Students: Jessica Braga

Pamella Queiroz

ProfaDra: Fernanda Silveira

TEACHING GRAMMAR: IN THE VIEW

OF CONVENTIONAL VS
CONTEMPORARY APPROACH
Dawit Dibekulu Alem
■ The text titled "Teaching Grammar: In the View of Conventional vs. Contemporary
Approach" by Dawit Dibekulu Alem likely discusses the two main perspectives on
teaching grammar: the conventional and the contemporary approach.

■ Conventional Approach: This method traditionally focuses on explicit grammar

instruction, often emphasizing rules, memorization, and structural understanding. It has
been more teacher-centered, with a primary focus on form rather than meaning or
context.

■ Contemporary Approach: The modern approach, in contrast, tends to be more

communicative and context-based. It focuses on the use of grammar in real-life
communication and encourages students to understand grammar through exposure to
language in context rather than through rote learning of rules. It also incorporates
interaction, practical application, and the development of communicative competence.
■ Reflecting on Approaches to Grammar Teaching:
"The debate between conventional and contemporary approaches to grammar teaching
highlights two different perspectives on language learning. While the conventional
approach emphasizes memorizing rules and structures, the contemporary approach
focuses on communication and context, encouraging learners to acquire grammar
through real-world use. Both methods have their strengths, but which one best prepares
students for real-world communication?“

■ Balancing Structure and Communication:

"As language educators, we often face the challenge of balancing grammatical accuracy
with communicative fluency. The conventional approach provides students with a solid
foundation of grammatical rules, while the contemporary approach encourages students
to use grammar in context. How can we create a teaching environment where students
understand grammar rules but also feel confident using them in conversation?"
■ The Role of Grammar in Language Acquisition: "The conventional approach to
grammar instruction, focused on explicit teaching of rules, contrasts with the more
implicit, context-driven contemporary approach. But perhaps both can complement each
other. By blending structure with interaction, we can help students gain a deeper
understanding of grammar that empowers their ability to communicate effectively.“

■ Grammar Instruction in Modern Classrooms: "In today’s classrooms, we have the

opportunity to teach grammar in more dynamic ways than ever before. Technology allows
for more interactive grammar lessons that incorporate real-world language use. This
aligns with the contemporary approach, which values learning grammar through
meaningful, communicative contexts. But can this technology-based approach replace
traditional methods entirely?"
■ Shifting Perspectives in Grammar Teaching: "The shift from conventional to
contemporary approaches in teaching grammar isn't just a matter of technique—it's about
rethinking how we view language learning itself. Should we prioritize rules and structure,
or should we let students learn grammar naturally through immersion and use? As
educators, we must ask ourselves which approach best serves the diverse needs of our
learners.“

■ Grammar and Cultural Context: "The contemporary approach to teaching grammar

recognizes that language is more than just a set of rules—it's a tool for communication in
different cultural and social contexts. How do we ensure that our students not only learn
the rules of grammar but also understand how to use them effectively in different
situations?"
■ Teaching grammar is to show how language works. Accurate teaching of
grammar guides learners how to use the language correctly. Azar (2007)
highlights the significance of teaching grammar as: One important aspect of
grammar teaching is that it helps learners discover the nature of language.
Without grammar, we would have only individual words or sounds, pictures,
and body expressions to communicate meaning. Grammar is the weaving
that creates the fabric (Azar, 2007).
■ In foreign language acquisition accurate understanding of the language structures is
the key part so teaching grammar is an essential aspect of foreign language
instruction. There has always been a debate about the most effective way of
teaching grammar. Brown (1980) stated that grammar instruction through context
positively affects learners ‗competence to use grammatical structures accurately in
language skills. It is always useful for learners to see how language works in
sentences or paragraphs; therefore, teaching grammar in context will give learners
opportunities to see how grammatical structures function in sentences. Teaching
grammar in context will help learners to acquire nature of the language which will
facilitate their understanding of the language.(Alem, 2021, p.08)
■ The Communicative Approach to language teaching emphasizes on meaning
and how language is used or the functional aspects of language. This
emphasis leads to the implication that grammatical accuracy is less important
in communication. However, communication can generally be achieved most
efficiently by means of grammatical sentence or by a series of such
sentences logically related‖ (Garett, 1986), implying the important function of
grammatical competency in communication.
 GROUP 01
■ What do you think is the most effective way to teach grammar to
students? Why?

■ How do you balance teaching grammar rules with helping students

develop communicative skills?

■ How do you balance teaching grammar rules with helping students

develop communicative skills?

■ Do you believe grammar should be taught the same way to all age
groups, or should approaches differ for children, teenagers, and
adults? Why?
 GROUP 02
■ Which approach (traditional or modern) do you think works better
for different age groups or proficiency levels?

■ How does the use of technology and authentic materials influence

grammar teaching in modern classrooms compared to traditional
methods?

■ In your experience, how do students respond to explicit grammar

instruction versus learning grammar in context?
 GROUP 03
■ Do you believe that the traditional method of teaching rules still has a place
in English courses?

■ Do you prefer to learn grammar in a deductive way (rule → example) or

inductive way (example → rule)? Why?

■ What are the benefits and limitations of "drills" in grammar learning?

■ Does the use of technology, such as Computer Assisted Language

Learning (CALL), truly facilitate grammar teaching?
 GROUP 04
■ Why is it important to teach grammar within a discursive context?

■ How do you assess the use of dialogues for teaching grammar in

the classroom?

■ Do you think teaching grammar in isolation hinders communicative

learning?
 GROUP 05
■ What do you think of the statement: "Teaching grammar should go

beyond rules and connect to the social use of language"?

■ How can teachers balance grammatical accuracy and fluency?

■ What are the challenges of adapting grammar teaching to meet

students' communicative needs?

 GROUP 06

■ How do you prefer grammar to be taught in your classes?

■ In what situations do you believe grammar needs to be more

rigorous?

■ What would be more motivating: learning grammar through

practical activities or theoretical ones?
 GROUP 07
■ Which grammar teaching approach discussed in the text seems

most suitable for learning English as a second language?

■ If you were a teacher, which technique or method would you use?

Justify your choice.

■ How can grammar learning be connected to other aspects of

language, such as culture and identity?

 REFERENCE

■ READING: ALEM, D.D. Teaching grammar: in the view of

conventional and contemporary approach. An International Journal
of English Language, Literature and Literary Theory, vol. 10, n.2, p.
7-42, 2021.