Grammar Translation and Audio Lingual methods
Since I learned English on my own for most of my life, I realized that I used some techniques of these methods unconsciously. I translated the songs word by word, or I memorized what I heard and tried to repeat them again and again.
The Grammar-translation method was developed for the purpose of helping students appreciate foreign language literature. The Audio-Lingual method or Army method was developed in response to the lack of effectiveness of the previous one in communication skills.
The disadvantages of the Audio-Lingual Method are that students are not encouraged to reflect in the meaning of the words because they learn by repetition, and they do not develop writing and reading skills. The pros of this method are a high development of listening and speaking skills, correct habits of pronunciation, and the effective use of visual aids to remember concepts.
The negative aspects of the Grammar-Translation Method are that learners are not able to communicate in spoken language. They see the language as a collection of isolated words, they do not learn to read, this method takes a lot of time, and it´s focused on accuracy, not fluency. However, we can find positive aspects such as that learners know a lot about grammatical rules of the target language, and they develop skills in writing through compositions.
Even though these methods are not very used today, we can take advantage of some of their techniques to develop the different skills. The use of visual aids is very effective to keep the concepts students hear in their brains. Repetition, pattern drills, and overlearning can enhance retention of concepts, and students can figure out the patterns. As one of the main goals of Grammar-translation method is to learn grammar and gain grammatical accuracy, techniques from this method such as the use of words in sentences, fill in the blanks, or make compositions can help students to develop writing skills. A typical approach to this method is to present the rules of a particular item of grammar, illustrate its use by including the item several times in the text, and practice using them through writing sentences.
The combination of techniques of these two methods is optimal to develop the four skills in a real-world context and reflective activities that can help students not only to learn the language but also acquire it.
TESOL Certificate 