应用语言学 论文.doc

期末论文 题 目：Analysis on Grammar-Translation Method 所在学院： 外国语学院 专 业： 学科教学英语 学 号： 2016281020066 作者姓名： 谭立力 任课教师： 汪火焰 2017年 1 月 15 日OUTLINEAbstractKey wordsI. Brief Introduction on Grammar-Translation MethodII. The Advantages of Grammar-Translation MethodIII. The Definition of Grammar and the Relationship Between Grammatical Competence and Communicative Competence.IV. The Revaluation of Grammar-Translation Method V. ConclusionBibliography中文标题、摘要、关键词Analysis on Grammar-Translation MethodAuthor: Tan Lili Number：2016281020066 Course Name: Applied LinguisticsAbstract: Grammar-Translation Method was the major teaching method of foreign language teaching in China. However, it has been impacted and challenged by the emergence of teaching approaches, such as Communicative Language Teaching, Natural Approach and Audio-Lingual method. This paper introduces the teaching status of grammar teaching and discusses its necessity and possibility from three aspects: the nature of grammar, the relationship between grammatical competence and communicative competence, the disadvantages of traditional grammar teaching and its development trend.Key Words: grammar-translation method; advantages and disadvantages I. Brief Introduction on Grammar-Translation MethodGrammar-Translation Method, which developed more than 1,000 years ago and thrived in 1940s, is the oldest of all language teaching methods. Later, the development of linguistics and psychology formed a theoretical and scientific foundation for Grammar-Translation Method, making it the main method of language teaching and learning until 1960s. Before 1970s, China had cultivated, mainly through Grammar-Translation Method, a large group of English workers and technical personnel with a good command of English. During the Middle Ages, this method was adopted to help people to read the literature written in Latin. In the 18th and 19th century, people used it to teach English and French, thus forming a complete teaching system. In the beginning, people learned language to read and translate Greek and Latin books. It was therefore necessary and effective to carry out teaching with the help of mother tongue and learn these two languages by translation. It conforms, to a large degree, to the objective law under which people understand and learn a foreign language, and enables learners to grasp its grammar system. The study of linguistics also provides the theoretical basis for Grammar-Translation Method. Linguistics refers to the study of language in general and of particular languages, their structure, grammar, and history, therefore providing scientific methods for language teaching. In the 18th century, the study and classification of vocabulary by linguists was of great importance to the development of this method. It is these grammatical terms and division of words that we have always relied on to analyze and explain the text. Linguists also believe that learners should master a foreign language through studying written language, which defines the corresponding categories for the content of this method. Grammar is regarded as an adhesive, through which language learners can express their thought and then master it. As a result, it is seen as the core content of language teaching. Besides, in language learning and teaching, psychology pays more attention to language learners and users. According to Chomskys generativism, mankind has an innate ability to form certain concepts, and concept formation is a prerequisite for humans acquisition of the meanings of words. Generativism is, therefore, in favor of the application of Grammar-Translation Method in language teaching. We can say that its appearance benefits from the linguists knowledge of language and the social needs at that time. The principal characteristics of this method were these: 1.The purpose of foreign language study is to learn a language in order to read its literature. It stresses students mental discipline and intellectual development that result from foreign-language study. Students are required to improve their reading skill by reading original work.2.Reading and writing are the major focus; little or no systematic attention is paid to speaking or listening.3.Grammar is taught deductively; and the sentence is the basic unit of teaching and language practice; accuracy is emphasized. People gradually found out the disadvantages of this method after the Second World War, during which there was a huge demand for people who can speak foreign language, students trained by this method cannot meet the needs of the times, generative linguistics became the mainstream of linguistic theory by replacing structural linguistics, and the emergence of cognitivism in psychology led to considerable development in peoples cognitive ability. Communicative Approach and Natural Method dominated linguistics after 1970s, with Grammar-Translation Method faced with severe challenge and almost being abandoned. These theories held that language teaching requires no explanation and language study is not a process of reasoning but a result of peoples inner natural ability under certain circumstance, that language study involves practical conversation. According to Communicative Approach based on the theory of functional linguistics, the purpose of language teaching is to cultivate students communicative competence rather than to merely teach grammar and vocabulary. According to Audio-Lingual Method based on the theory of structural linguistics, learners do not need to understand grammatical rules, for language study is a process of forming habits and the study of sentence structures. It focuses on accuracy through drill and practice in the basic structures and sentence patterns of the target language. Natural Method rejects the formal grammatical organization of language as a prerequisite to teaching and that a focus on comprehension and meaningful communication as well as the provision of the right kinds of comprehensible input provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for successful classroom second and foreign language acquisition . It holds with Newmark and Reibel that “an adult can effectively be taught by grammatically unordered materials”. Influenced by the language teaching pattern of former Soviet union in 1950s and 1960s, China has adopted Grammar-Translation Method as its main teaching method until the early 1980. With the deepening of Chians reform and opening up, there existed many foreign linguistic theories and teaching methods and an increasing demand for improving students communicative competence. As a result, Grammar-Translation Method gradually dropped out of its mainstream position in language teaching. In various English textbooks published over the past few years, the proportion of grammar is decreasing year by year. In addition, grammar only accounts for ten per cent in all kinds of English examinations. It seems that grammatical competence is opposed to communicative competence, and that grammar teaching has become a dispensable part in language teaching and even become an obstacle to the development of students communicative competence. II. The Advantages of Grammar-Translation Method1.It focuses on grammar teaching, combined with vocabulary analysis and abundant translation practice, to train students reading and translation ability. The grammar analysis is made in order of difficulty, which well reflects the essential function of language acquisition. Lets take skill-learning model as an example. Skill-learning-model, from the angel of behaviorism and cognitive development, emphasizes that learners should use exercises to achieve the anticipated purpose, mastering a language. The acquisition of a certain skill entails the integration of skill training of its parts, which is decided by the order in which we use langue. That is to say, the more information-grammar, vocabulary, and syntactic structures- a language learner gets at the preliminary stage of learning, the more initiative he will have to achieve his higher aim. We can therefore say that it is an effective way to learn a second language through the study of grammar and vocabulary. 2.From the perspective of teaching content, it requires students to grasp grammatical rules, vocabulary and sentence structures through a considerable amount of translation practice. This instruction form embodies the student-centered class teaching model in which students, by utilizing the grammatical rules their teachers taught, conduct translation and bilingual conversation so as to be clear about the differences and similarities between their mother tongue and target language and strengthen their understanding of it. 3.The characteristics of this method also puts forward a high request to the teachers and students language ability. First, only when teachers have a better understanding of both mother tongue and target language , can they impart to their students grammatical knowledge and language structural system and make a judgment about their translation. Second, only when students memorize and recite grammatical rules, can they guarantee the quality of language output. In this way, both students and teachers study and memorize grammatical rules, and grasp the target language through lots of translation exercise. . The Definition of Grammar and the Relationship Between Grammatical Competence and Communicative Competence. In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics, and pragmatics. There are several instances. According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English written by Paul Procter, grammar refers to the rules by which words change their forms and are combined into sentences. In Crystals A First Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, grammar refers to the way words and their component parts, combine to form sentences. These two definitions are limited, but they tell us that grammar is indispensable to correct sentence making. Bowen pointed out that grammar refers to the rules by which we combine meaningful words and phrases into sentences for the communication and the understanding of information. Bowens explanation is more precise. Using grammar to make sentences cannot be restricted to its forms and separated from certain meanings, for a sentence , cut off from practical environment, will not produce any meaning. Some scientists, however, enlarge the definition of grammar. Gribbin, for instance, divides grammar into three parts: the unconscious knowledge of language, the conscious knowledge of language, and language rules and usage. There is no doubt that the ultimate purpose of language teaching is to cultivate students ability to put what he has learned into practical communication, namely, communicative competence. Then the question we should be specific about is whether grammar teaching is opposed to the cultivation of communicative competence. Linguistic competence consists generally of two parts: language knowledge ( pronunciation, vocabulary, and sentence ) and language ability ( listening, speaking, reading, and writing ), of which grammatical competence is the most important part. Communicative competence refers to the ability to achieve a certain communicative aim by a combination of language and non-language ( gestures and facial expressions ) approaches. It generally includes sociolinguistic competence, strategic competence and discourse competence. Language learning should follow three principles: grammatical principle, communicative principle and cultural principle. As linguistic competence is an important condition for the development of communicative competence, and grammatical competence is an important part of linguistic competence, it can be seen that grammatical competence is the most important part of communicative competence. Once grammar teaching is conducted in an appropriate way, it will act as a catalyst for the improvement of communicative competence. And poor grammatical competence will absolutely have a negative impact on the cultivation of communicative competence. We can draw a conclusion from the above discussion that they are not opposed but complementary to each other. What Grammar-Translation Method emphasizes is rational knowledge and rules, grammar, translation and contrast, mother tongue, and language knowledge, without paying much attention to language skills. Communicative Method, taking linguistic function as the key link, centers on pragmatic communication rather than grammar. That is to say, “Fluency is superior to correctness” and “Teaching language rather than teaching knowledge about language”. Grammar-Translation Method can make up for the deficiency of Communicative Method and Audio-Lingual Method in training learners reading and grammar competence. Communicative Method can in turn remedy the defect of Grammar-Translation Method in practical use. In the middle and later periods of language learning, students, equipped with a certain amount of language knowledge, can reinforce what they have learned and improve their ability in using the language with the help of Communicative Method. However, it does not mean that Grammar-Translation Method should be discarded, since it still plays an essential role in the analysis of long and difficult sentences. IV. The Revaluation of Grammar-Translation Method It is undeniable that there are lots of defects in traditional grammar teaching. Without modification and improvement, it would be hard to adapt to the need of our age and to be revitalized. Grammar-Translation Method, with its undiversified teaching means and process, overemphasizes translation exercise and ignores the training of speaking and listening. The analysis of language materials without certain discourse makes the students only focus on the rational analysis of syntax and impedes the development of students listening and speaking skill. What students have learned is merely the boring concepts and rules. As they do not have enough opportunity to be exposed to various language forms, these rules and concepts acquired can hardly turn into unconscious knowledge and skill and thus practical communication is beset with difficulties. That is the main reason why at present our country commonly exists the problem of dumb English in foreign language teaching. Despite the deficiencies in traditional language teaching, it does not mean that grammar teaching is unimportant. On the contrary, grammar has always been and will undoubtedly be an important part of language learning. Grammar-Translation Method is the basis of various teaching methods. As it is has been around for a long time, it will inevitably be criticized when there appears other new teaching approaches and methods. Grammar translation emphasizes the study of basic language knowledge. Only by mastering a certain amount of language knowledge and rules, can we carry out imitation training and then develop the ability in using language. Translation plays an important role in language teaching. First, translation can help learners make clear the structure and system of their mother tongue and target language, revealing the corresponding relationship between their forms; Second, in the process of comparing two languages, translation can enable us to discover their difference. Language is systematic, and its systematicness is to a large degree reflected in its grammatical structures. Grammar and vocabulary are the sources of communication. Without a deep understanding of the words, and without a fine grasp of grammar rules, the cultivation of communicative competence would become water without source.Grammar-Translation method is an effective way to achieve other teaching methods. It can effectively resolve the difficulties in language teaching, help students accurately grasp the characteristics and differences of two languages. As the famous linguist F. G. French once said, grammatical points should be explained in native language. It is therefore useful to compare English grammatical points with those of Chinese. He added that it would be difficult to explain some words clearly without the help of translation. Grammar -Translation method also helps to improve students interest in learning English, enhance their learning motivation, and to a certain degree reduce their learning anxiety and stress. The epi