To Teach or Not to Teach Grammar Historically, grammar has been central. But in recent decades, a few extremists have advocated no teaching of grammar whatsoever. Reason, balance, and the experience of teachers in recent CLT tradition tell us that judicious attention to grammatical form in the adult classroom is not only helpful, if appropriate techniques are used, but essential to a speedy learning process.
Appropriate grammar focusing techniques: • are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts.
• contribute positively to communicative goals.
• promote accuracy within fluent, communicative language.
• do not overwhelm students with linguistic terminology.
• are as lively and intrinsically motivating as possible.
Marianne Celce Murcia (1991) offered six easily identifiable variables that can help you to determine the role of grammar in language teaching.
1. Age Clearly, due to normal intellectual developmental variables, young children can profit from a focus on form only if the focus is very, very simple and stated or illustrated in concrete form. Adults, with their abstract intellectual capabilities, can use grammatical pointers to advance their
communicative abilities.
2. Proficiency level If too much grammar focus is forced on to beginning level learners, you run the risk of blocking the acquisition of fluency skills. At this level, grammatical focus is helpful as an occasional "zoom lens" with which we zero in on some aspect of language that is currently being practiced, but not helpful if it becomes the major focus of class work. At the advanced level, grammar is not necessarily "more important," but rather, it is less likely to disturb
communicative fluency. It may or may not be more important, depending on the accuracy already achieved by learners.
3. Educational background Students who are non-literate or who have no formal educational background may find it difficult to grasp the complexity of grammatical terms and explanations. Highly educated students, on the other hand, are cognitively more receptive to grammar focus and may insist on error correction to help refine their already fluent skills.
