Dear reviewers and future colleagues,

Dear reviewers and future colleagues,

I’m Veronica and I’m taking the course Teach English Now! Foundational Principles.

I’d like to talk about the differences between the two approaches Grammar Translation Approach
and Direct Approach.

First of all, it’s crucial to mention, that Grammar Translation Approach mostly focuses on
teaching the language through grammar rules and translation by giving the students the text
which they should translate into their native language and that back to the original. It is supposed
to help to understand how vocabulary and grammar works as well as help to understand the
culture and morality. The grammar Translation Approach usually involves the study of grammar
rules, vocabulary lists, and translation exercises.

In contrast, the Direct Approach emphasizes the use of the target language in context. This
approach expects the students to learn just like children do when learning their first language.
This method focuses on communication in real-life situations and encourages students to think
and speak in the target language. The Direct Approach emphasizes the use of visuals and
different kind of gestures.

Therefore, the Grammar Translation Approach focuses mostly on the grammar and vocabulary
rather than on the speaking part of the language. While Direct Approach does the opposite; it
encourages to speak more and puts in real-life situations.

In my belief, I would use some parts of the Grammar Translation Approach, such as writing
essay encouraging students to think critically as well as to check their understanding of the text.
In Direct Approach I would use the communications based on the real-life situations to
encourage students to speak, discuss the topic between each other. Also, I would use this
approach with children as for that the visual part of the language is essential in learning the
second language. By showing them pictures of, for example, animals and saying the word in
English will provide them with the association. They will point to the picture and repeat the word
understanding that this animal is called like that in English. Also, this method is indeed effective
for those who want to learn the language for travelling and need more of the speaking part with
the important vocabulary.

To conclude, I believe that all these two approaches have benefits at some point, all depends on
the: who is studying the language? What is the purpose of studying it? When we figure out all
that, we can take the significant parts from these two approaches that we will need to achieve the
goal.

The key differences between these two approaches lie in the methods used to teach
language. The Grammar Translation Approach emphasizes memorization of grammar
rules and vocabulary, whereas the Direct Approach emphasizes immersion in the
language through communication in real-life situations. The former is teacher-centered
and focuses on the transmission of knowledge, while the latter is student-centered and
emphasizes the development of skills through practice and interaction.
In conclusion, the Grammar Translation Approach and the Direct Approach are two
different approaches to teaching foreign languages. While the Grammar Translation
Approach emphasizes grammar rules, vocabulary lists, and translation exercises, the
Direct Approach emphasizes the use of the language in real-life situations. Both
approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, and teachers must select the most
appropriate approach depending on the needs and goals of their students.