Foreign experience in teaching efl: grammar translation method

FOREIGN EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING EFL: GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD

PLAN:

1.HOW CAN GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD BE USED FOR TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN THE CLASSROOM?

2.WHAT DOES THE TEACHER DO IN GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD?

3.WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF GRAMMAR IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING?

4.WHAT IS THE NEEDED MASTERY OF A LANGUAGE LEARNER IF THE TEACHER USES GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD?

This method is also known under the names Prussian, Classical or Traditional. It was called Prussian, because it began in Prussia at the end of the eighteenth century as the favoured methodology of the Prussian Gymnasien, after their expansion in the early years of the nineteenth century. It got the name Classical because it was developed on the methodology of teaching classical languages Latin and Greek, which were meant to promote intellectuality through 'mental gymnastics'. The Classical Method of teaching Latin and Greek focused on learning grammatical rules, memorization of vocabulary and of various declensions and conjugations, translation of texts, doing written exercises. The language was not taught for oral/aural communication, but in order to gain reading proficiency, and help students read and appreciate literature. This method was adopted as the chief means for teaching foreign languages in educational institutions in the eighteenth and nineteenth century (Brown, 1987). In short, the object of the method was "to know everything about something rather than the thing itself." (W. H. D. Rouse).

Grammar-Translation in its modified forms has been dominating European and foreign language teaching up to now, and it continues to be widely used in some parts of the world.

APPROACH

The Grammar-Translation method has no theory behind it. There is no literature that offers a rationale or justification for it or those attempts to relate it to issues in linguistics, psychology, or educational theory. (Richards and Rodgers, 1995). Since the eighteenth century, the goal of the method has been to acquire a reading knowledge of foreign languages by studying grammar and applying this knowledge to the interpretation of texts with the use of a dictionary. In addition, it has been believed that studying a foreign language provides students with good mental exercise, which helps develop their mind (Howatt, 1995; Larsen-Freeman, 1986). The ability to communicate in the target language is not a goal.