Thursday, July 16, 2009

Error correction: Grammar-translation Vs. The Direct Method

Well, well well, this is my first try!! I'm not sure if this is what I have to do, but if not... I'm sure I'll have a second chance and will be able to do it better !!
I have decided to start at the very beginning ... so I have compared this two methods taking into account "error correction". In the Grammar -Transaltion method, having the students get the correct answer is very important. So when students make a mistake or they don´t know the answer, the teacher supplies them with the correct answer. It is like this since the teacher is the authority in the classroom, and they are expected to learn things by heart and they have to memorize them with no mistakes. On the other hand the Direct method, in totally different since the role of the student is more active, the class is directed by the teacher but students are expected to self-correct whenever possible, so the teacher tries, using various techniques to get students to it.

Well this is a first idea!! Any comments gilrs? Come on, don´t leave alone !! Any suggestions Gladys? Am I on the right track? Hope so !!


  1. HI Laura and everybody how are you?

    Well I must say I agree with you Laura that The Grammar Translation Method advocates Repetition to obtain perfect outcomes in a teacher centered class. The student´s role is a passive one, he only immitates the teacher.
    But I don´t agree with you in that the DIrect Method is totally different from the Grammar translation Method.I think that,in the Diret Method the teacher is still the main orchestrator of the class She/He uses a great deal of pantomime and a series of monologues in the target language, But the student´s role is still a passive one, they are repeating everything the teacher says
    The focus still centered in accurate production. Therefore error correction is very important here too.
    I do find a difference though in the Natural approach suggested by Krashen. The Teacher doesn´t correct the errors all the time, only the ones that interfere with meaning.
    I don´t know if I am completely lost or if I am on the right track.. What do you think? Help!!!

  2. Well written, Laury and Ale!

    Here are some questions to keep the ball rolling...

    1. Why is it so important to "ensure students get the correct answer in "Grammar Translation"?

    2. Why is it that teachers only correct mistakes which affect comprehension in the Natural Approach?

    BTW, if anyone was interested in reading an excellent overview of "The Direct Method", try this link!

  3. I would like to add something in connection with getting students to self-correct which I find rather interesting in the Direct Method !!!
    The teacher tries to get students to self-correct whenever possible for example asking them to make a choice between what they said and an alternate answer the teacher supplied. Or the teacher might simply repeat what a student has just said, using a questioning voice to signal to the student that something was wrong with it. Another possibility is the teacher repeats what the student said, stopping just before the error, so the student knows the next word was wrong.
    In my opinion, this technique help students to feel more comfortable and at the same time as they discover themselves their mistake it facilitates the learning process.

  4. Why do we continue to teach grammar and mechanics with a strategy (Daily Oral Language) that simply does not work? Why do we force students to rehearse errors and teach grammar exclusively out of the writing context? Would love to hear your responses. More points at and, more importantly, a grammar/mechanics warm-up/opener/bell-ringer that uses a balanced approach of error analysis and model writing is detailed at