EDU 702

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

TEACHING GRAMMAR EXPLICITLY IN ESL CLASSROOM FROM TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE

NOOR ILLI BT ELAS

2014749339

SUBMITTED TO:

DR JOHAN EDDY LUARAN

CHAPTER 1

1.1Introduction.

English is an important language around the world and it is a worldwide used as the lingua

franca. In Malaysia, English has been known as second language and thus it is important to be

emphasized among the students in Malaysia. English is the way for the people to interact each

other especially who comes from different countries, culture and social context. Therefore,

teaching science and mathematics had been established on 2003 for the sake to improve English

among the students and been abolished in 2011. The stress is on the primary school since these

students are the one who will further their study in secondary and tertiary education.

English from a new perspective can be considered as the only one language which is able to

bridge the gap of different cultures and races as well. Even though, these particular countries still

maintain their first language and at the same time they are focusing on the English as their

second language. So, in schools and even in the university, they will teach English from the basic

so that their students will be fluent with English. For Irmscher (1979) grammar not only makes a

Person more conscious of stylistic effects but also helps a writer in diagnosis writing problems

and explaining them to others.

As stated by Debra Hills and Annabel Watson (2013) stated that the teaching of grammar over

50 years is one of contestation, debate and discussion. This means that the educators are actually

facing the same problems over a period of time. The teaching of grammar had been fought over

decade on how to instill the best methods for teaching. However, this depends on the teacher

how to emphasize on grammar teaching. If a teacher is able to attract the students to learn the

grammar, then the basic skills of language such as writing, speaking, listening and writing skills

can be emphasized

1.2. Background of the research

English user or learner as referring to learning grammar is important as well as other than the

four skills that need to be emphasized. But, in the classroom, as the researcher can see that most

of the teachers tend to teach the literature and emphasize the 4 skills in English learning.

Furthermore, the teachers are rushing to finish the syllabus and at the same time, they need to

focus on the tests and examinations as well. So, they need to prioritize what is important thus

they neglect the teaching grammar. To add to this point, if a teacher decides to teach the

grammar to the students, they will choose the easiest grammar to teach such as simple present

tense, past tense and past continuous tense, irregular verbs, modal and etc. They will neglect the

other grammar which is quite complicated such as verb to have, verb to do and verb to be.

The research will be carried out to find the exact reasons for the teachers to neglect the teaching

grammar. Moreover, this research will be helpful if the way to teach the grammar separately will

be approved by the other teachers. Other than that, the study will be focused more on the

students and teachers because these both is the main subjects for the research. Morelli (2003:33-

34) has observed, “Grammar can be taught traditionally or contextually, but student perception

should be considered by teachers in the decision-making process. Students need to feel confident

that educators have met their needs . . . and educators should be willing to consider the attitudes

and perceptions of students when making decisions about how to teach grammar.” This shows

how the teaching of grammar needs to be taken into consideration in teaching language.

1.3. Statement of problems

As the researcher understands that grammar is one of the compulsory elements for teaching

English, some of the teachers are neglecting to teach the grammar in classroom. The steps taken

are to allocate more time in teaching English at school as to make it more effective in teaching.

The four important skills be thought separately which mean will be focusing more on one skill

on that particular day. Indeed, as statement stress that “no other issue has so preoccupied

theorists and practitioners as the grammar debate, and the history of language teaching is

essentially the history of the claims and counterclaims for and against the teaching

of grammar. Differences in attitude to the role of grammar underpin differences between

methods, between teachers, and between learners”. (Thornbury, 1999:14) showed that the

teaching of grammar totally depend on how teacher will use any methods to attract the students

to learn the grammar.

Besides that four skills, they are also others component in English syllabus such as literature and

language art which totally will not focused on grammar. Unfortunately teaching of grammar is

still being neglected as it is thought indirectly although the rules be stated in textbook. The

research is focusing on teaching grammar in secondary school because the secondary school is

important for emphasizing the grammar because this stage is where they are the one who will

continue their study in the tertiary education. According to Peng (2007) has summarized that

from a historical point of view, people began to learn English grammar in the 16th century,

during which anti-grammar teaching ever occurred, and subsequently English grammar in

language teaching experienced several ups and downs. It states that if the basic of grammar is not

strong, how a student will be fluently speaking and using English Language in their daily life.

Indeed, if the problems can be overcome, the teaching of grammar will be fully utilized in the

ESL Classroom. So, for the purpose of this study, the researcher intended to find the solution to

overcome this problems and at the same time to study the reasons behind the problems in

teaching grammar in ESL Classroom.

1.4. Research Objectives

The objectives of the research study are to:

4.1.1 to identify the reasons for teachers to neglect the teaching of grammar in lesson.

4.1.2 to understand the problems that the students are having in learning the grammar.

4.1.3 to understand the problems ann causes that the teachers are having in teaching grammar.

4.1.4 to suggest the teaching methods that understandable for the students to learn grammar in

classroom.

1.5.Research Questions.

The questions of the research are to:

5.1.1 Why the teachers neglect the teaching of grammar in the classroom or as in the lesson?

5.1.2 What are the problems or causes that the students are having in learning grammar.?

5.1.3 What are the problems that the teachers are having in teaching grammar?

5.1.4 What are the appropriate teaching methods and materials to teach the grammar in the

classroom?

1.6.Operational Definitions.

Grammar

Greenbaum (1982) states, among other definitions, that "grammar refers to the properties and

processes that underlie the use of the language — that underlie the ability of speakers to speak

and understand the language". Grammar is stated that it has its own way to understand it and can

be used in enhancing 4 important skills in learning grammar. Besides that, there is the way to

instill the learning of grammar in daily uses through speaking and writing. Therefore, as the

researcher believes that grammar is one of the important basic in language skills and language

area, the teaching methods should be conducted successfully in lesson.. For the purpose of this

study, this is indeed very useful for the researcher to use in this study to learn and understand

better about the grammar.

Teaching.

According to H.C. Morrison – Teaching is an intimate contact between a more mature

personality and a less mature one which is designed to further the education of the latter.

Teaching is an important of actions to instill knowledge, skills and experience either in the

classroom or outside the school. Teaching of grammar is indeed very important as it can help the

students to understand the basic learning of language. Not only that, being fluently in using

grammar through variety of teaching methods and approaches will indirectly enabled the

students to fully utilize using English language in communication or in the daily life. The

researcher believes that, teaching methods and approaches are actually related to the teacher in

conducting the lesson. For the purpose of this study, the researcher intended to study the

appropriate teaching methods and at the same time to investigate the problems in teaching

grammar in ESL Classroom.

Learning

Learning according to Oxford 2009 means the underlying actions that the learners take up to

understand better about the knowledge or skills that had been taught either in the classroom or

outside the classroom. Indeed, the learning of grammar is essential for the students and it is

compulsory for understand the language. To add to this point, the learning of grammar enabled

the students to learn more about the underlying principles of grammar. This is actually will help

the students to be able to use the language fluently. Therefore, the researcher intended to learn

more about the learning of grammar among the students especially who takes interest in learning

English as their second language. For the purpose of this study, the researcher intended to see the

perspectives and the progression of the students when they are involving in learning grammar

explicitly that will be conducted in this research.

1.7. Limitations of the study.

The study will be conducted in one of the primary school in Semenyih. Semenyih is known as

one of the development area which is having the changes in the aspects of technology and

modernization. Therefore, Semenyih is having rapid developments and it is considered from

being classified as the rural area to semi urban area. Therefore, the school that the researcher

chose is situated in the main town of Semenyih. The school is known as Sek Keb Semenyih with

1033 students. There is two sessions which is known morning session and evening session. The

research will be conducted for 30 students which the students will be chose from 3 different

levels of learning; weak, intermediate and advanced. The students will be chose basically

following the ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 which it means that 10 students will be chose from each level of

learning. The teachers will be focused on English teaching at that school. The teachers that had

been chosen basically are the ones who teach the evening session. It is because, the researcher

decided to focus on standard 2. The reasons this study will be focused on standard 2 because this

is the age that is actually appropriate to teach the basic language. According to Chomsky, the age

around 6 to 10 will be appropriate to instill the basic language among the children.

1.8. Significant of study

The research is important for the teachers as it can help the teachers to construct the methods to

teach the grammar the classrooms. And now, the education department needs to start to make the

changes in curriculum especially in English because of the rejecting of learning science and

mathematics in English either in primary or secondary school. The steps taken are to allocate

more time in teaching in teaching English at school as to make it more effective in teaching. If

the grammar can be used in the correct way, the community can use the English as the medium

of interaction in social context. The students can actually use the grammar in the proper way

when they write the essay or in the conversation with the correct pronunciation.

CHAPTER 2

2.0 Introduction

As we already well aware how the importance of learning grammar to the students as well as the

teaching grammar for the language teachers, but how the depth of this importance in language

learning can be measured?. This question arouses a lot of speculations and insights regarding the

learning of grammar as well as the teaching of grammar in the English Second Language (ESL)

classroom. In this scenario, previous researchers had given their opinions and views in their own

respective study about the learning and teaching of Grammar.

2.1 Approaches to Teach Grammar.

According to Handoyo Puji Widodo (2006) in the research entitled “ Approaches and procedures

for teaching grammar” stated that Ellis (2002) defines consciousness-raising as an attempt to

equip learners with an understanding of a specific grammatical feature, to develop declarative

(describing a rule of grammar and applying it in pattern practice drills) rather than procedural

(applying a rule of grammar in communication) knowledge of it. This had been proposed as one

of the ways to teach grammar in this research. Moreover, Handoyo had outlined two cores of

approaches of teaching grammar that are known as the inductive approach and deductive

approach with their own advantages and disadvantages respectively. Indeed, this had shown that

teaching grammar need an absolute approach to instill the basic learning of grammar among the

students. These both approaches also related to Krashen’s theory as stated in this research but

however, there is no specific explanation regarding this relation between these two approaches

and that theory about teaching grammar. Therefore, Handoyo had proposed a procedure for

teaching Grammar which the activities involve five steps in this research :The first step, building

up students’ knowledge of the rule or rule initiation; The second step, eliciting functions of the

rule or rule elicitation;The third step, familiarising students with the rule in use through exercises

or rule practice;The fourth step, checking students’ comprehension or rule activation; and The

fifth step, expanding students’ knowledge or rule enrichment. These five steps are coming with

advantages and disadvantages as explained in the research but in my opinion, it is slightly

different with what I would like to propose that is to teach grammar explicitly means that, out 8

hours of teaching language in the secondary school, the teacher can used 2 hours only to focus on

teaching and learning Grammar in the classroom.

2.2 The Effective Ways to Teach Grammar

Diane Larse Freman in chapter teaching Grammar emphasized on a three dimensional

framework together with inductive and deductive approach. In this chapter, Diane states that

teaching grammar should emphasized on form, meaning, use as well as providing positive

feedback. Other than that, teaching grammar is about the pattern and reasons for using grammar

in essay as well as the other skills. It is basically not a teaching of the rules in grammar and the

language teacher are always wrongly interpreted the grammar as a rule in ESL classroom . In

this scenario, as I decided to carry out the study regarding the teaching grammar, I want to find

out how the language teachers usually teach grammar in the classroom. The questions that arouse

are:

1. What are the ways that the teachers usually teach in the classroom?

2. Is that the teacher introduces the grammar as the rules in language rather than explaining the

pattern and reasons of grammar in ESL classroom?

Therefore, approaches and strategies had been outlined to make the students understand better

about the grammar and do not get confused in learning grammar. These two questions will be a

part of the research questions that will be asked in my questionnaires. It is because, the

researcher wants to understand the perspectives about teaching grammar from the teacher’s side.

2.3 The Challenges of Teaching Grammar.

Abdu Mohammed Al Mekhlafi and Ramani Perur Nagaratnam in their research “ Difficulties in

Teaching and Learning Grammar in EFL context” address the difficulties about teacher’s

perception in teaching grammar. This can actually assist the researcher to cover the reasons why

the teachers always neglect the teaching of grammar in the classroom. Even though the teachers

teach the grammar, but they tend to teach the basic and easy grammar rather than follow up the

syllabus for teaching grammar steps by steps. In this research, they proposed an approach which

is known as explicit grammar teaching in the ESL classroom but the explanation is not very

deep. However, my research is basically about teaching grammar explicitly and therefore, this

idea can actually give a hint to further the research regarding the trivial. From the other

perspectives, they also explained about the declarative versus procedural knowledge, the use of

grammatical terminology, error correction, problem solving technique, the use of authentic text

and the use of spoken and written communicative. The short explanations for each approach are

actually can assist me to understand about the teaching of grammar that had been studied in

previous research. This actually gives tons of the ideas to write a brief explanation regarding

teaching grammar explicitly in the school. The challenges of grammar actually involved in the

classroom as teacher will be the one who transmits the knowledge to the students.

2.4 Ways to Attract the Students to Learn Grammar.

As to continue the study, researcher would like to find out what are the ways to attract the

students in teaching grammar. It is believed that the way to teach the grammar is not by

introducing the grammar as the rules but as a way to understand the grammar. This is stated by

Rabeya Nasrin Khan (2007) in her thesis about “Effective Grammar Teaching in ESL

Classroom” propose that if the teacher avoid the traditional rule of teaching and teach grammar

inductively, the students will be able to understand the grammar better. Other than that, the

researcher prefer to propose that to teach the grammar is by using realia, pictures and technology

aids. As stated by Rabeya Nasrin Khan(2007) in her same thesis proposed that one of the

effective recommendations and ways to teach grammar is by teaching through pictures and

physical objects. It is because, visualization enables and reinforce the students to understand

better the grammar in the classroom. This actually enables to give a hint to answer the research

question about to find out the best ways to teach the grammar effectively in the teaching

grammar explicitly. This in directly also provide a new scope and range in adapting the teaching

methods that appropriate with the levels of students.

2.5 Problems for the students in learning Grammar.

As to study more about teaching grammar explicitly, the main ideas is to find out what are the

underlying basic for the problems that the students unable to cope with the learning of grammar.

Indeed, as it had been reviewed more, the curiosity arise as to study whether the teaching should

be focus on materials or the methods for teaching grammar. As the previous research had

already well aware that grammar is essential for learning and mastering the four skills, the

researcher needs to find out what are the best methods and materials to teach grammar. It is

already know that by using communicative Language Teaching with the appropriate methods,

the learning can be done smoothly but the materials which are not productive might be the

problems. It is stated in the Grammar based Teaching : A practitioner’s perspectives by Betty

Azar that other varieties in grammar materials (e.g., some grammar handbook-workbook

combinations) are limited fairly strictly to a focus on form, providing information accompanied

by a small sampling of manipulative exercises, with no particular attention paid to the

development of speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills.

2.6 Linguistic Competence.

Teaching grammar is the basic principles for all the 4 main skills In language learning. Indeed,

this principle had been focusing on linguistic competence in language acquisition. In related to

this point, the learning of grammar actually assists the linguistic learning to be more competence.

As stated by Wang, Fengjuan in the thesis “ The necessity of Grammar Teaching “ explained

about the concept of "linguistic competence" is put forward by Chomsky (1965) on the basis of

denying the language theory of behaviorism and defined as language knowledge system of native

speakers' internalization, including sound, lexicon, syntax, semantics and other rules, and the

linguistic competence native speakers have enables them to understand and produce grammatical

sentences they have never contacted before”. The teacher should be well aware that to teach

grammar, all of this element should be instill in the grammar teaching for the ESL students.

2.7 Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework had been explained in previous research about the teaching take

places in the classroom. As this research will be carried out in the school, the purpose is to find

out the effects about teaching grammar explicitly in the classroom.

The teaching of grammar explicitly enable the teachers to specific time two periods only on

focusing the grammar without mixing with other elements in Language Acquisition Learning.

Therefore, the students can focus their attention in understanding the grammar in that two

periods.

Teaching and Learning Grammar

StudentsTeachers

Teaching Learning

The effects will be either positive or negative about carrying the teaching and learning Grammar explicitly in ESL Classroom.

CHAPTER 3

3.0 Introduction

In this study, the researcher had addressed the methods and research design that appropriate with

the research. Indeed, the researcher is surveying on the current issues about learning English as

Second Language in the secondary school. To add to this point, after the abolishment of English

in Science and Mathematics, the learning of English had been shortened to learn English only in

English period and not throughout the learning in school. So, the learning of English had been

limited in the secondary school as well as the learning of vocabulary in English. As the study

will be continued, the researcher wants to propose that teaching Grammar Explicitly is the way

to understand the learning language. Teaching Grammar Explicitly means that out of 10 periods

of learning Grammar in the secondary school, the teacher only take out 2 periods out of 10

periods for teaching grammar only. These two periods of teaching will be only focusing on

Grammar and not mixed with other teaching in language such as teaching the 4 skills ( writing,

speaking, reading and listening ), vocabulary or the literature.

3.1 Research Design

The research design will conducted in the qualitative design which is to seek the opinion of

teacher about teaching grammar explicitly in the classroom and to see whether they are agreed

with this proposal. Other than that, the questions will be asked to investigate about the teaching

experience among the teachers as the researcher want to find out why the teachers kind of

neglecting the teaching of grammar in the classroom. Furthermore, qualitative design will enable

the researcher to find out what are the best methods to teach grammar in the classroom either by

using realia, pictures, technology aids materials and etc.

3.2 Population and Sample

The place that had chosen in my study will be in Semenyih, Selangor. It is can be considered as

the development place which is near Kajang and Riching. The primary school that had chosen

will be Sekolah Kebangsaan Semenyih with the population of average 1000 to 1500 students in

the school. The English Teachers are totally 10 of them including the senior teachers. The reason

the researcher choose this school is because it is in development area which is having a

transformation from having rural area to urban area. The sample which can be considered as the

experimental group students are from different proficiency level (advanced, intermediate and slow). The

quantity for the sample will be 30 of them for which it represents each 10 students for the different

level respectively. The students will be given questionnaires about the learning grammar and pre test to

seek their understanding about the grammar before the experiment had been started. Sooner, after 6

weeks of conducting the research, the post test will be given to see the result of their understanding in

learning grammar explicitly.

3.3 Sampling methods and Research Design.

The sampling method that the researcher decided to use is that purposive sampling method which is

focusing on the teachers in order to answer the research questions in this research. The teacher will be

given out the questionnaire and this will help the researcher to collect as much as information that re

needed in this research.

The research design that the researched intended to use is experimental. This means that 30 students

from three different levels will be gathered and be taught explicitly about grammar. The outcome for

this experiment will be the results that are needed in this research.

3.4 Sample and Instrumentation

The instruments that will be used in research is that questionnaire, tests and the interview.

For Teachers:

Part A and Part B will be combine in one questionnaire.

• 1. Part A

To gather the background information of teachers to seek their qualification and their

experience in teaching English.

• 2. Part B

To elicit their knowledge in understanding of teaching grammar and their opinion in

helping them to teach grammar.

For Students:

Tests (Post Test and Pre Test)

The students will be tested with two types of test that is known as pre-test and post-test.

The pre-test will be tested out before the research been carried out. The purpose is to see

the level of their understanding before the research be carried out. The post-test will be

done after the research was carried out. The purpose is to see the achievement of the

students after they had gone through the treatment.

Questionnaires

The Questionnaire will be handed to them before the treatment to see what the difficulties

are and trivial that the students faced when they are learning the grammar. The

questionnaires that will be handed out to them after the research are to see their opinion

about learning grammar explicitly.

3.5 Data Collection

The respondents for the questionnaires will be the teachers and the students. There are two types

major of the questionnaires that is one for the teachers and the other one is for the students. The

questionnaires for the teacher will exist of two types of minor questionnaires that are known as part A

and part B. There are two types of test that will be carried out only for the students. The pre test will be

given out before the class of teaching grammar explicitly starts and the post test will be given out after

the conduction class had been carried out. This is the mind map for the data collection to make it

understandable in the research.

Before the research will be conducted, a short briefing about the questionnaires and the test will be

carried out to make the respondents understand the research. The experimental students will be chose

by their English language teachers for standard 6. The questionnaires 1 and questionnaires 2 will be

distributed to the teachers and the teachers can answer the questionnaires within that week. Later on,

the questionnaires 3 will be distributed to the students or the following day together with the pre-test..

Moreover, In the same week, the research had been carried out until the fifth or sixth week depend on

the time constraint. The lesson plan for teaching grammar for each class will be presented in this

research. After the research had been carried out, I will distribute the post-test to test the achievement

that had been gained throughout the research. The questionnaire 4 will be distributed to see whether

the students agreed with the learning grammar explicitly.

Students

Post-test Questionnaires 3Questionnaires 1

Pre-testQuestionnaires 2

Data Collection

Questionnaires Test

Teachers Students

Questionnaires 4