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Grammar-Translation Method

The history Grammar Translation Method originated from the practice of teaching Latin or Greek, for it was the dominant language of education, commerce, religion and government.  In the western world foreign language learning in schools was synonymous with the learning of Latin or Greek. In the sixteenth century, however, French, Italian, and English gained in importance as a result of political changes in Europe, and Latin gradually became displaced.

As the other languages began to be taught in educational institutions in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the classical method was adopted as the chief means of teaching foreign languages.  At that time languages were not being taught primarily to learn oral or aural communication, but to learn for the sake of being “scholarly” or in some instances for gaining a reading proficiency in a foreign language. The study of classical Latin and an analysis of its grammar and rhetoric became the model for foreign language study from the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Children entering “grammar school” in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in England were initially given a rigorous introduction to Latin grammar, which was taught through rote learning of grammar, study of declension and conjugations, translations, and practice writing sample sentence, sometimes with the use of parallel bilingual texts and dialogue.

            As “modern” languages began to inter the curriculum of European schools in the eighteenth century, they were taught using the same basic procedures that were used for teaching Latin

·         Textbooks consisted of statement of abstract grammar rules

·         List of vocabulary and sentences for translation

·         Speaking the foreign language was not the goal

·         Oral practice was limited to student’s reading aloud the sentences they had translated

By nineteenth century, the approach based on the study of Latin had become the standard of studying foreign language in schools, this method has also known by The Classical Method

 The major characteristics of Grammar Translations

·         Classes are taught in mother tongue with little active use the target language

·         Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists  isolated words

·         Long elaborate explanation of the intricacies of grammar are given

·         Grammar provides the rule for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words

·         Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early

·         Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercise in grammatical analysis

·         Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language into the mother tongue

·         Little or no attention is given to pronunciation

Weakness

·         Language is seen as a collection of words which are isolated and independent

·         It does not require a teacher to speech a good English

·         It does virtually nothing to enhance a student’s communicative ability in the language

·         Memorizing is the important part

·         Test can be done just for understanding grammar rules, reading and translations

·         Little attention into communicative abilities

·         Learning process does not involve the target language

·         It seems that there was no need for student to master the other skills of English; listening and speaking

·         Many standardized tests of foreign languages still do not attempt to tap into communicative abilities, so students have little motivation to go beyond grammar analogies, translations and rote exercises

The Grammar Translation Method is still used in situations where understanding literary texts is the primary focus of foreign language study and there is little need for a speaking knowledge of the Language. On the other hand, Richards and Rodgers pointed out “It has no advocates. It is a method for which there is no theory. There is no literature that offers a rationale or justification for it or that attempts to relate it to issues in linguistics, psychology, or educational theory”.

Direct Method

Gouin had been one of the first of the nineteenth century reformers to attempt to build methodology around observation of child language learning. Other reformers toward the end of the century likewise turned their attention to naturalistic principles of language learning,                                            they assumed that second language learning should be more like the first language learning. Soon this method became referred to as the Natural Method.

Natural Method argued that

·         Lots of /intensive oral interaction

·         Spontaneous use of language

·         No translation between first and second language /without the use of the learner’s native language

·         Little or no analysis of grammatical rules

The Principles of Direct method

·         Classroom instruction was conducted exclusively in the target language

·         Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught

·         Oral communication skills were built up in carefully graded progression organized around question and answer exchanges between students and teachers in small, intensive classes

·         Grammar was taught inductively

·         Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures; abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas

·         Both speech and listening comprehension were taught

·         Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

Direct Method enjoyed considerable popularity at the beginning of the twentieth century and it was widely accepted in private language schools where students were highly motivated and native speaking teachers could be employed. Direct method did not take well in public education where the constrain of the budget, classroom size, time and teachers background make such a method difficult to use. This method is also known by The Berlitz Method.

 The principles used in Berlitz schools

·         Never translate: demonstrate

·         Never explain: act

·         Never make a speech: ask questions

·         Never imitate mistakes: correct

·         Never speak with single words; use sentences

·         Never speak too much: make students speak much

·         Never use the book: use your lesson plan

·         Never jump around: follow your plan

·         Never go too fast: keep the pace of The student

·         Never speak too slowly: speak normally

·         Never speak too quickly: speak naturally

·         Never speak too loudly: speak naturally

·         Never be impatient: take it easy

Direct Method was perceived to have several drawbacks

·         It required teachers who were native speakers or who had nativelike fluency in the foreign language

·         It was largely dependent on the teacher’s skill, rather than on a textbook, and not all teachers were proficient enough in the foreign language to adhere to the principles of the method

·         Critics pointed out that strict adherence to Direct Method principles were often counterproductive, since teachers were required to go to great lengths to avoid using the native language, when sometimes a sample, brief explanation in the student’s native language would have been a more efficient route to comprehension.

By the 1920s, use of the Direct Method in non commercial schools in Europe had consequently declined. In France and Germany it was gradually modified into versions that combined some Direct Method techniques with more controlled grammar-based activities.

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English: Active and Passive sentences

Part I. Change the active to passive

1.      He writes many letters

2.      He wrote many letters

3.      He has written many letters

4.      He had written many letters

5.      He would write many letters

6.      He would have written many letters

7.      He is writing many letters

8.      He was writing many letters

9.      He will write many letters

10.  He will have written many letters

11.  He is going to write many letters

12.  He should write many letters

13.  He can write many letters

14.  He could write many letters

15.  Kathy had returned the book to the library

16.  By this time tomorrow, the president will have made the announcement.

17.  I didn’t write that note. Jim wrote it

18.  Alice didn’t make that pie, did Mrs Robinson make it?

19.  Is Mr Brown painting your house?

20.  The company is going to buy the equipment

21.  The referee had already blown the whistle

22.  She keeps her valuable jewelry in the safe

23.  What you said hurt me

24.  You should nit have said it so strongly

25.  The tem won the game in the final seconds

26.  Someone is taking photographs of the wedding

27.  She would spend many hours on the project

28.  The guards were bringing the prisoner into court

29.  We are doing everything we can think of

30.  A fisherman caught a shark close to shore

Part II. Change the passive to active.

1.      Children should be taught good values by parents.

2.      Elections will be held next month by the club.

3.      The passport had already stolen.

4.      The car has not been driven in several years by the owner.

5.      The house could have been sold at the large profit by Ray White.

6.      The tourists are going to be met by the agent.

7.      The dress had already been worn several time by Betty.

8.      The money will not ever be found by the police

9.      The horse should not have been ridden so much.

10.  Many letters have been written by Sarah.

Part III. Change the active to passive if possible, some sentences cannot be changed.

1.      A strange thing happened yesterday.

2.      Jackie scored the winning goal.

3.      My cat died.

4.      I agreed with Dr Ikeda’s theory.

5.      Dr Ikeda developed that theory.

6.      Timmy dropped the cup.

7.      The cup feel to the floor.

Use The Simple Present, The Present Continuous, The simple Past or The Past Continuous.

1.      Diana can’t come to the phone because she (wash) -------------------- her hair.

2.      Please be quiet I (try) _____________to concentrate.

3.      Every morning the sun (shine) _____ in my bedroom window and (wake) _____ me up.

4.      Look! It (snow)________

5.      Mike is a student, but he (go, not) _________-to school right now  it’s summer.

6.      Look it (begin) ____ to rain, I (have, not)  _________umbrella with me Tom is lucky, he(wear) ______a raincoat.

7.      I don’t want to go to the zoo today because it is raining, the same thing happened yesterday. I (want, not)____________to go to the zoo because it (rain)_________

8.      I (hear, not) _________the thunder during the storm last night because I (sleep) ______

9.      Tommy went to his friend’s house, but the boys (be, not) ________there. They (play) _____soccer in the vacant lot down the street.

10.  I ( call ) ______Roger at nine last night, but he (be, not) _______ , he (study)_______at the library.

Use the Simple Past or the Present Perfect.

1.      Last night my roommate and I (have) _______some free time, so we (go)______to a show.

2.      Since the beginning of the 20^th century, medical scientist (make)_______many important discoveries.

3.      I (take) ________Chemistry 102 last semester.

4.      A: Do you like traveling?

B: yes I like to travel

A: What countries (visit, you)____________?

B: Well I (visit) _____________ India, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Nepal two years ago.

5.    A: Hi, Judy, welcome to the party.(meet, you, ever) _________my cousin ?

Use Present Perfect or Present Prefect Continuous Tense.

1.  It (snow)             _______all day. I wonder when it will stop.

2. It’s ten P.M. I (study)  _______for two hours and probably won’t finish until midnight.

3.  I (live) _____ since last march.

4.  I (write) ______ them three time, but I still haven’t received a reply.

5.  The little boy is dirty from head to foot because he (play) _____in the mud.

Part VII. Use simple past or past perfect.

1.  He (be) ________ a newspaper reporter before he (become) a businessman.

2.  I (feel) ____ a little better after I (take) _______ the medicine.

3.  I was late. The teacher(give, already) ________a quiz when I (get) ______to the class.

4.  The anthropologist (leave) __________ the village when she (collect) enough data.

5.  It was raining hard, by the time class (be)  ______ over, the rain (stop) _______

Part VIII. Use The Simple Past or The Past Perfect

1. Class (begin, already) ___________ by the time I (get) _________ there, so I (take) a seat at the back.

              2. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs (roam) ______ the earth, but they (become)      _________   extinct by the time humankind first (appear) _______.

3. I(see, never) ______any Picasso’s paintings before I (visit)  _______the art museum.

4  I almost missed the plane. All of the other passengers (board, already) _______by the      time I (get) there.

5.Yesterday at a restaurant, I (see) _______ Pamela, an old friend of mine. I (see, not) her in years

Part

IX. Oral review of irregular verbs.

1.      Did you drink some coffee before class?

2.      Did you bring your book to class?

3.      Did you forget to bring your books?

4.      Did you drive to school?

5.      Did you find your books?

6.      Did you understand what I explained?

7.      Did you tell your friend the news?

8.      Did you wear a coat to class?

9.      Did you eat breakfast?

10.  Did you take Chemistry in elementary school?

11.  Did you ride the bus to school?

12.  Did you swear to tell the truth?

13.  Did you make mistakes?

14.  Did you forgive me?

15.  Did you write a letter to your mom?

16.  Did you make that cake?

17.  Did you break the window?

18.  Did you draw that picture?

19.  Did you steal my money?

20.  Did you take my wallet?

21.  Did you feed my cat?

22.  Did you hide my books from me?

23.  Did you throw a stone out the window?

24.  Did you build that house?

25.  Did you speak Spanish to Hillary  this morning?

  

Use the simple past tense

1. My father (go) to Makah last year

2. My sister (take) part in the Quran reading   competition last year

3. The students (practice) the new words after class yesterday

4. We (listen) to radio program last night

5. Everyone (enjoy) the show last night

6. Mr. Salim (drive) his car to work this morning

7. The rain (stop) in the middle of the afternoon yesterday

8. Ida and I (talk) on the telephone last night

9. He (forget) to give the message

10. She (pass) the examination last year

Use the past continuous tense

1. I (syudy) at ‘Aliyah’ when we move to Solo

2. I (read) a book when he came in

3. He (work) in Bandung when his father died

4. The car (travel) at high speed when it approached the corner

5. They (sit) in the garden when the house fell down

         Oral review of irregular verbs.

1.      Did you drink some coffee before class?

2.      Did you bring your book to class?

3.      Did you forget to bring your books?

4.      Did you drive to school?

5.      Did you find your books?

6.      Did you understand what I explained?

7.      Did you tell your friend the news?

8.      Did you wear a coat to class?

9.      Did you eat breakfast?

10.  Did you take Chemistry in elementary school?

11.  Did you ride the bus to school?

12.  Did you swear to tell the truth?

13.  Did you make mistakes?

14.  Did you forgive me?

15.  Did you write a letter to your mom?

16.  Did you make that cake?

17.  Did you break the window?

18.  Did you draw that picture?

19.  Did you steal my money?

20.  Did you take my wallet?

21.  Did you feed my cat?

22.  Did you hide my books from me?

23.  Did you throw a stone out the window?

24.  Did you build that house?

25.  Did you speak Spanish to Hillary  this morning?

Use the Past perfect tense

1. I (study) at aliyah before I moved to Solo last year

2. You (go) home last night before I came

3. The post office (close) by the time I got there

4. The meeting (begin) by the time I arrived

5. The train (go) by the time I arrived at the station

 

The Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is used for habitual action, general truth, or something factual. The common time maker for the simple preset tense is every……..(everyday, every morning, every week, every Sunday, etc.). And when the subject is the third person use s or es for the verb. For example

He studies English everyday

He watches TV every evening

The plane to Surabaya leaves at ten o’clock

This book belongs to Susan

The auxiliary do or does is used for negative and interrogative sentence

For the examples

I don’t study English everyday (-)

Do you study English everyday (?)

He doesn’t watch TV every evening (-)

Does he watch TV every evening (?)

Change the following sentences into negative and interrogative sentences

1. Many students go to school by train every morning

2. The sun always shines in Indonesia

3. We read the newspaper every morning

4. I usually have lunch at home

5. They speak English well

6. We enjoy English very much

7. Mr. and Mrs. Smith always go to work by train

8. She lives in ten block of apartment

9. We have to study hard

10. She has to clean her room every morning

The present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Tense is used to describe an action which goes on at the moment of speaking  or which goes on in more general present.

For example

1. We are studying English

2. We are studying Arabic this semester

3. Please be quiet! The baby is sleeping

4. Listen please! I think the telephone is ringing

5. What are you doing? Oh we are having lunch

Exercise

Use the correct Present Continuous form of the verb in parentheses

1. We ( study) English this semester

2. Listen! Aminah (read) the Quran

3. I see that you (wear) your new dress today

4. Please be quiet! The students (have) English test

5. Ali (go) out with his friends right now

6. Mother (cook) in the kitchen right now

7. Hi! Look. A man (run) after the bus

8. They (watch) TV

9. Where are the students? They are in the library. They (read) books

10. My mother and I (prepare) for the show

The Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to indicate that action happened in the past and continues at present or the result of the action still true at present, it formed by have /has +verb III (past participle)

For example

1. I have known him for two years

2. I have opened the door

3. We have visited Borobudur several times

4. Mr. Ahmad has been to Makah twice so far

5. We have been to Surabaya several times this year

6. He has made the same mistake several time

7. We tried to learn English for many years

8. We have studied at Al Hamidiyah almost one year

9. I haven’t seen him for more than one year

10. Nobody has phoned me since this morning

11. He has done all the homework

12. He has been to Padang for many times

13. The teacher has explained that part of the lesson many times

14. Mr. John has had breakfast

15. David and Susan have been married a long time

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe an action that began in the past and has continued up to the present. It formed by have/ has + been + verb ing

Foe example

1. We have been studying English almost two hours

2. I have been living in this town since 1985

3. I have been looking for the key everywhere but I haven’t got it

4. The baby has been sleeping for more than two hours

5. They have been talking here for more than three hours

Reading

I have just received a letter from my brother, Tim. He is in Australia now. He has been there for six months. Tim is an engineer. He has been working for a bog firm and he has already visited a great number of different places in Australia. He has just bought an Australian car and has gone to Alice Springs, a small town in the center of Australia, he will soon visit Darwin. From there, he will fly to Pert. My brother has never been aboard before, so he is finding this trip very exciting

Exercise

1. Underline the sentences with part of its tense

2. What has the writer just received from his brother?

3. How long has he been in Australia

4. Has he already visited many places in Australia or not?

5. Where is he now?

6. Has Tim ever been to aboard before or not?

7. Where is he working?

8. He is finding this trip very exciting, why?

The Future Tense

The future tense can be formed by two ways : will + verb or be + going to + verb

Simple Future tense is generally used to indicate pure future, promise, determination, certainty.

For examples

I will give you the money tomorrow

He will come

I am going to continue my study next year

We are going to have a final exam next year

They are going to have a new baby this June

Sarah will be seventeen next June

We will go to Bandung tomorrow

They will be here in ten minutes

The store will close early today

John will see you this afternoon

We are going to finish our lecture at four this afternoon

The future continuous tense

The future continuous tense is used to indicate an action will be in the middle of action in the future

For examples

I will be in Bandung this June

They will be studying at university by this September

I will be watching the movie at 8

Sarah will be cooking  at four

Don’t come at four this afternoon, because at that time I will be having English Course at EF

I can not come to your house this afternoon, because at five , my family and I will be going out for shopping.

The future perfect tense

The future perfect tense is formed by; will have+ verb III

The future perfect tense is used to indicate an action will be completed before the other  action in the future

For examples

I will have graduated from Al Hamidiyah in 2013

I am sure I will have finished the work before four this afternoon

By this time tomorrow I will have gone to Bandung

I will have studied before the end of this semester

Sarah will have cleaned the house before her parents come this afternoon

We will have finished our lecture before four this afternoon

Reading

The greenwood Boys are a group of popular singers. At present, they are visiting all parts of the country, they will be arriving tomorrow. They will be coming by train and most of the young people in the town will be meeting them at the station. Tomorrow evening they will be singing at the worker’s club. The Greenwood Boy will be staying for five days. During this time, they will give five performances. As usual, the police will have a difficult time. They will be trying to keep order. It is always the same on these occasion.

Questions

1. When will they be coming here?

2. Who will be meeting at the station?

3. How many performances will they give?

4. What will the police be trying to do as usual?

5. Where will they be singing tomorrow?

6. How long will they be staying?

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SENTENCES

Active                                                                                            Passive

1.       Mary is helping the boy                                                     The boy is being helped by Mary

2.       Mary helped the boy                                                          The boy was helped by Mary

3.       Mary has helped the boy                                                  The boy has helped by Mary

4.       Mary was helping the boy                                               The boy was being helped by Mary

5.       Mary helps the boy                                                             The boy is helped by Mary

6.       Mary had helped the boy                                                The boy had been helped by Mary

7.       Mary will help the boy                                                        The boy will be helped by Mary

8.       Mary is going to help the boy                                            The boy is going to be helped by Mary

9.       Mary will have helped the boy                                         The boy will have been  helped by Mary

10.    Did Mary helped the boy                                                 Was the boy helped by Mary

11.    Is Mary helping the boy                                                     Is the boy being helped by Mary

12.    Has Mary helped the boy                                                Has the boy been helped by Mary

13.    Tom opens the door                                                                           

14.    Tom is opening the door                                   

15.    Tom has opened the door                 

16.    Tom opened the door                                                        

17.    Tom was opening the door                               

18.    Tom had opened the door                                

19.    Tom will open the door                                     

20.    He writes many letters                                                          Many letters are written by him

21.    He wrote many letters                                                       

22.    He has written many letters                               .

23.    He had written many letters                                             

24.    He would write many letters                             

25.    He would have written many letters                                                               

26.    He is writing many letters                                  

27.    He will have written many letters                    

28.    He is going to write many letters

29.    He should write many letters                                            

30.    He can write many letters                                                           Many letters can be written by him                       

31.    He could write many letters                                              

32.    Kathy had returned the book to the library                             The book had been return to the library               

33.    Tom is going to open the door                                         

34.    Tom will have opened the door                       

35.    Is tom opening the door                                     .

36.    Shakespeare wrote that play                                            

37.    The teacher is going to explain the lesson      

38.    Shirley has suggested a new idea                     

39.    Bill will invite Ann to the party                                                           Ann will be invited to the party by Bill         

40.    Alex is preparing the report                               

41.    Two horses were pulling the farmer’s wagon

42.    By this time tomorrow, the president will have made the announcement

43.    I didn’t write that note. Jim wrote it                

44.    Alice didn’t make that pie, did Mrs. Robinson make it? 

45.    Is Mr. Brown painting your house?                 

46.    The company is going to buy the equipment

47.    The referee had already blown the whistle    

48.    She keeps her valuable jewelry in the safe    

49.    What you said hurt me                                      

50.    You should not have said it so strongly

51.    The tem won the game in the final seconds  

52.    Someone is taking photographs of the wedding

53.    She would spend many hours on the project

54.    The guards were bringing the prisoner into court

55.    We are doing everything we can think of

56.    A fisherman caught a shark close to shore

Part II. Change the passive to active.

1.       Children should be taught good values by parents.

2.       Elections will be held next month by the club.

3.       The passport had already stolen.

4.       The car has not been driven in several years by the owner.

5.       The house could have been sold at the large profit by Ray White.

6.       The tourists are going to be met by the agent.

7.       The dress had already been worn several times by Betty.

8.       The money will not ever be found by the police

9.       The horse should not have been ridden so much.

10.    Many letters have been written by Sarah.

11.    That sentence was written by Omar

12.    Our paper are going to be collected by the teacher

13.    Was the electric light bulb invented by Thomas Alfa Edison?

14.    The speed limit on Highway 5 isn’t obeyed by most drivers

15.    Have you been informed of a proposed increase in our rent by the building superintendant

16.    My sweater was made in England

17.    The new highway will be completed sometime next month

18.    Language skills are taught in every school in every country

19.    Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was performed at the concert last night

20.    The world cup soccer are being televised all over the world this year

21.    This composition was written by Ali, That one was written by Yoko

Part III. Change the active to passive if possible, some sentences cannot be changed.

1.       A strange thing happened yesterday.

2.       Jackie scored the winning goal.

3.       My cat died.

4.       I agreed with Dr Ikeda’s theory.

5.       Dr Ikeda developed that theory.

6.       Timmy dropped the cup.

7.       The cup fell to the floor.

8.       The assistant manager interviewed me

9.       It rained hard yesterday

10.    A hurricane destroyed the small fishing village

11.    Dinosaurs existed millions of years ago

12.    A large vase stands in the corner of our front hallway

13.    The children seemed happy when they went to the zoo

14.    After class, one of the students always erases the whiteboard

15.    The solution of my problem appeared to me in my dream

16.    Our plan succeeded at last

17.    Barbara traveled to Uganda last year

18.    Lightening didn’t use the fire

19.    A special committee is going  to settle the dispute

20.    Did the army surround the enemy?

21.    What happened in the class yesterday?

22.    The Persians invented windmills around 1500 years ago

Reading

We have an old musical instrument. It is called a Clavichord. It was made in Germany in 1681. Our Clavichord is kept in the living-room. It has belonged to our family for a long time. The instrument was bought by my grand father many years ago. Recently it was damaged by a visitor. She tried to play jazz on it! She struck the keys too hard and two of the strings were broken. My father was shocked. Now we are not allowed to touch it. It is being repaired by a friend’s of my father.       

Ted Robinson has been worried all the week. Last Tuesday he received a letter from local police. In the letter he was asked to call at the station. Ted wondered why he was wanted by the police, but he went to the police station yesterday and now he is nit worried any more. At the station he was told by a smiling policeman that his bicycle had been found. Five days ago, the policeman told him, the bicycle was picked up in a small village four hundred miles away. It is now being sent to his home by train. Ted was most surprised when he heard the news. He was amused too, because he never expected the bicycle to be found. It was stolen twenty years ago when Ted was a boy of fifteen.                                                     

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