An Analysis of the Grammar Translation Method in the 20th Century and the Inevitability of Its Application in China

Abstract

The grammar translation method, as one of the oldest foreign language teaching methods, has been unfairly treated or even severely criticized in the present day when the communicative method is prevalent. There are even many people who believe that the communicative teaching method should be used instead of the grammar translation method. In response to this phenomenon, this paper analyzes the characteristics of the grammatical translation method with a fresh perspective, and re-examines the grammar translation method in terms of cultural tradition, educational system, social factors, structuralism, and native language migration, and analyzes and discusses the inevitability and necessity of its use in Chinese English teaching in 20th century. The grammar translation method is not worthless; it responds to the Chinese context in terms of history and culture, and its practical value can be seen in terms of second language acquisition, which meets the needs of society and the realities of teaching in China.

Headnote

Abstract

The grammar translation method, as one of the oldest foreign language teaching methods, has been unfairly treated or even severely criticized in the present day when the communicative method is prevalent. There are even many people who believe that the communicative teaching method should be used instead of the grammar translation method. In response to this phenomenon, this paper analyzes the characteristics of the grammatical translation method with a fresh perspective, and re-examines the grammar translation method in terms of cultural tradition, educational system, social factors, structuralism, and native language migration, and analyzes and discusses the inevitability and necessity of its use in Chinese English teaching in 20th century. The grammar translation method is not worthless; it responds to the Chinese context in terms of history and culture, and its practical value can be seen in terms of second language acquisition, which meets the needs of society and the realities of teaching in China.

Keywords

Grammar translation method, English teaching, China

1. Introduction

The origin of foreign language teaching in China can be traced back to the Peking Tungwen College established in 1862, and since foreign language teaching was launched in China, western theories and teaching methods have been introduced into China, among which the grammar-translation method was one of the first and most widely used methods. As the Communicative Approach spread in China, traditional teaching methods such as the grammar translation approach were considered outdated and backward (Chang, 2011). The teaching of foreign languages in China is mainly in English, so there is a great call to replace the grammar-translation method with the communicative method in English teaching.

This paper will first clarify the origin of the grammar-translation method and the characteristics of its application in China. Then, the inevitability of the grammar-translation method in Chinese English teaching will be discussed in terms of Chinese culture, education, and social environment. Then, using theories such as structuralism and second language acquisition, we will analyze the necessity of using the grammar translation method in English teaching in China from two perspectives, grammar and translation, in order to prove the significance and value of its use in China.

2. The Characteristics of Grammar Translation Method

Every pedagogy is born in response to the needs of the times, and the grammar translation method is no exception. The main content of foreign language teaching in Europe during the Renaissance was Latin and Greek. The teachers at that time adopted the traditional teaching method, which mainly focused on the aim-students read literary works or to train them to translate texts, their intelligence and learning skills, without any there was no focus on oral and communicative language.

This traditional method evolved into the grammar translation method in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as capitalism developed and other languages began to be taught (Fotos, 2005). The grammar-translation method is a teaching method based on grammar and translation of the written language. The grammar translation method has been in development since its inception and has developed the following characteristics in the long time it has been applied in English teaching in China:

(1) The grammar rules in the text are analyzed in detail, followed by exercises using the grammar knowledge learned to verify the applicability of the grammar knowledge.

(2) After reading the text, the text is explained sentence by sentence and translated sentence by sentence. Focus on sentence-by-sentence translation of the native language and the target language.

(3) Focus on reading and writing, with less emphasis on listening and speaking.

(4) The choice of vocabulary is based on the text.

(5) Emphasis on accuracy.

(6) Classes are taught more in the native language and use it to explain new content so that students can compare the target language with their native language.

As can be seen from the above features, the grammar translation method uses grammar as the outline, the native language as the medium of instruction, translation as the teaching tool, focus on reading and writing, and precise memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary as the main learning strategy. The usual teaching pattern is: teacher leads students to read words - translate the text - analyze the sentence structure of the text - practice grammar items - translation exercises - students recite the text. The modern grammar-translation method is easy to use and produces students with a solid foundation and strong reading skills. Its drawbacks are also obvious: it places too much emphasis on grammar analysis and text translation, which makes students' communicative ability weak, does not bring into play students' initiative, and the teaching process is rather boring.

3.The Inevitability of the Application of Grammar Translation Method in China

3.1 Cultural Traditions

Different cultural backgrounds breed different ways of thinking and acting. Due to the unique living environment and natural economy of the Chinese people, they have developed a unique national character, which is hardworking, strong, united, introverted and moderate, but cautious, seeking stability and not thinking of change. It is precisely this environment and character that makes the traditional culture of the Chinese people manifest in humanism, strong political consciousness, emphasis on the Tao rather than the weapon, reverence for tradition, and importance of group relations. It is in these characteristics that Confucianism, which has had the greatest influence on Chinese culture, was formed. Influenced by the culture of Confucianism for thousands of years, Chinese thinking methods and teaching modes for sands of have been in line with the grammar translation method. Moreover, in China, the dominant position of the teacher in the classroom has long been established. The placement of desks, the use of the blackboard, and the form of answering questions have also been established. The student-centered communicative approach requires students to think independently and actively participate in classroom activities, which is not as effective as the grammar translation teaching method is consistent with the psychological characteristics of Chinese teachers and students. In conclusion, from the perspective of cultural traditions, the grammar translation method is not as effective as the grammar translation method. From the perspective of cultural traditions, the application of grammar translation method in China has its own rationality (Du, 2021).

3.2 Education System

China's examination system has a long history. Chinese people have been educated to take tests. In the case of English, these exams are mainly in the form of written tests, and speaking and listening have been under-appreciated. The contents of the written exams, such as vocabulary, grammar, and reading, take up a large proportion. So the teaching activities in schools around test-based education emphasize grammar rules and vocabulary memorization, and for these teaching contents, the grammar translation method is chosen as the most effective foreign language teaching method. From the teacher's point of view, this method is simple and easy to use, and is conducive to organizing the classroom. In addition, most teachers are trained under the grammar-translation method of education and have some difficulty in adapting to other methods. From the students' point of view, they are not intrinsically motivated by situational communication. Many students learn foreign languages in order to cope with exams, not to be able to communicate with foreigners later. For some non-English majors, they learn English so that they can read and understand some foreign works related to their major, write papers, etc. Therefore, their learning goal is not for oral communication, so they will not want to change or try new methods. Although we know that most of the students trained under this kind of test-based education lack the ability to hear and hear English and cannot communicate in English, the educational reform cannot be solved by just denying the grammar translation method. The solution is not simply to reject the grammar translation method. In the West, theories of language pedagogy are constantly changing and developing, while China is lagging behind in language theory and pedagogy. We should not stick to the rules, but we should not directly apply the advanced teaching methods, but should study and think about the teaching methods that are suitable for our country, taking into account the national conditions. We should study and think about teaching methods that are suitable for our country.

3.3Social Factors

China has a large population and uneven regional economic development, which has resulted in the fact that some teaching aids needed in contextual teaching are not available in many places. This has resulted in the fact that some teaching aids needed for contextual teaching are not available in many places. For example, many schools cannot implement computer-assisted teaching due to limited teaching conditions, so some newer teaching methods cannot be easily implemented. In China, it is not practical to use the communicative method for such a large number of students. Grammar translation method is more suitable for such a large class, where the students learn more content and the teaching efficiency is high (Wang, 2010). Therefore, from these objective factors, the grammar translation method is suitable for China.

4.The Necessity of Grammar Translation Method Applied in China

4.1 Structuralism: The Necessity for Grammar

Effective language teaching is not possible without grammar. The American educator Bruner, a representative of structuralism, pointed out that whatever subject we teach, it is essential that students understand the basic structure of the subject. In the case of a language, grammar is the basic structure of the language (Medina, 1985). This shows that grammar is the cornerstone of learning a language. Many scholars have compared learning a language to building a building, and it is only by combining these bits and pieces in an organized and systematic way through the laws of grammar that a solid and stable building can be built.

In addition to its function of regulating language, grammar also has the function of helping learning and understanding. For Chinese students, English is a foreign language and there is not enough English language environment around us, and most students learn English as a subject. Like learning other subjects, students tend to learn the language as a formal system governed by rules, identifying regularities and generalizing grammatical rules to improve their own language accuracy through systematic identification and mastery of grammar. In other words, for Chinese students who are detached from the language environment, English grammar teaching is essential and they need teachers to guide them to learn grammar rules, and the grammar translation method meets this requirement.

4.2 Native Language Transfer: The Necessity for Translation

In addition to the emphasis on grammar rules, another important feature of the grammar translation method feature is the emphasis on the mutual translation of the native language and the target language.

From the perspective of second language acquisition, most English learners in China start learning English with a fairly strong foundation in their native language. Linguists have found that interlingual interference, that is, interference from the native language, tends to occur in the early stages of learning a foreign language. As learning progresses, interlingual interference takes a back seat. At this point, a large number of learners' errors come from intralingual interference, such as common overgeneralization, omission and simplification, which indicates that the interference from the native language is limited at the intermediate and advanced levels of foreign language learning. Many scholars agree that the contrast between the native language and the target language is used to improve the quality of teaching. In English teaching in China, the appropriate use of the native language for translation is desirable. On the level of thinking, once learners master their mother tongue, they will certainly think in their mother tongue, and the same is true in the process of learning a second language. Therefore, it is important to combine the two languages in order to gain a deeper understanding of the language. This is also the meaning of grammar translation method.

5.How to Treat with Grammar Translation Method

The grammar translation method also has its limitations. First, the grammar-translation method does not place much emphasis on developing the ability to use the language in practice. The emphasis on reading and writing, but not on listening and speaking, makes students' ability to speak poor. Second, the grammar translation method overemphasizes the teacher-centered approach, which tends to lead to a dull classroom atmosphere, thus reducing students' interest in learning (Siefert, 2013). Third, the use of the grammar translation method tends to produce an over-reliance on translation, and teachers mechanically compare the two languages and translate word by word.

Although there are quite a few limitations, we should treat it with a rational attitude, acknowledge the inevitability and necessity of the grammar translation method is a historical and cultural choice, recognize its limitations, and continuously improve it. The aims and methods of teaching grammar translation method have been developing and changing compared with those of the past. The purpose has changed from simply teaching grammar to improving learners' ability to use grammar for the purpose of communication. The approach has changed from one based on translation between two languages and emphasizes the ability to use these language rules in different contexts. The current trend is to combine the grammar translation approach with the communicative approach, focusing on communicative training while making clever use of the native language in the teaching process. The native language, emphasizing grammar in the teaching, and including in the materials. The teaching of grammar is also emphasized in the teaching, and translation exercises of the materials are included in the textbook to keep up with the times. Like the grammar translation method, other teaching methods are also changing. The teaching methods are constantly changing. We need to critically study various teaching methods, taking into account all the factors and analyze them with our own experience. We must incorporate the strengths of various teaching methods to serve the teaching.

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How to cite this paper: Mengting Deng. (2023). An Analysis of the Grammar Translation Method in the 20th Century and the Inevitability of Its Application in China. The Educational Review, USA, 7(3), 305-308.

DOI: 10.26855/er.2023.03.002

Received: February 26, 2023

Accepted: March 23, 2023

Published: April 21, 2023

Corresponding author: Mengting Deng, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.

References

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