Grammar-Translation Method

Introduction
I was the sole student in my language class during week eight; this was probably due to the building flooding, but the students were notified via email about the class and its relocation to a different building. nevertheless, as I was the only student and the teacher decided to go on with the lesson. He was happy that he could now give me his full attention and observe how much progress I had made in my reading, writing, grammar, and spelling.
For this week’s reflection I will be using Rolfe, Freshwater & Jasper’s (2001) framework model and the approach of Grammar Translation Method to reflect on my experiences in my language class; I will discuss what I believe was a critical moment and use the approaches and methods techniques that I learnt in my approaches and methods module to address the critical incident.

I spent some time reviewing words related to climate and weather with the teacher. He had me read a challenging 250-word chapter at first, and then he had me translate every word that I had never heard before. At that point, he instructed me to write each new word next to its equivalent in English and then utilize each word in a statement of my choosing. At this point, I recognized that the approach he was taking was the traditional Grammar-Translation method.

By requiring me to find the closest equivalents in English and insisting on precision, my teacher was likely aiming to develop my understanding of the nuances of language. This approach not only enhanced my vocabulary at the time but also promoted a deeper understanding of the grammatical structures of the target language. The strict nature of the method encouraged careful attention to detail and demanded accuracy.

This method improved the learning process by making it more engaging and relatable, but its shortcomings soon became clear. Although it works well in one-on-one settings between teachers and students, its effectiveness decreases in bigger courses where a single teacher is responsible for a dozen or more students. In these kinds of situations, students are left to write down translations on their own without the individualized guidance that comes with one-on-one sessions. Furthermore, by restricting students to writing and reading, the method severely undervalues the communicative component of teaching and learning, and as a result, students acquire a broad vocabulary but lack the confidence and ability needed to communicate effectively.
After giving this experience some thought, I am sure that I will use this method in the future, case by case. Perhaps, use this method for a portion of the session and switching to other techniques to allow student to converse with one another.

Bibliography:
Richards, J.C. and Rodgers, T.S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in language teaching. Cambridge (Ingalterra) Cambridge University Press.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D. and Jasper, M. (2001) Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: A user’s guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave.