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CHAPTER 5

The mythological antagonist of 'modern' systems of language teaching was the 'grammar and translation method.' By this method, students were given words to memorize, and rules to operate. Having done so, they at once demonstrated and developed their knowledge of the language by translating lists of sentences, and finally by translating authors. The crucial element, however, was mastery of grammar. It was not for nothing that grammar schools were called 'grammar schools.' The crowning achievement in language study by this method was to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest an entire reference grammar.

It is not surprising that in reacting against the grammar and translation method, many language teachers became impatient either with translation, or with instruction in grammar, or with both. Rules, they said, if presented at all, should be, derived inductively by the students from their own recent experiences with the language. This approach produced large numbers of courses with individual 'grammar notes' scattered throughout their contents. Sometimes the notes were of minimal quality, and sometimes they were brilliantly written, but they were never easy for the student to relate to one another.