The grammar–translation method of language teaching, also known as the classical method, is one of the most traditional methods, dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially, this method was widely used to teach “dead” languages and literature, like for example Latin and Greek, which involved little or no spoken communication or listening comprehension.
During the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe, it was believed that the body and mind were two separate things and that teaching modern languages was not useful to develop the mind; therefore modern languages were taught in schools using the grammar-translation method. Nowadays, this method of language teaching is not very common.
This particular method has different main goals:
- to enable students to read and translate literature written in the target language
- to develop students’ general mental discipline
- to translate from one language to another
- to memorize rules.
Grammar-translation classes are commonly taught in the students’ native language. Grammar is taught using long elaborated explanations in the native language; students learn the vocabulary and grammar rules from the teacher or from the book. They practice the language by doing translation exercises both from and into the target language. The content of the translation is not very important due to the fact that particular attention is paid to the form of the sentences and therefore to the grammar; language is learned through rules. Translation is the key to this methodology as is reading and writing. There are no listening or speaking exercises and there is no pronunciation exercise for the students.
The vocabulary in the target language is learned through the direct translation of the native language: in fact, students learn words once they are translated. This method focuses the attention on reading and writing skills, instead of oral communication skills. The language is learned by conscious memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary. Very little teaching is done in the target language: classes are taught in the mother tongue, which means that the teacher will teach the target language using the students’ mother tongue. The readings in the target language are translated and then they are discussed in the native language. With this method, little or no attention is paid to the pronunciation.
glottodidattica e neurolinguistica 