CHAPTER: 15 TRANSLATION CUM GRAMMAR METHOD

 

CHAPTER: 15

TRANSLATION CUM GRAMMAR METHOD

This Chapter Deals with

Introduction

Characteristics and principles of Grammar cum Translation Method

Procedure of teaching Grammar cum Translation Method

Suggestions for improvement in Translation cum Grammar Method

Merits of Grammar cum Translation Method

Limitations of Grammar cum Translation Method

Conclusion

Translation cum Grammar Method 

Introduction and Meaning: English is a foreign language. There are several methods have been suggested by the experts for the teaching of English. The translation method is one of the oldest methods for teaching English. The translation method is better known as “Grammar cum Translation method”. This method has enjoyed has a great reputation in the past. This method has been found in practice since the days of the arrival of British. In 18^th century, when English was introduced in India, it began to teach through this method. This method is also known as classical method.

                          Translation cum grammar method has no psychological base but it has two philosophical base i.e. (i) Foreign language can easily learn through translation and (ii) Grammar is the soul of the language. Translation method means teaching the target language by translating it into mother tongue. Here each words, phrases, sentence of English is taught by translating it into mother tongue. Champion described that, “Under the translation method, the meaning of English words, phrases and sentence is taught by means of word-for-word translation into mother tongue”. In this method the unit of speech or reading is not a sentence; a sentence comes last of all, letters come first, then words and after them a sentence. Most of the schools, majority of teachers teach English by using by this method. This method puts emphasis on enrichment of vocabulary. In this method grammar takes a deductive form. The German scholar Storm emphasizes the significance of “Translation” in the following words, “It is not till one can translate the word that one has complete mastery over it, so that one not only understands it, but can use it”.

Characteristics and principles of Grammar cum Translation Method: The Grammar cum translation method is based on the following principles and possesses the following characteristics.

        i.      The unit of teaching is word.

      ii.      The mother tongue dominates this method.

    iii.      The word and phrases of a foreign language can be best interpreted in the mother tongue of the students.

    iv.      Teaching of foreign language through this method is easy, quick and economical.

      v.      The knowledge of rules helps the learners to avoid any type of mistakes.

    vi.      The structure of foreign language is best learnt when compared and constructed with that of the mother tongue.

  vii.      Grammatical rules are explained by the teacher in easiest way in this method.

viii.      The linguistic material presented for study is graded on a grammatical plan.

    ix.      The text book occupies an important place in it.

      x.      The method stress lays stress on reading and writing.

    xi.      It gives priority on the enrichment of vocabulary.

  xii.      Translations of paragraph from mother tongue into English and from English into mother tongue are given to the students for practice.

xiii.      Grammar is taught by deductive method i.e the teacher explains the rules of the grammar and the students memorize it by rote method.

xiv.      It produces from known to unknown.

  xv.      It avoids mistakes.

xvi.      Learning becomes more clear and firm.

xvii.      Parallel study of both language English and mother tongue.

Procedure of teaching Grammar cum Translation Method: Thompson and Wyatt rightly observe that, “After there is more of the mother tongue than English in the lesson given according to the translation method and there is not the direct contact with the foreign tongue for assimilation to take place”. In Indian school classroom where English is being taught through this method, it will generally find the atmosphere as teacher is active. The teacher is reading the passage word by word, sentence by sentence, into the mother tongue without the students’ participation. Students are generally passive and simple look down on their texts and given to all kind of distractions. The output gives out more of the mother tongue than English. Students are not assessing directly it and they consider that the English period as an extension of mother tongue class, thus they loss their interest to learn new language.

                    In Indian scene – Translation lays stress upon reading. Reading a word-for-word is not possible. The teacher translates each and every word with which he comes across in the text book. In this method the text book occupies an important place because it has all reading material, specific graded vocabulary, rules of grammar and each lesson with some new words. The following steps should be involved to improve the condition of translation cum grammar method.

·   The teacher begins the lesson with the vocabulary items. The meanings of words are explained in the mother tongue of the learner.

·   The teacher translates the passage with the help of mother tongue.

·   After this, the teacher explains the grammar items in the mother tongue.

·   The learners are asked to copy the rules of grammar in their note books. This is followed by exercise based on grammatical items. The learner may also be asked to translate foreign language sentences from the mother tongue by using grammatical items already learnt.

·   Finally the unfinished exercises and learning of rules are given as assignment.

Suggestions for improvement in Translation cum Grammar Method: To improve the condition of grammar cum translation method, the following suggestions can be taken in notice-:

 

·   Classroom size should not be large. It should be small in size and avoid overcrowded.

·   Writing and speaking should be given equally to the students.

·   Oral question should be well distributed uniformly in the class.

·   Chorus work should be done.

·   Word for word translation should be avoided because it may create psychological disorder in understanding of the structures, word order and grammatical composition in English.

·   Meaning of the difficult words should be explained in English as well as in the mother tongue.

·   At the end of the lesson comprehensive summary should be should be given both in English as well as mother tongue of the learner.

·   The teacher should speak with correct pronunciation and use grammatically correct English.

·   The teacher should indicates that points at which Indian vocabulary differ from English language.

·   In the beginning of the lesson, a summary should be given in English as well as in the mother tongue to create interest in the students.

Merits of Grammar cum Translation Method

·              This method is economical as it saves time and energy of the teacher to teach foreign language.

·              It helps in developing vocabulary of the students.

·              It helps in understanding of a foreign language.

·              It follows the maxims of teaching that is proceeding from “known to unknown”

·              It is easy for Indian students as mother tongue occupies an important role to comprehend an English language.

·              It develops the grammatical knowledge of the students in both of the language mother tongue and in the target language.

·              English language can be easily learnt through comparative process.

·              With this method abstract words like truth, honesty as well as concrete words like river, mountain can be taught easily.

·              It helps in testing comprehension. The teacher can ask the students to respond in their mother tongue also.

·              It promotes the skill of reading.

·              It is useful in every situation.

·              It requires the use of less material aids in classroom because mother tongue translation makes the teaching easy.

·              It is very reliable for giving the students practice of reading with understanding.

·              It is very useful for the students of average and below average.

·              There is very great force in the opinion of the German scholar Storm, who writes, “It is not till one can translate the word that one has complete mastery over it, so that one not understands it but can use it.

·              This method tries to establish a strong bond between foreign phraseology (new ideas) and mother tongue (old ideas).

·              It makes use of child’s knowledge of his mother tongue.

·              Students understanding can be easily tested through this method.

·              Teaching learning process is facilitated.

·              It can be used successfully in a class of beginners of the language.

·              It arouses interest within the student for learning English meaningfully.

·              It helps to develop the art of translation in students.

 Limitations of Grammar cum Translation Method

Despite of all plus points, there also many limitations of this method. so it is becoming obsolete (out of date) now a days. Some of the limitations of this method are as follows-:

·              It ignores all the aspects of language learning i.e. speaking, reading and writing.

·              In the opinion of Sweet, “Only a limited number of sentences can be taught by this method”.

·              There are many words in English which do not have equivalent in the mother tongue e.g. the, any etc.

·              Language reflects the culture, tradition and customs of a country. as culture differs so do languages. Hence, literal translation of the sentence should be avoided.

·              The idiomatic (natural) expressions are difficult to translate as per example-: when the sky falls, we shall catch larks; as a stone’s throw etc.

·               It helps in develop only bookish knowledge.

·              Due to emphasis in formal grammar the students gets disinterested in learning the language.

·              This method ignores to follow the maxims of proceeding from whole to part method.

·              This methods neglects silent reading.

·              This method is not giving much importance on to teach correct articulation, intonation and pronunciation.

·              It develops the habits of breaking sentence into words which hinders in the process of rapid reading.

·              This method is dull and uninteresting for the students who remain passive listener.

·              Learning of the grammatical rules by cramming.

·              It is time consuming.

·              It is not natural method.

·              Above average students are not interested in this method.

·              It neglects the oral approach of learning language.

·              It requires word-for-word translation which is not possible in real situation.

·              The translation work is always approximate, so the learner is not able to learn things accurately.

·              This method is totally mechanical.

·              This method is not based on psychological principles.

·              The learner may remain absent minded while being taught by this method.

·              It leads to funny expressions.

·              No connection between thought and expression.

Conclusion: In spite of so many limitations, the translation cum grammar method is still the most commonly used method of teaching English for the Indian students. This may be one of the reasons of falling standards of English in India. Indian condition supports this method because there is shortage of well-trained teacher in new method. Our institution do not encourage and provide suitable environment in which a teacher may work efficiently. we can conclude that this method does not create a bond between English and its learner and also between thought and expression.