The Role of Grammar in Communicative Language Teaching - An Exploration of Second Language Teachers’Perceptions and Classroom Practices

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Asher

A qualitative case study examines how second language (L2) teachers perceive and implement grammar instruction within communicative language teaching (CLT). Six college-level instructors teaching Spanish as L2 participate, with data gathered through classroom observations, interviews, and collection of relevant documents and records. Results show mixed views on including explicit grammar instruction in CLT classrooms, shaped by teachers’ experiences as learners and observations of student learning. Findings indicate general alignment between beliefs and classroom practices, with exceptions due to departmental regulations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Communicative Language Teaching and communicative competence

[http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/](http://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/) Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching 2012, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 61–75 © Centre for Language Studies National University of Singapore The Role of Grammar in Communicative Language Teaching: An Exploration of Second Language Teachers’Perceptions and Classroom Practices Cathy Chiu Yin Wong ([cwong@monmouth.edu](cwong@monmouth.edu)) Monmouth University, USA Mirta Barrea-Marlys ([mbarrea@monmouth.edu](mbarrea@monmouth.edu)) Monmouth University, USA Abstract The purpose of the present qualitative case study was to look into second language (L2) teachers’perceptions and classroom implementations of grammar instruction with regard to communicative language teaching (CLT) . The study focused on individual teachers ’perspectives of CLT because teachers’perceptions of their pedagogical skills have an impact on how they teach (Bandura, 1993, 1997) . Participants were six college level teachers who taught Spanish as L2 in a major university in the Southern United States. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, and document and record collection. The findings indicated that there was a mixture of perceptions regarding the inclusion of explicit grammar instruction in a CLT classroom. The findings also revealed that teachers ’perceptions of what they deem to be effective L2 instruction are influenced by their experience as learners as well as their observation of student learning. The results suggest that teachers’ beliefs are generally reflected in their classroom practices, but exceptions may occur due to departmental regulations. Pedagogical implications for teacher education and world language methods courses were drawn up based on the findings of the study. 1 Introduction The idea of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been expanded since the mid 1970s. CLTwas also greatly influenced by the early version of Long’s (1983a, 1983b, 1996) Interaction Hypothesis. Since then, second language (L2) instructors have been encouraged to employ communicative ways of teaching in their classrooms. The focal point of CLT was almost exclusively on meaningful interaction through the use of spontaneous speech during pair and/or group work. There are various methods for teaching communicatively, for example, immersion, task-based instruction, structured input, and The Natural Approach (Krashen & Terrell, 1983) . One controversial aspect of CLT is the role of grammar instruction. Krashen’s (1982, 1985) Monitor Theory suggests that grammar instruction is unnecessary and has a very minimal effect on second language acquisition (SLA) . Since the revised version of the Interaction Hypothesis (Long, 1996), CLT scholars have become interested in integrating form-focused instruction with communicative activities (Spada & Lightbown, 2009) . Pica (2000) argues that communicative teaching that focuses mainly on meaning with very little attention 62 Cathy Chiu Yin Wong and Mirta Barrea-Marlys to forms are not adequate to prepare learners for attaining native-like proficiency. As such, the role of grammar in CLT needs to be justified. Instructors’ pedagogical practices and their decisions regarding teaching methods are heavily influenced by their teacher beliefs. This study aims at examining the perceptions of grammar instruction of six college level teachers who teach Spanish as L2 and at exploring how they implement grammar instruction in their CLT classrooms. 2 Background of the study 2.1 Communicative Language Teaching and communicative competence The fundamental goal of CLT is to develop learners’communicative competence in L2 through communication and interaction with others (Brown, 2002; Canale & Swain, 1980; Mochida, 2002) . An important aspect of communicative competence is related to effectiveness and appropriateness of speech during the process of communication, as described by Rickheit and Strohner (2008) . They state that “whereas

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

The study examines second language teachers’ perceptions of grammar instruction and how they implement grammar instruction in CLT classrooms.

How were data collected for the qualitative case study?

Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, and document and record collection.

What do the findings suggest about explicit grammar instruction in CLT?

Teachers’ perceptions regarding including explicit grammar instruction in a CLT classroom are mixed, and these perceptions are influenced by teachers’ experiences and observations of student learning.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Asher