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To What Extent, and How, Explicit Teaching Of Grammar Should Form Part Of Current Foreign Language Pedagogy Article 1: Developing writing skills of learners with persistent literacy difficulties through explicit grammar teaching While a majority of learners English-speaking countries already have a basic knowledge of English, learning grammar creates a better understanding of the mechanisms of the language and thus facilitates improved reading and writing skills (McCormack-Colbert et al., 2018) Objective of the Research The aim of the study was to understand how learning grammar is useful to people with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The research also aims at creating a more efficient curriculum to support learners with learning difficulties. Studies have shown that learning phonemes and graphemes is particularly beneficial in helping dyslexic learners make connections between written and spoken English and thus develop more advanced reading and writing skills. These skills as essential to enhancing the dyslexic learners’ ability to study and do their exams. In the literacy of dyslexics, the curriculum places greater emphasis on developing their reading skills than it does on writing skills, whereas it is equally if not more important to teach dyslexics how to write properly.
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ARTICLE REVIEW Methodology A mixed method approach was used to collect data for this research. This includes, test data, teacher assessment data, interviews, records and observation. Learners reported that they found the process of learning in primary school ‘boring’ and that they had not learned how to spell correctly. All the learners stated that learning was too fast-paced for them and they often felt left behind during lessons.
Article 2: Implicit and Explicit Teaching of Grammar: An Empirical Study Lopez’ research examines whether the approaches used in implicit and explicit language instruction lead to an improvement in university student’s performance on two grammar topics. Two teachers with extensive experience in EFL teaching used explicit and implicit training methods to teach grammar to sixty-six students between the ages of 18 and 20 years old (Lopez, 2004). Findings The experiment revealed that students who received explicit instruction from the instructors had better scores than the students who were taught through implicit instructions. This shows that there is a significant difference between teaching grammar theoretically and practically. It is essential to ensure that the learning of grammar is focused on helping the learner develop a higher comprehension of the subject. This can be achieved through close supervision of the students, frequent testing and developing a teaching approach that is learner-centered. Article 3: Explicit grammar rules and L2 acquisition
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The research by Scheffler and Cinciata examines how the effectiveness of implicit and explicit teaching in facilitating a better comprehension of English among students for whom English is a second language. According to the research, the difference between explicit and implicit knowledge is that implicit English knowledge is automatic, more fluent and cannot be verbalized, while explicit knowledge is deliberate, technical and only used when planned (Scheffler, & Cinciala, 2010). Research Question The research question is whether L2 English learners are able to develop grammatical structures when required to speak English spontaneously. Methodology The research was carried out on twenty Polish students aged between 16 and 18 years, for whom English is a second language, since the average age at which they began to learn English was 8.5 years. The participants were asked to speak on a broad range of topics such as their hobbies, travels and plans for their future. The conversations were recorded and later transcribed to evaluate the grammatical features of each participant’s speech. Findings Despite having mostly an explicit knowledge of grammar, a majority of the participants were able to develop correct grammatical structures and to provide an accurate explanation as to why they made certain grammatical choices. This research is essential to the teaching of SLA instructors because it demonstrates that simple metalinguistic instructions are beneficial to learners’ comprehension of grammar, and that grammar rules help to create a sense of confidence in the learners’ understanding of English. Comparison
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The three articles discuss the most effective methods through which students can develop fluent grammar. However, the contexts of the research are different for each article since each has different participants. McCormack et al. study focuses on the importance of teaching students with learning difficulties how to effectively read and write grammar. Mendoza’s study examines the difference and effectiveness of implicit and explicit instructions in enabling students gain better comprehension and fluency in language. Scheffler and Cinciata’s study evaluates the extent to which individuals who learn English as a second language can identify the grammatical structures when they speak English spontaneously. The limitation of the studies especially in the interviewing of bilingual and multilingual participants is its exclusive focus on the English language. Different languages have different phonemes and structures, therefore it is essential to understand how this languages impact ones comprehension of a different language. The studies also failed to provide more comprehensive recommendations on how to effectively develop learners’ fluency in both written and spoken language. Reflection English is one of the primary global languages; it is essential for learners to have at least a satisfactory understanding of the language. One of the main ways through which instructors can increase language comprehension and fluency is by introducing it to the students in the early stages of schooling. It is also important to create a curriculum that focuses on the learners’ needs. To enhance comprehension, the curriculum and methods used to instruct students with learning difficulties or those who have a different first language should be different from those who have no learning difficulties and speak English as a first language.
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Lopez, E. (2004). Implicit and Explicit Teaching of Grammar: An Empirical Study. Sino-US English Teaching, 5, 7-22. doi: 10.17265/1539-8072/2015.08.002 McCormack-Colbert, A., Ware, J., & Wyn Jones, S. (2018). Developing writing skills of learners with persistent literacy difficulties through explicit grammar teaching. Support For Learning, 33(2), 165-189. doi: 10.1111/1467-9604.12200 Scheffler, P., & Cinciala, M. (2010). Explicit grammar rules and L2 acquisition. ELT Journal, 65(1), 13-23. doi: 10.1093/elt/ccq019