Grammar and Error Correction

Paper Summary:

This paper studies whether -- and to what degree -- grammar and error correction should be emphasized in a language classroom. The author presents research done on the questions of: (1) how much explicit grammar instruction should be conducted? and (2) to what extent does error correction assist the learner? The author concludes from the research that grammar is more effectively learned when taught in an integrated, rather than explicit, format. The author further concludes that directly correcting errors is only important if the error precludes comprehension.

From the Paper:

"There has always been debate about the place of grammar in the language classroom. Undoubtedly, the mastery of any language depends on understanding the rules that govern the arrangement and relationship of words in a sentence. Knowledge of grammatical concepts is a key step in language learning. A grammatical item, once learned, acts as a formula that can be applied to the construction of new sentences. Pica's (1994) explains that there are cases where explicit grammar instruction may accelerate the learners' progress across the stages of language acquisition. In many cases, such as the use of the plural -s, instructed learners tended to make fewer errors than those who had no classroom experience and were left to create their own strategies of learning. This, however, is by no means the end of the story. There are many factors that must be considered when deciding how and when grammar should be taught."

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