INTRODUCTION The aim of this essay is, first of all, to give an overview of two different methods to teach grammar; one of them is the Grammar-Translation Approach and the other one is the Communicative Language Teaching. To start the essay, there is a definition of grammar followed by the first method defined in the essay the Grammar-Translation Approach. After having defined what the method is and what are its main features, there is a section that deals with the advantages and disadvantages of the method. Following this, the same process is repeated but with the Communicative Language Teaching in which there is a definition of the method and its characteristics and the pros and cons of using it. Then, there is a comparison between both methods based on their features and finally the conclusions I have reached after having done the essay.
1. WHAT IS GRAMMAR? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word grammar is defined as ‘the whole system and structure of a language of or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and sometimes also phonology and semantics.’ While talking about grammar, it is important to mention and differentiate between prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar. The former prescribes and forbids
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First of all, as it focuses its attention on the communicative competence, the learner gains more fluency while speaking. Furthermore, this method provides the learner with authentic material and it helps to develop abilities to face real life situations in which he is involves every day. Moreover, the learner is able to reach agreements and negotiate as most of the activities carry out in this method are done in pair work or groups. Additionally, although the goal of this method is the ability of the learner to communicate in the target language, it also gives some notions of the other skills such as reading, listening and
Every language has a grammar: a set of patterns and rules that we learn to use when we're reading.
My love affair with Grammar was once an unstable, inconsistent one. It began in 12th grade, my senior year of high school. Mind you, it’s not that I met Grammar in high school; I knew him, well, for most of my life. I began reading at the age of three, and it can be rightly stated that Grammar and I began our relationship at that time. You see, I was a precocious early reader, who cracked the reading code, without formal instruction. I realized that there was a rhythm, cadence, and pattern to language, and as soon as I began writing manuscript letters, I began to practice placing words in their proper order.
The rules of grammar can be frustrating to me, especially when there seem to be more exceptions to the rules than times when they apply. Some rules make more sense than others and seem obvious, while others are easy to forget once you get started writing something. Fortunately, grammar is something plenty of people struggle with and can be improved on.
Today, formal grammar is essential in our academic careers, requiring us to write concise and professional assignments in order to exercise creativity and leave impressions on instructors. Although, the effectiveness of the explicit instruction of formal grammar is still under speculation; even individuals from academic and research backgrounds are skeptic about whether explicit formal grammar instruction is effective at all. Although, it sounds only nonsensical to even consider abolishing this instructional method, for why should learning grammar be based on one’s own knowledge of it? Why should the student’s initial experience with grammar be deemed as more important than proper instruction? The explicit instruction of formal grammar in society is necessary, for the consequences of removing this practice can prevent core grammar from being taught in the first place; also, even if other methods would prove more effective, applying this would be too much of a risk, and ultimately keep students from discovering talents, and make it more difficult for foreign students to learn English as a second language.
These days, language is very important in today’s world. Technically, language is vital to every single aspect in human beings. Language is also very interesting to explore as well as the rules or grammar. Although language is important for us, but some people argued that some languages have no grammar at all. However, on the other hand, Winifred Bauer (1998) on her discovery and strong opinions and evidence in Language Myth 10: Some Language Have No Grammar that every language must have rules or grammar to communicate with others.
If anyone has told you that grammar is not important then they were very wrong. Grammar is and will always be necessary in your life. Whether you're talking to employers and peers, writing a resume, or getting a career. Grammar will be a big part of your life.
There are plenty of teaching methods that are used to teach a language, they developed over the years and centuries, in this essay two well-known teaching methods will be discussed, their principles, their advantages, and their drawbacks, these methods are Grammar Translation Method and The Direct Method.
Grammar is very important in writing, it helps in all different kinds of writing, articles, E-mails, documents, reports, etc. Writing is a very challenging activity for many learners, thus, having the
In terms of learning grammar, it can be said that most students or maybe almost every student of English language tend to have some difficulties in understanding the rules and also in using the appropriate patterns in sentences, especially when it comes to different given contexts. On many occasions, different given contexts can mean different rules and it may lead to different patterns. However, when it comes to grammar rules, many students find that it is not so easy to internalize many of those rules that even though they have learned it intensively, they still do not understand it well. In many different cases, it happens because choosing and knowing the appropriate rules itself sometimes can be a problem which is quite hard to solve if the students do not understand the contexts. Thus, the students have to understand the given contexts first in order to know which rule is the most
It is not uncommon to say that grammar instruction plays an important role in language teaching. Regarding the status and importance of grammar teaching, a variety of opinions have been made. Batstone (1994) states that “language without grammar would be chaotic: countless words without the indispensable guidelines for how they can be ordered and modified” (p. 4). More vividly, Wang (2010) makes two similes. She compares grammar to the frame of a house, which is a decisive factor to ensure the solidness of it. Additionally, she regards grammar as a walking stick, whose function is to help and support students to learn English. Thus, the nature of grammar instruction manifests its own significance as it helps students
Larsen-Freeman (2001) as cited in Mart (2013), describes grammar as a system of meaningful structures and patterns that are governed by particular pragmatic constraints. This clearly indicates that grammar plays a crucial role in learning the target language. Grammar instruction is one of the most difficult issues that people have encountered in language learning and teaching. Therefore, the best way to overcome this issue is by
According to Calvert (1999), it is a method of language learning by which two individuals with different mother languages work in collaboration, in pairs with the intention of: helping one another progress in their language learning to improve their language skills; learning more about one another’s culture and character and finally exchanging knowledge. This could assist pupils in becoming motivated, more confident in the use of the target language and they can develop pronunciation to progress to near-native competency.
Having in mind the topic of this article, Nihat (2008) explains the importance of acquiring communicative competences inside the classrooms as an important fact of English Language Teaching. He stated that more than grammatical rules and structures, students should know how to use their second language, in order to
Specialists in descriptive grammar (linguists) examine the principles and patterns that underlie the use of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. In contrast, prescriptive
As we all know that English is a global language, there is a need to learn the language to meet the future challenges especially to the students of non-native speakers of English. Language is used as a tool for communication. To learn a foreign language like English, students need mental involvement. Modern classrooms require the learner centered approaches. One such approach is Communicative Language Teaching. This type of teaching facilitates learning through modern techniques. Many researchers suggest that students who are actively involved in learning process will get success. Once they are actively involved in learning process they get self confidence and motivation. The instructional materials and techniques used by teachers have a direct effect on many students. If the approach fits the preferred learning mode, the