issues of grammar teaching and assessment
what argument is
Grammar is like a 'sentence-maker machine' and it gives learners the opportunity to develop their limitless linguistic creativity. The number of sentences a learner can make is controlled by vocabulary at the learners command and creativity.
The sentence-machine argument
what argument is
Teaching grammar is corrective against ambiguity.
For example: Last Friday night, I was boring in my house. In written language, the statement has to be more explicit. It is similar to the 'Me Tarzan, you Jane'-type language that fail to deliver in terms of intelligibility and appropriateness.
The fine-tuning argument
what argument is
Technically, linguistic competence becomes fossilized when learners who receive no instruction become at risk of fossilizing sooner.
The fossilization argument
what argument is
Grammar instruction could have a delayed effect. Grammar teaching received previously even insufficient can still turn one into a fluent speaker especially when there was a heavy emphasis on grammar.
The advance-organizer argument
what argument is
Grammar consists of an apparently finite set of rules that can help reduce the apparent enormity of the language learning task for both teachers and students by tidying language up and organizing it into neat categories (sometimes called _); grammarians make language digestible.
(A _ is any unit of the grammar system that is sufficiently narrowly defined to form the focus of a lesson or an exercise: e.g. the present continuous, the definite article, possessive pronouns).
The discrete item argument
discrete item
what argument is
Since grammar is a system of learnable rules, it lends itself to a view of teaching and learning known as _. A _ view refers to the role of education as the transfer of a body of knowledge (typically in the form of facts and rules) from those that have the knowledge to those that do not. It is typically associated with the kind of institutionalized learning where rules, order and discipline are highly valued. The need for rules, order and discipline is particularly acute in large classes of unruly and unmotivated teenagers a situation that many teachers of English are confronted with daily. In this sort of situation grammar offers the teacher a structured system that can be taught and tested in methodical steps.
The rule-of-law argument
transmission
what argument is
regardless of the many arguments for or against grammar teaching, learners do come to language classes with fairly fixed expectations. These expectations may be derived from previous classroom language learning experiences. So, should we teach grammar, or should we just create the conditions for learners to learn naturally? What grammar should we teach?
the learner expectations argument
Research findings show that there are five main challenges in teaching grammar that teachers face, namely lack of experience, expectations of the students, lack of facilities, negative perceptions on the teaching of grammar and preparing grammar lessons (Yusob, 2018).
Pedagogical Issues
Students have high expectations of teachers. When teachers lack the experience, it is tantamount to failing. Teachers must know his or her students, how they learn, and how to make them leam. Experience is something essential in managing a grammar class and the lack of experience makes grammar teaching for them a trial and error event which often results to learning frustrations on the part of the students.
Lack of Experience and Students' Expectations
Crucial to aid in making grammar lesson more meaningful are the sufficient facilities. Enough exposure of the target language will help learner learn language better (Ana & Ratminingsih, 2012) Teaching and learning process could be done with the chalk-and-talk method (Hassan, 2013; Normazidah, Koo & Hazita, 2012), but the lesson might be perceived as boring. Students these days appreciate the lessons which involve more the use of ICT facilities or at least presentation slides (Hiew, 2012)
Lack of Facilities
The way we perceive grammar greatly affects the amount of learning and rate of proficiency in language learning. Having a negative perception on language teaching as noted by Wong and Barrea-Marlys (2012) may demotivate both the English lecturers and the students. They, the students have to bear the consequences as a result of the English lecturers' perceptions. Wong and Barrea-Marlys 2012.
Negative perceptions on the teaching of grammar
_ can be very heavy and difficult on the part of the teacher than most people think Azar (2007) emphasized that the lessons should be a balance between fulfilling the students' needs and achieving the objectives. English teachers should find good resources and materials in _.
preparing grammar lessons