TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DELIVERY OF
GRAMMAR TEACHING: INDEPENDENT AND
INTEGRATED METHODS
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
LAURA SALVADORA NIM: 112013047
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN SATYA WACANA
TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DELIVERY OF
GRAMMAR TEACHING: INDEPENDENT AND
INTEGRATED METHODS
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
LAURA SALVADORA NIM: 112013047
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS
UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN SATYA WACANA
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text.
Copyright @2017: Laura Salvadora and Dr. Elisabet Titik Murtisari, M. TransStud
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the prior written permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department of Universitas Kristen SatyaWacana, Salatiga.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Previous Studies on Teachers‟ Attitudes towards Grammar ... 11
Effectiveness ... 26
Independent Grammar ... 28
Integrated Grammar ... 30
Teachers‟ Attitudes in Relation to Teaching ... 32
CONCLUSION ... 38
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... 41
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Teachers’ Attitude towards Methods’ Appropriateness ... 18
Table 2. Teachers’ Tendencies towards Methods’ Appropriateness ... 19
Table 3. Stimulation Level of Grammar Teaching Methods ... 24
Table 4. Effectiveness of Grammar Teaching Methods ... 27
TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DELIVERY OF
discussion. With the shifting of removing and putting back independent grammar courses in the Faculty of Language and Arts, UKSW, it is important to investigateteachers‟ attitudes toward grammar delivery as it can influence their classroom
practice. This study aims to investigate teachers‟ attitudes toward the delivery of independent and integrated grammar teaching methods. Qualitative method was used in the study where 11 teachers from English Language Education of FLA UKSW were interviewed. The results of the interview showed that all teachers considered grammar as a vital part of language teaching and learning. They viewed both grammar teaching methods to be appropriate, with a tendency toward the use of independent grammar as it is considered more effective in the context of EFL, whereas integrated grammar to be effective for communicative setting. Concerning the relation to class practice, the teachers believed that their teaching is also affected by their attitude towards grammar deliveries, which is associated to internal and external factors. In addition to this, most teachers favored the implementation of both grammar teaching with independent grammar for beginner level students and gradually inducing integrated grammar teaching in intermediate and advanced level students.
Key words: grammar, independent grammar delivery, integrated grammar delivery, attitude, preference
Introduction
controlled by grammar” (Akurugu, 2010, p.43). This is more perplexing
especially in the somewhat contradictory use of independent and integrated grammar instructions in EFL classes. It has been debated for years by language experts on the use of these media in language teaching environment, such as Ellis (2002) and Spada and Lightbown (2008). According to Spada and Lightbown (2008), integrating grammar into context can give positive contribution to the second language development both short and long term. Nevertheless, there is also a view of the need to separate grammar without integrating it with task-based activities in teaching (Ellis, 2002b, p.32).
As today, EFL teachers‟ and students‟ attitudes towards grammar delivery are still dithering between these two methods. This issue is seen evidently in the alteration of removing and putting back independent grammar courses in the Faculty of Language and Arts (FLA) at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW), which was once a compulsory subject for freshmen. Currently grammar is taught with fewer credits and is integrated in other courses, which result in contradictory opinions between the implementation of these two methods of the
effectiveness for students of FLA and also teachers‟ practicality.
Teachers‟ attitudes are crucial in classroom environment to understand and
improve educational development as “teachers base instructional decisions on
showing different teachers‟ preferences and backgrounds on why they lean on certain grammar instructions (Schulz 2001; Borg and Burns 2008).
Similarly, Nagaratnam & Al-Mekhlafi (2013) put it, “decisions made by teachers regarding teaching and learning play a major role in affecting the kind of
teaching that takes place in their classrooms,” (p.79). They added, “the attitudes
and beliefs that influence their decisions become important areas of study” (ibid,
p.79). Indeed, there have been studies on attitudes toward independent and
integrated grammar instructions that resulted in showing different teachers‟
preferences and backgrounds on why they lean on certain grammar instructions (Schulz 2001; Borg and Burns 2008). Nevertheless, there is still little
investigation of teachers‟ attitudes with regard to grammar instructions in the
context of Indonesian university in terms of the shift of grammar delivery.
Thus, I am interested in learning more about the attitudes of teachers of FLA SWCU towards integrated and independent grammar delivery in classrooms. Hopefully, the findings in this study will be an aid for the current situations of grammar teaching for English teachers both at universities and at schools. Furthermore, the results will provide understanding for EFL teachers as they are faced with selecting effective ways of delivering grammar in classrooms.
Literature Review
attitude, and the review of several studies regarding teachers‟ attitudes towards grammar teaching.
Grammar
Grammar, coming from a Greek word, “grammatike” which means “the
art of writing”, has been a much debated topic in English pedagogy. The scope of grammar itself is wide with different definitions of expressions. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.), grammar is defined as „the study of the classes of
words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence‟. The
„narrow‟ variant of grammar, commonly known as formal grammar, is where
morphological, syntactical and principle rules are learnt in a language, while the
„wide‟ variant is known with the term of functional grammar which deals with
language in use (Burner, 2005, p.17). In this study, grammar discussion is of EFL context with its pedagogical application through the delivery in classrooms.
Grammar in teaching EFL is a valid aspect as the core of a language.
“Language teachers often believe that grammar represents one of the most
„theoretical‟ areas of their pedagogical activities” (Newby, 2015, p. 15).
teaching grammar. Traditional grammar where forms are the focus of the language is renewed into contextualized language teaching.
Two approaches known as to how grammar is delivered are the term Form Focus Instructions (FFI), which Spada (1997) defined as “any pedagogical effort
which is used to draw the learners‟ attention to language form either implicitly or
explicitly” (p. 73). Many linguists have defined FFI with two main types
identified as Focus on Form, where communicative and content-based activity is
part of the language‟s linguistic element delivery, and Focus on Forms, is when
linguistic structures are delivered separately, integrated in sentence and short texts levels and with limited use of communication or content activity (Ellis, 2006; Spada and Lightbown, 2008). Nowadays, even though a language teacher is likely to lean on one type of grammar delivery, some prone to use both of these methods together, as both deliveries are effective depending on the context and materials used for teaching.
As Spada (1997) mentioned above, there are two ways of drawing learners‟ attention in teaching grammar to EFL learners, which is necessary in the acquisition of the target language. These are known as explicit (conscious learning) and implicit (subconscious acquisition) knowledge. Implicit knowledge is easily retrieved and automatic, providing great input in developing communicative skills (Widodo, 2006 p.125) and explicit knowledge, “deals with
language and the uses to which language can be put,” (Ellis, 2004, as cited in Widodo, 2006, p.125). This knowledge is inseparable from the methods of grammar deliveries as one is prone to be evident in another, which will be further explained in the later discussion.
Independent grammar delivery. Independent Grammar delivery or also
because teachers are able to select grammar items that cover the course where instructions could be more effective.
One proponent mentioned in Spada et al (2014) who supports independent grammar is DeKeyser (2003, 2007). He believes that explicit grammar teaching in isolation is useful in the stages of a learner‟s language acquisition. Even though theorists such as Spada and Lightbown (2008) argued that knowledge is gained more easily when learners focus attention on form and meaning in communicative tasks, DeKeyser claimed that independent grammar could be processed through practice and retrieved for communication use. In independent grammar delivery, explicit knowledge plays a part where learners will be able to retrieve embedded forms to be able to use them for communicative purposes. This is because according to Widodo (2006), “it is conscious knowledge of grammatical rules learned through formal classroom instruction” (p. 125). Thus, a person with explicit knowledge understands the language and has the ability to articulate the rules learnt.
linguistic errors. Learners‟ errors could be minimized by independent grammar
teaching.
Integrated grammar delivery. Contrary to independent grammar,
integrated grammar involves grammar teaching in relation to situation or context of when the language is used. The focus is on form, meaning and usage. In learning the language, learners learn the rules subconsciously as they are participating actively in dealing with tasks. In the process, implicit knowledge is gained in integrated grammar delivery as “unconscious, internalized knowledge of language that is easily accessed during spontaneous language tasks, written or
spoken” (Brown, 2000, as cited in Widodo, 2006, p. 125). According to Anderson (2005), as mentioned in Mart (2013, p.126), grammar in context offers a meaningful framework that connects reality in the targeted language. The use of dialogues and authentic materials in the real world where people generally use to talk to each other is a way of teaching grammar in context for learners to use grammar effectively in communication.
according to context. Learners are required to “learn how to form structures
correctly and also how to use them to communicate meaning” (Nunan, 1998, p.103).
Many research studies have been done in this field of study regarding the efficacy of independent and integrated grammar of FFI (Ellis, 2006; Spada and Lightbown, 2008). As both of these methods are perceived differently by linguists around the world, empirical studies have shown that both methods are equally beneficial. Teachers draw their personal inferences from their own successes and failures to devise their personal method of grammar instruction as mentioned by Hoffman (2006) in Smith (2013, p.19). Therefore, there are no agreements of which promotes language learning most positively.
Teachers’ Attitude
Teachers play a great role in a learner‟s language acquisition. In teaching grammar, teachers need to know their students in order to know which approach best suits the class. Faced with diverse aspects of teaching, including the altering
implementation of curriculum, teachers‟ well-being and attitudes should be taken into consideration to create meaningful pedagogy. When teaching, teachers will bring with them their beliefs, language styles and attitudes into the classroom.
Spada and Lightbown (2008) noted that “teachers often teach grammar in the way
beliefs will impact how they carry the class whether or not there are differing curriculum regulations given.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d.), the word „attitude‟,
originated from an Italian word „attitudine‟ is defined as a „mental position with
regard to a fact or state‟ or „feeling or emotion toward a fact or state‟. As mental
position and feeling is at hand, one must pay careful attention as attitude “is a
dynamic entity which is subject to change. It is a deciding factor of the teacher‟s
performance.” (Bhargava & MK Pathy, 2014, p.27). Other than family background, education, beliefs, socioeconomic background, etc., according to Suja (2007, as mentioned in Bhargava & MK Pathy, 2014, p. 28), an important factor that influences one‟s attitude is experience. Teachers‟ teaching experiences bring significant contribution to the classroom practice.
The attitude of the teacher in teaching marks the competencies that he/she
holds. With different background experience and beliefs, teachers‟ attitude
Attitude is a personal trait but could be driven by external factors. According to Canh & Barnard (2009, p.254), “the beliefs of many teachers may be influenced by the imposition of authoritarian standards, either directly by inspectors, principals and heads of department, or indirectly by prescribed textbooks which often constitute the entire curriculum.” Their way of thinking will shape their understanding of the interests, abilities and needs of students. As Borg (2006, p. 275) mentioned, language teaching is a process of dynamic interactions between cognition, context and experience. In the pedagogical process, attitudes and beliefs are formed where teachers hold strongly their beliefs in aspects of teaching, including grammar delivery.
Previous Studies on Teachers’ Attitudes towards Grammar
Many studies have been conducted in examining teacher‟s attitude towards grammar and its delivery where the opinions and beliefs are still dithering between the two according to each context and background of teaching (Richards, Gallo & Renandya, 2001; Borg, 2003; Canh & Barnard, 2009).
Richards et al. (2001) examined Southern Asian and Australian EFL
teachers‟ beliefs of how grammar should be taught. Teachers are seen to be
Moreover, Borg (2003) conducted a review study of teachers‟ beliefs
about grammar. He concluded that there is no proposition in any of the studies that formal instruction is becoming less dominant in language classroom as both methods are seen to be used accordingly. He reviewed various studies where it is
suggested that teachers‟ individual knowledge of grammar influence their pedagogical decisions.
In addition, the study of Canh and Barnard (2009) of 29 Vietnamese universities and other higher institute teachers resulted that the teachers view grammar as a central part of pedagogy. The results show strong beliefs regarding the need of explicit grammar instruction. Relating it to foreign language learning context, they reject the idea that grammar can be learned through exposure due to limited access of English-speaking environment.
Therefore, with two grammar methods still debatable with no consensus of which method suits best, by understanding the importance of attitude in language
learning, there is a need to further identify teachers‟ attitude toward this issue
The Study
Context of the Study
This study is a part of an umbrella research entitled “Students‟ and
Teachers‟ Attitudes toward Grammar Teaching Delivery: Independent or
Integrated?” led by Dr. E.T. Murtisari (Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas
Kristen Satya Wacana) and was conducted in the Faculty of Language and Arts, UKSW Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia. The faculty has been modifying the teaching of grammar, recently by removing and putting back grammar courses over the years. Now grammar is taught with less credits and integrated into other courses. Lecturers of the English Language Education program have experienced teaching grammar using these two types of grammar delivery, so their attitudes could be useful to understand the perceptions of the use of either delivery particularly in the context of FLA UKSW.
This study was guided by the following research question: “What are
teachers‟ attitudes toward the delivery of grammar teaching in English Language
Education Program at Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas Kristen Satya
Participants of the Study
Eleven lecturers of FLA in the English Language Education program have been chosen as the participants of this study using nonprobability sampling method, especially the purposeful sampling method. Purposeful sampling is a data collection process in which the samples are chosen based on their knowledge and availability that is determined by the researcher (Griffee, 2012, p.58). These eleven lecturers were chosen due to their grammar teaching experience and familiarity in independent and integrated grammar teaching in FLA, some of whom have taught grammar in Integrated Course and some other skill courses where there are grammar lessons.
As for the demographic information of the participants, the lecturers were asked about their teaching background, which includes age, gender, years of teaching, teaching hours and courses taught. Based on the collected data, all the eleven lecturers have taught English for more than 2 years. The longest teaching period was 45 years and the shortest was 2 years. Other teachers ranged from 13-18 years of teaching experience. Most of them teach English between 8-12 hours per week and have experienced teaching grammar both as an independent course and as an integrated part of a skill course.
Research Methodology
Language and Arts, UKSW about their opinions and beliefs toward the delivery of grammar teaching. Content analysis was done to analyze the data, and concentrating themes that occur amongst the participants will be discussed and explained further from the results of the interviews.
Data Collection Method
In collecting the data, semi-structured interview was used and done in a face-to-face meeting with each lecturer individually. Interviews were conducted and recorded once for each teacher and lasted for an average of 15-30 minutes.
Data Collection Instrument
A semi-structured interview was used to collect the data where the instrument was developed by the team. Each lecturer was asked the same questions with some potential flexibility to elicit additional answers and other information that may not be addressed by the original questions. The interview questions are as follows:
I. Background questions (Factual Interview):
1. How old are you?
2. How long have you been teaching English? 3. What courses do you teach?
4. How many hours per week do you teach English in the faculty?
II. Grammar teaching methods: Independent and Integrated
1. In your opinion, how appropriate is each of the grammar teaching methods – independent and integrated - for our students in the context of teaching English as a foreign language in FLA UKSW?
2. What do you think of the stimulation level of each method for the students? (In terms of their interest, motivation and confidence)
3. What do you think of the effectiveness of each method for the students? (In terms of semantic, accuracy, competency and communicative setting)
4. Do you think your delivery preference affects your teaching in class? Why? (What belief (if any) underlies your reason? What motivates you to do so? Are there any other influences (such as school regulations)
that may affect your delivery in teaching grammar?)
5. Do you have any suggestions regarding grammar delivery concerning these two delivery methods in your faculty?
The presented data were transcribed precisely from the lecturers unless otherwise stated.
Data Analysis Procedure
Findings and Discussion
Eleven interviews were done with eleven lecturers of Faculty of Language and Arts regarding their attitudes toward the independent and integrated delivery of grammar teaching. The results of the findings consist of: (a) Methods‟ Appropriateness; (b) Stimulation Level; (c) Effectiveness, and (d) Teachers‟ attitudes in relation to their teaching.
In general, all the interviewed lecturers were aware of the shifting of curriculum where independent grammar is reduced to only four credits and grammar lessons are integrated into skill courses. They viewed grammar as an important aspect of language pedagogy where most teachers believed that both independent and integrated methods were appropriate with emphasis on the requirement of independent grammar in the context of English Language Education Program of FLA.
Methods’ Appropriateness
In this study, 90.9% of the teachers believed that both methods were appropriate for students (see Table 1) with 81.2% of the teachers leaned more towards the use of independent grammar (see Table 2).
Table 1
Teachers’ Attitude towards Methods’ Appropriateness
Respondent (Teacher) Independent Integrated Both Appropriate views concerning the need of independent grammar teaching. As shown in Table 2, nine out of eleven teachers showed a tendency toward independent grammar.
45.5% of the teachers believed that the appropriateness was closely related to the fact that they are producing Pre-Service teachers in an EFL environment where they do not have much exposure of the language learnt. Lecturer F clearly stated this way: “We are producing language teachers, so they need to know the grammatical rules so they can explain [them]”.
Table 2
Firstly, the teachers viewed grammatical explanation essential for students to understand the use and forms since they will be future English teachers. When asked about the methods‟ appropriateness in the faculty, Lecturer E explained:
(Excerpt 1)
…So if we look at our purpose, our objective, we want to create good
knowledge on grammar, because they are going to be teachers, so they need to know more a lot more than the students. They need to be able to
explain well, etc…That‟s why independent grammar courses are necessary
for them and they need them, but I don‟t say that they only the knowledge.
In fact, they also need to know how to apply the knowledge they get from their grammar class. (Interview, March 13, 2017)
This interpretation is supported by Widodo (2006) as independent
grammar is a “conscious knowledge of grammatical rules” where students would be able to articulate what they have learnt. In addition, Brown (2000) also stated that a child could learn the language implicitly but is not able to explain the rules, thus the need for independent grammar teaching. They are taught to become future English teachers where their grammatical knowledge would be passed on to others by explanation of grammatical rules.
Figure 1. Factors of methods' appropriateness.
Secondly, another reason why independent grammar was more favorable was because they are living in an environment where English is taught as a foreign language (EFL). Students learning in EFL context have less exposure of the language, and thus would need more drilling and explanation of the language. According to Lecturer I:
(Excerpt 2)
I guess both of them needs to go together…But then, because they have less exposure, it means that they would just need to have the independent one. So the independent one, I guess, will just help students to understand
better…they are also going to be teachers, especially in the context of English Language Education. So it means that they would need to be able to explain and help others understand. And because of the less exposure, it means that they would also need to be helped by giving them drilling and things… (Interview, March 15, 2017)
This view is in line with Canh and Bardnard‟s (2009, p.254) statement that the context in which teachers carry out their teaching together with the
understanding of their students‟ needs, abilities and interest will influence their judgments. The teachers‟ attitude of the appropriateness leads back to the external
factors of where their teaching takes place, students‟ needs and how it affects the
intake of the students.
grammatical competence. Most students of FLA have experienced the 2013 English Curriculum in their high schools. In this curriculum, the goal of English teaching is to develop communicative competence where Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) was adopted. Thus, grammar was mostly learnt implicitly together with texts and real-life topics. One of the teachers who believed so explained (Lecturer H):
(Excerpt 3)
… English teaching in SMP and SMA level is focused much more on
genre based, which means that the focus on grammar is being decreased... So having this typical group of students, and we put it in integrated grammar teaching, they are required to focus on one subject but they
should be able to relate it to their grammatical skill, for me is unrealistic…
If the curriculum in SMP and SMA facilitate the grammatical competence sufficiently, then I think it is OK if they move to university level, especially in English Department, then we can teach grammar as part of integrated or embedded in other courses. (Interview, March 15, 2017)
As many as nine teachers who tended to favor independent grammar believed that the decreased focus on grammar in students‟ learning background affects their grammatical awareness in university level. For three of the teachers,
students‟ lack of grammatical practice should be considered when implementing integrated course in the department. This condition is supported by Barnard &
background when deciding to adopt an explicit focus on grammar” (p. 69). Their
view in determining what was appropriate for the students was related to students‟ learning background and prior curriculum.
Nevertheless, the other two factors did not have a big impact in deciding a
method‟s appropriateness. Only 2 teachers brought up students‟ learning style, in addition to one teacher who believed that the nature of skill to be acquired was important in deciding whether a method was suitable.
Stimulation Level
Stimulation level was asked in relation to students‟ interest, motivation and confidence in learning grammar. As shown in Table 3, most teachers believed that integrated grammar was considered better in stimulating students‟ motivation and interest, with only 27.3 % of the teachers viewed independent grammar to be equally stimulating for students. As Lecturer H mentioned, “Grammar itself, to
me has a negative label to students.” The lecturers viewed that grammar was perceived to be something scary by students and students were motivated because it was a compulsory subject. In integrated grammar classrooms, students were taught grammar in context where it was viewed to be less threatening. According to Lecturer A and J:
(Excerpt 4)
Many students are frustrated with the grammar classes… I think it‟s much
(Excerpt 5)
It is fun [integrated grammar]. Well, I don‟t know. I feel like when I have
to put some grammar rules or grammar lessons in my speaking or writing classes, probably my students like it there but I mean the students will be
excited because it‟s no longer grammar class, it is just writing class with
some grammar lessons in it. (Interview, March 16, 2017)
Teachers‟ view indicates that integrated grammar could be an aid in
(Teacher) Independent Integrated Both
influence their participation in classroom activity.” In integrated grammar classrooms, students would be more willing to participate in the learning process as they do not feel threatened by grammatical lessons. This supports the argument of Mitchell (2000) where grammar teaching needs to be supported by a meaningful task that gives opportunities of practice and use for the students.
Although eight teachers tended to favor integrated grammar in terms of the stimulation level, 3 teachers believed that both methods could stimulate students‟ interest and motivation. Students‟ personal motivation was considered important in determining their interest in learning grammar itself. As stated by Lecturer E and F:
(Excerpt 6)
So good students usually show interest and they are more active. (Interview, March 13, 2017)
(Excerpt 7)
…they want to know the grammatical explanation, the grammar rules, they
would enjoy the independent more because then they can actually explain why you have to use the –ing form, not the to-infinitive… (Interview, March 13, 2017)
to create interesting activities to stimulate students‟ interests in learning grammar. Teacher E exclaimed:
(Excerpt 8)
But in the independent course, actually the teacher can also make it interesting, by giving other activities, by giving different kinds of exercises. Maybe not exercises but activities to make the students interested. The problem is we do not have enough time. (Interview, March 13, 2017)
Effectiveness
Effectiveness of each method was depicted in students‟ understanding of the meaning, accuracy, competency and communicative setting of the language. While most teachers believed that integrated grammar was more stimulating for students, 54.5% of the teachers tended to favor independent grammar in terms of its effectiveness. There was a small margin of 27.3% of the teachers who believed both methods to be effective with only 18.2% who viewed integrated grammar to be more effective for students. (See Table 4).
Although most teachers viewed independent grammar to be more effective, three teachers believed that both methods would play an important role
in the effectiveness of students‟ language intake if implemented in the right level
Table 4
Effectiveness of Grammar Teaching Methods
Respondent
(Teacher) Independent Integrated Both
A level students, it is best for going with independent approach. And for, let say maybe, intermediate to advanced, gradually we can induce idea and content. (Interview, March 15, 2017)
This view is in line with Brown‟s principle (2000) as stated in Akurugu
(2010, p.47) that, “there are predictable sequences in L2 acquisition such that
graded approach is used in implementing easy lessons primary to the difficult lessons.
Independent grammar. As Table 4 shows, almost all teachers viewed
independent grammar positively where 6 teachers believed that independent grammar was more effective in terms of teaching the meaning of forms and developing accuracy. As seen by the statement of Lecturer B, and Lecturer J:
(Excerpt 10)
But from my own perception or understanding, if we do not offer specific
explicit grammar instructions to the students, I‟m afraid that they simply
do not notice what is wrong and what is right. (Interview, March 9, 2017)
(Excerpt 11)
In terms of semantic and accuracy, independent grammar course will answer that. We work a lot to make you accurate in your English, in your grammar. We want you to understand from the smallest part of language until you can create a sentence or even paragraphs, creating context. But the weakness is about the competency and communicative setting here. (Interview, March 16, 2017)
supported by the opinion of the lecturers that their students are not able to access an English-speaking environment and would need to learn grammar consciously. This is in line with the findings of Canh and Barnard (2009) concerning EFL teachers in Vietnam where there is a strong belief of the need of independent grammar in the context of EFL.
Moreover, positive attitude concerning the effectiveness of independent
grammar seems to be stimulated by teachers‟ learning background. As stated by Lecturer F:
(Excerpt 12)
I‟m a product of independent grammar, so, I experience the benefit of
independent grammar teaching. Not for the sake of the use of grammar only but more on the understanding of the grammatical rules because I‟m going to be an English language teacher. (Interview, March 13, 2017).
All teachers had a background of traditional grammar teaching and 90.1 % of them believed that how their former teachers taught grammar have been beneficial in developing their current grammatical knowledge. They perceived that independent grammar was effective as students nowadays are more induced with communicative teaching that does not fully support the development of their grammatical awareness. Lecturer B and F (see excerpt 12) mentioned:
(Excerpt 13)
history, by saying independent grammar is not effective? I cannot claim that, because I grew up with grammar. (Interview, March 9, 2017).
This supports Borg‟s (2003) statement regarding the study of teachers‟
belief about grammar, which indicates that teachers‟ experience in the past as language learners is a powerful role that shapes their own understanding and beliefs about grammar and grammar teaching. Their own experience leads to how they perceived grammar itself.
Integrated grammar. As shown in Table 4, even though most teachers
believed that independent grammar was more effective, two teachers viewed integrated grammar positively in terms of its effectiveness in fostering students‟ language competency in communicative setting. Moreover, three teachers also believed that integrated grammar was equally effective as independent grammar. They understand the importance of teaching grammar in context and its application for students to be able to communicate, as stated by Lecturer A and C:
(Excerpt 14)
(Excerpt 15)
I think it is better for me, in my opinion, to use grammar like in procedural writing, integrated in a course. Because, you know, it is related with
students‟ needs. (Interview, March 9, 2017).
However, most teachers believed that in the context of EFL, integrated grammar was best used for students of intermediate and advance levels. This was because students in these levels are required to comprehend and produce meaningful work, where their language use needs to come with grammatical competence. Thus, grammatical competence would be better built in beginner level students before they reach intermediate and advance level.
The teachers believed that if beginner level students were given both the responsibility in developing their accuracy and fluency together with producing ideas and content, students would be burdened. They believed independent grammar to be taught first to create grammatical competence, where it could then be used to produce meaningful work. This view is in line with Brown (2000) concerning graded approach, where easy lessons should be taught first prior to the difficult ones. This attitude is stated by Lecturer H, Lecturer G and Lecturer J:
(Excerpt 16)
And for lower level students, if we aim at developing accuracy and then fluency in terms of automaticity, should it also be combined with idea and
(Excerpt 17)
I think it‟s better if we have independent grammar and integrated
grammar. So first before you integrate it in other courses, you have to teach them independent grammar, like in traditional way. (Interview, March 14, 2017)
(Excerpt 18)
I would say that I would be happier if there are independent grammar courses and also a little grammar lessons in the four skills that the students really need to learn at the beginning of their journey here. I hope that the grammar rules, grammar lessons that they need to learn in the skills
classes is not going to be very burdening. I would suggest it‟s going to be
a review from their grammar courses, and then I would say I hope that the faculty will trust the people that really are expert in grammar to teach grammar. (Interview, March 16, 2017)
Thus, to be able to teach integrated grammar effectively, it was strongly believed that independent grammar needs to be given more emphasis in first year students of EFL before integrating it in other skill courses.
Teachers’ Attitudes in Relation to their Teaching
independent grammar teaching and 2 of them towards both methods, claimed that they will bring with them their teaching preference in regard to several factors (see Table 5).
As shown in Table 5, even though five lecturers believed that their attitude affects their teaching, six others claimed that their choice in deciding
which method to be used was related to: (1) students‟ learning strategy and
condition, (2) time limit, and (3) the needs of the class.
Firstly, students‟ way of learning contributes to the teachers‟ decision in bringing their preference in their teaching. This is in line with the statement of Barnard & Scampton (2009, p.69) where students learning background is a factor
in teachers‟ pedagogical decision. When asked about this, Lecturer I explained:
Table 5
Teachers’ Attitude in Relation to Teaching
Does Your Preference/Attitude Affect
Your Teaching? Participants Percentage
Yes 5 45.5%
No 0 0%
Depends (students’ learning strategy
and condition, class needs, time limit) 6 54.5%
(Excerpt 19)
When we are teaching we need to be aware that actually students would just have a different way of learning, right? And it would help us to define what delivery method, so maybe the delivery method would just like help the students, those with different preference, be able to understand more,
but then I don‟t know whether it is related to whether how I deliver a
particular explanation, or material, or if it‟s my preference itself, I mean
whether I am able to choose the most appropriate delivery method in certain classroom. (Interview, March 15, 2017)
Secondly, some lecturers felt that it was not in their position to say whether their preference affects their teaching in class, because even if they have a strong belief on a certain grammar delivery method, they have not had the chance to teach it in class due to the time limit of the courses. Lecturers teaching
content courses often only correct students‟ grammatical errors through personal
feedback and consultation outside of class. As stated by Lecturer B:
(Excerpt 20)
Lastly, the need of the class was also a factor of whether a teacher would implement a certain grammar teaching method. Three teachers believed that when they were teaching content or skill courses, it would be better for them to focus on the content rather than grammar. For them, with only 4 credits of independent grammar course, to teach a content course but also pay attention to the grammatical lesson would not be sufficient. As stated by Lecturer I:
(Excerpt 21)
Because you can integrate it in some of the courses but then some will not be covered well if you integrate it in some of the courses. I have one experience, because I had to teach speaking and my students did not understand about those particular tense or other grammar things like sentence structure. Then I spent the whole class, which was supposed to be a speaking class, explaining about grammar. And it means that actually I reduce their opportunity to practice their speaking, and it‟s not good
because that‟s a speaking class. (Interview, March 15, 2017)
Regardless of the claim of six teachers that the relation of their attitude and class practice was influenced by several factors, 45.5 % of the lecturers‟ felt that they brought their beliefs and attitude in class. As stated in the previous discussion where 81.2% of the lecturers have a tendency towards independent grammar teaching, four teachers believed that in skill courses they still teach grammar explicitly for students to be able to comprehend grammatical instructions and only one teacher was prone to teach integrated grammar. Lecturer H, when asked, believed that her preference does affect her teaching:
(Excerpt 22)
Yes, in some ways yes, because that will determine my focus of teaching.
If I don‟t place it as important notion, I will not address it in my teaching.
And many times it‟s not that I don‟t want to, or it‟s not that I‟m not aware
of the issue, but it‟s much more of the instruction objective of teaching
This view strongly aligns to how teachers believed that grammar was important in producing EFL teachers where five teachers felt that they would still bring their beliefs and attitudes in pedagogical activity.
When asked about this, Lecturer G also mentioned, “I am a product of
traditional grammar where independent grammar is taught…because of that I am
aware of the rules, so I want my students to be aware of the rules too.” This view is in line with what Spada and Lightbown (2008) claimed that teachers will teach grammar in the way they were taught. Their personal experience colors their judgment in class implementation to what they perceived to be effective.
The result supports Borg & Burns view (2008, p.458) that in teaching, teachers select their instructional methods based on their own ideas. Many factors were related in how teachers‟ attitude affects their teaching. Other than personal attitudes, most of them claimed students‟ learning strategy and condition, time limit and the needs of the class affect their decision in using a specific teaching method. According to more than half of the respondents, although they are prone to one delivery method, they cannot merely implement it in classes where they see it is not suitable.
grammar teaching for current students of FLA UKSW in producing qualified EFL pre-service teachers.
Conclusion
In the context of this study where once independent grammar was taught with more credits in English Language Education Program of FLA, teachers‟ attitude concerning the two methods is vital in the process of pedagogical activity. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate teachers‟ attitudes towards the delivery of grammar teaching: independent and integrated methods.
First, the result of teachers‟ attitudes toward the methods‟ appropriateness showed that lecturers were aware of the curriculum changes and viewed grammar as an important aspect in English pedagogy. The teachers viewed both methods to be appropriate with a tendency towards independent method as it was perceived more effective in regards to producing English teachers in EFL context.
Secondly, the teachers had a positive attitude toward integrated method of its stimulation and usefulness for the students in knowing when and how to apply the language. They believed that learners were more enthusiastic in learning grammar in integrated class as it was less threatening. Nevertheless, some teachers believed that independent grammar could also stimulate students‟ interest if given more credits.
Moreover, the teachers viewed independent grammar to be more effective
in terms of developing students‟ understanding of language forms and accuracy
communicative setting. They believed that grammar teaching was most effective if it was given according to students‟ language competence.
Lastly, regarding teachers‟ attitude in relation to their teaching, most of the teachers believed that their attitude affects their teaching in class. Similar to Spada and Lightbown‟s finding (2008), teachers‟ background and experience in grammar teaching and learning contributed to their practice in class. However, most of them were still affected by external factors such as students‟ learning strategy and condition, time limit, and the needs of the class. Their choice of using their preferred method was dependent whether it was suitable for the class or not. Thus, it is seen, just as Borg (2006) stated, that the teachers‟ cognitive and affective components of attitude towards grammar delivery did play a part in
teachers‟ behavioral aspect in classroom practice.
In summary, although there was a strong tendency on the use of independent grammar, teachers viewed both methods appropriate if implemented in the right levels of competency. With the current curriculum and the past decision to remove independent grammar in the faculty, it was believed that independent grammar was necessary in developing students‟ grammatical competence.
suggested by Brown (2000) in Akurugu (2010, p.47). Moreover, teachers should also take into account the class‟ suitability when implementing a specific grammar teaching method. Finally, I hope this research may be beneficial in providing understanding for EFL teachers of English Language Education Program specifically in Indonesian schools and university, when considering which grammar teaching methods to be used.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, my greatest gratitude goes to Jesus Christ, my God and Savior. In the midst of completing this thesis, I am constantly reminded of the strength I have in Him and His astounding provision in my life. I thank my family for their relentless support through encouragement and prayers during these several months. Moreover, I am sincerely grateful to All Hands Held Scholarship (AHHS) Canada, for the financial support in my completing my study.
I would also like to greatly thank my supervisor, Dr. Elisabet Titik Murtisari, M. TransStud for her support in guiding and motivating me to complete my thesis in the midst of her busy schedule. Her constant inputs in the process of writing this thesis have made me realize my potential to be a better scholar. As for my examiner, Mrs. Gita Hastuti, M.A, thank you for your valuable contributions and your time in examining my thesis.
I would also like to thank the lecturers whom I have interviewed for their time and contribution to this thesis. Last but not least, I thank Ari, my „thesis
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