The Effects of Translation-Grammar

and Communicative Grammar

Teaching on Sixth Grade Students
of a Public High School in Pasto
Natalia Lizeth Benavides Cerón
Ingrid Mabelyn Lopez Jaramillo

University Of Nariño
Introduction
 Along the history of the EFL teaching metods, the most
applied method has been Grammar-Translation; however,
later Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) became one
of the newest known methods, and it has produced a
controversy about which one of these two methods is more
suitable.
 As English is a foreign language in Colombia, it has been
taught through metalinguistic explanations or Grammar
Translation Method (GTM). Students in Colombia have
obtained in average a sufficient basic level of English
according to the results of Pruebas Saber 11.
Introduction

 Some authors have stated comunicative lessons

work better when teaching gramar. Communicative
lessons enclose students into real-life situations. In this
way, they learn gramatical structures and they are
able to use them in a real conversation.
Background

 Teachers were teaching English through

Grammar-Translation method because it
allows them learn the rules and structures
by heart; however, they only developed
the writing skill. Therefore, some teachers
have searched another method that
allows students to learn English
communicatively. Thus, they will develop
the four skills (W, R, L, S).
Problem Statement:
It has produced a controversy about
which one of the two methods
(grammar-translation or communicative
grammar) is more suitable in a sixth-
grade class in pasto.
General Objective:

Compare the effects on gramar

teaching through metalinguistic
explanations and the effects on
gramar teaching in a
communicative way to apply to
a sixth-grade class of a public
high-school in Pasto.
Specific Objective:

To analize how students of a

public high-school in Pasto learn
the English gramar.
To examine how English teachers
of a public high-school in Pasto
teach English gramar to students.
Justification
 This Project pretends to compare the two teaching
methods, traditional and communicative, and determine
which is better ti apply to a sixth grade class of a public high
school in Pasto.
 First, English Grammar is considered as the part the most
important of a foreign language learning to beginners.
 Second, it is relevant to know why the most of students do
not know English Grammar if this has been taught from
basic levels.
 Third, no similar study has been applied in Colombia.
Definition of Terms:

 Grammar: it is not only the system by

which a language works but also it
describes the way a language functions.
Thus, the goal of teaching gramar is to
improve the language use through
normative aspects and make the gramar
considered as an interesting object of
study and as a tool to learn other
languages.
Metalinguistics

 Jakobson (1960) also called it Function; argues that

it is the property of language to refer to itself.
 In addition, it is useful for transmitter and receptor
are sure they are using the same code, avoiding
misunderstandings.
Definition of Terms:

Metalinguistic explanations:
the discourse by mean one
lets the foreign language
gramar be understood in an
explicit way, making use of
itself.
Communicative Competence

 Hymes (1966) introduced this concept and discussed

and redefined by many authors. Hymes’ original
idea was that speakers of a language have to have
more than gramatical competence in order to be
able to communicate effectively in a langauge;
they also need to know how language is used by
members of a speech community to accomplish
their purposes.
Pedagogical Implications:
 It is necessary to observe two groups. One
group will be instructed by a teacher who must
apply Grammar-Translation Method and the
other group will be instructed by a teacher
who must implement Communicative
Grammar Method. It is also necessary the
participation of students to answer a survey.
This research Project has to be carried out in a
sixth grade because this is the stage where
students learn basic language structures in
order to communicate.
Conclusion
 To conclude, after observing the results of using Grammar
Translation in nowadays education, it was determined that is
better to adapt another methodology according to the
context.
 In addition, it is needed to search and analize other gramar
teaching methods that better adapt to the context and
students’ needs.
 It was found that an innovative method called Communicative
Grammar is being implemented and discussed by various
educators.
THANK YOU!