Grammar-Translation Method and Communicative Language Teaching in Exam-Oriented Contexts: Balancing Accuracy and Fluency in South Asian Classrooms

Authors

  • Tanvir Mostafa BAFSK Author

Keywords:

grammar-translation method, communicative language teaching, exam-oriented education, grammatical accuracy, communicative fluency

Abstract

The current mixed-method study looks into the comparative effectiveness of the Grammar-Translation Method (GTM) and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in the context of the higher-secondary English classrooms in Bangladesh, a situation where high-stakes testing has a controlling effect on pedagogic practice. Based on survey results of thirty students, semi-structured interviews of ten English teachers and structured observation of classrooms, the research examines the effects of examination pressure on instructional decisions and the effects on grammatical accuracy of students and communicative fluency.The empirical fact is that GTM is still predominant, and it is mostly due to the fact that its focus on explicit grammar, translation, and exam-based writing are more or less compatible with the needs of examination. Nonetheless, excessive dependence on GTM is likely to limit the confidence of the students in the field of oral communication and their spontaneity. On the contrary, CLT encourages active involvement, engagement and fluency, but does not always provide adequate explicit scaffolding to grammatical correctness in test-based contexts.The results therefore indicate that neither of the two approaches is sufficient in exam based classes. Instead, a more potentially effective approach to both the development of examination performance and communicative competence is provided by a context-responsive hybrid model that would be a combination of explicit form-oriented teaching with meaningful communicative practice.

 

 

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Published

2026-07-31

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): International Journal Of Teacher Education & Teaching July 2026

Section

Innovative School Experiments

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Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal Of Teacher Education & Teaching

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