The Methodology Series

GTM for the Grammar-Translation Method
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Teachers’ goals when using GMT
* A fundamental aim of learning an FL is to make learners able to read and write literature of the target language. To that aim, vocabulary and grammar rules are heavily emphasized. Form rather than function of the language is of utmost import.
* It was also believed that the study of an FL through its literature is a good mental exercise that would develop learners’ thinking.

Teachers’ role
· The authority of the class (do this and do that),
· The know-all,
· The omniscient who knows everything about his subject, and even about other subjects.

Students’ role
* The Ss. are passive. They do what the teacher instructs them to do so as they know what she/ he knows,
* Ss. are mere recipients to the knowledge transmitted by the T.

Interaction patterns in a class where GTM is implemented
* Teacher → Students: one way communication, domineering.
* Students → Teacher: quasi-null, no initiative is taken on the part of Ss. to participate.
* Students → Students: rare, if ever. That could be blamed on lack of activities that involve group work or any other form of cooperative learning.

How students’ feelings are dealt with
Nothing that can be of examples to consider as far as this question is raised then. There were no principles touching Ss’ affectivity.

Language and culture
Literary language is given a much more important stake to the detriment of the spoken form. And culture consists of literature and fine arts.

Language areas and language skills emphasized
* Vocabulary and grammar.
* Reading and writing to the detriment of speaking and listening.

Position of primary language
* It is predominating in GTM classrooms,
* It is used in explaining the target language clearly through translation.

Evaluation, How is it achieved?
* Written tests of translation (from target language into primary language and/ or vice versa).
* Questions requiring application of grammatical rules/ taught patterns.
* Questions about the target language.

Mistakes, how are they tackled?
· The correct form is supplied by the T. (no original techniques of correction were used).
· Correct answers and reproduction are an obsession to a GTM teacher.

Teaching/ Learning process characteristics
1. Students are taught to translate from one language to another.
2. Students attend to Grammar deductively (rules are presented first, then examples to support the rules and which, in turn, should be followed as a pattern of application).
3. Memorization of native-language equivalents for the target-language vocabulary.

Prepared by: Nouamane ERRIFKI

References:
Diane-Larsen, Freeman. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. England: Oxford University Press, 1990.

The Methodology Series

GTM for the Grammar-Translation Method
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Typical techniques
Translation of a literary passage
An activity (in-class or out-of-class) that consists of translating a reading passage from the target language into the students’ mother tongue. Translation could be written as it could be oral and the substance reading passage can be either originated in some works in the target language literature or written by the teacher himself to include certain structures and vocabulary. The latter, grammatical structures and vocabulary, is the subject of subsequent lessons. Worthy of note, at the end, that no translation is fair enough not to distort original meaning; that’s why idiomatic expressions are not translated, in this activity, in a verbatim way, yet a meaning-translation is favored.

Reading comprehension questions
As a guideline of import, all questions should be answered in the target language. These questions are not random, they follow a certain structure based on the principle of ‘grading’ the task or otherwise named ‘complexity levels.’ Mindful of such a principle, comprehension questions are threefold:

1- Receptive Qs: where students are required to answer using information contained in the text. That’s a kind of bottom-up answering.

2- Inference Qs: questions that need answers based on students’ understanding of the reading passage.


3- Pragmatic Qs: are those questions that require students’ use of their grey matter and experience in order to answer. They can also be called: ‘productive questions.’

A sample of such questions:
1-a- Read the text a sufficient number of times and give it a title?
1-b- What is the gist of the text?
1-c- What is the foremost concern of scientists as far as the Bird Flu is concerned?
1-d- What are the potential symptoms of the Bird Flu in humans?

2-a- what do the following words refer to:
Them (para.2)
Them (last para.)
This (last para.)

3-a- Do you think that the Bird Flu will be stopped or continue spreading all over the world? Explain?

Antonyms
An activity in which students engage in finding antonyms to a list of words by reading the passage.

Synonyms
Akin to antonyms, but, this time, students try to find synonyms to a whole list of ‘Lexis’. Worthy of note, here, at this stage, that these lists are later to be memorized; a thing that constitutes what is labeled, ‘rote learning.’

Cognates
An activity in which students are taught to recognize cognates by learning spelling and/ or sound patterns that correspond between L1 and the target language.
E.g. possibility → Possibilidad.(true cognates)
Obscurity → Obsecuredad.(true cognates)
They are also taught to differentiate between true cognates and false ones. False cognates are those that do not correspond in meaning.
E.g. Actually → Actuellement (false cognates)

Deductive application of a rule
After students understand the deductively (rules first, then examples) presented grammatical structures, they are asked to apply these rules to new examples. Exceptions to the grammatical rules are also noted.

Fill-in-the blank
That consists of filling the blanks in a succession of sentences with new words or items of a particular grammatical type (as prepositions or verbs…)

Memorization
Students memorize both lists of translated vocabulary and grammatical rules or paradigms as well.

Use of words in sentences
Students, in this activity, contextualize the newly learnt words in sentences to show their understanding.

Composition
The teacher usually suggests a topic to his/ her students to write on. This topic has to do with the theme of the reading passage.

Précis
Sometimes the T. assigns a précis of the reading passage instead of an activity of composition.

Criticism to GTM
It stresses memorization through rote learning. It does barely anything to enhance students’ communicative ability in the target language.

Why is it popular despite its drawbacks?
• It requires few teaching materials.
• It requires few teaching skills on the part of teachers.
• Tests are easy to build and scoring is objectively carried.

Prepared by: Nouamane ERRIFKI


References:
Diane-Larsen, Freeman. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. England: Oxford University Press, 1990.