| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立高雄第一科技大學 === 應用英語所 === 93 === The Ministry of Education in Taiwan has just implemented English instruction as a subject in all elementary schools. According to the MOE guidelines, teachers are expected to adopt communicative teaching approaches as the leading learning model in elementary level curriculum to boost student’s oral proficiency. In reviewing the guidelines, we find very little explanation as to what role grammar instruction should play in advancing learners’ oral proficiency. Moreover, there is little direct evidence on how elementary English teachers and young learners perceive the role of grammar and their teaching practices and learning in the EFL environment in Taiwan.
In light of this fact, this study aims to discuss the topic in three aspects: 1) How do teachers view grammar instruction in CLT classrooms? 2) What methods do teachers often use in grammar instruction? 3) How do young learners view the role of grammar instruction in the classroom? As a method of research, two types of questionnaires were designed and administered to 159 elementary school English teachers and 731 elementary school students.
The main findings corresponding to the research questions are summarized as follows:
First, most teachers acknowledge the importance of grammar instruction in elementary education. The top three reasons are “Grammar can help elementary students construct more accurate sentences,” “Grammar can help elementary students use various structures to express thoughts” and “5th and 6th graders are cognitively ready for grammar instruction.”
Second, the majority of teachers agree with the indispensability of instructing grammar to the young.
Third, most of the teachers report that grammar lessons are actually practiced in their current elementary school classrooms. Their top three reasons “Grade 5 and 6 level learners are cognitively ready for grammar instruction,” “Grammar instruction can help coordinate Grade 1-9 Curricula” and “Grammar instruction can meet the interests and needs of 5th and 6th graders.”
Fourth, the teaching methods teachers often use to teach grammar are indirect; deductive; with or without terminology-use; reading and writing focused meaning-based teaching methods and indirect error correction. The amount of time devoted to grammar instruction in their current classes is 20% to 30%.
Fifth, a large percentage of learners, higher than that of teachers, recognize the value of grammar learning in the classroom. Their top three reasons include “Grammar helps me pass various kinds of tests,” “Grammar helps me speak out English” and “Grammar helps me construct sentences easily.”
Sixth, both teachers and students favor indirect and meaning-based teaching. Most responses from the students on their favorite learning styles, however, appear to be a direct contradiction to teachers’ current methods. These mismatches include inductive teaching, listening and speaking focused grammar practice and direct error correction. There is also a huge discrepancy in the opinions of both groups with regard to the ideal amount of class time devoted to grammar instruction. Teachers tend to prefer 20% to 30% amount of class time for grammar teaching; however, students tend to favor 40% to 50%.
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