Evaluating The Role Of Learning Foreign Languages In The 19th Century

The need to learn foreign languages was linked to communicative purposes and commercial activities as well. Centuries ago, Latin had been the dominant language of education, commerce and religion; however, it was replaced in a comparison with nowadays by the English language. The innovation in foreign language teaching began in the 19th century and increased in the 20th century.

For instance, the history of teaching the English language in foreign countries was characterized by many methods and approaches. In the early decades of the nineteenth century the restrictive nature of what later came to be called the ‘Grammar-Translation Method’ (or the ‘Classical Method’). It was the oldest and most common learning method used until the 1960s. It

Rouse also reports that the aim of this method is" to know everything about something, rather than the thing itself". In the mid-and late 19th century opposition to it gradually developed, and as a result of this it lost its hold in the domain of teaching of

However, the direct method was not completely free from certain weaknesses as well. Similarly, William E. Bull declared that “any given method is only as effective as its implementation”. It was obvious that this method focuses more on listening and speaking skills and "arises from its neglect of the language skills like writing and reading because of overemphasis on oral work. This method practically ignores the study of grammar, this is not desirable because the knowledge of grammar is useful to the students to correct errors and strengthen language habits."(Verghese,1990. p.58). To be concluded, it could not make much progress and fulfilled students'