Current Issues in the Teaching of Grammar: An SLA Perspective

Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 2004

With the rise of communicative methodology in the late 1970s, the role of grammar instruction in second language learning was downplayed, and it was even suggested that teaching grammar was not only unhelpful but might actually be detrimental. However, recent research has demonstrated the need for formal instruction for learners to attain high levels of accuracy. This has led to a resurgence of grammar teaching, and its role in second language acquisition has become the focus of much current investigation. In this chapter we briefly review the major developments in the research on the teaching of grammar over the past few decades. This review addresses two main issues: (1) whether grammar teaching makes any difference to language learning; and (2) what kinds of grammar teaching have been suggested to facilitate second language learning. To this end, the chapter examines research on the different ways in which formal instruction can be integrated with communicative activities. Continuing in the tradition of more than 2000 years of debate regarding whether grammar should be a primary focus of language instruction, should be eliminated entirely, or should be subordinated to meaning-focused use of the target language (for historical reviews see Howatt, 1984; Kelly, 1969), the need for grammar instruction is once again attracting the attention of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers and teachers. We briefly review arguments against and in support of grammar teaching before examining the approaches to grammatical instruction investigated in current research. 1

The Canadian Modern Language Review / La revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 2004

Vial Vigo International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2007

This study stemmed from the result of general weaknesses detected in the teaching of grammar within the specific context of the English Philology curriculum at the University of Santiago. A survey was conducted to find out the views of English majors on grammar teaching with the purpose of implementing the existing programme. The results obtained indicate that students see value in the study of grammar although they are more in line with practical, descriptive and functional approaches rather than with theoretical, prescriptive and formal perspectives to language. Learners' general assessment of grammar courses in the English Philology curriculum is quite positive. Syntax is students' preferred area of grammar and selfdiscovering activities are rated highly; however, they question the relevance of grammatical terminology and the usefulness of contrastive analysis. The paper concludes by suggesting the need to explore new approaches to the teaching of grammar which will be based on the use of new technologies, such as the Internet, and general and learner corpora.

2010

Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature, 2020

Research on grammar teaching covers a variety of topics and adopts plural perspectives. The III International Conference on Teaching Grammar (Congram19), held at the Autonomous University of Barcelona from January 23 to 25, 2019, is a sample of this. The presence of current research, carried out in various contexts, was an opportunity to consolidate a common field and to reflect on the particularities of the research carried out in each of these contexts, clearly linked to the purposes assigned to grammar teaching. This special issue includes the contributions of 16 researchers resulting from this conference. The reader will find these contributions in two parts: the first part in the previous issue of Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature (13.2) and the second part in the present issue (13.3).

In the history of language teaching, the role of grammar has been addressed by a number of linguistic theories, pedagogies and, currently, within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF). The way grammar is considered has a decisive influence on pedagogical practices, learning processes and many other areas involved in language teaching. This paper constitutes a revision of how grammar has evolved in the last fifty years paying special attention to its evolving role in both communicative (CLT) and post-communicative approaches and in the CEF.From this revision, some controversial issues concerning the pedagogic value of teaching grammar will arise as well, such as whether grammar is worth teaching in the classroom or not and how it should be taught.Even though there exists a parallel linguistic framework between CLT and the CEF, some issues still need revision concerning the notion of grammatical competence and its role for language teaching.

International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 2017

Every language has its grammar. Whether it is one's own mother tongue or second-language that one is learning. The grammar of the language is important. This is because acceptability and intelligibility, both in speech and in writing within as well as outside one's own circle or group depend on the currently followed basic notions and norms of grammaticality. A knowledge of grammar is perhaps more important to a secondlanguage learner than to a native speaker has intuitively internalized the grammar of the language whereas the secondlanguage learner has to make a conscious effect to master those aspects of the language which account for grammaticality. It is, therefore, necessary for us, to whom English is a secondlanguage, to learn the grammar of the language. So, without the knowledge of the grammar of a particular language, we cannot properly use the language in communication. But question may arise what should be the method and approach to the study of grammar. Several approaches have been followed through the ages for the study of English grammar. The major approaches are the traditional approach, the structural approach, the notional-functional approach and the communicative approach.

RELC Journal, 2014

Grammar can be viewed both as knowledge and as ability. When viewed as knowledge, the focus is on rules for sentence formation. When viewed as ability, the focus is on how grammar is used as a resource in the creation of spoken and written texts. Twelve principles are proposed as the basis for a pedagogy that focusses on acquiring learning to use grammar in texts. Each principle is illustrated with examples from classroom practice.