Teaching Grammar to Improve EFL Learners’ Written Production Skills - Traditional vs. Communicative Approach

Teaching Grammar to Improve EFL Learners’ Written Production Skills

  The present study aims at investigating a more effective way of teaching the grammar to improve EFL learner’s written productions. Two different approaches to grammar teaching were employed throughout one semester. The subjects were Korean college students, and Divided into two groups, they were taught (Class A and Class B). Throughout one semester, traditional approaches to grammar teaching were employed for Class A, and more communicatively-oriented grammar teaching was used for Class B. After teaching the grammar in two different ways, three types of written productions were collected to measure the efficacy of the two approaches: a quiz given right after each grammar instruction, a comprehensive test given at the end of the semester, and a writing assignment also given at the end of the semester. The results of data analysis indicate that a communicativelyoriented approach to grammar teaching (Class B) is more effective than traditional grammar teaching (Class A). It is concluded on the basis of the following: (a) The subjects in Class B made less errors than those in Class A (i.e., effective in terms of quality); and (b) The subjects in Class B produced more sentences than those in Class A (i.e., effective in terms of quantity) in their tests and writing assignment. The result implies that the subjects in Class B became more confident and motivated to write in English after taking the grammar instructions (i.e., a communicatively-oriented approach to grammar teaching).