Grammar-translation approach of learning English as a Second language: A case study of the Secondary School Students in the Tribal Schools of Odisha.

Introduction

Translation itself was an academic exercise rather than one which would actually help learners to use language, and an overt focus on grammar was to learn about the target language rather than to learn it. But at the height of the communicative approach to language learning in the 1980s and early 1990s it became fashionable in some quarters to deride so-called old-fashioned methods and, in particular, something broadly labeled "Grammar Translation". As with many other methods and approaches, Grammar Translation tended to be referred to in the past tense as if it no longer existed and had died out to be replaced world-wide by the fun and motivation of the communicative classroom. In examination of   the principal features of Grammar Translation, however, we will see that not only has it not disappeared but that many of its characteristics have been central to language teaching throughout the ages and are still valid today.

The Grammar Translation method embraces a wide range of approaches but, broadly speaking, foreign language study is seen as a mental discipline, the goal of which may be to read literature in its original form or simply to be a form of intellectual development. The basic approach is to analyze and study the grammatical rules of the language, usually in an order roughly matching the traditional order of the grammar of Latin, and then to practice manipulating grammatical structures through the means of translation both into and from the mother tongue. The method is very much based on the written word and texts are widely in evidence. A typical approach would be to present the rules of a particular item of grammar, illustrate its use by including the item several times in a text, and practice using the item through writing sentences and translating it into the mother tongue. The text is often accompanied by a vocabulary list consisting of new lexical items used in the text together with the mother tongue translation. Accurate use of language items is central to this approach.

Generally speaking, the medium of instruction is the mother tongue, which is used to explain conceptual problems and to discuss the use of a particular grammatical structure. It all sounds rather dull but it can be argued that the Grammar Translation method has over the years had a remarkable success. Millions of people have successfully learnt foreign languages to a high degree of proficiency and, in numerous cases, without any contact whatsoever with native speakers of the language (as was the case in the former Soviet Union, for example).

There are certain types of learner who respond very positively to a grammatical syllabus as it can give them both a set of clear objectives and a clear sense of achievement. Other learners need the security of the mother tongue and the opportunity to relate grammatical structures to mother tongue equivalents. Above all, this type of approach can give learners a basic foundation upon which they can then build their communicative skills. On the one hand they have motivating communicative activities that help to promote their fluency and, on the other, they gradually acquire a sound and accurate basis in the grammar of the language. This combined approach is reflected in many of the EFL course books currently being published and, amongst other things, suggests that the Grammar Translation method, far from being dead, is very much alive and kicking as we enter the 21st century. Therefore without a sound knowledge of the grammatical basis of the language it can be argued that the learner is in possession of nothing more than a selection of communicative phrases which are perfectly adequate for basic communication but which will be found wanting when the learner is required to perform any kind of sophisticated linguistic task.

MEHTORDS OF TEACHING GRAMMAR

Public institutions everywhere have been preaching the concept of grammar for years, yet for some mystical reason, society cannot seem to figure it out. If one is truly honest about the topic, he or she will have to admit that the collective grammar of this country is simply tragic. Into whose lap does this task fall? English teachers. Teaching English grammar to a group of students is a job that should grant super human status to any teacher who manages to do it successfully. There is a steaming buffet of options to pick from when it comes to choosing the best way to teach this age old and ever-relevant area of study. There is the new-age method of teaching grammar, which ironically doesn't actually teach grammar at all, but instead hopes students just sort of "pick it up" as they read different texts; then, there is a method somewhere in the middle, the "discuss some grammatical concept in a mini-lesson format, then analyze that concept as students read and write" method. Each method depends on who is doing the teaching, what kind of students occupy the classroom, and the demands of the school system, and each method has plenty to smile about and sneer upon.

The traditional method of teaching grammar is still very popular among experienced teachers and teachers that have been in the profession for a while. Everyone knows these kinds of teachers. They proclaim this world has gone to the deepest pits of hell in the roughest of hand baskets, and truly the rest of the teachers wonder why they are still teaching at all.

There are a few young, fresh, braves who enter the teaching field and follow the example set by their teachers in high school-- the traditional, grammar book, worksheet, right or wrong example. Regardless of whether they look at the student population and see the wasting away of society or a field of young and potential-filled flowers, these teachers see grammar as something that should be taught in isolation. It should be given its own time, its own unit, and its own space in the curriculum. Not incorrectly, they see their chosen field of study as something so highly important that it cannot be ignored nor tainted with other subjects; the students must learn it because, well, that's what students do: they learn grammar. .

Well, there may be one fact these traditionalists are overlooking when it comes to teaching grammar. Why is it that students, when taught grammar the traditional, isolated way, have to be re-taught the same grammatical concepts year after year? It seems to the common observer that they're simply not learning it. They remember the concepts for the worksheet and the test but soon forget and have to learn the next year There is certainly something awry in this system. Are teachers wasting their time trying to fill young minds with grammatical facts? If they're not, then why do so many adults who have graduated high school and gone through years of repetitive grammar instruction display horrific grammatical skills.

Based on this information, many have decided to abandon the practice of teaching grammar all-together. They have brushed it off as worthless and have instead chosen to cross their fingers in hopes that if students read enough and write enough, they will start to naturally see the patterns of the English language. For some students this may work. In fact, it may work for many students. However, teachers may collide into a problem with this system. In every state, teachers have a curriculum to follow, a list of "to-do's" These curriculum lists usually contain a set of pure grammatical skills that the students must learn, and unless the teacher wants to rebel against the curriculum that teacher must teach those things, the endless dilemmas of the English teachers would arise.For those teachers who are neither traditional nor rebellious, there is a middle road of grammar instruction. This type of instruction combines grammar with reading and writing as an everyday experience in the classroom. This method is very much dependent on the teacher's creativity and his or her ability to weave grammar into every other area of the English classroom. It is by no means the easiest way to teach grammar, but as research has shown, it may be the most effective. It is definitely the method that takes the most time and creativity on the part of the teacher, but for a dedicated professional, these are both secondary concerns to the level of learning the students achieve.There are teachers who make the traditional method work; somehow they have found a way to get bits of information to implant themselves into student minds like tiny eggs of precious information. There are teachers who don't handle grammar at all, but they make their students read enough and write enough that somehow they pass their state tests and grow up with a basic knowledge of the concepts; and there are teachers who creatively combine grammar to other classroom activities.

Learning and teaching grammar requires some creativity in order to make learning grammar a communicative process (The way to learn is to do. Learn by doing. Doing is learning) So this would depend the grammar structure you are targeting, the learners' level, and what "learning grammar" means to the learner. Traditional method book exercises and worksheets are, also, helpful. A multi-faceted approach is practical. Grammar should be part of an integrated approach. Of course, there is any number of ways to consider an integrated approach. And, also, grammar items should not be taught in isolation. They can be, but in rigidly adhering to doing just one thing at a time. A target structure or target structures indicate direction and focus but other things may come up along the way and there's no sense, of course, in ignoring them. Speaking is primary, and learning to use grammar should be integrated with speaking practice. Combine functions of language with grammar instruction. Still grammar requires some separate attention and focus apart from everything else in order to ensure a solid understanding. What is "modern" outside of an integrative approach which has a strong focus on grammar as a base and facilitating conversation in learning vocabulary, tenses, and sentence structure?

Most grammatical errors of non-native speakers of English would not be found among native speakers of English. Non-native speakers of English require explicit instruction in grammar forms, the meaning of those forms, and how and when to use the forms. Native speakers of English don't require this  A point of instruction that may be common to both non-native speakers of English and native speakers of English would be utilizing the variety of grammatical form, combined with lexical choices, to produce better writing or to be a more articulate speaker. However, even for this purpose, the needs of native speakers and non-native speaker would not always be in alignment.

Review of literature

Sentence combining is the strategy of joining short sentences into longer, more complex sentences. As students engage in sentence-combining activities, they learn how to vary sentence structure in order to change meaning and style. Numerous studies (Mellon, 1969; O'Hare, 1973; Cooper, 1975; Shaughnessy, 1977; Hillocks, 1986; Strong, 1986) show that the use of sentence combining is an effective method for improving students' writing. The value of sentence combining is most evident as students recognize the effect of sentence variety (beginnings, lengths, complexities) in their own writing.Hillocks (1986) states that "sentence combining practice provides writers with systematic knowledge of syntactic possibilities, the access to which allows them to sort through alternatives in their heads as well as on paper and to choose those which are most apt" (150). Research also shows that sentence combining is more effective than freewriting in enhancing the quality of student writing (Hillocks, 1986).Hillocks and Smith (1991) show that systematic practice in sentence combining can increase students' knowledge of syntactic structures as well as improve the quality of their sentences, particularly when stylistic effects are discussed as well. Sentence-combining exercises can be either written or oral, structured or unstructured. Structured sentence-combining exercises give students more guidance in ways to create the new sentences; unstructured sentence-combining exercises allow for more variation, but they still require students to create logical, meaningful sentences. Hillocks (1986) reports that in many studies, sentence-combining exercises produce significant increases in students' sentence-writing maturity. Given Noguchi's (1991) analysis that grammar choices affect writing style, sentence combining is an effective method for helping students develop fluency and variety in their own writing style. Students can explore sentence variety, length, parallelism, and other syntactic devices by comparing their sentences with sentences from other writers. They also discover the decisions writers make in revising for style and effect. The National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association (1996) published Standards for the English Language Arts, which defines "what students should know and be able to do with language"

Objectives

To study the grammar translation approach of teaching English.

To study the grammar translation approach of learning English.

To  focus on error correction and confidence building in communication

Methodology

Survey research method is followed for conducting the study. Secondary data is collected from the Circle Inspector of Schools ,Department of Education, Govt. of    Odisha concerned district and block offices. Fieldwork is conducted by generating primary data.

Universe of the study

For the purpose of the study, schools of   two districts in Odisha state are selected. These are 8 Secondary Schools (Tribal Schools under welfare Department, Govt. of Odisha)  in Dhenkanal District and 8 Secondary Schools(Tribal Schools under welfare Department, Govt. of Odisha) in Phulbani District. In each districts there are 160 students (20 from each school) and 48 instructors (24 from each district).The total student population of 320 are taken into the study.

Tools for collecting data

A questionnaire was used to collect data for the study, and the Z-test of proportion used to test the two hypothesis. Important items which are relevant to the implementation of the program me were included in the questionnaire. The socio – economic profile of the instructors, educational qualifications of the instructors, educational qualifications of the learners, their training and infrastructure available in the study centre, supervision and the impact of the program were covered in the questionnaire. The questionnaire prepared with the inclusion of the above mentioned items were administered among 320 secondary school students in a nearby institution. After the testing, it was administered among 48 instructors. 82 percent responded to the questionnaire.

Analysis of data

Analysis of the data was conducted item-wise. Items which are related to the implementation of effective English communication skill program were analyzed .The qualitative level of the instructors was analyzed the first parameter influencing effective communicative skill program. In the educational level of the instructors, additional qualification, previous experience of the instructors was studied .54.21% of the sample possessed the minimum requirement to conduct the program .13.19%posesses higher qualifications. In addition to the basic qualification, instructors in certain centers possesses technical qualifications in various skills like computer programming, internet, proper articulation of speech organs phonetics and rules of syntax.35.71% of the instructors possessed functional skills. In the qualitative level, yet another factor taken to study was the previous experience in the field and the study showed that 69.27% possesses experience in the conduct teaching English grammar to the students of EFL.

Another important factor analyzed in the qualitative level of instructors was the training received by the instructors. Adequacy of training in relation to the needs of effective skill of teaching English in grammar translation method has been analyzed and the result shows that 73.08 % of the instructors opined the training is adequate.

The second factor influencing the program implementation is the facility like language lab at the study centre.86.97% respondents opined that the facilities available at the study centre are not adequate. In 78.13% cases the instructors opined the agency conducting the program had taken proper care to distribute study materials in time. Another factor examined in this parameter is the learners’ regarding study materials and found that 87.73 %were satisfied with the study materials.

It was also observed that adult students (62.95%) appreciated the benefit from direct instruction that allows them to apply critical thinking skills to language learning. Instructors took the advantage of this by providing explanations that gave the students a descriptive understanding (declarative knowledge) of each point of grammar.

The trained instructors taught the grammar point in the target language and in  the students' first language and sometimes in  both. The goal was to facilitate understanding. The time limit devoted to grammar explanations was 10 minutes, especially for lower level students whose ability to sustain attention can be limited.

Present grammar points in written and oral ways were addressed as per the needs of students with different learning styles.

An important part of grammar instruction is providing examples. Teachers planned their examples carefully around two basic principles i.e. on the basis of accuracy and appropriateness 73 21% of the instructors presented the language appropriately, that is culturally appropriate for the setting in which they are used, and be to the point of the lesson.

Different examples were used as teaching tools. Examples were focused on a particular theme or topic so that students got more contact with specific information and vocabulary.

In the communicative competence model, the purpose of learning grammar is to learn the language of which the grammar is a part. Instructors therefore teach grammar forms and structures in relation to meaning and use for the specific communication tasks that students need to complete.

A Comparison was made between the traditional model and the communicative competence model for teaching the English past tense:

Traditional: grammar for grammar's sake

Teach the regular -ed form with its two pronunciation variants

Teach the doubling rule for verbs that end in d (for example, wed-wedded)

The students were given the Hand out of  a list of irregular verbs that students must memorize to which 32.85% of the students could achive the target memory. The students were asked to do pattern practice drills for -ed and to do substitution drills for irregular verbs .in this test 52.81% of the students became successful.

Communicative competence: grammar for communication's sake.

Two short narratives about recent experiences or events were distributed to  each one to half of the class

The instructor taught the regular -ed form, using verbs that occur in the texts as examples. And taught the pronunciation and doubling rules of those forms occurring in the texts.

 The irregular verbs that occur in the texts were also taught.

Students read the narratives, ask questions about points they don't understand.

Students worked in pairs in which one member has read Story A and the other Story B. Students were interviewed one after another; using the information from the interview, they then wrote up and orally repeated the story they have read.

 

At all proficiency levels, learners produced language that was not exactly the language used by native speakers. Some of the differences (45.83%) were grammatical, while others involved vocabulary selection and mistakes in the selection of language appropriate for different contexts.

For implementation of the program like effective English teaching skill in grammar translation method, the participation of the people of the locality is essential. All the agencies conducting program insisted on the constitution of local committees. It was observed that local committees are functioning in 35.42 % a case which is not adequate. These committees provide necessary help to the program centers for its implementation. Study of the working of the local committees show that their influence is mainly in three ways-mobilizing the public support, encouraging the learners and acting as mediator in cases of disputes.

Another factor examined in the study is the visit of the district level instructors to different blocks of the districts. Actually the block level officials have to monitor the program. In addition to the block level instructors, one district level resource person for every 10 program centre was engaged.66.94%of the block level officials opined that the district level officials are regular in their visit to inquire about the problems in  teaching and learning effective English teaching skill.

The objective of the program is to achieve functional skills of English language communication to create awareness among the students about the essential requirement of English language communication in the modern world. One aspect studied was the attitude the communication in English language in everyday life and after the completion of the program90.46% instructors observed specific changes in the attitude of the learners towards English language communication skills. After the completion of the program, majority of the learners were aware of the various development schemes implemented by the government .80.35%of the learners were aware of it .Only 19.65% of the learners were unaware of it which was studied by taking their perception relating to the language, their minimum qualification, their social and cultural background, education of their parents and the family they belong to. It has been revealed that 73.28% of the learners were aware of essentiality of the communication in English language, 86.45% were with minimum qualification knowing the minimums of the language, 64.29% were of a sound social and cultural background, 69.82% learners belonged to educated families.

The results revealed that majority of the teachers could identify the different methods used in teaching grammatical structures in English language (Z = 8.6023). The findings further revealed that the teachers were very conversant with the traditional methods (Informative and Cognitive code-learning methods), while the Grammar Translation Teaching method was yet to gain high usage among the teachers (Z = 3.028, 5.574, 1.634 and .929). The findings are indication of the need for retraining programmes for English language teachers in secondary schools.

Recommendation

 In responding to student communication, teachers need to be careful not to focus on error correction to the detriment of communication and confidence building. Teachers need to let students know when they are making errors so that they can work on improving. Teachers also need to build students' confidence in their ability to use the language by focusing on the content of their communication rather than the grammatical form. Teachers can use error correction to support language acquisition, and avoid using it in ways that undermine students' desire to communicate in the language, by taking cues from context. When students are doing structured output activities that focus on development of new language skills, use error correction to guide them. When students are engaged in communicative activities, errors should be corrected only if they interfere with comprehensibility and be responded by using correct forms, but without stressing them.

The goal of grammar instruction is to enable students to carry out their communication purposes. This goal has three implications: Students need overt instruction that connects grammar points with larger communication contexts. Students do not need to master every aspect of each grammar point, only those that are relevant to the immediate communication task. Error correction is not always the instructor's first responsibility.

Which method works the best is up to the individual teacher, but one thing is certain: it is the English teacher's job to make sure this information is cleverly presented. Therefore grammar is one of those issues that do not have an easy solution. It is tricky and it is tough, kind of like all important things in life. It is not for the faint of heart or the creatively shallow.

Modern methods of teaching English grammar

 Meaningful planning

Where possible, learning in English is linked with subjects within the creative curriculum we follow: the International Primary curriculum (IPC). Well in advance of teaching, teachers should collaborate and share their ideas for planning through a mind mapping process. Meaningful, creative activities must be planned for, ensuring that all staff members know exactly what the children will be learning and why.

Focused on strategies

The teaching of reading is not easy. As children's fluency in reading increases, it's hard to know what reading skills need to be taught, and when. Specific reading strategies are to be  modeled explicitly to the class; this provides children with a holistic bank of skills to draw upon. This could include scanning a text, making an inference, predicting or creating a mental image. Our teachers use 'think aloud' statements to model to the children how these skills are used, and how they can help them become better readers. These strategies are then shared as a class, and then assessed in follow up guided reading activities.

Inspirational learning environment

The classroom environments should inspire adults and children alike. Not only is the children's work displayed creatively, but there is a range of learning prompts to inspire and support all pupils. The study suggests   to encourage our children to discover new texts, genres and authors, so our reading areas are inviting, well resourced and highly organized. Pupils can choose from an exciting array of reading material: newspapers, classic texts, reference books as well as the children's own published stories are just some examples of what book corners might offer.

Drama to engage and inspire

The use of drama is a powerful tool. Taking the lead from our drama specialist, all teaching staff should use a range of techniques to promote the exploration of characters, situations and historical events. This process expands the pupils' imaginations, and provides them with the ideas they need to give their writing that extra spark and flair.

Rigorous teaching of spelling and phonics

In the infants, phonics is streamed, so all children can benefit from tailored teaching, making maximum progress as a result. All phonics and spelling activities should be fun, multi sensory and as physical possible, the aim being to meet all learning styles in the class. In the juniors, we must try to make homework lists as personalized to the child as possible to ensure that the spelling patterns stick in a meaningful way.

Grammar concepts taught creatively

Grammar cannot be taught as a standalone activity. Children begin to understand grammar concepts, and start to apply them in their own writing, when they start to read with a writer's mind. Punctuation rules and techniques should be drawn from shared texts; texts which the children have already been immersed in and have a good understanding of. Exploring these and embedding them creatively is how the learning takes place.

 Self assessment

What child doesn't love marking somebody else's work? With a clear marking key, success criteria and purpose in mind, children set about assessing either their own, or a partner's piece of writing. Modeled through the teacher's own formative marking, pupils know what the expectations are. They are well trained in searching for successful examples of the learning intention, articulating their responses to the work, checking the writing matches any targets and giving constructive feedback. Seeing the children learn from each other in this way is hugely positive; the teacher can know that he has done his job well.

Conclusion

Grammar instruction is most naturally integrated during the revising, editing, and proofreading phases of the writing process. After students have written their first drafts and feel comfortable with the ideas and organization of their writing, teachers may wish to employ various strategies to help students see grammatical concepts as language choices that can enhance their writing purpose. Students will soon grow more receptive to revising, editing, and proofreading their writing. In writing conferences, teachers can help students revise for effective word choices. As the teacher and student discuss the real audience(s) for the writing, the teacher can ask the student to consider how formal or informal the writing should be, and remind the student that all people adjust the level of formality in oral conversation, depending on the listeners and the speaking context. The teacher can then help the student identify words in his or her writing that change the level of formality of the writing. To help students revise boring, monotonous sentences, teachers might ask students to read their writing aloud to partners. Both the partner and the writer can discuss ways to vary the sentence beginnings. After the writer revises the sentences, the partner can read the sentences aloud. Then both can discuss the effectiveness of the revision. Teachers can help students edit from passive voice to active voice by presenting a mini lesson. In editing groups, students can exchange papers and look for verbs that often signal the passive voice, such as was and been. When students find these verbs, they read the sentence aloud to their partners and discuss whether the voice is passive and, if so, whether an active voice verb might strengthen the sentence. The student writer can then decide which voice is most effective and appropriate for the writing purpose and audience. Teachers can help students become better proofreaders through peer editing groups. Based on the writing abilities of their students, teachers can assign different proofreading tasks to specific individuals in each group. One person in the group might proofread for spelling errors, another person for agreement errors, another person for fragments and run-ons, and another person for punctuation errors. As students develop increasing skill in proofreading, they become responsible for more proofreading areas. Collaborating with classmates in editing, students improve their own grammar skills as well as understand the importance of grammar as a tool for effective communication. As teachers integrate grammar instruction with writing instruction, they should use the grammar terms that make sense to the students. By incorporating grammar terms naturally into the processes of revising, editing, and proofreading, teachers help students understand and apply grammar purposefully to their own writing. Strategies such as writing conferences, partnership writing, grammar mini lessons, and peer response groups are all valuable methods for integrating grammar into writing instruction.

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