Grammar Teaching through Technology
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Teaching English Language Grammar Through Technology to Basic
Education Students in Oman
Hania H. Al.Khamisi
Sultan Qaboos University
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Grammar Teaching through Technology
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Abstract
Implementing technology in the teaching of grammar is a vivid field of
investigation. The present descriptive paper studies what technical instruments
Omani teachers can utilize in basic schools and how they can influence the
delivery of grammar instruction. Searching related literature, the researcher found
out that tools like computers, CD-ROMs, interactive multimedia devices, internet
websites are attainable for teachers in the Omani schools. When investigating how
applying these devices impact teaching grammar, literature reveals that they
motivate students as well as facilitate their understanding of grammatical concepts
and rules. They allow learners the chances to practice answering activities and
revising learned grammatical items on their own pace and space. By practicing
and revising, learners become more involved in their grammar learning.
Moreover, two important elements in learning grammars are developed within the
learners: grammatical forms noticing and grammatical structure hypotheses
testing. Some Empirical evidences that coincide these findings are also included
in this paper.
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Introduction
Different technological devices and tools have been playing a vital role in
language teaching in general and in grammar teaching in particular. Some of these
tools, like the computer, permit interactions with the learners through giving
feedback and explanations of some grammatical elements which makes such tools
effective in teaching grammar (Abu Naba'h, Jebreen, Al-Omari, & Shdeifat,
2009). Computers have made it accessible to use software called Computer
Assisted Language Learning (CALL). The utilization of this software in teaching
grammar, has proven to be more efficient than using text books (McEnery,
Barker, & Wilson, 1995 in (Abu Naba'h et al., 2009)).
Technology, in addition, has enabled teachers to apply web-based
grammar instructions by accessing grammar websites in the internet. This allows
students to practice a variety of grammatical items and language features
presented to them in interactive activities (Baturay, Daloglu, & Yildirim, 2010).
This, consequently, enhances students' ability to notice certain grammatical items
in the presented contexts (Sagarra & Zapata, 2008). Hedge (2000) mentions that
noticing items in a language enable learners to construct a relationship between
the meanings and the forms of these language items resulting in learning the
grammatical forms. In this qualitative paper, the researcher aims at investigating
the technological tools that teachers can adopt to teach grammar in the Basic
Education Schools in Oman. It will provide justifications for using these devices
and highlight their effectiveness in the delivery of grammar instruction.
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Moreover, it will yield the results of some studies that investigated this filed and
point out their significant findings.
Rationale
Cunningham (1998) in (Liu, Moore, Graham, & Lee, 2002) mentions that
devices like computer, language labs and the World Wide Web are examples of
tecnological instruments that can be applied in the classrooms. These devices can
increase students' intersts in learning grammar (Grant, 1998). The Omani
Government spends a lot of money on Education. Our schools are equipped with
computers, laptops, internet access and other technological devices. As English
language teachers, we need to acquaint ourselves with these tools and their usages
to deliver grammar instructions, so that the learning and teaching of grammar in
our Omani schools is enhanced. Due to the significant role of technology in
delivering grammar instruction, a light should be shed on the different
technological aspects that teachers can adopt and implement in the Omani schools
as well as how these aspects can result in improving the teaching of grammar.
Technological tools application in the Basic Education Schools in Oman
CALL is a general concept that can point out some of these tools. Chapelle
(2010: 66) defines CALL as "a variety of technology uses for language learning
including CD-ROMs containing interactive multimedia and other language
exercises, electronic reference materials…and electronic communication in the
target language through email, blogs, and wikis." Many technological aspects can
be inferred from this definition, however due to the scope of this paper only one
aspect will be tackled: the interactive multimedia aspect. This aspect application
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can be seen in the use of CD-ROMs and the internet. In the application of these
two elements, contents of grammatical instructions can be presented through the
use of sounds, video clips, animations and feedback (Sethi & Newbill, 2001).
Thus, CD-ROMs are one phase of interactive multimedia technological
tools that teachers can get use of to store grammatical contents to utilize when
teaching. Other hard devices for storage and saving, such as flash disks and hard
disks, can be included under this umbrella as well. Another phase is web-based
grammar instructions where connection to the internet is required to access a great
number of websites available for teaching grammar. Some of these websites are
resourceful for teachers as they contain grammar lessons, clarifications, examples
and activities. Other website are helpful for students as they contain explanations
for grammatical rules as well as a variety of interactive practices and revisions for
grammatical concepts (Lacina, 2005). Additionally, an enormously significant
literature has investigated more specific technological tools that can assist the
teaching of grammar. For example, daedalus, multimedia authoring software and
word processing software are presented as computer technology tools (Liu et al.,
2002). These tools can help teachers create their own interactive activities specific
to their grammar teaching contexts and their students' needs. However, teachers'
lack of technical potentials and experiences may hinder their ability to generate
their own interactive grammar contents (Morrison, Languages, & Linguistics,
2002). Hence, the need for professional development and technical training
courses emerges. Teachers in the Omani Basic schools, thus, can get use of,
implement, and adopt the interactive multimedia tools and aspects.
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The effectiveness of technological tools in grammar instructions delivery
The previously mentioned technological aspects, the general concepts
CALL with its interrelated phases: interactive multimedia and web-based
instructions, have yield positive contributions in the teaching and learning of
grammar. Computer-based instructions offer enriched incorporated multimedia
grammar contents with clarifications on grammar structures which are accessible
for the learners’ on their own time and space (Baturay et al., 2010). Moreover,
computer exercises are believed to facilitate the understanding of complicated
concepts in grammar (Nagata, 1997). Added to this, online practice activities
allow several tries and shots of answers with instant feedback. This assist the
formation and testing of hypotheses about grammatical structures; consequently,
such activities involve students and engage them more in their learning of
grammar (Sagarra & Zapata, 2008). Cameron (2001) points out that forming
hypotheses and testing them is a vital element in the process of learning the
grammar of any language.
Mohamad (2009) emphasizes on the role of the interactive feedback provided by
online grammar websites. He argues that practicing websites’ activities and
getting immediate feedback push students to think about their answers and lead to
a better understanding of grammar rules. He also mentions that these websites
contain a variety of materials that would suit the various interests and abilities of
the learners; thus, they are effective in mixed ability classes. It can be concluded
that students' abilities to form and test hypotheses is facilitated by the use of
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technology. This can also engage students to learn grammar as well as provide
them with interactive practice activities and feedbacks.
Studies about using technology in teaching grammar and their results
This section presents two examples of the studies conducted in the field of
technology and grammar teaching. They are recent studies comparing the
teaching of grammar through the traditional ways, pen, paper and text books, to
the application of technology in teaching grammar. The first study is titled:
"Internet-based Grammar Instruction in the ESL Classroom". It is conducted in
Malaysia by Faizah Mohamad in 2009. It is carried out on 50 college students to
compare internet-based grammar instruction (IBGI) to traditional pen and board
instruction (CPBI). It asks whether IBGI is more effective than conventional pen
and board instruction (CPBI) in teaching parts-of-speech, subject-verb agreement
and tenses and compares the two groups’ easy writing errors in these grammatical
areas. It shows that students who received IBGI outperform students who
experienced CPBI in learning these grammatical elements. Moreover, it points out
that essay errors found in the writing of students who went through IBGI are less
than their counterpart: CPBI students. Thus, the study agrees with the claim that
the internet is a helpful tool in delivering grammar (Mohamad, 2009).
The second study title is "Language practice with multimedia supported
web-based grammar revision material". It was carried out in 2007-2008 on 54
elementary-level learners in Turkey by Baturay et al. ( 2010). It investigates the
attitudes of these learners towards web-based, multimedia-annotated grammar
learning using "a system designed to provide supplementary web-based grammar
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revision material, uses audio-visual aids to enrich the contextual presentation of
grammar and allows learners to revise target grammatical structures…" called
WEBGRAM (313). The study examines the learners’ perceptions regarding the
content, visual and overall design of the web-based material as well as their levels
of satisfaction, attention and participation with the online material compare with
those of traditional methods. The findings of this study show that learners enjoyed
learning through the materials designed in WEBGRAM and that they adapted
satisfactory attitudes towards it which coincide with notion that using technology
motivate in learning grammar (Baturay et al., 2010).
Conclusion
Technology has invaded people’s lives: it has been used in almost all
aspects in life. Fortunately, in the field of language teaching and learning,
specifically grammar instructions, it was found to be effective. In the Omani
context, different technological instruments are available for teachers at basic
education schools to be utilized to present, explain and practice grammatical
contents and features. Computers, CD-ROMs, interactive multimedia instruments
are examples of such tools. The implementation of these devices can provide
chances for interactive practice activities that facilitate vital elements in grammar
learning like noticing and hypotheses formation and testing. It also offers an
interactive and immediate feedbacks through which students get explanations,
learn from their mistakes, and better understand grammatical concepts. Teachers,
however, need technological training programs to enable them to further utilize
technology in creating interactive grammatical contents that fit their specific.
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