The subsequent over-emphasis on memorization, grammar, and reading created students with poor listening and speaking ability, who only learned the language of the textbook and had difficulty coping with the irregularities of the language.
這種教法過份強調背生字、文法及閱讀，不僅使學生聽、說的能力低落；而且語文經長期使用，通常會產生許多相沿成習、卻不合規則的用法，過度強調語法，容易在「例外」時犯錯。