Reflection+on+Approaches+and+Procedures+for+Teaching+Grammar+by+Salim+AKKIN

 Salim AKKIN  1734466  

** Reflection on Approaches and Procedures for Teaching Grammar ** Grammar has a great importance and dominance on teaching any language. Learners learn the rules of the language such as structure and sentence patterns. Learning grammar is important because grammar is necessary for other language skills like speaking, listening, writing and reading. It has a crucial role in order to be able to grasp the meaning and produce the language for communication. To give an example, without knowing grammatical rules, learners cannot comprehend the meaning of a text or. Even while speaking we need to know grammatical structures to express ourselves clearly. As the writer states, grammar allows the learners to put their ideas into intelligible and understandable sentences. He points out that grammar has such an importance that it is a path way for other language skills. In Turkey and many other countries, grammar is taught deductively. First, rules are given and later memorised. Learners are expected to use them in other conditions. For example, for the university entrance exam we studied on grammar too much and answered many test questions by using our memorised grammar knowledge. Teaching just grammar without including other language skills is not beneficial for the learners. Using the grammar in other skills while communicating sometimes too challenging and learners cannot express themselves although they know the rules. For instance, we know the grammatical rules very well, but as to speaking, it is hard to speak fluently and it is a common problem among my friends. A teacher should know how to incorporate grammar with other language skills and there are some teaching approaches to do it. ** Practice and consciousness-raising ** Teachers believe that grammar is taught to help learners to use it in other language skills. Practice facilitates accuracy and fluency, so practice makes perfect. Correct use of the language can be reinforced by practice. It is valid for teaching grammar as well. The more the learners use and practice grammar rules, the more they can be familiar with them. By doing like that, learners can use these rules in other situations like in communication in both writing and speaking. Repetition and practice have a strong influence on learning and applying the rules. Consciousness-raising isseen as a way of raising learner’s awareness of grammatical features of the language. The purpose is to make learners notice the features of the grammatical rules, but there is no need to use them for in a specific area. ** Explicit and implicit knowledge ** Explicit knowledge is a kind of conscious knowledge of grammatical rules acquired by classroom instruction. Although the learners know the grammatical rules, they make errors and mistakes. On the other hand, implicit knowledge is automatic and unconscious. It is obtained naturally and effortlessly without doing anything. ** Two Core Approaches in Grammar Presentations ** ** Deductive and inductive approaches ** In deductive approach, rules are given first and later learners are expected to use them. Rules are given from general to specific. While teaching grammar, teacher first gives the rules directly and later gives some examples to practice these rules. In inductive approach, teacher gives some examples and learners are expected to understand grammatical rules from them. Rules are not given directly. I think that both of can be use in foreign language classrooms. I will also use both of them when I start to teach. There is no best way.

** Proposed procedure for teaching grammar ** Writer stated that are four concerns related to teaching grammar. The first one is teachers generally explain rules with examples without involving learners in communication. The second one is teachers mostly rely on their text books and always follow the activities in these books. They think that they have enough knowledge to teach learners. Thirdly, teacher only focus on grammar by ignoring other language skills like speaking and writing. Learners are always doing grammatical activities, so they get bored. The last one is although the students know the grammatical rules; they have difficulty in using them in writing and speaking skills. There are some steps that writer mentioned for teaching grammar. These are; Grammar is one of the fundamental skills for communication in both written and spoken language. As teachers, we should teach grammar with other language skills. I mean we should incorporate grammar with others so that learners can take advantage of learning all the required language skills. As I stated before, it can be taught both deductively and inductively. The most essential thing is to make learners learn and know the rules and make them use in other language areas. In many schools including universities in Turkey, rules are given first and learners are expected to memorize them for the exams. Teachers believe that they teach grammar. However, it is not the way of teaching grammar. Although learners know the grammar rules very well, they cannot put into practice these rules in communication. As the future teacher, we should put an end to this and make grammar integrate with other language skills.
 * building up students’ knowledge of the rule or rule initiation;
 * eliciting functions of the rule or rule elicitation;
 * familiarizing students with the rule in use through exercises or rule practice;
 * checking students’ comprehension or rule activation; and
 * expanding students’ knowledge or rule enrichment.