An Investigation In to The Practice Of Communicative Grammar Teaching At Abdi Bori Secondary School:Grade 9 In Focus

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the practice of communicative grammar teaching in grade 9 at Abdi Bori High School in Ilu Aba Bora Zone. It investigated if the teachers teach grammar communicatively and what they think about grammar teaching in general. It also explored what challenges the teachers encounter in teaching grammar in this grade. In addition, it identified if the teachers give feedback, and in what manners they give. To achieve these objectives, English teachers and students of grade 9 were used as a population of the study. The teachers were observed and video recorded during their actual classroom teaching. Nine grammar lessons were observed with the guidance of observation checklist and transcribed. The ways the teachers teach grammar were identified during the observation. Focus group discussion was conducted with teachers to identify their beliefs about grammar teaching. Sampled students were also used for group discussion to identify what the students feel about the ways their teachers teach them grammar contents in general. For both groups (teachers and students), discussion guides were used. English textbook of grade 9 was also analyzed in terms of the ways grammar activities have been designed. The purpose was to see if the book has impacts on the teachers‟ practices of communicative grammar teaching. The data was all analyzed thematically. The results of the study indicated that the teachers are not teaching grammar communicatively. It was also identified that there are different factors affecting the teachers‟ practices of grammar teaching. Depending on the findings of this study, different recommendations have been made. Teachers should make their maximum effort to teach grammar communicatively than altering rule-oriented ways because of other challenges. This will help the learners develop both linguistic competence and communicative competence simultaneously.