grammar in a clt context

Grammar in a CLT Context

Do ‘they’ have to learn grammar?

With the general acceptance of Communicative Language Teaching as the

most recognized, contemporary approach to language teaching, the question of the place of grammar or what has been termed form-focused instruction seemed uncertain within

the curriculum.

The current universally held view is that some form-focused instruction is indeed

important within the communicative framework, including explicit reference to rules as well as noticing and consciousness

raising.

This emphasis on consciousness raising and noticing suggests that instead of teaching a

language item, the teacher should encourage students to notice it when it arises so that it is

subsequently processed and learnt.

Brown (2001) notes that there should be no question as to whether we should teach

grammar to adults and offers some of the following grammar-focusing techniques:

Grammar should be included in communicative contexts

Grammar should play a positive role in communicative goals

A few simple guidelines when providing grammatical explanations to learners: use

visual stimuli and graphical depictions; illustrate by using clear and unambiguous examples; consider the cognitive styles of

your learners.

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