Week 1 and 2: Grammar Translation Method and Direct Method

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 Grammar Translation Method and Direct Method

As for the first online meeting, we reviewed the topics of the semester. During the second week, we officially started our lessons. 

During this class, we learned about the Grammar Translation Method, which follows a deductive approach. In the classroom, the study of grammar rules and the translation of texts were the main priorities. What about speaking and listening skills? Well, the purpose of learning languages such as Latin and Greek was primarily to read classical literature.

As of communication, letters were the main means of interaction, so speaking and listening skills in other languages were not as esential as they are today. 


Some of the characteristics of the Grammar Translation Method are the following:
  • Classes are taught in the students' mother tongue.
  • Vocabulary lists are memorized.
  • Pronunciation remains in the background.
  • Difficult texts are introduced early in the learning process.
  • Grammar rules are explained in detail.
On the other hand, the Direct method with an inductive approach focuses on successful spontaneous communication. This method took over the moment that society started to connect beyond letters or books. In the classroom, the ability to engage in real conversations became the priority. 




Some of the characteristics of the Direct Method are the following:

  • Lessons are taught entirely in the target language.
  • Visual aids are used to support vocabulary learning.
  • There is a strong focus on pronunciation and listening.
  • Grammar is acquired naturally through exposure to real conversations.

This method prioritizes the development of effective speakers and listeners rather than readers.


In conclusion, our social context and communicative needs shape the methods used to teach a language. The challenge is to integrate the strengths of different methods in order to make the most of each one.

Next time, I might share movie or song recommendation 👀. For now, that's all. See you next week. 


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ABOUT ME

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Welcome! Every week, I will be sharing what I learn in my English Didactic class, as as other experiences from my journey as a fourth-year translation and interpretation student.  My name is Michelle Pineda. I'm 22 years old and will turn 23 in August. Some of my hobbies are watching movies and TV series from a variety of genres, such as romance, animated, crime, fantasy, and more. I also enjoy listening to music. Actually, I can't leave my house without my headphones. Recently, or rather for some time now, I had been tring to get back into the habit of reading for pleasure, something I used to enjoy a lot.  Even though I haven't plan teaching as my main job, I have some experience as English teacher. A journey that often felt like a rollercoaster. Through that experience, I became more aware of the sarisfaction and challenges of teaching. I hope we learn new things together throughout this semester.  😊
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1st Group Discussion

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 Hello, happy to see you again.  For this week, we continued discussing the fundamental methods , which are the Grammar Translation Method and the Direct Method. Each of them develops two macroskills, one productive and the other receptive. In GTM, reading is the receptive skill and writing is the productive skill. In the case of the Direct Method, listening is the receptive skill and speaking is the productive skill.  As we can see, developing every macroskill in a language requires the integration of these two fundamental methods. Likewise, each method demands different abilities from the teacher. The GTM needs a deep understanding of grammar, structures, and other aspects of a language in order to transmit a digestible content. The Direct Method also requires a deep understanding of the language, especially its pronunciation. For this method, creativity is the fuel for teaching content without the support of the student's mother tongue as the main teaching resource....
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