PEDAGOGICAL GRAMMAR: ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS and ACTUATIONS

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the beliefs and practices of the English Language Teachers (ELT) in the teaching of grammar in one state university in Northwestern Cagayan, Philippines. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted. Descriptive statistics and coding were used to analyze and interpret the data. The language teachers had a variety of complex beliefs about grammar teaching, and the core belief focuses on the necessity of grammar instruction to be taught to learners explicitly and implicitly. They strongly believe that integrating games into grammar instruction can facilitate students’ learning; that drills, exercises, and assignments are appropriate teaching activities, and that the introduction of activities that create for students to participate in group/pairs can facilitate language learning. These teachers discuss errors in grammar class. Also, they employ drills, exercises, assignments as well as speaking and writing activities during and after the discussion of a grammar topic. Their choice of activities in a grammar class depends on the students’ interest, the level of the students, and the availability of materials. Findings also show the inconsistencies in the stated beliefs, self-reported practices and in the actual observed practices of these English language teachers.