2.1.5.1 The Importance of Learning Grammar
Following Chommsky 1966 Ramelan 1992:7-8 as citied by Hartoyo 2006:15 argues;
“The purpose of learning language is, as a matter of fact, recognising and understanding limited rules of the language in order to create utterances
which are unlimited in number. Hence, learning a language constitutes a mental process of gaining language competence [knowledge of grammar]
from which language performance [use] is developed”. Moreover, Canale‟s 1983 claim, reviewed in Mitchell 1994:34-35 as citied by
Hartoyo 2006:23 also highlights the importance of the role of teaching grammar in second or foreign language learning, albeit the main emphasis is
communicative competence. Moreover, According to Littlewood as citied by Hartoyo 2006:21 maintains that,
“Far from grammar being irrelevant in a communicative approach, then, the opposite is true; the more thoroughly a learner masters the
grammatical system of the language, the more effectively shehe can use
this language for communication Littlewood, 1993:6”. Veit 1985 says that without knowing the grammar of a language, one cannot be
said to have learned the language. Without learning it, it seems impossible to learn a language, for the grammar tells us how to use the language.
Nasr 1985:1 states: “If language has a grammar, non-systematic ordering of its words in
sentences, it would never be learned by a native speaker or a foreigner, nor could two people understand each other in it. Indeed, a language without
grammar is no language at all
”. If a speaker knows the use of the language, it means his utterances are
understandable. It can be said that he knows the grammar. For example, a non- native speaker wants to say: I bought two books yesterday” then she must find the
appropriate grammatical structure, which is required by the English language to convey her ideas. If he doesn‟t know the grammar in English, his listener will
misunderstand about his thought. Cook and Sutter 1980:2 say that “grammar is a
written description of the rules by speaking and writing ”. Therefore, learning
English grammar cannot be avoided if one wants to learn the language. Raja T. Nasr 1985:53 writes that grammar is a part of any language, just
as there is no language without sounds. So, there is no language without grammar. Some linguists, as citied by Tarigan 1990:3, state that grammar really cannot be
separated from the language because if one can speak a language, she knows the grammar of that language. It is clear that grammar is very important and very
useful because grammar is a component of language. On the other hand, grammar is important to be learnt because it affects
students‟ performance in all four skills; listening, reading, speaking, writing as asserted by Celce Murcia and Freeman 1983:2. In addition, students are
expected to comprehend English either spoken or written language because they must know the rule system of grammar of a target language fluently and
acceptably since grammar is a tool for making meaning as represented by Thornbury 1999:4.
2.1.6 General Concepts of Simple Past Tense
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