Translation-aided Approach in Second Language Acquisition

This paper points out the impracticality of direct methods as a way of making
language input comprehensible, and recommends using translation instead.
Krashen's idea of comprehensible input (1981) has been considerably prominent
in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) theory (Ellis, 1985). The
importance of comprehensibility of input, however, should have required us to
discuss more carefully how to make input comprehensible. Translation as a way
of making input comprehensible seems to have so far been neglected, because
of prevailing negative attitudes toward the traditional grammar-translation method.
Based on Palmer's argument (1917) that translation is a very important tool for
"semanticizing" language, this paper explores new ways of applying translation
to SLA classrooms.