The grammar translation method is a method of teaching foreign languages derived from the classical 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 the native language. Advantage
Let us know the significant advantages of GTM:
The teachers need a few specialized skills on particular topics.
Students get the opportunity to achieve maximum accuracy on targeted language.
The learners have to read the classic literature which develops their mental and intellectual ability.
Literature also helps to enrich multiple potentials of the learners.
The leaners have to memorize a lot of vocabularies which help them to make different kinds of sentences.
GTM also helps students to improve the reading and writing proficiency of the targeted language.
Disadvantages
Let us know the considerable disadvantages of GTM:
The students get less opportunity to engage in several segments, unlike Communicative Language Teaching.
Grammar Translation Method mainly a teacher-centered method that’s why learners get less opportunity to interact with the teachers.
The students are not offered to produce their own sentences in the classroom.
They get less opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills.
Oral interaction is avoided in GTM.
In GTM accuracy is more emphasized then fluency.
The leaners can develop their reading and writing skills but fail to communicate with the real world.
The Grammar Translation Method may make the language learning experience uninspiring and boring.
Techniques of GTM
Larsen-Freeman (2000) discusses the following techniques of the Grammar Translation Method:
In GTM students translate literary extracts from the target language into their mother tongue.
The students read comprehensive texts and try to find information, make inferences and relate to personal experiences.
They find synonyms and antonyms for words that occur in the text.
The learners identify cognate by learning spelling and sound patterns between mother language and targeted language.
They try to understand the grammar structure first and later apply them to examples.
In GTM students memorize bilingual vocabularies, grammar rules and grammatical paradigms.
Learners usually used to memorize vocabulary to apply them in sentences.
They write paragraphs, essays or summaries on a particular topic using targeted language.