Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Grammar translation method of second language teaching?

The correct answer is: Communicating directly in second language and then comparing the rules of grammar of the two languages.

Grammar-Translation Method (GTM):
The Grammar-Translation Method is a traditional approach to language teaching that focuses heavily on reading, writing, and understanding grammatical rules. Its primary goal is to help students read literature in the target language and develop intellectual discipline.

Key Features of GTM include:
1. Focus on Form over Function: Emphasis is placed on learning explicit grammatical structures, rules, and vocabulary lists rather than functional, communicative language skills.
2. Comparison with Native Language: Grammatical rules of the native language (L1) and the target/second language (L2) are continuously compared and analyzed.
3. Use of First Language (L1): The medium of instruction is predominantly the student's mother tongue. There is little to no active oral communication directly in the second language.
4. Rote Learning: Students memorize grammar tables, rules, and vocabulary translation pairs.

Why the selected option is NOT a feature of GTM:
"Communicating directly in the second language" is a characteristic feature of direct or communicative methods (such as the Direct Method or Communicative Language Teaching), NOT the Grammar-Translation Method. In GTM, speaking and direct communication in the target language are largely neglected in favor of reading, writing, and translation in the native language.