Translating Method to Explore the Learners’ Acquisition of the English Subjunctive Mood

Translating Method to Explore the Learners’ Acquisition of the English Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood has more than the literal sentence level meaning, and therefore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners often find it difficult not only to understand the complicated buildup of the main clause with the modal verbs and the use of the if-clause with complicated verbs added, they also find it difficult to understand the real intention of the mood. Therefore, this research aims to find out whether the translated writing method can help the EFL learners in acquiring the subjunctive mood. Also, to find out whether the conventional grammar drill exercise and the translated writing method have any meaningful differences among the learners. Results showed that the student first preferred that translation task to exercise and learn the subjunctive mood. Next, unlike assumptions that past perfect mood would be the most difficult task for the students, students had the lowest correction rate for the past mood. Post-test survey revealed that the students preferred the translation method which enabled them to practice the extended composition on a more concrete sentence level.