Anonymous
I am doing a course at the moment in relation to teaching... we are always encouraged to teach grammar through speaking, eliciting and drilling and always in context that students can actually relate to. It is hard work but much more rewarding than having a 'traditional grammar focused lesson. Students really do learn grammar! and yes, teaching metalanguage-it is crazy. I am not a native speaker of English but I remember clearly having all these boring grammar lessons one after the other purely because teacher didn't know how to teach or what to teach. Anyway I left high school being an expert in meta language!:) Dominic Grammar (structures and vocabulary with its complexities, such as word formation, suffixes, phrasal verbs, idiomatic expressions) is essential. However, it is not an end in itself. It is a "vehicle" (or a car) for the learner to use for communication. We, the teachers, are more like driving instructors (as well as a good mechanic who knows the engine of the car) who teach our students how to drive the car, enjoy driving it and at the same time gives "knowledge on the traffic regulations" (=language function; register). And some of us may be excellent as "Formula 1" instructors, teaching learners how to speed up (TOEFL, IELTS, etc) to get finish as fast as possible (to get higher scores), and this requires the learners to know the detail of "engine" (grammar) and the "circuits" (the tricks of the tests) so that the learners can reach the finish line as fast as they wish and yet safely. Mike I've received some messages from people advocating unconventional English learning methods and promoting English learning products of that kind. I've explored some of their websites that contain a number of learners' comments. Supporters of unconventional learning methods and products claim that learning grammar is unnecessary and that it inhibits fluent speaking. A growing number of learners are misled and lose time experiencing delay in language learning progress because of superficial claims of promoters of unconventional English learning methods and products. I disagree with those speculative claims as knowing grammar rules logically reduces making mistakes by learners. You are also aware that even native speakers of English (I mean secondary school students) still study English grammar at school to master proper English usage for academic and professional purposes. How can foreign learners of English master English grammar without studying grammar rules followed by example sentences and adequate supportive grammatical exercises to reduce making grammatical mistakes in English? I believe there is no other shorter way for foreign learners to master English grammar. As you know it is impossible for foreign learners to construct their own grammatically correct sentences in English without knowing English grammar rules that have a number of exceptions. Conventional communicative English teaching and learning supported with adequate regular long-term practice in listening comprehension and speaking English yield effective results. Lack of such practice in English by learners produces speculations that conventional English learning and teaching methods don't work. Mike I believe what especially matters in effective teaching and learning English grammar is how clearly and easily understandable all grammar rules are explained and whether adequate supportive exercises with real life content are practised to master that material. It would take foreign learners much less time to learn grammar rules that are explained to learners than to figure out grammar rules on their own based on even numerous examples because grammar rules may have exceptions and other peculiarities. Grammar books with explanations and exercises have been published by knowledgeable language specialists to make learning grammar easier so that learners don't have to discover grammar rules anew the hard long way.
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