Investigation of the Importance of Grammar Instruction in FL Programs

초록

This paper investigates the importance of grammar instruction in foreign language programs. At present, the debate on the role of grammar instruction in foreign language education has led teachers into the dilemma of teaching or not teaching grammar. However, when considering the position of Korean students in learning English, grammar instruction is thought to be necessary, in particular for adolescent and adult learners, and there is a considerable amount of research which supports the need for grammar instruction in developing communicative competence. This paper accordingly reviews this and deals with the problem of the position of grammar in the curriculum, comparing the English curriculum in Korea with the standards of FL/ESL programs in the USA, especially with regard to the goals of 'comparisons' and 'structure' in each program. Then, the adult programs for non-native English-speaking people in a community in the USA are introduced. Through this investigation, it is shown that we need to incorporate grammar instruction more positively into the language curriculum and program.

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