Moderno podučavanje gramatike engleskog jezika
Modern english grammar teaching

Author(s): Mirela Rahimić
Subject(s): Foreign languages learning, School education, Sociology of Education, Pedagogy
Published by: CENTAR MODERNIH ZNANJA
Keywords: English grammar; modern teaching; teaching; grammar-translation method; communication;
Summary/Abstract: It used to be thought that the teaching of a foreign language should be reduced only to learning grammar, to knowledge of the language, so many teachers designed their lessons by forcing students to learn grammar rules by heart and say a few learned examples in accordance with those rules. However, as today's foreign language teaching goal has changed significantly, students should not be forced to learn a foreign language as required by some methods throughout history, especially the grammar-translation method. It is known that the traditional grammar-translation method focuses on teaching rules and practising grammar by translating sentences. The aim of modern communicative language teaching is to teach students to communicate, giving them the topic, material and frameworks with which they need to find out the meaning on their own. The grammar-translation method uses a limited number of techniques, such as lectures, translations, drill exercises, memorization of rules and words. On the other hand, communicative language teaching accepts a large number of activities, which are balanced, or at least should be. This kind of teaching involves more "information in context" and practising similar situations in real life. While the representatives of the grammar-translation method claim that students will learn better if they just listen to the teacher and do not make mistakes (due to the small number of opportunities to speak), in contrast, the representatives of communicative teaching suggest that students must "experiment" with the language in order to learn to use it. It is known that in the classroom the grammar-translation method does not promote oral exercises, however other methods can be used for this purpose. Therefore, the lack of one method can be replaced by the techniques and strategies of another. Thus, it would be a shame to completely reject the grammar-translation method and the teaching of grammar using its techniques, for example, in high school, knowing the fact that adolescents possess enviable analytical abilities and that they are the ones who succeed best in grammar and syntax. So, using only some techniques of the grammar-translation method, modern grammar teaching would be an ideal choice.

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