Page 36 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Approaches to Language Teaching

and even philosophy, while Mehisto et al. (2008) define CLIL as an umbrella
term covering a dozen or more educational approaches. Given the increasing
spread and complexity of CLIL, this educational concept will be discussed in
a separate chapter (see Chapter 3).

Grammar-Translation Method
The grammar-translation method has its origins in the teaching of classical
languages, mostly Latin and Greek. Its main purpose was to help students
read classical literature rather than develop fluency in the spoken language.
A typical classroom activity involved the explicit teaching of a grammar rule,
a list of vocabulary items and example sentences, a reading section illustrat-
ing the grammatical rule and the selected vocabulary and a set of exercises
to practice using the grammar and vocabulary. Another important feature
of the grammar-translation method was that the classes were usually taught
using the learners’ first language. This approach was strongly criticised dur-
ing World War II and later for focusing too much on formal accuracy in writ-
ing and completely disregarding language use in communication. Although
there is today a wide consensus among linguists on the ineffectiveness of
the original method for FLT purpose, the grammar-translation method is still
used in many parts of the world (Nunan, 2015).

Re-Examining Translation for FLT Purposes
Several authors have argued in favour of re-examining the role of translation
for FLT purposes (Cook, 2010). Bratož and Kocbek (2013) argue that transla-
tion can be used in the YLs’ classroom to raise the children’s awareness of
the culturally-determined speech practices and norms and for focusing on
cross-cultural differences between different cultures. For example, children
may be asked to look for translation equivalents of festivals and celebrations
(such as Mother’s Day in the USA or Women’s Day in Slovenia), mythological
and legendary figures (e.g. discussing the translation of the Slovene expres-
sion Dedek Mraz), literary characters (e.g. translating the main character in
the Slovene story Muca Copatarica into English), recipes and other culinary
practices (e.g. translating measuring units, special ingredients, etc.) and oth-
ers. These activities can also be used as a springboard for discussing cultural
practices, such as talking about the role of Muca Copatarica (Eng. The Slipper
Cat) in the Slovene children’s literature and the practice of ‘wearing slippers’
in the Slovene culture. In a CLIL classroom (see Chapter 3), translation can ef-
fectively be used for discussing the differences between L1 and L2 terms in a
certain subject. For example, in a lesson in which learners explore the char-
acteristics of the water cycle in L2, they may be asked to translate the terms
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