“According to the teachers who use the __________________________, a fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to read literature written in the target language. To do this, students need to learn about the grammar rules and vocabulary of the target language. They are taught to translate from one language to another. Often what they translate are readings in the target language about some aspect of the culture – mainly literature and fine arts. Reading and writing are the primary skills that the students work on. Very little attention is given to speaking and listening and the roles of the teacher are very traditional.”

(Source: LARSEN-FREEMAN, D. Techniques and Principles in language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Adapted).