Engaging Ways of Teaching Grammar

101 8. Pink, D.H. (2011). Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates us. New York: Riverhead Books. 9. Seligman, M. E. P. (2012). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. Free press. 10. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. President and Fellows of Higher College. CZU 811.111(072.3)`36 ENGAGING WAYS OF TEACHING GRAMMAR Angela CĂLĂRAȘ, Lecturer, Alecu Russo Balti State University [email protected] Abstract: Grammar, one of the core aspects of the language, has always attracted researchers’ attention as it has a significant influence on the successful language acquisition. Accordingly, there are many different approaches to creative teaching ways of presenting grammar that will actively involve language learners in the teaching/ learning process making it more engaging and effecttive. The given article aims to describe the most engaging ways of teaching grammar that can make language learners interested and actively involved in the teaching process that will finally lead to a better understanding of grammar issues and, contribute to their successful usage in everyday speech. Keywords: grammar structures, effective teaching approaches, techniques, strategies, reallife context, explicit and implicit approach. English grammar is considered to be notoriously difficult to learn for both native and second-language speakers because it is marked by so many intricacies, obscure rules, and exceptions that it can really scare many students. In the past, memorization-based techniques that relied on repetition slowly gave way to more creative methods. Today, we live in a society that prizes literacy and is willing to adapt to more effective methods to achieve the best results in teaching grammar. Practice proves that many learners have a very strong need to understand the rules by which grammatical structures are formed. They also frequently insist on being given rules about how and when a bit of language is used. Accordingly, for these very learners teaching with reference to explicit rules has definite advantages as it clearly explains every single grammar nuance they come across. However, there is practically no evidence that the same is true for all learners. Some young learners as well as some adults seem to be more at ease with holistic methods of learning grammar in which structures are acquired subconsciously. Additionally, there are mountains, of evidence that many learners of whatever age and tendency in learning style, are unable to transfer formal knowledge of grammar to effective use. And, of course, such discrepancy between knowledge and putting it to use has led many scholars to seek alternative, more effective and engaging ways of helping teachers to manage introduce and practice new grammar issues during English lessons. For all these reasons, many teachers refer to the initial stages of grammar learning as awareness raising. Awareness raising is what happens when the current state of the learner’s grammar knowledge re-organises itself in response to new discoveries. Unlike traditional that is teacher-led presentation, awareness raising is definitely learner-led. Thus, the teacher can provide optimal conditions for awareness raising, but only the learner himself can “discover” the grammar. That is why language educators refer to this stage as Discovery. According to Gunter Gerngross, typical discovery processes include induction, where learners are offered 102 some information concerning the target grammar issues in context, and are encouraged to deduce the rules themselves (Gerngross et al., 2006). Language educators affirm that effective teaching strategies should be based on thoroughly understanding the subject matter and the learners themselves. Teachers should consider their students' age, ability, and learning style, as well as the goals and objectives of the lesson. Teachers must also be innovative in choosing the strategy that aligns with the needs and abilities of their students, and teachers can create a more engaging and effective learning environment in class. Thus, scholars remark that it is significant for teachers to implement innovative teaching strategies and accommodate the needs of an inclusive classroom. In their opinion, inclusivity in education is an issue that has attracted much attention from the government and also educators all around the globe (Borich, 2000). Famous language educators consider that several teaching strategies should be used in teaching grammar in inclusive classrooms, such as active learning, peer-tutoring, cooperative learning, and direct instruction. According to them the teacher should be ready to implement a variety of teaching strategies in the classroom to meet the student's needs (Patten, 1996). It is worth mentioning that scholars suggest different approaches to teaching strategies. Thus, working on this issue Espmaker and Tedenby affirmed in their research that teaching strategies are approaches or methods that teachers use to ease learning and help students achieve their learning objectives (Espmaker et al., 2020). Parker and Welch, another famous scholars think that teaching strategies play a crucial role in the teaching and learning process and can help the teacher achieve the learning objectives (Parker et al., 2021). And, to achieve these objectives, the implemented strategies can vary widely and can be adjusted to suit the needs and learning styles of individual students or groups. Also dwelling on this issue, Patten considers that these strategies are approaches used by teachers to facilitate student learning and make the process more effective and engaging. He is sure that teaching strategies can help students learn by doing, preventing boredom and contributing to their learning goals' success. It is obvious that lots of different teaching strategies can be used to facilitate learning and help students achieve their objectives. He explains that lectures are often a traditional teaching strategy in which the teacher provides students with verbal or written information. Traditional teaching strategies are approaches to education that have been used for many years and are based on the transmission of knowledge from the teacher to the students. These strategies often involve the teacher standing before the class and delivering a lecture or presentation, with the students passively listening and taking notes (Patten, 1996). Traditional teaching strategies may also include textbooks, worksheets, and other printed materials to supplement the teacher's explanation. It must be remarked that the history of innovative teaching strategies can be traced back to the earliest forms of education, as educators have always sought ways to make learning more engaging and effective for their students. Thus, linguistic literature proves that various approaches and techniques have emerged throughout the centuries, reflecting societies' changing educational needs and contexts (Espmarker et al., 2021). After a thorough reading we can discover that one of the earliest forms of innovative and more engaging teaching was the Socratic method, developed by the Greek philosopher Socrates in the 5th century BCE. This approach involved the teacher asking students questions and encouraging them to think critically and make their conclusions concerning the usage of certain grammar issues. But as practice proves, even nowadays the Socratic method remains an influential teaching strategy and is still used in many schools and universities worldwide (Delic, 2016). As research shows the 19th and the early 20th centuries were marked by a rise of mass education that led to the development of more structured and standardized teaching methods. If during that period the teaching process relied on lectures and textbooks and focused on transmitting knowledge from the teacher to the students, then in the latter half of the 20th 103 century, there was a shift towards more interactive and student-centered teaching approaches. These strategies, such as project-based and problem-based learning, sought to engage students more actively in the learning process and encourage critical thinking and problemsolving skills (Bassendowski, 2013). Thus, language educators claim that innovative strategies of teaching grammar are approaches to language instruction that depart from traditional methods and aim to make learning more engaging, effective, and efficient for students. One of the main goals of innovative teaching strategies is to foster a more interactive and collaborative learning environment. The innovative teaching strategy is also expected to contribute to developing students' language skills, as they permit students to use the language in meaningful contexts and receive feedback from their peers and teachers. It is evident that the goal of innovative teaching strategies is to foster a more interactive and collaborative learning environment (Serdyukov, 2017). This can be achieved through group work, project-based learning, and problem-based learning, encouraging students to work together and engage in authentic tasks. These approaches are particularly effective in developing students' language skills, as they allow students to use the language in meaningful contexts and receive feedback from their peers and teachers (Juneau et al., 2022). Parker and Welch consider that using innovative teaching strategies can positively impact student learning and engagement, which can help increase student motivation and improve their overall learning experience. Motivation is known to be a major contributing factor to students' achievement in learning. It can also improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills. An innovative teaching strategy will result in greater student participation as innovative teaching strategies often involve students working together and participating in the learning process, which can help to foster collaboration and increase student participation. Moreover, it is certain to increase students' understanding and this happens because the students can actively participate in the learning process and they are bound to retain and understand new information much better (Parker et al., 2021). The next benefit of using an innovative teaching strategy is the fact that it gives greater flexibility and adaptability for the teachers to tailor their approach to meet students’ needs and preferences. Juneau, a remarkable scholar, fully supports this idea and affirms that it can also improve communication and collaboration skills that help students develop important skills such as communication, collaboration, and teamwork (Juneau et al., 2022). Dwelling on the positives of innovative learning scientists consider that its main characteristic is that learning is designed to achieve four main skills: critical thinking, creative and innovative thinking, communication, and collaboration. Consequently, we can say that in order to be able to practice these essential skills, the learning process is directed at activities that are interactive, student-centered, integrative, effective, collaborative, scientific, thematic, contextual and holistic. According to Wong another key aspect of engaging teaching ways is technology and multimedia resources. The scientist explains that nowadays many language teachers make use of various digital tools, such as video and audio recordings, online quizzes, and interactive games, to explain grammar issues and foster language learning transforming it into a more engaging and interactive process. It is believed that these resources can be particularly useful for learners who prefer a more visual and hands-on learning style. And in order to make the teaching process more relevant, some language teachers also incorporate elements of culture and authentic materials into their teaching to give students a more realistic and in-depth understanding of the language and the cultures in which it is spoken(Wong, 2005). This method aims at using authentic texts, such as news articles and advertisements, as well as incurporating cultural themes and activities into lesson plans. Thus, language educators claim that one of the most effective 104 ways to teach grammar is by showing its relevance in real-life situations. It means that teachers should bring in newspaper articles, magazine clippings, or excerpts from popular books and they may ask students to identify and highlight examples of specific grammar rules, discussing why those choices were made by the author. For example, analyzing a newspaper article can surely help students understand the importance of concise and clear language, while dissecting a novel can explain the author’s usage of varied sentence structures for impact. It is obvious that real-life contexts provide a bridge between the abstract rules of grammar and their practical application because by connecting grammar to the world around them, students gain a more profound appreciation for its significance. Thus, from personal experience it can be stated that an excellent exercise is to have students bring in examples they find in their daily lives, fostering a sense of autonomy and awareness of language use. After a thorough reading of a great number of linguistic sources, it is worth mentioning that scholars come up with different suggestions concerning most effective and engaging ways of teaching grammar to their students. Thus, among the most productive ways of teaching grammar material could be: • Diagramming sentences – This method involves visually mapping the structures of and • relationships between different aspects of a sentence. • Learning through writing – This method encourages students to explore language through creative writing and reading, picking up correct grammar usage along the way. • Inductive teaching – This is when students learn to recognize the rule from the materials they work with. A very important aspect here is the retention of grammar concepts. • Deductive teaching – this is the situation when students are explained the grammar topic before they begin doing some practical work, it means that there is instruction before practice. • Interactive teaching – language educators refer here to attempts of incorporating interactivity into lessons such as various games, flashcards, puzzles. Dwelling on the significant impact of grammar on proper language acquisition, language educators propose a procedure for teaching grammar in which practical activities involve five steps. These are: 1. Building up student’s knowledge of the rule. 2. Eliciting functions of the rule or rule elicitation. 3. Familiarizing students with the rule in use through exercises or rule practice. 4. Checking student’s comprehension or rule activation. 5. Expanding student’s knowledge or rule enrichment. In conclusion it should be remarked that these ways of teaching grammar are different from the usual methods, making learning more lively, interactive, and enjoyable. Understanding that students learn in different ways, teachers are encouraged to adjust their methods because the final aim is to create a welcoming environment where students will actively take part in learning, leading to a better understanding of grammar rules and how they work in real life. Teachers’ aim is not just to teach grammar but make their students interested in how different language structures work. And, of course, the end result is not just teaching students English grammar, it is about developing a lasting love for all interesting language aspects. References: 1. Bassendowski S. L., Petrucka P. (2013). Are 20th-Century Methods of Teaching Applicable in the 21st century?. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(4), 665-667. 2. Borich G. D. (2000). Effective Teaching Methods. 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