GRAMMAR

TRANSLATION
METHOD
 INTRODUCTION

 “A method of foreign or second language teaching which makes use of translation and
grammar study as the main teaching and learning activities.“

HISTORY

 Dates back to Erasmus 1466-1536

 Originally used to teach Latin and Greek in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
 Earlier in 20th century, this method was used for the purpose of helping students read and
appreciate foreign language literature.
 GOALS OF GTM

To be able to read literature written in the target

language

To be able to translate from one language to another

To develop reading and writing skill
CHARACTERISTICS

o Students are taught to translate from one language into another.

o They translate readings in the target language about some aspect of
the culture of the foreign language community.
o Students study grammar deductively, they have to memorize.
o Students learn grammatical paradigms such as verb conjugations.
o Students memorize native language equivalents for foreign
language vocabulary words.
TEACHER’S ROLES

 Teacher is the strict authority.

 Classes are teacher-centered.

STUDENTS’ ROLES

 Students are the passive receivers of the new information.

 The teacher starts the activities and directs them.
 Students are supposed to memorize the rules and the new
vocabulary with their meanings in their native language.
 Teacher –Student

Very often “Teacher –Student” interactions occur.

INTERACTIONS
 Rarely “Student – Student” interactions also
occur.
Student – Student

Students’ Feelings

There is no information about how GTM deals with students’ feelings, needs and wants.
Therefore, we cannot consider this method as a humanistic approach.
How is the language viewed?
Literary language is considered superior to spoken language and is therefore the
language that students study.
Culture
Culture is viewed as consisting of literature and the fine arts.

Role of the students' native language

The meaning of the target language is made clear by translating it into the students' native
language. The language that is used in class is mostly the students' native language.
 Skills
 Primary skills to be improved are: “reading”, “writing” and “translation”
 Little attention is given to speaking and listening, and almost no attention to pronunciation.

How is evaluation
accomplished?

Written tests in which students are asked co translate from their

native language to the target language or vice versa arc often used.
Question about the target culture or questions that ask students to
apply grammar rules are also common .
How does the teacher respond to student errors?

Having the students get the correct answer is considered very important. If students make
errors or do not know an answer, the teacher supplies them with the correct answer.
 TECHNIQUES
 Translate of a Literary Passage: From the target language into their native language.
 Reading Comprehension Questions: Students answer questions in the target language based on their
understanding of the reading passage.
 Antonyms/synonyms: Students are given one set of words and are asked to find antonyms in the reading passage
as well as synonyms for a particular set of words.
 Cognates: Students are taught to recognize cognates by learning the spelling or sound patters that correspond
between the languages.
 Deductive Application of Rule: Grammar rules are presented with examples.
 Fill-in-the-blanks: Students are given a series of sentences with words missing.
 Memorization: Students are given lists of target language vocabulary words and their native language equivalents
and are asked to memorize them.
 Use Words in Sentences: Students make new sentences in which they use the new words.
 Composition: The teacher gives the students a topic to write about it in the target language. Sometimes, instead
of creating a composition, students are asked to prepare a presentation of the reading passage.