Grammar Translation Method

GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD

History
Throughout Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, the education system was formed primarily around a concept called faculty psychology. In brief, this theory dictated that the body and mind were separate and the mind consisted of three parts: the will, emotion, and intellect. It was believed that the intellect could be sharpened enough to eventually control the will and emotions. The way to do this was through learning classical literature of the Greeks and Romans, as well as mathematics. Additionally, an adult with such an education was considered mentally prepared for the world and its challenges. In the 19th century, modern languages and literatures begin to appear in schools. It was believed that teaching modern languages was not useful for the development of mental discipline and thus they were left out of the curriculum. As a result, textbooks were essentially copied for the modern language classroom. In America, the basic foundations of this method were used in most high school and college foreign language classrooms and were eventually replaced by the audio-lingual method among others. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar_translation

The Principles of GTM
Here are the principles of GMT based on Diana Larsen and Freeman.
1. The goal
The fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to able to read literature written in the target language.
2. The role
The role is very traditional. The teacher is the authority in the classroom. The students do as he says so they can learn what he knows.
3. Characteristics of learning process
• Students are taught to translate from one language to another.
• Students study grammar deductively. They memorize grammar rules and examples then are asked to apply them.
• They also learn grammatical paradigms.
4. Interaction
Most interaction is from the teacher to students, students- student interaction is little.
5. Emphasized area of language
Vocabulary and grammar are emphasized. Reading and writing ate the primary skill.
6. Students’ native Language
The meaning of target language is made clear by translating to native language. The language is used in class is mostly the student’ native language.
7. Evaluation
This method uses written tests in which students are asked to translate literature.
8. Correction
Having the students get the correct answer is considered very important. The teacher supplies students the correct answer if they don’t know.

Strengths :
1. The students can be the master of grammar.
2. The students can translate the language.

Weakness :
1. it is a boring method for the students who do not like learn about grammar.
2. the students will get the problem to communicate with the foreigner.
Source : http://blokcinta.blogspot.com/2008/04/method-in-teaching-language.html

methodical history of language taeching

A Methodical History of Language Teaching

Some definitions about methodical history

METHODOLOGY
Methodology is pedagogical practices in general (including theoretical under - pinning and related research). Whatever considerations are involved in “how to teach” are methodological.

APPROACH
Approach is theoretically well-informed positions and beliefs about the nature of language learning and the applicability of both to pedagogical settings.

METHOD
Method is a generalized set of classroom specifications for accomplishing linguistics objectives. Methods tend to be concerned primarily with teacher and students roles and behaviors and secondarily with such features as linguistic and subject-matter objectives, sequencing, and materials.

TECHNIQUE
Technique is any or a wide variety of exercises, activities, or tasks used in the language classroom for realizing lesson objectives.
Source : Teaching by Principles, An interactive approach in Language Pedagogy by H. Douglas Brown

Creative technique for Learning English Using Visual Brainstroming

CREATIVE TECHNIQUE FOR LEARNING ENGLISH USING
VISUAL BRAINSTORMING

Have you ever bored when your teacher was teaching English in the classroom? Why did it happen? Some reasons can cause that. For example, the teacher always speech and you just listen your teacher without any activities or even the material of English is very hard. But, those problems can be solved by using creative technique: Visual Brainstorming.
Language learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating. The teacher should think solutions to solve that problem. Visual Brainstorming is one of creative techniques which are used by some teachers. What is Visual Brainstorming? Before that we have to know what brainstorming is.
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique designed to generate a large number of ideas for the solution of a problem. In 1953 the method was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in a book called Applied Imagination. Osborn proposed that groups could double their creative output with brainstorming.
And now, what is the visual brainstorming? Visual brainstorming is a useful alternative in teaching English that use sketches, picture, or graphic ideation to stimulate members of group’s ideas in learning process and combining with games. Students can make their own imagination from the sketches that is given, so that it can be an interesting activity to do. The teacher also can combine visual brainstorming with games, like snowball throwing, cranium, vocabulary map, and etc.
Visual brainstorming has two main parts; Idea Generation Phase and Evaluation Phase. Idea Generation Phase is a phase that members of group should make some sketches quickly on a specific problem. Evaluation Phase is the evaluation phase from the collection of sketched ideas.
Here are steps in visual brainstorming that is combining with snowball throwing.
1. The teacher writes a specific problem on white board then asks students to make some sketches around 5 – 10 quickly based on the topic.
2. The teacher observes students’ sketches.
3. The teacher presents his/her idea-sketches on the white board.
4. The teacher makes a snowball from a paper and asks students to imagine sketches on the board.
5. The teacher throws the ball to one student and asks the opinion of the sketch.
6. Next, the student throws the ball again to other students and asks same question.
7. To get another view of sketches the teacher can rotate or flip the sketch or changes the sketches.
8. The students’ idea can be a topic or material that can be discussed in class.
9. At the end of class, the teacher guides students to make a conclusion; more ideas could be generated at this stage.
Those are steps in visual brainstorming technique that is combined with snowball throwing game. This technique can combine with another game, depends on the teacher. This technique can be applied individually or in group discussion.
The benefits of this technique are students can be more creative, can increase self confidence, can develop their English skill better than before because they have to speak to share their idea, they have to listen to their friends, and they have to make good sentence with a best word choice.

Loneliness

last week i got some papers from my lecturer in Reading III. guess what? the article was about LONELINESS. okay,...

then...
someone in front of me said, that was yours. oh my God...
i didn't think so, but ...

i'll tell you about the types of loneliness...
Loneliness has three types. there are temporary loneliness; usually disappear in an hour. 2nd situational loneliness which caused by some particular event like broken heart and etc. 3rd is chronic loneliness, it is very complicated because the loneliest feel nothing can do to improve her life...

so guys, are you loneliest???