语法翻译法在当下的存在价值

The existence value of Grammar-Translation Method In the long run, English language teaching cannot keep pace with the development of our country; therefore, the reformation of English language teaching system and teaching methods has been aroused by all sectors of society. Ministry of Education formulated the English curricular standard for compulsory education and senior high school in succession to promote the reformation of English language teaching in China. But so far, the grammar translation method that has been used widely and exerted the most important influences on English language teaching and learning once was regarded as the opposite sides of ‘advanced method’ nowadays. Especially, when the communicative language teaching method was introduced to the English language teaching in China in seventieth in 20th century has changed the dominant sides of grammar translation method. The limitation and disadvantages of grammar translation method was criticized by many researchers and teachers. While there has a controversy that does the grammar translation method still exist the application values in English language teaching in China.

Grammar translation method derived from 16th century in European and dominated the English language teaching in China about 140 years, which was the most widely used and efficient way in English language teaching compared with other teaching method and it has been applied in most of places in China. Grammar translation method stressed on the learning of vocabulary and grammar and advocated that mastering the all grammar rules and definite quantity of vocabulary means mastering of a certain language. All the teaching activities were centered on grammar learning for the concepts of grammar learning was conducive to understand and translate the foreign language and benefit for development of students’logical thinking. The general teaching procedures were reading, analysis, translate, explanation and students’mechanical practice and memorization of vocabulary and grammar rules.

Compared with other teaching methods, grammar translation method has its own characteristic and it was also adaptive to the historical background of Chinese culture and society. Firstly, grammar translation method applies the mother language as the

medium of learning the target language through the comparison of distinguishes of these two languages. Secondly, the grammar learning is the centre task of target language learning which is necessary for the internalization of target language structure and much higher level and difficult skills training like writing and translation. Besides, grammar translation method emphasizes on the development of reading and translation ability and pays more attention to the language accuracy for the sake of improvement of language fluency. In addition, it is convenient in manipulation in the class for the lower requirements on the English teacher who just mastering the general target language knowledge and teaching with the help of the textbooks. The mode of explanation and translation was adaptive to the most of places especially for the places lag behind. However, grammar translation method is not without limitations: first, it overemphasizes on the grammar translation which leads to the students’dependent on their mother language. The negative transfer of their mother tongue impedes student’s natural language input. Second, language learning is regarded as the knowledge not the skills ignoring the learning of the spoken language. Third, students’learning enthusiasm is dropped by the simplex and mechanical teaching techniques.

While the existence values of grammar translation methods can be analyzed in the following three aspects: students as the teaching subject, target language as the teaching object, teaching environment. At first, from the perspective of students, the acquisition-learning hypothesis proposed by Krashen advocated that the learning of second language can be divided into ‘acquisition’ and ‘learning’. The former stressed on the second language leaning was similar to learning of mother tongue, learners can contact with as much as language sample without redundant attention on language forms; while the latter focus on the conscious processes of learning language form and rules. In terms of current situation of English language teaching in China, students are difficult in ‘acquisition’ of target language but in ‘learning’ as a result of learning schedule and environment. With the shifting from the elite education to the common education, the dropping of students’quality due to the expanding commission was a indisputable fact. There existed the certain problems on the