Course paper the theme: teaching the usage of grammar while translating the texts

1.2 GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD
Even though many new methods have been intoduced to this day, the GTM remains a standard metodology for teaching english for some teachers. Prator and Murcia (cited in Brown, 1987: 75) list the major characteristics of the GTM.
The class reads a text written in the target language.
Student translate the passage from the target language to their mother tongue.
The teacher asks students in their native language if they have any questions, student ask questions and the teacher answer the questions in their native language.
Student write out the answers to reading comprehension questions.
Student translate new words from the target language to their mother tongue.
Student are given a grammar rule and based on the example they apply the rule by using the new words.
Student memorize vocabulary.
The teacher asks students to state the grammar rule
Student memorize the rule.
Errors are corrected by providing the right answers.
Example of lesson planning of the GTM
Selected lesson plan: simple present tense
The teacher introduce the formula of simple present tense and explains (in Uzbek) the usage as well as the importance of Simple Present Tense. The teacher points out differences to Uzbek language.
Formula: Subject (noun)+Predicate (verb 1)+Object (noun)
The teacher provides the example and their translation as well. Or, depending on the level of comprehension, he/she either calls randomly to have students translate the sentences or give them time to work quietly writing out the translations. He/she has to make sure that the students’ answer are correct.
The teacher explains (again in Uzbek) to student the change of the verb of the predicate. If the subject is she, he or it, the verb is added with s, es, or ies, depending on the verb. The teacher gives example of verbs that can be added with s, es, and ies.
The teacher gives an exercise that is related to the change of the verb. Students should fill in the blanks with the appropriate form. If necessary, he/she lets students work individually or in pairs to complete the exercise first. He/she walks around and observes the students. He/she answers question and provides correction where needed. Again, discussion is conducted in the mother tongue.
Example:
The baby……(cry) every night.
My mother……(cook) rice very well
The students……..(study) mathematics.
My father…….(laugh) very happily.
We…….(live) in indonesia.
Then he/she introduce list of vocabulary and the equivalent translation in order that the student can practice making sentence in simple present tense. This may be done by inroducing a matrix as follows.
The teacher may have student translate sentences from english to Uzbek. This exercise is then continued bu introducing a simple reading passage for translation. No class time is allocated to allow students to produce their own sentences, and even less time is spent on oral practice. The reading is sometimes used to communicate the culture of the target language.
The reason why the method is still widely practiced is that through the method teachers with a little english policiency can teach tha language. Fluency in english is not required to language teachers since through the GTM the teachers teach english in students’ first language. English is taught as knowledge like other subjects of the school. Since the method emphasizes on grammar rather and translation, students are not expeted to use the language as means of communicaton. Translation is taught to acompany the grammar of english.
It can also be argued that without knowledge of grammatical basis on the target language learners are in possession of nothing more than a selection of communicative phrases which are perfectly adequate for basic communication but which will be found wanting when they are required to perform any kind of sophisticated linguistic task (macmillan, 2002). The combination of the principles of the GTM and the principles of the communicative approach, which will be discussed in chapter 8, will be the perfect combination. On one hand language learners are encouraged to learn to communicate in the target language and, on the other, they also acquire a sound and accurate basis in the grammar of the target language. This combination may be closely related to the concept of the weak version of communicative approach (Howart in Richards and Rodgers, 2000: 155), which stressess the importance of providing learners with opportunities to use their english for communicative purposes and attempt such activities arranged in a structural syllabus. The structural syllabus does not necessarily mean that the language learning is grammar oriented but the syllabus only tells us how the learning materials are arranged.
The GTM has produced generations of students who can master the grammar of the target language, yet can not engage in simple conversations. Even though the method is believed to be ineffective to teach the target language communicatively, the method is still in use in some parts of indonesia. It is believed that the method can develop students’ writing skill. For students who respond well to such a learning process, the language class taught through this method may be boring. However, combining the principles of the GTM with the communicative approach may well be the perfect combination for many language learners. They will learn to communicate in the target language and also acquire a sound and accurate basis in the grammar of the target language.