Why can the Grammar-Translation Method be suitable for large or mixed-ability…

2026

Why can the Grammar-Translation Method be suitable for large or mixed-ability classes?

  1. A.

    It allows the teacher to explain concepts.

  2. B.

    It focuses on speaking activities.

  3. C.

    It prioritizes listening comprehension.

  4. D.

    It encourages student independence.

Attempted by 2 students.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

The Grammar-Translation Method (GTM) is a teacher-centered approach to language instruction in which the teacher explicitly explains grammar rules and word meanings to the whole class, typically through translation into the learners' first language, while students work mainly through reading, writing, and translation exercises rather than open-ended spoken interaction.

In this item, because the class receives the same rule explanation from the teacher at one controlled pace, the same lesson can be delivered uniformly regardless of class size or how varied student ability levels are, with no need to organize pair or group oral practice or to assess each student's individual spoken output. This is exactly what makes the method practical for a large or mixed-ability classroom, matching the option stating that it allows the teacher to explain concepts.

  • Speaking activities would require organizing students into pairs or small groups and individually monitoring their oral output, which becomes harder, not easier, as class size grows, and this is not how Grammar-Translation Method lessons are actually built.

  • Listening comprehension work depends on recordings or spoken input and on gauging each student's aural understanding individually; the method's core classroom activity is reading and translating written text, not developing listening skill.

  • Student independence would mean each learner progressing at their own individual pace, which is the opposite of one teacher-directed explanation delivered uniformly to the whole class.

Hence the Grammar-Translation Method suits large or mixed-ability classes specifically because it lets the teacher explain concepts uniformly to the entire class at once.

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