3. History
• Was known as Prussian Method in USA
• Was known as Classical Method in Western
World.
• Changed to Grammar- Translation Method in
the 19th century.
• The main objective of the method is to help
students learn foreign language to be proficient
in it and to appreciate it.
4. Characteristics
• Rules of grammar and applying it in translation
passages to other language is the focus of
learning.
• Direct translation is the medium to learn the
vocabulary in the foreign language that the
students are learning.
• An example of the words taught:
The house = la casa
5. Characteristics
• Reading in the foreign language is being
focused on and only a little attention is given to
the way they pronounce words in those
language.
• Extensive explanation is given to understand
the grammar of the native language which the
students will apply in making sentences.
6. Principles
• Students are taught in their mother tongue and
sometimes using the targeted language.
• A lot of vocabulary is taught in form of the
isolated words.
7. Principles
• There is less attention paid to the
pronounciation of the language
• Only a little attention is paid to the content of
the text and it is used as the exercises for the
students to do the grammatical analysis.
8. Principles
• Mainly focus on accuracy and not the fluency of
speaking as the primary skills for students to
improve are the reading and writing skills.
• The important goal for the learner is to translate
a language to other language and not the abi;ity
to communicate with the targerted language
speaker.
9. Techniques
• Translation of a literary passage
Figurative versus literal meaning
• Reading comprehension questions
Questions provided about the information in the
text to make inferences and to relate to
experience.
• Cognates
Recognizing sound patterns between languages
English: Father
Latin: Pater
10. Techniques
• Fill in the blanks
Completing sentences with words that are
missing
• Words in sentences
Students make up sentences by using the
targeted language vocabulary that they have
learn.
11. Advantages
• It is the easiest way to explain meanings of
words from sentences or phrases from one
language to another language.
• Students have no difficulty in responding
questions because the questions are being
asked in their mother tongue.
• The communication between the teacher and
the learner have no linguistic problems because
the targeted language are not being actively
used.
12. Disadvantages
• Does not improve the communicative skills of
the targeted language for the speaker or the
learner.
• The learner have no intention to go beyond the
analogies, translations and exercises of the
targeted language grammar which is the
application of the language in speaking.
