This is a rather bent but amusing video about the Grammar Translation Method. I came across it a while ago and recently stumbled on it again and wanted to share it here on the blog. The allusion to GTM being a "classical" method is really worked on here, and the scenes showing injuries and a student suffering the effects of dimentia are hilarious. The scene at the end with an ancient statue-like teacher droning on (and dying from old age the next day) is pretty funny, too.
Actually, this video would be funnier if GTM wasn't still so prevalent around the world in language teaching even today...
The same producers of this video made others (in the same spirit) in a little series including The Silent Way and Desuggestopedia. There is also an introduction to the series, which I found mildly disturbing, as I'm pretty sure the black and white footage of kids beating up on and torturing an inflated doll is taken from that study that showed how kids develop violent behavioural characteristics by imitating adults.
Anyway, I think these videos about three very well-known methods would make a humourous inclusion in teacher training courses. As I said, a bit whacky, but they do make fun of some of the methods' less endearing characteristics.
:-)
