Grammar and Vocabulary Teaching Must be Meaningful

I am extremely interested in researching the best approaches to teach grammar.  Based off research and my own experience, it seems that the traditional approach to teaching grammar is not the most effective.  Chapter 22 of Brown gives tips and advice to help teachers teach grammar and vocabulary as effectively as possible.  Kumar’s readings (chapters 7 & 8) focus on teachers creating language awareness amongst students and also activating intuitive heuristics.  Heuristics can be defined as “the process of discovery on the part of the learner” (Kumar 176).  Fostering critical language awareness and encouraging learner discovery undoubtedly improve grammar instruction.

Raising language awareness goes beyond simply stating the importance of learning a language.  Critical language awareness encourages students to consider the sociopolitical nature of language use.  According to Kumar, “Language is used by some as a tool for social, economic, and political control” (165).  Students need to be aware that politics, language, and culture are intertwined.  Language is not learned in an independent vacuum.  On page 166, Kumar advocates ways to develop critical language awareness in the classroom.  His ideas include: shifting from an emphasis on one right answer to multiple interpretations, encouraging learners to recognize a variety of viewpoints, and helping learners critically reflect. 

Kumar also offers ideas in order to improve grammar instruction.  His main point is that activating intuitive heuristics (process of self-discovery) of learners will lead to more learning.  Kumar argues that some approaches activate a learner’s intuitive heuristics better than others.  Primarily, Kumar believes that inductive teaching leads to more learning than deductive teaching.  Inductive teaching allows students to discover patterns through authentic language and then construct meanings of grammar rules.  In contrast, deductive teaching is the traditional method where teachers present grammar rules and then expect students to follow these rules and explanations.  Kumar argues that inductive teaching is superior because it is typically embedded within meaningful contexts as opposed to the grammar books of deductive learning (Kumar 185).  Allowing students to find patterns of language within texts offers more opportunities for self-discovery than grammatical lectures do.

The 22^nd chapter of Brown analyzes form-focused instruction.  I found it very interesting that there are some parties that do not advocate the explicit teaching of grammar.  How can students completely acquire a language if there is no focus on form?  My answer is that I do not think that they can.  However, grammar needs to be taught in an appropriate and comprehensive context.  Page 421 describes appropriate grammar techniques as those that are: embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts, contribute positively to communicative goals, and are as lively and intrinsically motivating as possible.  The days where language learning occurred from doing grammar exercises are over; grammar needs to be integrated into speaking, writing, listening, and reading activities.  Independent grammar classes will not be effective unless they incorporate the other domains of language.  Grammar should be taught to improve communication, not simply for the sake of knowledge.  Brown reinforces this point by differentiating between global and local errors.  Global errors that impede meaning require more immediate attention than local errors which do not affect the meaning of the sentence (Brown 426). 

I believe that teaching vocabulary is similar to teaching grammar; the vocabulary must be included in a meaningful context.  Connections must be made between vocabulary words that are similar or belong to the same thematic unit (436).   Studies have shown that the rote memorization of vocabulary flash cards is no longer effective.  Before teaching either grammar or vocabulary, we as teachers should question if these topics will improve the communicative competence of our students.  If the topics are not practical or meaningful, then maybe they are not imperative to the curriculum.