PART I

For this part of the assignment, read Nassaji and Fotos (2004: 129-131) discussion on the
extent and types of grammar teaching, and answer the questions that follow.

(a) Nassaji and Fotos (2004) give an in-depth discussion on the various responses to the
explicit teaching of grammar.

What do you understand about explicit teaching of grammar?

What are the

advantages and disadvantages of explicit grammar teaching?

Support your discussion with suitable examples drawn from the local ESL context;
and relevant ideas taken from at least TWO related theories / studies on explicit
teaching of grammar.
(550 words) 10 marks
Answer :
Almost every world language teacher will agree that the controversy over the
effectiveness of explicit and implicit grammar teaching has been ongoing for decades. Some
researchers agree that explicit teaching methods are more beneficial for learners, some
believe the opposite and some believe that both ways are effective.
Explicit teaching involves directing student attention towards a specific learning
objective in a highly structured environment. Topics are taught in a logical order directed by
the teacher through demonstration, explanation and practice to help students understand how
they should think about accomplishing a task. The attention of the students is very important
since explicit teaching is very teacher-centered. Explicit teaching is closely related to
deductive teaching, which means that rules are given before any examples are seen. Explicit
learning is a conscious awareness and intention (Brown, 2007) to learn. In addition, explicit
learning involves input processing to find out whether the input information contains

regularities, and if so, to work out the concepts and rules with which these regularities can be
captured (Brown, 2007). Therefore, we can state that teaching grammar explicitly puts more
emphases on the usage of grammatical rules and therefore teachers expect their students to
extensively study those rules and memorize and thus, leaning towards a more traditional way
of learning in the classroom.
As most of us were taught English explicitly in our schooling years it is the method
with which we are most familiar. Lets look at the pros and cons of this type of grammar
teaching and determine whether it is effective or not. Explicit grammar teaching is conducive
for knowing the rules of a language. In addition, it provides a solid knowledge of grammar
and syntax. In other words, this all amounts to mastering how the language works. Apart from
that, it is useful for pointing out the particularities of a language, the exceptions. For example,
overtly discussing word order and irregular verbs in the English language results in a greater
awareness of the intricacies of the language.
It seems to be the case that some people are just better explicit learners. Logical,
mathematical and verbal types of intelligence seem to be more readily inclined to learn and
adopt grammar explicitly. Our capacity to acquire new languages declines as we age. As a
result, this also means that explicit grammar teaching becomes more relevant as we get older
as well and should be acquired more formally.
On the contrary, implicit grammar teaching is better for picking up a language or
arriving at a practical use of a foreign language and explicit teaching helps us less with that. It
is therefore helps the learner prepare for natural, communicative situations where rules are
often forgotten or broken.
Achieving fluency is very hard when it comes to explicit teaching as students tend to
put their focus more on accuracy. Implicit grammar instruction is actually the way we acquire
our very first language at an early age. When we are little we do not pay attention to the rules
behind language but rather how it works in practical, real situations. Implicit instruction
therefore promotes the gaining of basic linguistic skills that are essential to language. Lastly,
the greatest threat of explicit grammar instruction is the danger of empty memorization. By
promoting the knowing of rules, explicit instruction also encourages a superficial
acquisition of the language. Without knowing how to apply them, rules are pretty much
useless.

Explicit grammar teaching has both its benefits and drawbacks and is certainly not
devoid of fault. The reality is that one is not superior the other; rather that each one is most
appropriate given specific scenarios and for specific individuals. The best form of grammar
teaching is conditional upon the particular learning situation.

(b) Nassaji and Fotos (2004: 130) conclude the section by stating that current research
indicates that learners need opportunities to both encounter and produce structures
which have been introduced either explicitly, through a grammar lesson, or implicitly,
through frequent exposure.
How do you think the local ESL teachers can create these opportunities where
learners can learn grammar better through both implicit and explicit grammar
teaching?
Support your discussion with suitable examples drawn from the local ESL context;
and relevant ideas taken from at least TWO related theories / studies on implicit and
explicit teaching of grammar.
(550 words) 10 marks

Answer :
Some see grammar as the backbone of languages and argue that learners should be
presented with explicit grammar courses. Others, however, argue that knowledge of grammar
rules doesnt necessarily lead to the mastery of a language. The latter contend that focusing
on explicit grammar teaching produces unsuccessful language users. Which one of these
schools of thought is correct?
Teachers who focus on language form presentation, explanation of grammar rules and
practice through drilling hold a traditional view of language teaching. They equate language
to grammar mastery and accurate usage. This can create bored, disaffected students who can
produce correct forms only on exercises and tests.
By contrast some teachers think that people can acquire language without any overt
grammar instruction much in the same way children learn their mother tongue. They believe

that conscious use of language forms may result in a high affective filter and consequently
poor language proficiency and fluency. These teachers prefer language use to language usage
and focus on meaning rather than form. For language activities, they provide contextualized
and authentic language and generally do not refer to rules or forms at all.
This suggests that grammar alone doesnt make the language. What is more, language
use can be tremendously affected by conscious language usage as this may create a stressful
environment. So a balanced approach to grammar teaching takes into consideration the items
and how they are presented to the students. Therefore, here are the opportunities that teachers
can create to make use both the explicit and implicit grammar teaching in the ESL classroom
in order for the students to engage themselves in learning grammar effectively.
Firstly, avoid rule giving teaching because in many ESL classes particularly in our
country, grammar is taught explicitly. The teacher gives grammar rules and students will have
to memorize those rules. Although this may ensure good grades in exams, when they are
asked to apply the structures in real life contexts, they will definitely face difficulties. If
teachers avoid using the traditional rule-giving style of teaching grammar explicitly it will
make the teaching of grammar more effective. Explaining a rule doesnt necessarily lead to
full understanding of the language point because understanding the usage and meaning of the
language is more important. It is preferable to let students get the rules by themselves.
While teaching grammar in the classroom, the teacher will go directly into the
substance of the lesson. Thoughtful preparation and planning are not only necessary, but
essential for this type of instruction. Teachers need to engage the students first. They need to
provide the students with ideas about the lesson, about what items they will learn by asking
them guided questions and presenting information that will gradually lead them into the
lesson.
Apart from that, teachers can give examples in the form of pictures, stories or objects
and then demonstrate the grammar structure through those examples. If teachers show them
pictures and physical objects, students can listen and also visualize the examples. This
visualization will reinforce what they have listened to and consequently make the teaching of
grammar more meaningful and effective. Thus, once the students have learnt the grammar
structures, they need to practice them in different situations and what better ways a teacher
can implement this than through role-playing. Role-play, can serve the purposes of both

practice and production. If the teachers teach through role-play, students will be better
equipped to apply these structures in their own daily lives.
Lastly, instead of giving students a set of model examples to repeat and drill, it would
be wiser to give them opportunities to explore the examples by noticing/observing, making
hypotheses and drawing conclusions about the language forms for themselves. This leads to a
raised awareness of the grammar and a meaningful and active understanding of the rules.
Habit formation through drilling and repetition alone rarely leads to language mastery. On the
contrary, using authentic language (instead of artificial language) to unconsciously internalize
language forms can be much more beneficial to young students who are keen to acquire the
language.
In summation, implicit and explicit grammar teachings are among two of the most
debatable topics to teach in our ESL classroom. However, I believe that once one had reached
a certain level of performance or competency, grammar becomes more important. If students
dont know grammar, there is a point after which they cannot improve without that grammar
instruction. Many didnt know the grammar of the language they are speaking, thus they went
about trying to develop language fluency without knowing the grammar instruction.
Therefore, I suggest that as teachers, we have to teach our students minimal grammar,
showing that it has patterns so when they reached a more advance level they will able to
transfer these patterns to the grammar concept.