possible; providing
comprehensible input; using a wide range of activity;
on comprehensible
and meaningful practice activities
than production
of grammatically
perfect utterances and sentences
Communicati ve language
teaching Emphasizing on meaningful
interaction; course syllabus includes language functions;
using authentic texts and contexts
communication can result in ignoring grammar; emphasizing
on fluency at the expense of accuracy can result in many
students never attaining correct grammar
The table above describes that not all methods and approaches focus or include the teaching of grammar in their concepts. Consequently, it should be
better for teachers to use a teaching aid to help them teach grammar. In this current study, the teaching aid that is used is computer.
2. Stages in Grammar Teaching
According to Harmer
25
, there are three major stages in teaching grammar i.e. introducing new language, practice, and communicative activities. These stages
are in line with what Celce-Murcia Hilles
26
state about grammar teaching stages. They state that the teaching grammar stages include presentation, focused
practice, and communicative practice. However, in this case, they add feedback and correction as the final stage in teaching grammar. So, generally, the teaching
of grammar can be through the following stages: a.
Presentation. At this stage, teacher presents students with clear information about the
language they are learning. They must be shown what the language means and how it is used. They also have to know what grammatical form of the new
25
Harmer, op. cit, p. 50-51.
26
Celce-Murcia and Hilles, op. cit., p. 27-28.
language and how it is said or written. In short, at this stage, teacher should present the meaning, use, form, and context of the new language that is going to
be learnt.
b. Focused practice.
At this stage students manipulate the structure in question while all other variables are constant. The purpose of this step is to allow students to gain control
of the form without the added pressure and distraction of trying to use the form for communication. The focus of this stage is on the accuracy. At this stage, teacher
may intervene slightly to help guide and to point out inaccuracy. The teacher should not proceed the next phase until most of students have mastered at least the
form of the structure.
c. Communicative practice
At this stage, students are engaged in communicative activities to practice the structure being learnt. Communicative activities happen if there are information
gap, purpose, and response in the interaction. This activity is vital in language classroom since here students can do their best to use the language as individuals.
d. Feedback and correction
The last stage is that teacher should give feedback and correction that engages students cognitively. Here teacher is not only simply pointing out the
error and providing the appropriate target form but also giving them a remedial action to fix their understanding.
To sum up, grammar teaching consists of four stages i.e. presentation, focused practice, communicative practice, as well as feedback and correction.
Presentation stage requires teacher to present the use, meaning, form, and context of new language. Then students practice the structure in a focused and
communicative practice. After that, the teacher gives students feedback and correction of their work.
