CHAPTER 1
TRADITIONAL AND MODERN.
APPROACHES TO TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR
5.1 Approaches to Teaching Grammar ..................................................................
The teaching of grammar seems to create a controversial issue among teachers, applied
linguists and syllabus designers. Where there was once consensus on the ‘right’ way to teach
foreign languages, many teachers now share the belief that a single right way does not exist.
While some of them like to teach grammar explicitly, others prefer to teach it implicitly; and still
some others prefer not to talk about it at all.
The overall principle that has guided teaching methodology for many years now is that
the purpose of learning a language is to communicate in that language. This means that the
language we teach should be meaningful, natural, and useful to our learners. (Hadfield, 2008:7))
Language acquisition occurs only when comprehension of real messages occurs, and
when the acquirer is not “on the defensive”, to use Stevick’s apt phrase. Language acquisition
does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill.
It does not occur overnight, however. Real language acquisition develops slowly, and speaking
skills emerge significantly later than listening skills, even when conditions are perfect. The best
methods are therefore those that supply “comprehensible input” in low anxiety situations,
containing messages that students really want to hear. (Krashen, 1982:6)
It is believed that grammar is the most important issue in teaching and learning a
foreign language. It is also one of the most difficult aspects when it comes to teaching it.
Usually, the word “grammar” is associated with a fixed set of rules of usage. The goal
of studying grammar is to make students aware not only of the language system and of the
typical constructions in a language, but also of the way the language forms are used.
Teachers make a clear distinction between “good grammar” (i.e. formal language used
in writing and in oral presentations), and “bad grammar” (i.e. language used in everyday
conversation). Such teachers teach grammar by explaining the forms and rules and then drilling
students on them. As a result, they have students who can produce correct forms of language, but