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8. Pink, D.H. (2011). D i e: The Su p ising T u h abou Wha Mo i a es us. New Yo k:
Ri e head Books.
9. Seligman, M. E. P. (2012). Flou ish: A Visiona y New Unde s anding o Happiness and
Well-Being. F ee p ess.
10. Vygo sky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Socie y: The De elopmen o Highe Psychological
P ocesses. P esiden and Fellows o Highe College.
CZU 811.111(072.3)`36
ENGAGING WAYS OF TEACHING GRAMMAR
Angela CĂLĂRAȘ, Lec u e ,
Alecu Russo Bal i S a e Uni e si y
angela.cala as@usa b.md
Abs ac : G amma , one o he co e aspec s o he language, has always a ac ed esea che s’
a en ion as i has a signi ican in luence on he success ul language acquisi ion. Acco dingly, he e
a e many di e en app oaches o c ea i e eaching ways o p esen ing g amma ha will ac i ely in-
ol e language lea ne s in he eaching/ lea ning p ocess making i mo e engaging and e ec i e.
The gi en a icle aims o desc ibe he mos engaging ways o eaching g amma ha can
make language lea ne s in e es ed and ac i ely in ol ed in he eaching p ocess ha will inally lead
o a be e unde s anding o g amma issues and, con ibu e o hei success ul usage in e e yday
speech.
Keywo ds: g amma s uc u es, e ec i e eaching app oaches, echniques, s a egies, eal-
li e con ex , explici and implici app oach.
English g amma is conside ed o be no o iously di icul o lea n o bo h na i e and
second-language speake s because i is ma ked by so many in icacies, obscu e ules, and
excep ions ha i can eally sca e many s uden s.
In he pas , memo iza ion-based echniques ha elied on epe i ion slowly ga e way o
mo e c ea i e me hods. Today, we li e in a socie y ha p izes li e acy and is willing o adap
o mo e e ec i e me hods o achie e he bes esul s in eaching g amma .
P ac ice p o es ha many lea ne s ha e a e y s ong need o unde s and he ules by
which g amma ical s uc u es a e o med. They also equen ly insis on being gi en ules
abou how and when a bi o language is used. Acco dingly, o hese e y lea ne s eaching
wi h e e ence o explici ules has de ini e ad an ages as i clea ly explains e e y single
g amma nuance hey come ac oss. Howe e , he e is p ac ically no e idence ha he same is
ue o all lea ne s. Some young lea ne s as well as some adul s seem o be mo e a ease wi h
holis ic me hods o lea ning g amma in which s uc u es a e acqui ed subconsciously. Addi-
ionally, he e a e moun ains, o e idence ha many lea ne s o wha e e age and endency in
lea ning s yle, a e unable o ans e o mal knowledge o g amma o e ec i e use. And, o
cou se, such disc epancy be ween knowledge and pu ing i o use has led many schola s o
seek al e na i e, mo e e ec i e and engaging ways o helping eache s o manage in oduce
and p ac ice new g amma issues du ing English lessons.
Fo all hese easons, many eache s e e o he ini ial s ages o g amma lea ning as
awa eness aising. Awa eness aising is wha happens when he cu en s a e o he lea ne ’s
g amma knowledge e-o ganises i sel in esponse o new disco e ies. Unlike adi ional ha
is eache -led p esen a ion, awa eness aising is de ini ely lea ne -led. Thus, he eache can
p o ide op imal condi ions o awa eness aising, bu only he lea ne himsel can “disco e ”
he g amma . Tha is why language educa o s e e o his s age as Disco e y. Acco ding o
Gun e Ge ng oss, ypical disco e y p ocesses include induc ion, whe e lea ne s a e o e ed
102
some in o ma ion conce ning he a ge g amma issues in con ex , and a e encou aged o
deduce he ules hemsel es (Ge ng oss e al., 2006). Language educa o s a i m ha e ec i e
eaching s a egies should be based on ho oughly unde s anding he subjec ma e and he
lea ne s hemsel es. Teache s should conside hei s uden s' age, abili y, and lea ning s yle,
as well as he goals and objec i es o he lesson. Teache s mus also be inno a i e in choosing
he s a egy ha aligns wi h he needs and abili ies o hei s uden s, and eache s can c ea e a
mo e engaging and e ec i e lea ning en i onmen in class. Thus, schola s ema k ha i is
signi ican o eache s o implemen inno a i e eaching s a egies and accommoda e he
needs o an inclusi e class oom. In hei opinion, inclusi i y in educa ion is an issue ha has
a ac ed much a en ion om he go e nmen and also educa o s all a ound he globe (Bo ich,
2000). Famous language educa o s conside ha se e al eaching s a egies should be used in
eaching g amma in inclusi e class ooms, such as ac i e lea ning, pee - u o ing, coope a i e
lea ning, and di ec ins uc ion. Acco ding o hem he eache should be eady o implemen
a a ie y o eaching s a egies in he class oom o mee he s uden 's needs (Pa en, 1996).
I is wo h men ioning ha schola s sugges di e en app oaches o eaching s a egies.
Thus, wo king on his issue Espmake and Tedenby a i med in hei esea ch ha eaching
s a egies a e app oaches o me hods ha eache s use o ease lea ning and help s uden s achie e
hei lea ning objec i es (Espmake e al., 2020). Pa ke and Welch, ano he amous schola s
hink ha eaching s a egies play a c ucial ole in he eaching and lea ning p ocess and can
help he eache achie e he lea ning objec i es (Pa ke e al., 2021). And, o achie e hese
objec i es, he implemen ed s a egies can a y widely and can be adjus ed o sui he needs and
lea ning s yles o indi idual s uden s o g oups. Also dwelling on his issue, Pa en conside s
ha hese s a egies a e app oaches used by eache s o acili a e s uden lea ning and make he
p ocess mo e e ec i e and engaging. He is su e ha eaching s a egies can help s uden s lea n
by doing, p e en ing bo edom and con ibu ing o hei lea ning goals' success. I is ob ious ha
lo s o di e en eaching s a egies can be used o acili a e lea ning and help s uden s achie e
hei objec i es. He explains ha lec u es a e o en a adi ional eaching s a egy in which he
eache p o ides s uden s wi h e bal o w i en in o ma ion. T adi ional eaching s a egies a e
app oaches o educa ion ha ha e been used o many yea s and a e based on he ansmission
o knowledge om he eache o he s uden s. These s a egies o en in ol e he eache
s anding be o e he class and deli e ing a lec u e o p esen a ion, wi h he s uden s passi ely
lis ening and aking no es (Pa en, 1996). T adi ional eaching s a egies may also include
ex books, wo kshee s, and o he p in ed ma e ials o supplemen he eache 's explana ion.
I mus be ema ked ha he his o y o inno a i e eaching s a egies can be aced back
o he ea lies o ms o educa ion, as educa o s ha e always sough ways o make lea ning
mo e engaging and e ec i e o hei s uden s. Thus, linguis ic li e a u e p o es ha a ious
app oaches and echniques ha e eme ged h oughou he cen u ies, e lec ing socie ies'
changing educa ional needs and con ex s (Espma ke e al., 2021). A e a ho ough eading
we can disco e ha one o he ea lies o ms o inno a i e and mo e engaging eaching was
he Soc a ic me hod, de eloped by he G eek philosophe Soc a es in he 5 h cen u y BCE.
This app oach in ol ed he eache asking s uden s ques ions and encou aging hem o hink
c i ically and make hei conclusions conce ning he usage o ce ain g amma issues. Bu as
p ac ice p o es, e en nowadays he Soc a ic me hod emains an in luen ial eaching s a egy
and is s ill used in many schools and uni e si ies wo ldwide (Delic, 2016).
As esea ch shows he 19 h and he ea ly 20 h cen u ies we e ma ked by a ise o mass
educa ion ha led o he de elopmen o mo e s uc u ed and s anda dized eaching me hods.
I du ing ha pe iod he eaching p ocess elied on lec u es and ex books and ocused on
ansmi ing knowledge om he eache o he s uden s, hen in he la e hal o he 20 h
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cen u y, he e was a shi owa ds mo e in e ac i e and s uden -cen e ed eaching app oaches.
These s a egies, such as p ojec -based and p oblem-based lea ning, sough o engage
s uden s mo e ac i ely in he lea ning p ocess and encou age c i ical hinking and p oblem-
sol ing skills (Bassendowski, 2013).
Thus, language educa o s claim ha inno a i e s a egies o eaching g amma a e app oa-
ches o language ins uc ion ha depa om adi ional me hods and aim o make lea ning
mo e engaging, e ec i e, and e icien o s uden s. One o he main goals o inno a i e eaching
s a egies is o os e a mo e in e ac i e and collabo a i e lea ning en i onmen . The inno a i e
eaching s a egy is also expec ed o con ibu e o de eloping s uden s' language skills, as hey
pe mi s uden s o use he language in meaning ul con ex s and ecei e eedback om hei
pee s and eache s. I is e iden ha he goal o inno a i e eaching s a egies is o os e a
mo e in e ac i e and collabo a i e lea ning en i onmen (Se dyuko , 2017). This can be achie-
ed h ough g oup wo k, p ojec -based lea ning, and p oblem-based lea ning, encou aging
s uden s o wo k oge he and engage in au hen ic asks. These app oaches a e pa icula ly
e ec i e in de eloping s uden s' language skills, as hey allow s uden s o use he language in
meaning ul con ex s and ecei e eedback om hei pee s and eache s (Juneau e al., 2022).
Pa ke and Welch conside ha using inno a i e eaching s a egies can posi i ely impac
s uden lea ning and engagemen , which can help inc ease s uden mo i a ion and imp o e
hei o e all lea ning expe ience. Mo i a ion is known o be a majo con ibu ing ac o o
s uden s' achie emen in lea ning. I can also imp o e c i ical hinking and p oblem-sol ing
skills. An inno a i e eaching s a egy will esul in g ea e s uden pa icipa ion as inno a i e
eaching s a egies o en in ol e s uden s wo king oge he and pa icipa ing in he lea ning
p ocess, which can help o os e collabo a ion and inc ease s uden pa icipa ion. Mo eo e ,
i is ce ain o inc ease s uden s' unde s anding and his happens because he s uden s can
ac i ely pa icipa e in he lea ning p ocess and hey a e bound o e ain and unde s and new
in o ma ion much be e (Pa ke e al., 2021). The nex bene i o using an inno a i e eaching
s a egy is he ac ha i gi es g ea e lexibili y and adap abili y o he eache s o ailo
hei app oach o mee s uden s’ needs and p e e ences. Juneau, a ema kable schola , ully
suppo s his idea and a i ms ha i can also imp o e communica ion and collabo a ion skills
ha help s uden s de elop impo an skills such as communica ion, collabo a ion, and
eamwo k (Juneau e al., 2022).
Dwelling on he posi i es o inno a i e lea ning scien is s conside ha i s main cha-
ac e is ic is ha lea ning is designed o achie e ou main skills: c i ical hinking, c ea i e
and inno a i e hinking, communica ion, and collabo a ion. Consequen ly, we can say ha in
o de o be able o p ac ice hese essen ial skills, he lea ning p ocess is di ec ed a ac i i ies
ha a e in e ac i e, s uden -cen e ed, in eg a i e, e ec i e, collabo a i e, scien i ic, hema ic,
con ex ual and holis ic.
Acco ding o Wong ano he key aspec o engaging eaching ways is echnology and mul-
imedia esou ces. The scien is explains ha nowadays many language eache s make use o
a ious digi al ools, such as ideo and audio eco dings, online quizzes, and in e ac i e games,
o explain g amma issues and os e language lea ning ans o ming i in o a mo e engaging
and in e ac i e p ocess. I is belie ed ha hese esou ces can be pa icula ly use ul o lea ne s
who p e e a mo e isual and hands-on lea ning s yle. And in o de o make he eaching p ocess
mo e ele an , some language eache s also inco po a e elemen s o cul u e and au hen ic
ma e ials in o hei eaching o gi e s uden s a mo e ealis ic and in-dep h unde s anding o he
language and he cul u es in which i is spoken(Wong, 2005). This me hod aims a using au hen-
ic ex s, such as news a icles and ad e isemen s, as well as incu po a ing cul u al hemes
and ac i i ies in o lesson plans. Thus, language educa o s claim ha one o he mos e ec i e
104
ways o each g amma is by showing i s ele ance in eal-li e si ua ions. I means ha eache s
should b ing in newspape a icles, magazine clippings, o exce p s om popula books and
hey may ask s uden s o iden i y and highligh examples o speci ic g amma ules, discus-
sing why hose choices we e made by he au ho . Fo example, analyzing a newspape a icle
can su ely help s uden s unde s and he impo ance o concise and clea language, while
dissec ing a no el can explain he au ho ’s usage o a ied sen ence s uc u es o impac .
I is ob ious ha eal-li e con ex s p o ide a b idge be ween he abs ac ules o g amma
and hei p ac ical applica ion because by connec ing g amma o he wo ld a ound hem,
s uden s gain a mo e p o ound app ecia ion o i s signi icance. Thus, om pe sonal expe-
ience i can be s a ed ha an excellen exe cise is o ha e s uden s b ing in examples hey
ind in hei daily li es, os e ing a sense o au onomy and awa eness o language use.
A e a ho ough eading o a g ea numbe o linguis ic sou ces, i is wo h men ioning
ha schola s come up wi h di e en sugges ions conce ning mos e ec i e and engaging
ways o eaching g amma o hei s uden s. Thus, among he mos p oduc i e ways o
eaching g amma ma e ial could be:
• Diag amming sen ences – This me hod in ol es isually mapping he s uc u es o and
• ela ionships be ween di e en aspec s o a sen ence.
• Lea ning h ough w i ing – This me hod encou ages s uden s o explo e language
h ough c ea i e w i ing and eading, picking up co ec g amma usage along he way.
• Induc i e eaching – This is when s uden s lea n o ecognize he ule om he ma e ials
hey wo k wi h. A e y impo an aspec he e is he e en ion o g amma concep s.
• Deduc i e eaching – his is he si ua ion when s uden s a e explained he g amma opic be-
o e hey begin doing some p ac ical wo k, i means ha he e is ins uc ion be o e p ac ice.
• In e ac i e eaching – language educa o s e e he e o a emp s o inco po a ing
in e ac i i y in o lessons such as a ious games, lashca ds, puzzles.
Dwelling on he signi ican impac o g amma on p ope language acquisi ion, language
educa o s p opose a p ocedu e o eaching g amma in which p ac ical ac i i ies in ol e i e
s eps. These a e:
1. Building up s uden ’s knowledge o he ule.
2. Elici ing unc ions o he ule o ule elici a ion.
3. Familia izing s uden s wi h he ule in use h ough exe cises o ule p ac ice.
4. Checking s uden ’s comp ehension o ule ac i a ion.
5. Expanding s uden ’s knowledge o ule en ichmen .
In conclusion i should be ema ked ha hese ways o eaching g amma a e di e en
om he usual me hods, making lea ning mo e li ely, in e ac i e, and enjoyable. Unde s an-
ding ha s uden s lea n in di e en ways, eache s a e encou aged o adjus hei me hods
because he inal aim is o c ea e a welcoming en i onmen whe e s uden s will ac i ely ake
pa in lea ning, leading o a be e unde s anding o g amma ules and how hey wo k in eal
li e. Teache s’ aim is no jus o each g amma bu make hei s uden s in e es ed in how
di e en language s uc u es wo k. And, o cou se, he end esul is no jus eaching s uden s
English g amma , i is abou de eloping a las ing lo e o all in e es ing language aspec s.
Re e ences:
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