Teaching of Grammar

            Introduction


Without grammar, a language wouldn't work, because people couldn't communicate effectively. The speakers and listeners of any exchange need to both function in order the same system in order to understand each other. The grammar of the language in includes basic axioms such as the existence of tenses of verbs, articles and adjectives and their proper order, how questions are phrased, and more. The word grammar comes from Greek, meaning "craft of letters", which is an apt description. In any language, grammar is a systematic study and description of language.

            Meaning of Grammar


Grammar may be termed as descriptive science, which describes the structure of sentences, functions of the words and their relation to one another at a particular period and of a particular group of people. However, grammar means different things to different people. To the ordinary citizen, it means correct or incorrect English.

              Types of Grammar


There are two main types of grammar. They can be studied as follows: -

    1. Formal or Perspective Grammar

Perspective grammar refers to the structure as certain people think it should be used. According to the linguists Isle Depraetere and Chad Langford, "A perspective grammar is one that gives hard and fast rules about what is right and what is wrong, often with advice about what not to say but with little explanation". It is also called as traditional type of grammar. In this type of grammar, there are set of rules. The students first of all learn the rules for the formation of words and sentences then they learn everything else afterwards.

     2. Informal or Descriptive Grammar

 Descriptive grammar refer to an objective, non judgemental description of the grammatical constructions in a language. It's an examination of how a language is actually being used, in writing and in speech. Specialists in descriptive grammar examine the principles and patterns that underlie the use of words, phrases, clauses and sentences. Kirk Hazen notes, "Descriptive grammar do not give advice: They detail the ways in which native speaker use their language". For any living language, a descriptive grammar from one century will differ from a descriptive grammar of the next century because the language will have change. This type of grammar is learnt by students qualified unconsciously while learning the language. This type of grammar is also known as incidental or functional grammar.

        Methods of teaching grammar


There are three major methods of teaching grammar. They can be discussed as follows: 

    1. Deductive Method
The deductive method of teaching grammar is an approach that focuses on instruction before practice. A teacher gives students an in-depth explanation of a grammatical concept before they encounter the same grammatical concept in their own writing. After the lesson, students are expected to practice what they have just been shown in a mechanical way, through worksheets and exercises. This type of teaching, though common, has many people - including teachers -rethinking such methods, as more post secondary level students are revealing subpar literary skills in adulthood. As one former teacher states, deductive teaching methods drive many students away from writing because of the tediousness of rote learning and teacher - centred approaches.

    2. Inductive Method
The inductive method of teaching grammar involves presenting several examples that illustrate a specific concept and expecting students to notice how the concept works from these examples. No explanation of the concept is given beforehand, and the expectation is that students learn to recognize the rules of grammar in a more natural way during their own reading and writing. Discovering grammar and visualising how these rules work in a sentence allow for easier retention of the concept than if the students were given an explanation that was disconnected from examples of the concept. The main goal of the inductive teaching method is the retention of the grammar concepts, with teachers using technique that are known to work cognitively and make an impression on students' contextual memory.

    3. Interactive Method
Another method of teaching grammar is to incorporate interactivity into lessons. Using games to teach grammar not only engages students but also helps them to remember what they have learnt. This method allows teacher to tailor their lessons to the different learning styles of students. For instance, each student can be given a large flash card with the word on it, and the students must physically arrange themselves into a proper sentence. Other games can include word puzzles or fun online quizzes. 

    Techniques of Teaching Grammar


    a.  Principles
Before teaching grammar, the teacher should have the knowledge of the principles of teaching grammar. These are as follows: -
  • Grammar should be taught in context.
  • In teaching grammar, inductive teaching should be used where we move from examples to rules.
  • Grammar acquires meaning- focused teaching; more importance should be given to meaning than to forms.
  • Fluency should be followed by accuracy, because the CLT methodology emphasizes fluency.
   b. Techniques
Some of the different techniques used by teachers in teaching grammar are as follows: -

  • Use of deductive method or technique - First teacher tells the rules to the pupils and then he/ she gave example of it. For ex. First of all the teacher tell the structure of Simple Present Tense and then give example of it to the pupils. It traces the general to particular, structure to example. Detective helps to get accuracy.
  • Use of inductive method or technique - It traces the particular to general, example to structure. Inductive method helps to get fluency.
  •  Use of drilling method and technique - In this method the teacher teach some method in class and the learner should repeat it again and again. 
  • The teacher should explain the importance of grammar to the pupils. 
  • Dictation - Dictation get students working with the language and test listening skills and spelling, as well as grammatical knowledge.
  • Use of story - The story consists of two things - structure and vocabulary. It also can use in any class whether it can be primary to higher as well. Student can get the proper structure, enrich their vocabulary.
  • Dictogloss - In a dictogloss, the teacher has a text prepared to dictate the class, but instead of dictating it slowly to ensure students write a faithful copy, they read it at a more natural speed two or more times.

                    Conclusion   


Thus, grammar is a backbone of a language and without it any single thing we know may be flux, in a sort of jelly without much consistency. In a nutshell, grammar provides us with the structure we need in order to organise and put our messages and ideas across. So, grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves.



    

    

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