue.• Then, they are given the rule of a direct object with two-

word verbs (separable vs. inseparable phrasal verbs).

• after reading over the rule and examples, students areasked to tell which of the following two-word verbs are

separable and which inseparable= all these verbs aretaken from the passage.

• they are asked to fill in the blanks with one of thesephrasal verbs.



Activity V: Writing

• Students are asked to write a composition

in the target language applying theinformation in the passage to some similar

topic.



Activity IV: Miscellaneous

• At the end of the chapter, there is a list of words thatappeared in the passage. The list is divided into twoparts: the first contains separate words and the secondincludes idioms. These words and idioms are translatedinto the students' mother tongue. Students are asked to

memorize them and to write sentence in English usingeach word.

• Students are asked to write out the translation of thereading passage into their mother tongue.

• State the grammatical rule and apply it to examples of

their own.• Take a quiz on the grammar and the vocabulary of thischapter .



Summary of the principles

of the Grammar – translation method

• The objective of the method is to be able to read and understand written targetlanguage literature.

• The culture of the target language is confined to the literature and the fine arts

• Literary language is superior to spoken language.

• An important goal is for students to be able to translate each language into the other.(

Those are the successful language learners)• The ability to communicate in the target language is not a goal of foreign language

instruction.

• Emphasis on reading and writing, rather than listening and speaking.

• Grammar and vocabulary are the basic language elements emphasized,pronunciation is neglected. Form is emphasized over function.

• The teacher is the authority in the class. It is important that students get the correct

answer from the teacher (model).• Learning is facilitated through attention to similarities between the target language

and the mother tongue.

• Deductive teaching of grammar.

• Language learning provides a good mental exercise.



Techniques

• Translation of literary passages.

• Reading comprehension questions

• Antonyms/ synonyms

• Cognates• Deductive application of grammatical rules

• Fill in the blanks

• Memorization (of grammar and vocabulary)

• Use words in sentences

• Composition writing



Assignment

1. Prepare a detailed lesson plan according tothe Grammar – Translation Method be ready toteach it to your fellow colleagues in the nextmeeting. Use intermediate textbooks formaking your lesson plan.

2. Write down your critique of the methodindicating weaknesses and strengths and howto maximize benefit from the method in ourschools.

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