An Analysis of the Grammar Translation Method in the 20th Century and the Inevitability of Its Application in China

The grammar translation method, as one of the oldest foreign language teaching methods, has been unfairly treated or even severely criticized in the present day when the communicative method is prevalent.There are even many people who believe that the communicative teaching method should be used instead of the grammar translation method.In response to this phenomenon, this paper analyzes the characteristics of the grammatical translation method with a fresh perspective, and re-examines the grammar translation method in terms of cultural tradition, educational system, social factors, structuralism, and native language migration, and analyzes and discusses the inevitability and necessity of its use in Chinese English teaching in 20th century.The grammar translation method is not worthless; it responds to the Chinese context in terms of history and culture, and its practical value can be seen in terms of second language acquisition, which meets the needs of society and the realities of teaching in China.