Translation method to learnThe translation method, about a hundred years ago, was the method of language learning in vogue which died out with the introduction of the direct method for teaching languages. Arrogant language experts sub the translation method as an artifact from the last paradigm shift. But the reality is a modified translation method is very useful in my experience to teach students who think they know everything.

Why the translation method works

Students will always take the easy way, and if they find a way to understand or express something in a simpler way they will not use idioms or more native ways of expression in their target language.This is where my version of the translation method comes in. I make students translate articles from their native to their target language in the most idiomatic way possible and this exposes weakness not only in vocabulary but structural understanding of the language.

Translation method for beginners

Further the translation method is good for beginners who do not yet have the critical level of vocabulary in their target language for expression. However, they might translate simple text from their target to their native language. The effect is not only increased vocabulary, but most important increase confidence. They feel they could actually be translators at a basic level.

Modern translation method versus classical translation method

Note this translation method I am talking about is not the strict classical method called the grammar translation method in which discussion is done in their native not target language but a modification. Here is a polyglot that use this method to learn a language.  I feel the translation method works when combined with other methods. Try the tranlsation method for know it alls as well as beginners and if you are trying to learn a language try it yourself

Translation procedures, strategies and methods

by Mahmoud Ordudari Abstract

Translating culture-specific concepts (CSCs) in general and allusions in particular seem to be one of the most challenging tasks to be performed by a translator; in other words, allusions are potential problems of the translation

process due to the fact that allusions have particular connotations and implications in the source language (SL) and the foreign culture (FC) but not necessarily in the TL and the domestic culture. There are some procedures and strategies for rendering CSCs and allusions respectively.

The present paper aims at scrutinizing whether there exists any point of similarity between these procedures and strategies and to identify which of these procedures and strategies seem to be more effective than the others.

Keywords: Allusion, culture-specific concept, proper name, SL, TL.

 

1. Introduction

ranslation typically has been used to transfer written or spoken SL texts to equivalent written or spoken TL texts. In general, the purpose of translation is to reproduce

various kinds of texts—including religious, literary, scientific, and philosophical texts—in another language and thus making them available to wider readers.

If language were just a classification for a set of general or universal concepts, it would be easy to translate from an SL to a TL; furthermore, under the circumstances the process of learning an L2 would be much easier than it actually is. In this regard, Culler (1976) believes that languages are not nomenclatures and the concepts of one language may differ radically from those of another, since each language articulates or organizes the world differently, and languages do not simply name categories; they articulate their own (p.21-2). The conclusion likely to be drawn from what Culler (1976) writes is that one of the troublesome problems of translation is the disparity among languages. The bigger the gap between the SL and the TL, the more difficult the transfer of message from the former to the latter will be.

The difference between an SL and a TL and the variation in their cultures make the process of translating a real challenge. Among the problematic factors involved in translation such as form, meaning, style, proverbs, idioms, etc., the present paper is going to concentrate mainly on the procedures of translating CSCs in general and on the strategies of rendering allusions in particular.

2. Translation procedures, strategies and methods

The translating procedures, as depicted by Nida (1964) are as follow:

I. Technical procedures: A. analysis of the source and target languages;B. a through study of the source language text before making attempts translate

it;C. Making judgments of the semantic and syntactic approximations. (pp. 241-45)

 II. Organizational procedures:

constant reevaluation of the attempt made; contrasting it with the existing available translations of the same text done by other translators, and checking the text's

communicative effectiveness by asking the target language readers to evaluate its accuracy and effectiveness and studying their reactions (pp. 246-47).

Krings (1986:18) defines translation strategy as "translator's potentially conscious plans for solving concrete translation problems in the framework of a concrete translation task," and Seguinot (1989) believes that there are at least three global strategies employed by the translators: (i) translating without interruption for as long as possible; (ii) correcting surface errors immediately; (iii) leaving the monitoring for qualitative or stylistic errors in the text to the revision stage.

Moreover, Loescher (1991:8) defines translation strategy as "a potentially conscious procedure for solving a problem faced in translating a text, or any segment of it." As it is stated in this definition, the notion of consciousness is significant in distinguishing strategies which are used by the learners or translators. In this regard, Cohen (1998:4) asserts that "the element of consciousness is what distinguishes strategies from these processes that are not strategic."

Furthermore, Bell (1998:188) differentiates between global (those dealing with whole texts) and local (those dealing with text segments) strategies and confirms that this distinction results from various kinds of translation problems.

Venuti (1998:240) indicates that translation strategies "involve the basic tasks of choosing the foreign text to be translated and developing a method to translate it." He employs the concepts of domesticating and foreignizing to refer to translation strategies.

Jaaskelainen (1999:71) considers strategy as, "a series of competencies, a set of steps or processes that favor the acquisition, storage, and/or utilization of information." He maintains that strategies are "heuristic and flexible in nature, and their adoption implies a decision influenced by amendments in the translator's objectives."

Taking into account the process and product of translation, Jaaskelainen (2005) divides strategies into two major categories: some strategies relate to what happens to texts, while other strategies relate to what happens in the process.

Product-related strategies, as Jaaskelainen (2005:15) writes, involves the basic tasks of choosing the SL text and developing a method to translate it. However, she maintains that process-related strategies "are a set of (loosely formulated) rules or principles which a translator uses to reach the goals determined by the translating situation" (p.16). Moreover, Jaaskelainen (2005:16) divides this into two types, namely global strategies and local strategies: "global strategies refer to general principles and modes of action and local strategies refer to specific activities in relation to the translator's problem-solving and decision-making."

Newmark (1988b) mentions the difference between translation methods and translation procedures. He writes that, "[w]hile translation methods relate to whole texts, translation procedures are used for sentences and the smaller units of language" (p.81). He goes on to refer to the following methods of translation:

Word-for-word translation: in which the SL word order is preserved and the words translated singly by their most common meanings, out of context.

Literal translation: in which the SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest TL equivalents, but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context.

Faithful translation: it attempts to produce the precise contextual meaning of the original within the constraints of the TL grammatical structures.

Semantic translation: which differs from 'faithful translation' only in as far as it must take more account of the aesthetic value of the SL text.

Adaptation: which is the freest form of translation, and is used mainly for plays (comedies) and poetry; the themes, characters, plots are usually preserved, the SL culture is converted to the TL culture and the text is rewritten.

Free translation: it produces the TL text without the style, form, or content of the original.

Idiomatic translation: it reproduces the 'message' of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialisms and idioms where these do not exist in the original.

Communicative translation: it attempts to render the exact contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are readily acceptable and comprehensible to the readership (1988b: 45-47).

Newmark (1991:10-12) writes of a continuum existing between "semantic" and "communicative" translation. Any translation can be "more, or less semantic—more, or less, communicative—even a particular section or sentence can be treated more communicatively or less semantically." Both seek an "equivalent effect." Zhongying (1994: 97), who prefers literal translation to free translation, writes that, "[i]n China, it is agreed by many that one should translate literally, if possible, or appeal to free translation."

In order to clarify the distinction between procedure and strategy, the forthcoming section is allotted to discussing the procedures of translating culture-specific terms, and strategies for rendering allusions will be explained in detail.

2.1. Procedures of translating culture-specific concepts (CSCs)

Graedler (2000:3) puts forth some procedures of translating CSCs:

1. Making up a new word. 2. Explaining the meaning of the SL expression in lieu of translating it. 3. Preserving the SL term intact. 4. Opting for a word in the TL which seems similar to or has the same "relevance" as the

SL term.

Defining culture-bound terms (CBTs) as the terms which "refer to concepts, institutions and personnel which are specific to the SL culture" (p.2), Harvey (2000:2-6) puts forward the following four major techniques for translating CBTs:

1. Functional Equivalence: It means using a referent in the TL culture whose function is similar to that of the source language (SL) referent. As Harvey (2000:2) writes, authors are divided over the merits of this technique: Weston (1991:23) describes it as "the ideal method of translation," while Sarcevic (1985:131) asserts that it is "misleading and should be avoided."

2. Formal Equivalence or 'linguistic equivalence': It means a 'word-for-word' translation.3. Transcription or 'borrowing' (i.e. reproducing or, where necessary, transliterating the

original term): It stands at the far end of SL-oriented strategies. If the term is formally transparent or is explained in the context, it may be used alone. In other cases, particularly where no knowledge of the SL by the reader is presumed, transcription is accompanied by an explanation or a translator's note.

4. Descriptive or self-explanatory translation: It uses generic terms (not CBTs) to convey the meaning. It is appropriate in a wide variety of contexts where formal equivalence is considered insufficiently clear. In a text aimed at a specialized reader, it can be helpful to add the original SL term to avoid ambiguity.

The following are the different translation procedures that Newmark (1988b) proposes:

Transference: it is the process of transferring an SL word to a TL text. It includes transliteration and is the same as what Harvey (2000:5) named "transcription."

Naturalization: it adapts the SL word first to the normal pronunciation, then to the normal morphology of the TL. (Newmark, 1988b:82)

Cultural equivalent: it means replacing a cultural word in the SL with a TL one. however, "they are not accurate" (Newmark, 1988b:83)

Functional equivalent: it requires the use of a culture-neutral word. (Newmark, 1988b:83)

Descriptive equivalent: in this procedure the meaning of the CBT is explained in several words. (Newmark, 1988b:83)

Componential analysis: it means "comparing an SL word with a TL word which has a similar meaning but is not an obvious one-to-one equivalent, by demonstrating first their common and then their differing sense components." (Newmark, 1988b:114)

Synonymy: it is a "near TL equivalent." Here economy trumps accuracy. (Newmark, 1988b:84)

Through-translation: it is the literal translation of common collocations, names of organizations and components of compounds. It can also be called: calque or loan translation. (Newmark, 1988b:84)

Shifts or transpositions: it involves a change in the grammar from SL to TL, for instance, (i) change from singular to plural, (ii) the change required when a specific SL structure does not exist in the TL, (iii) change of an SL verb to a TL word, change of an SL noun group to a TL noun and so forth. (Newmark, 1988b:86)

Modulation: it occurs when the translator reproduces the message of the original text in the TL text in conformity with the current norms of the TL, since the SL and the TL may appear dissimilar in terms of perspective. (Newmark, 1988b:88)

Recognized translation: it occurs when the translator "normally uses the official or the generally accepted translation of any institutional term." (Newmark, 1988b:89)

Compensation: it occurs when loss of meaning in one part of a sentence is compensated in another part. (Newmark, 1988b:90)

Paraphrase: in this procedure the meaning of the CBT is explained. Here the explanation is much more detailed than that of descriptive equivalent. (Newmark, 1988b:91)

Couplets: it occurs when the translator combines two different procedures. (Newmark, 1988b:91)

Notes: notes are additional information in a translation. (Newmark, 1988b:91)

Notes can appear in the form of 'footnotes.' Although some stylists consider a translation sprinkled with footnotes terrible with regard to appearance, nonetheless, their use can assist the TT readers to make better judgments of the ST contents. Nida (1964:237-39) advocates the use of footnotes to fulfill at least the two following functions: (i) to provide supplementary information, and (ii) to call attention to the original's discrepancies.

A really troublesome area in the field of translation appears to be the occurrence of allusions, which seem to be culture-specific portions of a SL. All kinds of allusions, especially cultural and historical allusions, bestow a specific density on the original language and need to be explicated in the translation to bring forth the richness of the SL text for the TL audience.

Appearing abundantly in literary translations, allusions, as Albakry (2004:3) points out, "are part of the prior cultural knowledge taken for granted by the author writing for a predominantly Moslem Arab [SL] audience. To give the closest approximation of the source language, therefore, it was necessary to opt for 'glossing' or using explanatory footnotes." However, somewhere else he claims that, "footnotes ... can be rather intrusive, and therefore, their uses were minimized as much as possible" (Albakry, 2004:4).

2.2. Strategies of translating allusions

Proper names, which are defined by Richards (1985:68) as "names of a particular person, place or thing" and are spelled "with a capital letter," play an essential role in a literary work. For instance let us consider personal PNs. They may refer to the setting, social status and nationality of characters, and really demand attention when rendered into a foreign language.

There are some models for rendering PNs in translations. One of these models is presented by Hervey and Higgins (1986) who believe that there exist two strategies for translating PNs. They point out: "either the name can be taken over unchanged from the ST to the TT, or it can be adopted to conform to the phonic/graphic conventions of the TL" (p.29).

Hervey and Higgins (1986) refer to the former as exotism which "is tantamount to literal translation, and involves no cultural transposition" (p.29), and the latter as transliteration. However, they propose another procedure or alternative, as they put it, namely cultural transplantation. Being considered as "the extreme degree of cultural transposition," cultural transplantation is considered to be a procedure in which "SL names are replaced by indigenous TL names that are not their literal equivalents, but have similar cultural connotations" (Hervey & Higgins, 1986:29).

Regarding the translation of PNs, Newmark (1988a:214) asserts that, "normally, people's first and sure names are transferred, thus preserving nationality and assuming that their names have no connotations in the text."

The procedure of transference cannot be asserted to be effective where connotations and implied meanings are significant. Indeed, there are some names in the Persian poet Sa'di's work Gulestan, which bear connotations and require a specific strategy for being translated. Newmark's (1988a:215) solution of the mentioned problem is as follows: "first translate the word that underlies the SL proper name into the TL, and then naturalize the translated word back into a new SL proper name." However, there is a shortcoming in the strategy in question. As it seems it is only useful for personal PNs, since as Newmark (1988a:215),

ignoring the right of not educated readers to enjoy a translated text, states, it can be utilized merely "when the character's name is not yet current amongst an educated TL readership."

Leppihalme (1997:79) proposes another set of strategies for translating the proper name allusions:

i. Retention of the name: a. using the name as such.b. using the name, adding some guidance.c. using the name, adding a detailed explanation, for instance, a footnote.

 ii. Replacement of the name by another:

a. replacing the name by another SL name.b. replacing the name by a TL name

 

iii. Omission of the name:a. omitting the name, but transferring the sense by other means, for instance by a

common noun.b. omitting the name and the allusion together.

Moreover, nine strategies for the translation of key-phrase allusions are proposed by Leppihalme (1997: 82) as follows:

i. Use of a standard translation,ii. Minimum change, that is, a literal translation, without regard to connotative or

contextual meaning,iii. Extra allusive guidance added in the text,iv. The use of footnotes, endnotes, translator's notes and other explicit explanations not

supplied in the text but explicitly given as additional information,v. Stimulated familiarity or internal marking, that is, the addition of intra-allusive

allusion ,vi. Replacement by a TL item,

vii. Reduction of the allusion to sense by rephrasing,viii. Re-creation, using a fusion of techniques: creative construction of a passage which

hints at the connotations of the allusion or other special effects created by it,ix. Omission of the allusion.

3. Conclusion

Although some stylists consider translation "sprinkled with footnotes" undesirable, their uses can assist the TT readers to make better judgment of the ST contents. In general, it seems that the procedures 'functional equivalent' and 'notes' would have a higher potential for conveying the concepts underlying the CSCs embedded in a text; moreover, it can be claimed that a combination of these strategies would result in a more accurate understanding of the CSCs than other procedures.

Various strategies opted for by translators in rendering allusions seem to play a crucial role in recognition and perception of connotations carried by them. If a novice translator renders a literary text without paying adequate attention to the allusions, the connotations are likely not to be transferred as a result of the translator's failure to acknowledge them. They will be entirely lost to the majority of the TL readers; consequently, the translation will be ineffective.

It seems necessary for an acceptable translation to produce the same (or at least similar) effects on the TT readers as those created by the original work on its readers. This paper may show that a translator does not appear to be successful in his challenging task of efficiently rendering the CSCs and PNs when he sacrifices, or at least minimizes, the effect of allusions in favor of preserving graphical or lexical forms of source language PNs. In other words, a competent translator is wll-advised not to deprive the TL reader of enjoying, or even recognizing, the allusions either in the name of fidelity or brevity.

It can be claimed that the best translation method seem to be the one which allows translator to utilize 'notes.' Furthermore, employing 'notes' in the translation, both as a translation strategy and a translation procedure, seems to be indispensable so that the foreign language readership could benefit from the text as much as the ST readers do.

References

Albakry, M. (2004). Linguistic and cultural issues in literary translation. Retrieved November 17, 2006 from http://accurapid.com/journal/29liter.htm

Bell, R. T. (1998). Psychological/cognitive approaches. In M. Baker (Ed), Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies. London & New York: Routledge.

Cohen, A.D. (1984). On taking tests: what the students report. Language testing, 11 (1). 70-81.

Culler, J. (1976). Structuralist poetics: structuralism, linguistics, and the study of literature. Cornell: Cornell University Press.

Graedler, A.L. (2000). Cultural shock. Retrieved December 6, 2006 from http://www.hf.uio.no/iba/nettkurs/translation/grammar/top7culture.html

Harvey, M. (2003). A beginner's course in legal translation: the case of culture-bound terms. Retrieved April 3, 2007 from http://www.tradulex.org/Actes2000/harvey.pdf

Hervey, S., & Higgins, I. (1992). Thinking Translation. London & New York: Routledge.

Jaaskelainen, R., (2005). Translation studies: what are they? Retrieved November 11, 2006 from http://www.hum.expertise.workshop.

Jaaskelainen, R., (1999). Tapping the process: an explorative study of cognitive and effective factors involved in translating. Joensuu: University of Joensuu Publications in Humanities.

Krings, H.P. (1986). Translation problems and translation strategies of advanced German learners of French. In J. House, & S. Blum-Kulka (Eds.), Interlingual and intercultural communication (pp. 263-75). Tubingen: Gunter Narr.

Leppihalme, R. (1997). Culture bumps: an empirical approach to the translation of allusions. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Loescher, W. (1991). Translation performance, translation process and translation strategies. Tuebingen: Guten Narr.

Newmark, P. (1988a). A Textbook of Translation. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall.

Newmark, P. (1988b). Approaches to Translation. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall.

Newmark, P. (1991). About Translation: Multilingual Matters. Clevedon, Philadelphia, Adelaide: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

Nida, E. A. (1964). Towards a science of translation, with special reference to principles and procedures involved in Bible translating. Leiden: Brill.

Richards, et al (1985). Longman dictionary of applied linguistics. UK: Longman.

Seguinot, C. (1989). The translation process. Toronto: H.G. Publications.

Venuti, L. (1998). Strategies of translation. In M. Baker (Ed.), Encyclopedia of translation studies (pp. 240-244). London and New York: Routledge.

Zhongying, F. (1994). An applied theory of translation. Beijing: Foreign Languages Teaching & Research Press.

The Grammar-Translation Method

The grammar-translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most traditional methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was originally used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek, and this may account for its heavy bias towards written work to the virtual exclusion of oral production. As Omaggio comments, this approach reflected "the view of faculty psychologists that mental discipline was essential for strengthening the powers of the mind." (Omaggio 89) Indeed, the emphasis on achieving 'correct' grammar with little regard for the free application and production of speech is at once the greatest asset and greatest drawback to this approach.

The major characteristic of the grammar-translation method is, precisely as its name suggests, a focus on learning the rules of grammar and their application in translation passages from one language into the other. Vocabulary in the target language is learned through direct translation from the native language, e.g. with vocabulary tests such as:

the house = das Hausthe mouse = die Maus

Very little teaching is done in the target language. Instead, readings in the target language are translated directly and then discussed in the native language, often precipitating in-depth comparisons of the two languages themselves. Grammar is taught with extensive explanations in the native language, and only later applied in the production of sentences through translation from one language to the other, e.g.

Do you have my book? = Hast du mein Buch?Ich weiß nicht, wo dein Buch ist. = I don't know where your book is.

As Omaggio describes is, testing of the students is done almost exclusively through translation: "students had learned the language well if they could translate the passages well." (Omaggio 90)

Obviously, there are many drawbacks to the grammar-translation approach. Virtually no class time is allocated to allow students to produce their own sentences, and even less time is spent on oral practice (whether productive or reproductive). Students may have difficulties "relating" to the language, because the classroom experience keeps them from personalizing it or developing their own style. In addition, there is often little contextualization of the grammar -- although this of course depends upon the passages chosen and the teacher's own skills. Culture, when discussed, is communicated through means of reading passages, but there is little direct confrontation with foreign elements. Perhaps most seriously, as Omaggio points out, the type of error correction that this method requires can actually be harmful to the students' learning processes: "students are clearly in a defensive learning environment where right answers are expected." (Omaggio 91)

Despite all of these drawbacks, there are certain positive traits to be found in such a rigid environment. Although far from trying to defend or reinstate this method, I must still say: my highschool German class was almost entirely grammar-translation based, with the exception of a few dialogues from the textbook, and I don't really feel it "harmed" or even hampered my

acquisition of the language -- and it certainly gave me a strong grounding in German grammar! For left-brained students who respond well to rules, structure and correction, the grammar-translation method can provide a challenging and even intriguing classroom environment. For those students who don't respond well to such structures, however, it is obvious that the grammar-translation method must be tempered with other approaches to create a more flexible and conducive methodology.

Selected Lesson PlansHeute: Personalpronomen und possessive Adjektive

11:00 Warm up:Wie sagt man auf deutsch: What is your name?My name is ....What is your telephone number?His name is ....

Ask for volunteers to provide the German equivalents of several stock phrases they should already know, using possessive adjectives which are already familiar to them (mein , dein , perhaps sein ). Correct if necessary, but not on pronunciation.

11:03 Exercise I (Lesen) . See attached. Have students read aloud, go through the entire passage. Then return to the beginning and, calling on students at random, have them translate the sentences into English. New vocabulary (e.g. klagen , schätzen ) can be introduced at this time (by translation). Mistakes should be corrected, with special attention paid to today's topic: personal and possessive pronouns.

11:10 Grammar explanation: personal pronouns (accusative). On chalkboard:

mein (meine, meinen) unser (unsere, unseren)dein (deine, deinen) euer (euere, eueren)sein (seine, seinen) ihr (ihre, ihren)ihr (ihre, ihren) Ihr (Ihre, Ihren)sein (seine, seinen)

Explain (in English) the use of these pronouns, and point out any discrepancies between English and German usage. Note especially the parallel formation to ein , as well as the accusative forms, and also explain the contractions (unsre , eure ).

11:15 Do exercise in DNK, p. 89 Übung 2 : students should fill in the blanks with the appropriate pronoun. If necessary, let students work individually or in pairs to complete the exercise first.

11:20 Exercise II (Sätze). Depending on level of comprehension, either call randomly to have students translate the sentences, or give them time to work quietly writing out the translations. Make sure answers are correct.

11:25 Grammar explanation: possessive pronouns. On chalkboard:

mich unsdich euchihn siesie Siees

Explain (in English) the usage as well as the importance of distinguishing between nominative (ich , du , etc.) and accusative. Point out similarities to English: me = mich as memory aid, but warn against her ihr (but rather sie ).

11:30 Do exercise in DNK, p. 92 Übung 4: as above, students should be able to fill in the blanks with the correct possessive pronouns. Call randomly on students, making sure each has a chance to answer correctly.

11:35 Exercise III (Sätze). Again, call on students to translate the sentences into German, paying close attention to grammar. (Pronunciation is not heavily stressed.)

11:40 Exercise IV (Schreiben). Have students work quietly writing out the translation of the passage from English into German. Walk around and observe, answering questions and providing corrections where needed. If students do not finish, activity is assigned as homework.

Heute: Personalpronomen und possessive Adjektive.

I. Lesen. Lesen Sie den Text und übersetzen Sie ihn ins Englische.

Meine Familie ist sehr groß. Ich habe drei Schwestern und vier Brüder. Meine älteste Schwester heißt Claudia, und die zwei jüngeren Schwestern, Christiane und Nadine, sind Zwillinge. Sie haben am 28. Mai 1975 Geburtstag.

Mein Vater arbeitet bei einer großen Firma. Sein Chef ist sehr nett, aber mein Vater verdient nicht genug Geld. Meine Mutter klagt immer: Unsere Kinder haben keine schönen Sachen, und ihre Schuhe sind bald kaputt. Du mußt eine neue Stelle finden, wo man dich zu schätzen weiß!

Meine Mutter hat Recht: es ist nicht so leicht für uns. Mein Bruder hat morgen Geburtstag, und wir machen eine große Party für ihn. Wir haben aber keine Geschenke. Man braucht

Geschenke bei einer Geburtstagsfete -- ohne sie geht es einfach nicht! Außerdem kommen viele Gäste zu der Party, und wir haben kein Essen für sie. Es ist schwer für mich, aber ich muß gestehen: ohne Geld ist das Leben doch ein Problem für uns!

II. Sätze: Personalpronomen. Übersetzen Sie die Sätze ins Deutsche.

1. How do you like my new apartment? -- I find it beautiful.2. How do you like my new desk? -- I find it modern.3. How do you like my new car? -- I find it excellent.4. How do you like my two new chairs? -- I find them comfortable.5. I love you. Do you love me?6. I love all of you. Do you all love me?7. Do you know him? -- No, but I know her.8. Mr. Fischer, this book is for you.

III. Sätze: Possessive Adjektive. Übersetzen Sie die Sätze ins Deutsche.

1. Do you have my book?2. No, but I have your pencil, your notebook and your cup.3. Is the reporter writing all of your names down?4. My sister is bringing her friend along.5. Their dog doesn't like our cat.6. Mrs. Schmidt, I need your address, please.7. My grandfather likes to talk about his grandchildren.8. Does your mother love her children?

IV. Schreiben. Übersetzen Sie den Text ins Deutsche.

Christmas is an important holiday for our family. On the 24th of December we make a big dinner for the whole family -- for my aunts and my uncles as well. We normally celebrate Christmas without them, but on the evening before we all eat together.

This year I need a lot of presents. My brother's birthday is the 22nd of December, so we're celebrating his birthday three days later, at Christmas. I have a tie for him, but I need something else -- maybe I should also buy a shirt for him, but I don't know his size.

For my father I have a book about Germany. Germany interests him a lot, and his favorite hobby is reading. The book is very big; hopefully my father will find it interesting.

For my two sisters I have a few toys -- they're still young, you see {=nämlich} . Their favorite toy at the moment is an old doll, but it's almost broken. So I have a new doll: her face is very

pretty, and her body is made of plastic. Hopefully my sisters can't destroy it so quickly!

In applied linguistics, the grammar translation method is a foreign language teaching method derived from the classical (sometimes called traditional) method of teaching Greek and Latin. The method requires students to translate whole texts word for word and memorize numerous grammatical rules and exceptions as well as enormous vocabulary lists. The goal of this method is to be able to read and translate literary masterpieces and classics.

Contents

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1 History and philosophy 2 Method 3 Criticism 4 The Grammar Translation Method 5 Conclusion 6 References

History and philosophyEdit

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 literature began 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 the United States of 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.

MethodEdit

Classes were conducted in the native language. A chapter in a distinctive textbook of this method would begin with a massive bilingual vocabulary list. Grammar points would come directly from the texts and be presented contextually in the textbook, to be explained elaborately by the instructor. Grammar thus provided the rules for assembling words into sentences. Tedious translation and grammar drills would be used to exercise and strengthen the knowledge without much attention to content. Sentences would be deconstructed and

translated. Eventually, entire texts would be translated from the target language into the native language and tests would often ask students to replicate classical texts in the target language. Very little attention was placed on pronunciation or any communicative aspects of the language. The skill exercised was reading, and then only in the context of translation.

CriticismEdit

The method by definition has a very limited scope of objectives. Because speaking or any kind of spontaneous creative output was missing from the curriculum, students would often fail at speaking or even letter writing in the target language. A noteworthy quote describing the effect of this method comes from Bahlsen, who was a student of Plötz, a major proponent of this method in the 19th century. In commenting about writing letters or speaking he said he would be overcome with "a veritable forest of paragraphs, and an impenetrable thicket of grammatical rules."[1] Later, theorists such as Vietor, Passy, Berlitz, and Jespersen began to talk about what a new kind of foreign language instruction needed, shedding light on what the grammar translation was missing. They supported teaching the language, not about the language, and teaching in the target language, emphasizing speech as well as text. Through grammar translation, students lacked an active role in the classroom, often correcting their own work and strictly following the textbook.

The Grammar Translation MethodEdit

The Grammar Translation Method is the oldest method of teaching in India. A number of methods and techniques have evolved for the teaching of English and also other foreign languages in the recent past, yet this method is still in use in many part of India. It maintains the mother tongue of the learner as the reference particularly in the process of learning the second/foreign languages. The main principles on which the Grammar Translation Method is based are the following:

1. Translation interprets the words and phrases of the foreign languages in the best possible manner.

2. The phraseology and the idiom of the target language can best be assimilated in the process of interpretation.

3. The structures of the foreign languages are best learned when compared and contrast with those of mother tongue.

In this method, while teaching the text book the teacher translates every word and phrase from English into the learners mother tongue. Further, students are required to translate sentences from their mother tongue into English. These exercises in translation are based on various items covering the grammar of the target language. The method emphasizes the study of grammar through deduction that is through the study of the rules of grammar. A contrastive study of the target language with the mother tongue gives an insight into the structure not only of the foreign language but also of the mother tongue.

Advantages:

1. The phraseology of the target language is quickly explained. Translation is the easiest way of explaining meanings or words and phrases from one language into another. Any other method of explaining vocabulary items in the second language is found

time consuming. A lot of time is wasted if the meanings of lexical items are explained through definitions and illustrations in the second language. Further, learners acquire some sort of accuracy in understanding synonyms in the source language and the target language.

2. Teacher’s labor is saved. Since the textbooks are taught through the medium of the mother tongue, the teacher may ask comprehension questions on the text taught in the mother tongue. Pupils will not have much difficulty in responding to questions in the mother tongue. So, the teacher can easily assess whether the students have learned what he has taught them. Communication between the teacher and the learner does not cause linguistic problems. Even teachers who are not fluent in English can teach English through this method. That is perhaps the reason why this method has been practiced so widely and has survived so long.

Disadvantages:

1. It is an unnatural method. The natural order of learning a language is listening, speaking, reading and writing. That is the way a child learns his mother tongue in natural surroundings; but, in the Grammar Translation Method the teaching of the second language starts with the teaching of reading. Thus, the learning process is reversed. This poses problems.

2. Speech is neglected. The Grammar Translation Method lays emphasis on reading and writing. It neglects speech. Thus, the students who are taught English through this method fail to express themselves adequately in spoken English. Even at the undergraduate stage they feel shy of communicating using English. It has been observed that in a class, which is taught English through this method, learners listen to the mother tongue more than that to the second/foreign language. Since language learning involves habit formation such students fail to acquire a habit of speaking English. Therefore, they have to pay a heavy price for being taught through this method.

3. Exact translation is not possible. Translation is, indeed, a difficult task and exact translation from one language to another is not always possible. A language is the result of various customs, traditions, and modes of behavior of a speech community and these traditions differ from community to community. There are several lexical items in one language, which have no synonyms/equivalents in another language. For example, the meaning of the English word ‘table’ does not fit in such expressions as 'table of contents’, ‘table of figures’, ‘multiplication table’, ‘time table’ and ‘table the resolution’, etc. English prepositions are also difficult to translate. Consider sentences such as ‘We see with our eyes’, ‘Bombay is far from Delhi’, ‘He died of cholera’, 'He succeeded through hard work’. In these sentences ‘with’, ‘from’, ‘of’, and ‘through’ can be translated into the Hindi preposition ‘se’ and vice versa. Each language has its own structure, idiom and usage, which do not have their exact counterparts in another language. Thus, translation should be considered an index of one’s proficiency in a language.

4. It does not give pattern practice. A person can learn a language only when he internalizes its patterns to the extent that they form his habit. But the Grammar Translation Method does not provide any such practice to the learner of a language. It rather attempts to teach language through rules and not by use. Researchers in linguistics have proved that to speak any language, whether native or foreign, entirely by rule is quite impossible. Language learning means acquiring certain skills, which can be learned through practice and not by just memorizing rules. The persons who

have learned a foreign or second language through this method find it difficult to give up the habit of first thinking in their mother tongue and then translating their ideas into the second language. They, therefore, fail to get proficiency in the second language approximating that in the first language. The method, therefore, suffers from certain weaknesses for which there is no remedy.

ConclusionEdit

The grammar translation method stayed in schools until the 1960s, when a complete foreign language pedagogy evaluation was taking place. In the meantime, teachers experimented with approaches like the direct method in post-war and Depression era classrooms, but without much structure to follow. The trusty grammar translation method set the pace for many classrooms for many decades.

Monty Python made fun of the grammar translation method in their film Life of Brian.

YouTube - Life of Brian - ROMANES EUNT DOMUS

The Grammar Translation Method (GTM)

The Grammar Translation Method (GTM)

CHAPTER I

BACKGROUND

A. Introduction

GTM is not a new thing in language learning, which is only slightly different. The name

that has been used by language teachers for a few years ago. In ancient times this method is

called the "classical method" of the time used in the classical language learning, such as Latin

and Greek. At the beginning of this century, this method is used to assist students in reading and

understanding a foreign language literature. But it is also expected that it is in studying or

understanding the grammar of the desired target language, students will become more familiar

with the language rules in accordance with the source language and a deeper understanding of

this will further help them in reading and writing according to the source language to be better.

Finally concluded that it is studying a foreign language will help the development of

students in developing intellectual, it can be recognized that the students will never use the

target language, but learning is very much needed mental

CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

A. Definition

The grammar-translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most

traditional methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It

was originally used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek

B. Caracteristic

The grammar translation method has eihgt caracteristic

1. Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language.

2. Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words.

3. Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.

4. Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on

the form and inflection of words.

5. Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early.

6. Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in

grammatical analysis.

7. Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target

language into the mother tongue.

8. Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.

C. Techniques

The grammar translation method has nine Techniques :

1. Translation of a Literary Passage (Translating target language to native language)

2. Reading Comprehension Questions (Finding information in a passage, making

inferences and relating to personal experience)

3. Antonyms/Synonyms (Finding antonyms and synonyms for words or sets of words).

4. Cognates (Learning spelling/sound patterns that correspond between L1 and the target

language)

5. Deductive Application of Rule (Understanding grammar rules and their exceptions,

then applying them to new examples)

6. Fill-in-the-blanks (Filling in gaps in sentences with new words or items of a particular

grammar type).

7. Memorization (Memorizing vocabulary lists, grammatical rules and grammatical

paradigms)

8. Use Words in Sentences (Students create sentences to illustrate they know the meaning

and use of new words)

9. Composition (Students write about a topic using the target language).

D. Advantages

a. The phraseology of the target language is quickly explained. Translation is the easiest

way of explaining meanings or words and phrases from one language into another.

Any other method of explaining vocabulary items in the second language is found

time consuming. A lot of time is wasted if the meanings of lexical items are explained

through definitions and illustrations in the second language. Further, learners acquire

some short of accuracy in understanding synonyms in the source language and the

target language.

b. Teacher’s labour is saved. Since the textbooks are taught through the medium of the

mother tongue, the teacher may ask comprehension questions on the text taught in the

mother tongue. Pupils will not have much difficulty in responding to questions on the

mother tongue. So, the teacher can easily assess whether the students have learnt what

he has taught them. Communication between the teacher and the learners does not

cause linguistic problems. Even teachers who are not fluent in English can teach

English through this method. That is perhaps the reason why this method has been

practiced so widely and has survived so long

E. Disadvantages

a. It is an unnatural method. The natural order of learning a language is listening,

speaking, reading and writing. That is the way how the child learns his mother tongue

in natural surroundings. But in the Grammar Translation Method the teaching of the

second language starts with the teaching of reading. Thus, the learning process is

reversed. This poses problems.

b. Speech is neglected. The Grammar Translation Method lays emphasis on reading and

writing. It neglects speech. Thus, the students who are taught English through this

method fail to express themselves adequately in spoken English. Even at the

undergraduate stage they feel shy of communicating through English. It has been

observed that in a class, which is taught English through this method, learners listen to

the mother tongue more than that to the second/foreign language. Since language

learning involves habit formation such students fail to acquire habit of speaking

English. Thus, they have to pay a heavy price for being taught through this method.

c. Exact translation is not possible. Translation is, indeed, a difficult task and exact

translation from one language to another is not always possible. A language is the

result of various customs, traditions, and modes of behavior of a speech community

and these traditions differ from community to community. There are several lexical

items in one language, which have no synonyms/equivalents in another language. For

instance, the meaning of the English word ‘table’ does not fit in such expression as

the ‘table of contents’, ‘table of figures’, ‘multiplication table’, ‘time table’ and ‘table

the resolution’, etc. English prepositions are also difficult to translate. Consider

sentences such as ‘We see with our eyes’, ‘Bombay is far from Delhi’, ‘He died of

cholera’, He succeeded through hard work’. In these sentences ‘with’, ‘from’, ‘of’,

‘through’ can be translated into the Hindi preposition ‘se’ and vice versa. Each

language has its own structure, idiom and usage, which do not have their exact

counterparts in another language. Thus, translation should be considered an index of

one’s proficiency in a language.

d. It does not give pattern practice. A person can learn a language only when he

internalizes its patterns to the extent that they form his habit. But the Grammar

Translation Method does not provide any such practice to the learner of a language. It

rather attempts to teach language through rules and not by use. Researchers in

linguistics have proved that to speak any language, whether native or foreign entirely

by rule is quite impossible. Language learning means acquiring certain skills, which

can be learnt through practice and not by just memorizing rules. The persons who

have learnt a foreign or second language through this method find it difficult to give

up the habit of first thinking in their mother tongue and than translating their ideas

into the second language. They, therefore, fail to get proficiency in the second

language approximating that in the first language. The method, therefore, suffers from

certain weaknesses for which there is no remedy

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

The Grammar Translation Method was developed for the study of “dead” languages

and to facilitate access to those languages’ classical literature. That’s the way it should stay.

English is certainly not a dead or dying language, so any teacher that takes “an approach for

dead language study” into an English language classroom should perhaps think about taking

up Math or Science instead. Rules, universals and memorized principles apply to those

disciplines – pedagogy and communicative principles do not.

REFERENCES

Larsen-Freeman, Diane. (1986) Techniques and Principles of Language Teaching, Oxford University Press.

Billah,MD.M. “Teaching English through English Medium”. The New Nation.Online. 20 Nov 2005.

2. Brown, D.H. Teaching by Principles:An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Longman: New York,2001.

3. Dr. Shahidullah, M., Islam. J., Majid , I. A. N. and Haque,M.S. English For Today for Classes 11-12.Dhaka.NCTB, 2001.

4. Dr. Shahidullah,M.,Islam,J., Majid, I. A.N. and Haque,M.S. Teacher’s Guide for English For Today For Casses 11-12.Dhaka.ELTIP, 2001.

5. Larsen-Freeman,D. Techniques and Principles of Language Teaching. Oxford:Oxford University Press, 1981.

6. Shahzadi,N.,Rabbani,F.,Tasmin,S. English For today for Classes 9-10.Dhaka.NCTB, 2002.

The Grammar Translation Method (GTM)

The Grammar Translation Method (GTM)

CHAPTER I

BACKGROUND

A. Introduction

GTM is not a new thing in language learning, which is only slightly different. The name

that has been used by language teachers for a few years ago. In ancient times this method is

called the "classical method" of the time used in the classical language learning, such as Latin

and Greek. At the beginning of this century, this method is used to assist students in reading and

understanding a foreign language literature. But it is also expected that it is in studying or

understanding the grammar of the desired target language, students will become more familiar

with the language rules in accordance with the source language and a deeper understanding of

this will further help them in reading and writing according to the source language to be better.

Finally concluded that it is studying a foreign language will help the development of

students in developing intellectual, it can be recognized that the students will never use the

target language, but learning is very much needed mental

CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

A. Definition

The grammar-translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most

traditional methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It

was originally used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek

B. Caracteristic

The grammar translation method has eihgt caracteristic

1. Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language.

2. Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words.

3. Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.

4. Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on

the form and inflection of words.

5. Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early.

6. Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in

grammatical analysis.

7. Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target

language into the mother tongue.

8. Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.

C. Techniques

The grammar translation method has nine Techniques :

1. Translation of a Literary Passage (Translating target language to native language)

2. Reading Comprehension Questions (Finding information in a passage, making

inferences and relating to personal experience)

3. Antonyms/Synonyms (Finding antonyms and synonyms for words or sets of words).

4. Cognates (Learning spelling/sound patterns that correspond between L1 and the target

language)

5. Deductive Application of Rule (Understanding grammar rules and their exceptions,

then applying them to new examples)

6. Fill-in-the-blanks (Filling in gaps in sentences with new words or items of a particular

grammar type).

7. Memorization (Memorizing vocabulary lists, grammatical rules and grammatical

paradigms)

8. Use Words in Sentences (Students create sentences to illustrate they know the meaning

and use of new words)

9. Composition (Students write about a topic using the target language).

D. Advantages

a. The phraseology of the target language is quickly explained. Translation is the easiest

way of explaining meanings or words and phrases from one language into another.

Any other method of explaining vocabulary items in the second language is found

time consuming. A lot of time is wasted if the meanings of lexical items are explained

through definitions and illustrations in the second language. Further, learners acquire

some short of accuracy in understanding synonyms in the source language and the

target language.

b. Teacher’s labour is saved. Since the textbooks are taught through the medium of the

mother tongue, the teacher may ask comprehension questions on the text taught in the

mother tongue. Pupils will not have much difficulty in responding to questions on the

mother tongue. So, the teacher can easily assess whether the students have learnt what

he has taught them. Communication between the teacher and the learners does not

cause linguistic problems. Even teachers who are not fluent in English can teach

English through this method. That is perhaps the reason why this method has been

practiced so widely and has survived so long

E. Disadvantages

a. It is an unnatural method. The natural order of learning a language is listening,

speaking, reading and writing. That is the way how the child learns his mother tongue

in natural surroundings. But in the Grammar Translation Method the teaching of the

second language starts with the teaching of reading. Thus, the learning process is

reversed. This poses problems.

b. Speech is neglected. The Grammar Translation Method lays emphasis on reading and

writing. It neglects speech. Thus, the students who are taught English through this

method fail to express themselves adequately in spoken English. Even at the

undergraduate stage they feel shy of communicating through English. It has been

observed that in a class, which is taught English through this method, learners listen to

the mother tongue more than that to the second/foreign language. Since language

learning involves habit formation such students fail to acquire habit of speaking

English. Thus, they have to pay a heavy price for being taught through this method.

c. Exact translation is not possible. Translation is, indeed, a difficult task and exact

translation from one language to another is not always possible. A language is the

result of various customs, traditions, and modes of behavior of a speech community

and these traditions differ from community to community. There are several lexical

items in one language, which have no synonyms/equivalents in another language. For

instance, the meaning of the English word ‘table’ does not fit in such expression as

the ‘table of contents’, ‘table of figures’, ‘multiplication table’, ‘time table’ and ‘table

the resolution’, etc. English prepositions are also difficult to translate. Consider

sentences such as ‘We see with our eyes’, ‘Bombay is far from Delhi’, ‘He died of

cholera’, He succeeded through hard work’. In these sentences ‘with’, ‘from’, ‘of’,

‘through’ can be translated into the Hindi preposition ‘se’ and vice versa. Each

language has its own structure, idiom and usage, which do not have their exact

counterparts in another language. Thus, translation should be considered an index of

one’s proficiency in a language.

d. It does not give pattern practice. A person can learn a language only when he

internalizes its patterns to the extent that they form his habit. But the Grammar

Translation Method does not provide any such practice to the learner of a language. It

rather attempts to teach language through rules and not by use. Researchers in

linguistics have proved that to speak any language, whether native or foreign entirely

by rule is quite impossible. Language learning means acquiring certain skills, which

can be learnt through practice and not by just memorizing rules. The persons who

have learnt a foreign or second language through this method find it difficult to give

up the habit of first thinking in their mother tongue and than translating their ideas

into the second language. They, therefore, fail to get proficiency in the second

language approximating that in the first language. The method, therefore, suffers from

certain weaknesses for which there is no remedy

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

The Grammar Translation Method was developed for the study of “dead” languages

and to facilitate access to those languages’ classical literature. That’s the way it should stay.

English is certainly not a dead or dying language, so any teacher that takes “an approach for

dead language study” into an English language classroom should perhaps think about taking

up Math or Science instead. Rules, universals and memorized principles apply to those

disciplines – pedagogy and communicative principles do not.

REFERENCES

Larsen-Freeman, Diane. (1986) Techniques and Principles of Language Teaching, Oxford University Press.

Billah,MD.M. “Teaching English through English Medium”. The New Nation.Online. 20 Nov 2005.

2. Brown, D.H. Teaching by Principles:An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Longman: New York,2001.

3. Dr. Shahidullah, M., Islam. J., Majid , I. A. N. and Haque,M.S. English For Today for Classes 11-12.Dhaka.NCTB, 2001.

4. Dr. Shahidullah,M.,Islam,J., Majid, I. A.N. and Haque,M.S. Teacher’s Guide for English For Today For Casses 11-12.Dhaka.ELTIP, 2001.

5. Larsen-Freeman,D. Techniques and Principles of Language Teaching. Oxford:Oxford University Press, 1981.

6. Shahzadi,N.,Rabbani,F.,Tasmin,S. English For today for Classes 9-10.Dhaka.NCTB, 2002.