Implementation of Grammar in Clt

The Implementation of Grammar In Communicative Language Teaching

Paper
Submitted as final exam for academic writing class

By:
FransiscusTeja H.B. - 2009031048
LeonardusWahono K. - 2010031068

English Department
Faculty of Education
Atmajaya Catholic University of Indonesia

ABSTRACT
Communicative Language Teaching is believed as a method that enhance second language learners to achieve the goal which is native-like proficiency and in it’s process, grammar instruction is unnecessary and affected a minimal progress on L2 acquisition. Based on the arguments that is revealed about CLT and grammar that are not included in L2 acquisition, this study is conducted to examine the use of grammar which is also able to be implimented in CLT method. In order to figure out whether grammar instruction is able to be implemented with CLT, we examined, identified, highlighted, and scrutinized the articles published in three journals to discover the conclusive point of our study. Our study of these three journals showed a result similar to the hypothesis, which is grammar instructions are able to be implemented in CLT. It is supported by the integrated survey to some teachers with showing the majority of sample of participants (class teachers) considered grammar instruction in CLT is integrate and effective. Our limited study of the issue suggested that grammat, as a rule of language, cannot be separated from communication because it lead us to send and receive the meaning in the proper manner, both written and oral.

INTRODUCTION
Communicative Language Teaching has been established since in the middle of 1970s and considered plays an important role in L2 acquisition. It is the Interaction Hypothesis stating that the development of language proficiency was promoted by face-to-face interaction and communication (Long, 1983a, 1983b, 1996), which dominantly influences the idea of Communicative Language Teaching. As the result of that Interaction Hypothesis, the idea of teaching deploys the more use of communication in teaching L2 during learning activity. The primary issue of Communicative Language Teaching is that it mostly emphasizes on meaningful interaction of class using oral ability during tasking activity, which is done by 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 of the problematic points in Communicative Language Teaching is the role of the grammar instruction in teaching. Responding to Krashen’s (1982,1985) Monitor Theory which conveyed that grammar instruction was unnecessary and affected a minimal progress on L2 acquisition(SLA), the revision of Interaction Hypothesis of Long’s (1996) then released, triggering the CLT scholars to begin investigating the integrating form- focused interaction with communication activities (Spada&Lightbown, 2009). Pica (2000) also argued that the idea of Communicative Language Teaching which mainly focused on meaning instead of forms hindered the learners in achieving native-like proficiency. This study examines at the use of grammar which is also able to be implemented in Communicative Language Teaching method. Throughout the use of library research, We discovered the evidences about the reliability and adequateness of grammar instruction applied in Communicative Language Teaching as a teaching method in L2 acquisition (SLA).

LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Brown (2002), the main objective of CLT is creating learners’ communicative competence in L2 by applying communication and interaction with others. It clearly emphasizes that the use of communication involving two ways interaction significantly influences the progress of Second Language Acquisition (SL2) in applying Communicative Language Teaching method.Rickheit and Strohner (2008) pointed out that the focal point of communicative competence refers to the effectiveness and appropriateness of speech during the process of communication. It indicates that the ability of communication; which is to give and receive information through interaction has a sufficient relation with both speaking and listening skillduring the learning activity. Savignon (1972) addresses communicative competence to the function of the ability of communication which allows the learners to spontaneously and effectively communicate with other speakers. Savignon (1976) continuously describes that communicative competence relies on the negotiation of meaning between speakers. Because of spontaneously refers to communication, negotiation is necessarily needed if any unclear meanings occurred during communication. According to Hymes (1972) who administered the idea of communicative competence, stating that the communicative competence relates to the speakers’ ability to speak using linguistic proficiency and to use language in appropriate way among various social contexts. This suggestion implies that if someone was able to place themselves to speak properly in different social contexts, it is obviously that s/he has a good communicative competence.
According to Canale (1983), learners need to be capable in four aspects which are linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic competence. He also stated that the grammatical competence which concerns with the use of lexis, syntax and structure refer to linguistic competence, while sociolinguistic deals with learners’ competence to use appropriate language in different situations and settings. Discourse competence deals with the competence of learners’ to use oral and written language appropriately. The last one is the strategic competence which is used by learners to make up the inadequate ability in other aspects of competence.
Researches in investigating the acquisition of each competence were conducted by Meyer (1990), Rintell (1990), Sato (1990), Swain&Lapkin (1990). Those studies sufficiently proved that each competence has an important role towards the communicative competence acquisition. According to Wang (2009), most teachers consider the grammar accuracy unnecessarily needed. Wang’s argument relates to Savignon (2002), stating that the communicative competence and communicative ability is obviously different. Communicative competence relates to the ability to information interpretation, oneself expression, and meaning negotiation. Communication ability relates to the ability of understanding meaning and using forms of a language. The two arguments of Wang (2009) and Savignon (2002) conclusively, implyingly suggested that the role of grammar is crucial in SLA to achieve the higher level communication.
The two different beliefs occurred between some scholars who support the exclusion of grammar learning ( Prabhu, 1987) and other researchers who mark out the need of including grammar teaching in Communicative Language Teaching (Lightbown&Spada, 1990; Nassaji, 2000; Spada&Lightbown, 1993). However,Krashen’s (1982, 1985) hypothesis which underlines the important of focusing on meaning in achieving communicative competence on SLA greatly influenced the method use in Communicative Language Teaching and hindered the researchers’ argument that we have previously mentioned. The hypothesis claimed that there are distinguish betweenacquisition and learning. According to him, acquisition comes naturally, causing the learners to receive comprehensible input and lead them to achieve good communication skill. Krashen’s hypothesis also stated that the explicit form teaching is only necessary for check the learners language grammar mistake. However, the advocates of explicit grammar instruction consider that it is arguable and conclusively exclaimed the inadequateness of Krashen’s hypothesis to achieve a second language (Long, 1991). Regarding to our study, all of the arguments of previous studies above have been scrutinized. The use of the grammar instruction in Communicative Language Teaching is indeed controversial. Comparing the arguments between the pro and con of the use of grammar instruction in Communicative Language teaching, we agree that the grammar instruction is crucially needed in Communicative Language Teaching class and hopefully our arguments based on these previous study can contribute to the field of education.

RESEARCH QUESTION
This study was designed to examine these following questions:
1. Is it able to include grammar instruction into Communicative Language Teaching Method?
2. If it is, how does the teacher play the role of grammar in Communicative Language Teaching Method?

METHOD
In order to figure out whether grammar instruction could be used in Communicative Language Teaching, we examined the results in academic papers published in three journals. The results occurred in The role of grammar teaching: from Communicative approaches to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, ADAPTING COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING TO GRAMMAR TEACHING IN CHINA‟S UNIVERSITY ENGLISH CLASSROOM, and Form-Focused Instruction in communicative Language Teaching: Implications for Grammar Textbooks. These journals consisted about 51 pages of text.
Each journal has been identified, highlighted, and scrutinized to discover the conclusive point of our study. The samples in three journals show the agreement of the needs of grammar instruction in Communicative Language Teaching. The role of the grammar basically can be adapted in Communicative Language teaching in order to gain the fluent communication in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). The following statement represents the three researches:
The focal point of questionable statement is not whether teaching and learning grammar is crucial and/ or needed for language learning, but whether it helps or not for the learners. Grammar instruction leads the learners to make use of words they speak or write. Grammar itself teaches them to communicate whether in oral or written appropriately in various contexts. In order to be good in communication, especially in SLA, the learners should be able to choose the proper words to use and obey the rule of a language that is called grammar. (Christina, 2011; José López Rama Gloria LuqueAgulló, 2012)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results responding to the research question whether grammar instruction could be applied in Communicative Language Teaching, and How does the teachers use it if it’s possible were first, the respondents dominantly strongly disagree if the grammar should be taught separately. These respondents’ view considered that grammar could be integrated into four main skills in learning the second language. Thus, the use of grammar instruction in Communicative Language Teaching idea which basically emphasizes on the meaning instead of form is possible, because the respondents thought that if the grammar were thought separately, the achievement wouldn’t as effective as if it’s included into those skills.
The teachers’ view of the effectiveness of the approach of integration survey counted 146 participants who considered integrate and effective. This number reached over 90% of all the participants. 9 participants considered separate and non-effective (5.6%). 5 participants considered separate and effective (3.1%). The rest 2 participants considered integrate and non effective (1.2%).
The respondents in the research which are teachers generally expressed their view of grammar instruction as a part of teaching method that could be integrated into four main aspects in learning the second language (Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Reading.). In addition,it indicates that the use of grammar instruction play role as well in the Communicative Language Teaching.

CONCLUSION
This study addressed two questions. The first is whether grammar instruction could be included in Communicative Language Teaching. Based on the evidence we discovered, we found that the grammar instruction should play role and integrate in Communicative Language Teaching. Even thoughthe hypothesis of Long’s (1983a, 1983b, 1996) suggested that emphasizing on meaning is more effective to lead the learners gain the well communication skill in second language learning, the recent studies that we found showed the different results, and sufficiently conclude that the grammar instruction is able to play a significant role during learning in Communicative Language Teaching.
The second question which we addressed is how does the teacher use the grammar instruction in Communicative Language Teaching. Apart from the basic idea of CLT which underlined the importance of meaning instead of form, Second Language Acquisition however, still relies on four main skills which are reading, writing, speaking, and listening that are attached with grammar rule. We assume that the four skills are designed to lead the learners to gain the communicative competence. The four skills relate to each other, and each skill relies on the rule of grammar in order to create the communication appropriately.
Despite of the limitations of the study, it should be noticed that grammar, as a rule of a language cannot be separated from communication because it lead us to send and receive the meaning in the proper manner, both written and spoken.

REFERENCE
Christina. (2011). Adapting Communicative Language Teaching To Grammar Teaching In China's University English Classroom. Platteville: Unpublished master thesis, University of Wisconsin.
Hymes, D. (1972). On Communicative Competence. Dalam J. P. Holmes, Sociolinguistics (page. 269-293). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Jose Lopez Rama, G. L. (2012). The Role of Grammar Teaching: From Communicative Approach to The Common European Framework of Reference Language. retrieved Juny 20, 2013, dari http://ojs.upv.es/index.php/rdyla/article/download/1134/1210
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Pegamon.
Krashen, S. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. London: Longman.
Long, M. H. (1983b). Native Speaker/Non-Native Speaker Converstation and The Negotiation of Comprehensible Input. Applied Linguistics , 126-141.
Long, M. (1983a). Linguistic and conversational to non-native speakers: Studies in Second Language Acquisition. Applied Linguistics , 177-175.
Millard, D. J. (2000). Form-Focused Instruction in Communicative Teaching: Implications for Grammar Textbooks. retrieved June 20, 2013, dari TESL Canada Journal: http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca/index.php/tesl/article/viewFile/899/718
N. Spada, P. L. (2009). Interaction Research in Second/foreign Language Classroom (A. Mackey & P. Charlene ed.). New York: Routledge.
Pica, T. (2000). Tradition and Transition in English Language Teaching Methodology System. 1-18.
S. Krashen, T. T. (2984). The Natural Approach: Learning Acquisition in The Classroom. Hayward, CA: Alemany Press.
Savignon, S. (1972). Teaching for Communicative Competence: A Research Report. Audio-Visual Language Journal , 153-162.

Ja, ini reference yang belum di cite, lu liat di journalnya Meyer (1990), Rintell (1990), Sato (1990), Swain&Lapkin (1990 Wang (2009), ( Prabhu, 1987) (Lightbown&Spada, 1990; Nassaji, 2000; Spada&Lightbown, 1993)