Activity 1: Grammar Translation Method

Grammar Translation method

1 Read the whole text and then translate the paragraph into spanish

"It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive -- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day."

2 Grammar focus: Past simple

*After the explanation found in the text sentences with the past simple

Affirmative:
subject + verb (in past form) + complement.

example: I saw a movie yesterday

Negative:
subject + auxiliary verb (did) + not + verb (infinitive) + complement.

example: He didn’t hear the telephone.

Interrogative.
auxiliary verb (did) + subject + verb (infinitive) + complement?.

example: Did you have dinner last night?

With the verb to be.

for subjects I, He, She, It  we use was and for the others use were.

Affirmative:
subject + verb (was/were) + complement.

example: He was last night.

Negative:
subject + verb (was/were) + not + complement.

example: I wasn’t angry

Interrogative.
verb (was/were) + subject +  complement?.

example: Was Mark at school yesterday?


Actiity: Translate the comic

Activity 2 “Suggestopedia”

• 6th Grade

What it is?

This activity consists in guess what is the object. The teacher gives descriptions about it and learners can guess what is the object.

Sources

• Norman, S. (2003). Transforming Learning Introducing SEAL Approaches. 1st ed. [ebook] London: SEAL ( Society for Effective Affective Learning), pp.45-47. Available at: https://books.google.cl/ [Accessed 9 Apr. 2017].
• Richards, J. and Rodgers, T. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.  [ebook] Cambridge, pp.142-152. Available at: https://aguswuryanto.files.wordpress.com [Accessed 9 Apr. 2017].
• Lozanov.org. (2017). What is Suggestopedia?. [online] Available at: http://lozanov.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1&lang=bg [Accessed 9 Apr. 2017].

Jwelford.demon.co.uk. (2011). Suggestopedia - Learning Theories. [online] Available at: http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/brainwaremap/suggest.html [Accessed 9 Apr. 2017].

Grammar Translation Method

→ The GT method is an old method which was originally used to teach dead languages which explains why it focuses mainly on the written form at the expense of the oral form. Reading and writing are the major focus; little or no systematic attention is paid to speaking or listening. 

→ Grammar Translation was first known in the United States as the Prussian Method, mentioned by B. Sears in a book published in 1845 entitled "The Ciceronian or the Prussian Method of Teaching the Elements of the Latin Language".

→ This traditional method was created for students, who were taught latin and greek languages in Europe.Then it was used to teach “modern” languages such as English, French and German, and it is still practiced in some countries today.

 Is the method appropriate for young children?why not?

This method is used to develop the reading and writing skills and the vocabulary of the target language. Maybe for young learners can be too difficult translate a whole paragraph, so is necessary to adapt the activities to the level of knowledge of the student.

Do you think it can be used? Why? Why not?

This old method may not be suitable for this time, were the object of teaching a second language is focused on developing the four skills of the foreign language. But this is still used as a complementary tool to facilitate to the student a quick approach to the vocabulary of the target language.

Criticism

The overall concept of grammar-translation has been criticized due to a lack of verifiable sources that supported the existence of such a method in the nineteenth century, or earlier.

What the method is good at is “teaching about the language”, not “teaching the language”.

Speaking or any kind of spontaneous creative output was missing from the curriculum.

Students lacked an active role in the classroom.

Very little attention is paid to communication.

Very little attention is paid to content.

Translation is sometimes misleading.

This resulted in the type of Grammar Translation courses remembered with distaste by thousands of school learners, for whom foreign language learning meant a tedious experience of memorizing endless lists of unusable grammar rules and vocabulary and attempting to produce perfect translations of stilted or literary prose. Although the Grammar-Translation Method often creates frustration for students, it makes few demands on teachers.

Tips

Translation is the easiest and shortest way of explaining meaning of words and phrases.

Learners have no difficulties to understand the lesson as it is carried out in the mother tongue.

It is a labor-saving method as the teacher carries out everything in the mother tongue.

Final Question

How would you put this method in practice?

Suggestopedia

→ It is a method developed by Georgi Lozanov. Bulgarian scientist, neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist and educator.

→ It was invented for foreign language learners to make learning easier and motivated in a shorter period. 

→ Lozanov realised that there are some unconscious stimulus (facial gestures, intonation, movements, etc.) when we produce language that affect in learning of foreign language.

“Suggestopedia relies on success-

that’s what gives the joy”

Georgi Lozanov

*Also Lozanov refer to “Desuggestopedia” consisted in desuggest the expectation that Learning is difficult and slow.

Key Elements (tips)

• Learning environment → Classroom should be comfortable and attractive to learners with posters or pictures (can be made for themselves) about language or material to be learnt. Position of desks.

If the external place is comfortable,

the internal place (feelings) would be in the same way.

• MUSIC → Helps with reading ability and vocabulary because induces a relaxed state (relax to get concentration). E.g. Put music while learners are reading a text *The key is find the kind of music.

            A Suggestopedic Course:

A course of four weeks long for six hours per day for twelve students with one teacher.

• Presentation → Students are helped by teacher with feelings about their learning is going to be funny and easy.
• Active Concert → Active presentation of the material. E.g. Teacher read a piece of text dramatically (with intonations, variety of voices, etc.) accompanied with classical music.
• Passive Review → The students listen a some Baroque music (gives optimum state to learn) with the text being read very quickly in the background.
• Elaboration → it is focused in practice activities which are familiar. E.g. songs, games, dialogues, etc.

TEACHER → Should be seen as a figure has confidence, someone the students can trust      and respect.

                  → Set up the atmosphere to empower students to express themselves freely and take responsibility about their own learning.

Criticism → The method focus in reading and vocabulary but forget about others abilities of learning language, comprehension, interaction, etc. It has good methods but put aside a lot of things of how produce and think in a foreign language.

Is it appropriate for kids?

Some of the tips can be appropriate in all ages because explain in general how the teacher can face his/her learners in a good mood, but others tips are not appropriate because need a level of concentration and some abilities that are difficult for young children because are not development yet. E.g. Suggestopedic Course.

           

It can be used?

The most of the keys can be used in an appropriate environment. If the teacher follow the tips about how should be with his/her learners, if the place of learning is adequate, with attractive walls and comfortable desks or  if children don’t get confused with classical music. But it can’t ignore that some of the subjects of the method sometimes can be miss and the method will not complete.

Final Questions

This method or some of its characteristics, is it put in practice for teachers in your college/school/university? Why should be put in practice? Why should be not? If this method says teacher should suggest learning is good… Why there are teachers until have a bad suggest about learning?