Grammar-Translation Method Case Study

When analyzing the status of translation as a tool for foreign language learning it is important to review the status of the first language itself throughout different teaching methodologies. The first prominent language teaching method was the Grammar-Translation Method. In it, translation was obviously encouraged, so the use of the first language in the classroom was not only desirable but necessary. In fact, translation exercises were prescribed to practice the grammar rules presented in class and the first language was also present in activities such as bilingual word lists, bilingual dictionary study and comparison of the two languages’ grammar rules. As Stern (1983, p. 455) put it, “the first language is maintained as the reference system in the acquisition of the second language”.

This way, in the Grammar-Translation Method, the first language is the medium of instruction and there is little room for active use of the foreign language. Besides, not all aspects of the foreign language are equal: to this method, reading and writing matter considerably more than speaking or listening, which makes sense since its focus was on studying the literature produced in the foreign language. However, despite its limitations, the method was widely used for at least a century and it is still employed to date, albeit modified.

In the 19th century, when opportunities of communication between different European countries required good oral skills, there was a shift in focus from