Abstract: Grammar is rule based and essential to the teaching and learning of languages. It is also one of the core complex aspects of language to perform well in the classroom. The misconception lies in the view that grammar is a collection of arbitrary rules about static structures in the language. Grammar is the base of the English language. Many people, including language teachers, hear the word "grammar" and think of a fixed set of word forms and rules of usage. Grammar operates at the sentence level and governs the syntax or word order that is permissible in the language. It also works at the sub sentence level to govern such things as number and person agreement between subject and verb in a sentence. To grammar learning some pupils may have a more analytical learning style than others, but if he/she is keen to use the English language accurately it is essential for the learner to understand the grammatical rules since grammar teaching is rule governed, methodical and systematic. Grammar is not different from something else; it is rule based and it is likely that pupils learn at different rates depending upon their cognitive skills.
Today the tendency is as the saying goes, forget the rules of grammar, teach the language people speak, and allow your students to have fun. A child, who goes to live in a foreign country, may learn to speak the language by just listening and interacting with others. As we understand a child’s mental lexicon is fast and powerful enough to pick up the language he is exposed to while respecting all the aspects of the language—grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Regardless of which approach or what methods are used, most foreign language students do find themselves severely handicapped by an institutional structure that works counter to their best interests.
Both scenarios may seem good for various and other specific purposes but I personally feel both are inappropriate for most language learners. For beginners, let us say, a good command of the grammar of a language does not imply that the person is able to communicate effectively, as we usually observe the students who have only been exposed to an all-grammar-oriented approach sometimes for many years. Many could recite the grammar by heart but if asked to express the basic information, they would hesitate, become nervous and browse through all the grammar rules in their heads before making an utterance, or simply become dumb or speechless. Secondly, just talking in the class without anything else done in order to learn from the actual conversation is not good enough either. It may be helpful of course, but to a certain extent. This approach may be more useful for very advanced students who just need to brush up their second language, but for those in need of building up the foundations of a new language, it is certainly too vague and without any consistency. This paper demonstrates a comparative approach tries to make a brief illogical construction analysis of necessity of grammar teaching before it gives a relatively objective description of its function and significance in language teaching. It argues that, grammar teaching is indispensable in language teaching.
Keywords: Grammar, English language teaching, Necessity.
Title: Teaching a Language with/without the Teaching of Grammar: Challenging the Myths
Author: Dr.N. Prasanna Lakshmi
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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