Page 2 - HOW TO TEACH GRAMMAR

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. How much grammar does one need to be able to communicate comfortably in a second foreign
language?

2. some people claim that grammar is not important as long as you can get your message across in
the language you are studying. Do you agree with this statement?
3. What has been your experience in learning the grammar of a second Language?

4. How do you go about teaching grammar? Do you decide which grammar points to present first,
second, and so on?

5. Is grammar best taught in isolation or in context? Explain your answer.
6. does one have to consciously know the rules of grammar? Why or why not?

7. How important are grammar drills in second language learning? What are the assumptions of
discrete grammar practice?
8. How do you correct your students’ grammar mistakes? Give at least three different techniques you
usually employ in your teaching.

INTRODUCTION

The role of grammar is perhaps one of the most controversial issues in language teaching. In
the early parts of the twentieth century, grammar teaching formed an essential part of language
instruction, so much so that other parts of language learning were ignored or downplayed. The
argument was that if you knew the grammatical rules of the language, you would be able to use it for
communication. This concept was strongly challenged in the early 1970s. knowledge of the
grammatical system of the language, it was argued, was but one of the many components which
underlay the notion of communicative competence. To be considered a competent user of language,
one needs to know not only the rules of grammar teaching, but also how the rules are used in real
communication. During this period, grammar teaching became less prominent, and in some cases, was
abandoned.
In resent years, grammar teaching has regained its rightful place in the language curriculum.
People now agree that grammar is too important to be ignored, and that without a good knowledge of
grammar, learners’ language development will be severely constrained. There is now a general
consensus that the issue is not whether or not we should teach grammar. The issue ow centers on

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