TEACHING THE SECOND LANGUAGE BETWEEN GRAMMAR- TRANSLATION METHOD AND COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH -TEACHING ARABIC AS A
MODEL-Emad Aly Mohamed Mahmoud
Katta O'qituvchi Oriental Universiteti https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10806549
Abstract. The research reviews two of the methods used in teaching the second language, the Grammar- Translation Method, and the Cognitive Approach, as well as the impact of using both methods on students studying the second language, in terms of mastering the target language, in addition to the time requiredfor that, and takes the teaching of Arabic in Uzbekistan as a model for research.
The research mentions the methodology of both methods, their advantages, disadvantages, and the expected results of their application to students in teaching the target language, as well as the extent of development in the mastery of the second language of the learners, in addition to showing the disparity between the two methods, and above that the research mentions the reasons why many teachers prefer to use the Grammar- Translation Method in indoctrination of students.
The research suggests leaving the Grammar- Translation Method, and resorting to modern methods, such as the Cognitive Approach, which aims to build the linguistic competence of second language learners, and raise it to a level close to the level of native speakers.
Keywords:
Teaching methods - Grammar Translation Method - Cognitive Approach - Linguistic competence.
Introduction:
There are many methods of teaching languages, and language teaching is intended to teach the four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and there have been many methods of teaching languages, and each method emerged from an approach whose foundations differ from other curricula, and we mean by the method: the general plan for presenting the educational material in an organized manner.
The educational material in this field is the second language, and its skills that learners must acquire, and the method is based on the rules of the approach applied by the teacher, the approach is the basis of the plan, and one of the most famous methods used in teaching languages; the method of grammar and translation.
First: Grammar-Translation Method:
This method sees that learning grammar is a way to develop the faculties of the mind and ways of thinking, and the main goal of studying the second language is to translate from the mother tongue to the target language, and from the target language to the mother tongue, and we see this clearly in the field of teaching Arabic in Uzbekistan, as the main goal of teaching Arabic to Uzbek students is to enable Uzbek Arabic language learners to read and understand texts written in Arabic, communicate with Arabic Islamic heritage sources, and transfer them to the Uzbek language.
Methodology:
1- Looking at the study of the target language as memorizing its rules, delving very deeper into the details of these rules, studying exceptions, and expanding access to abnormal rules.
2- Identify the characteristics of the target language compared to the mother tongue; therefore, most of the lesson time is spent talking about the target language, not speaking it.
3- Focus on reading, writing training, and neglect speaking and listening skills.
4- Paying attention to the textbook, and not using other books.
5- The exercises are limited to translating unrelated words, phrases and sentences from the mother tongue to the target language and from the target language to the mother tongue.
6- Believing that the student cannot learn the target language in the target language, but rather learns it through the mother tongue; the mother tongue is the reference for this.
Criticism of grammar and translation method:
1- Lack of interest in the preparation of teachers, and the criterion for the teacher's competence is his knowledge of the rules of the target language, even if he is not fluent in speaking it, as long as he is fluent in the mother tongue.
2- Focusing on reading and writing skills and neglecting listening and speaking skills.
3- Student evaluation depends on essay questions, which limits students' creativity and reduces their mental abilities.
4- Expansion of learners in their culture about the target language, and lack of interest in using the target language in communicative situations.
5- This method neglects the most important functions of language, which is the communicative function, and makes students' communication in the target language limited to translating what they read from its books.
6- The use of the mother tongue is continuously depicted, which hinders the student's mastery of the target language.
Advantages of grammar and translation method:
1- These are suitable for the method of large numbers of students.
2- Low cost; the student does not need more than the textbook and writing tools.
3- It does not need a special quality of teachers, and the preparation of the teacher does not require more than familiarization with the rules of the target language, and proficiency in the mother tongue.
4- Enable learners to master reading and writing skills in a relatively short time.
Second: Cognitive Approach:
The theory of solving and understanding linguistic symbols, so that the student can consciously control the structures of the target language, so that he can grow the possibilities of using them, and employ them easily in the right situations, so that learning the target language turns into the acquisition of the target language.
This method aims to build the linguistic competence of the learner so that it approaches the adequacy of the native speaker of the target language, and focuses on teaching the grammar of the target language with mental mental methods that differ from the method of memorization followed by the method of grammar and translation.
Methodology:
1- Building the linguistic competence of the target language learners by controlling the rules and system of the target language with cognitive mental methods.
2- Enable learners to generate sentences they have not heard before.
3- It requires effort and creativity from teachers; their role is not to teach grammar as in the method of grammar and translation, but to follow the deductive method in teaching grammar.
4- The use of intermediate language in teaching grammar of the target language, thus opening the field of teaching the target language by native speakers of the language, even if they do not know the language of the learners.
5- Correcting errors so that the error does not take root in the minds of learners.
Criticism of the method:
1- This method adheres to the traditional deductive approach in language learning.
2- Exaggerate the mental aspects of language learning, making the teacher's task difficult.
3- Focus on grammar, and the need to understand them.
Advantages of the method:
1- It aims to build the language competence of the target language learners.
2- There are many exercises provided after the lesson, and the learners practice different language activities.
3- Training learners to use language in different situations.
4- The teacher works to develop the mental skills of students, training them on the foundations of deduction and the rules of induction.
5- Attention to the four language skills, which are thus different from the method of grammar and translation.
6. Focus on understanding and comprehension, not on memorization.
7. Learners' practice of the target language ensures a conscious practice, not a repetition of the patterns studied.
8- It requires good preparation for teachers, and highly qualified for broad knowledge of the target language systems that he taught.
Conclusion:
Looking at the reality of teaching Arabic in Uzbekistan, we find that it is taught in grammar and translation, and books are prepared according to this method, and shows the extreme neglect of listening and speaking skills.
Building the language proficiency of learners requires several things:
1- Changing the method used in teaching Arabic.
2- Preparing teachers well and qualifying them appropriately to teach Arabic.
3- Expanding the preparation of local courses, which suit the nature of Uzbek learners.
4- Preparing the minds of Arabic learners to understand that learning Arabic should be primarily for the purpose of communication.
5- Reducing the use of the mother in teaching Arabic.
6- Stop teaching students grammar, and teach grammar using mental methods.
7- Linking Arabic language learning to its use in communicative situations.