the effect of using flipped classroom on grammar learning for non english majored freshmen at fpt university hcmc

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

THE EFFECT OF USING FLIPPED CLASSROOM
ON GRAMMAR LEARNING
FOR NON-ENGLISH MAJORED FRESHMEN
AT FPT UNIVERSITY HCMC
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL)

Submitted by ĐOÀN HỒNG VÂN
Supervisor: LÊ THỊ THANH THU, Ed.D.

HO CHI MINH City, September 2019


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY
------------------------------

ĐOÀN HỒNG VÂN

THE EFFECT OF USING FLIPPED CLASSROOM
ON GRAMMAR LEARNING
FOR NON-ENGLISH MAJORED FRESHMEN
AT FPT UNIVERSITY HCMC

Major:

TESOL

Major number:

60 14 01 11

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL)

Supervisor:
LÊ THỊ THANH THU, Ed.D.

HO CHI MINH City, September 2019


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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I certify that this thesis entitled: “The effect of using flipped classroom on
grammar learning for non-English majored freshmen at FPT University
HCM” is my own work.
Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does not contain
material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by
which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main
text of the thesis.
This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any
other tertiary institution.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2019

Doan Hong Van

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have secured a lot of assistance and advice from many people to complete
my thesis. I am very grateful for this help.
I would first like to sincerely thank my thesis supervisor, Dr. Le Thi Thanh
Thu, for her great care, enthusiasm, extensive knowledge and devotion. I have been
extremely lucky to have a supervisor who gave insightful comments, and who
provided me with invaluable support to the completion of my thesis.
Secondly, I would like to express my deep gratitude to FPT University,
HCMC, the Leader of English Department, and the students in the Fall semester of
the school year 2018-2019 who kindly accepted to participate in my thesis. Special
thanks go to my colleagues at FPT University HCMC who were willing to share
their experience and give the best suggestion for my thesis.
Finally, words cannot reveal my appreciation to my family: my father, my
mother, my sister, and my husband. Without their endless love, understanding and
absolutely support, I could never overcome the difficulties in my life to complete
this thesis.


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ABSTRACT
The flipped classroom has become a popular pedagogical tool around the
world in the 21st century (Webb & Doman, 2016) because it contains a lot of
benefits in promoting learning the English language. The main purpose of this
study was to examine the effect of the flipped classroom at FPT University HCMC
to non-English majored freshmen’s grammar learning. Besides, this study aimed to

explore how students perceived the benefits and challenges of this application in
the classroom. The participants include 56 non-English majored first-year students
in two classes of FPT University HCMC which were chosen randomly as the
control group and the experimental group. The flipped classroom was applied in
the experimental group. Students were required to watch the online video clips of
the new grammar lessons at home then asked for clarification at class to maximize
the time for students’ activities in groups or pairs, and they did not do homework at
home, whereas the control group was taught with the current teaching method
including the lecture at class and the exercises at home.
After 7 weeks of the experiment, the data were collected through the test
results and students’ questionnaires. Also, the data were analyzed via the mean, the
percentages and confirmed by the Independent samples t-test. The results showed
that the experimental group outperformed the control one in terms of grammatical
knowledge, especially the students of weak and fairly good levels. Moreover, the
respondents in the experimental group had considerably positive reflections
towards the benefits of the flipped classroom as (1) the flipped classroom primarily
provided opportunities to practice English grammar, (2) then enhanced
relationships in class, (3) then created student-centered learning environment and
(4) the last, improved learner autonomy. The participants also approved two
challenges including (1) the students’ pressure for the active role and (2) the
distractions from surroundings, social networks, entertaining websites while they
almost rejected the technical problems and Internet access as their challenges.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ..................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................... viii
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix
ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. x
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1
1.1. Rationales of the study ............................................................................................... 1
1.2. Statement of purposes ................................................................................................ 3
1.3. Research questions ..................................................................................................... 3
1.4. The significance of the study ...................................................................................... 3
1.5. Background to the study ............................................................................................. 4
1.5.1. The school .......................................................................................................... 4
1.5.2. Description of the English syllabus for English non-majored
freshmen at FPT University HCM ................................................................................ 5
1.5.3. Description of the textbook “Topnotch 3” ........................................................... 6
1.5.4. The test and the students ..................................................................................... 6
1.6. Overview of thesis chapter ......................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 9
2.1. Grammar .................................................................................................................... 9


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2.1.1. Definitions of grammar ....................................................................................... 9
2.1.2. The role of grammar in language learning and teaching ..................................... 10
2.1.3. Approaches to teach English grammar .............................................................. 11
2.1.4. Processes in teaching grammar .......................................................................... 13
2.1.5. How to learn grammar effectively ..................................................................... 14
2.2. Flipped classroom .................................................................................................... 16
2.2.1. Definition of the flipped classroom ................................................................... 16

2.2.2. The characteristics of the flipped classroom ...................................................... 18
2.2.3. How to conduct the flipped classroom ............................................................... 21
2.2.4. Selection of videos material .............................................................................. 22
2.2.5. The benefits of the flipped classroom in learning English
language ..................................................................................................................... 23
2.2.5.1. Improving learner autonomy ............................................................. 24
2.2.5.2. Enhancing the relationships in classroom .......................................... 24
2.2.5.3. Creating the student-centered learning environment .......................... 25
2.2.5.4. Providing students with opportunities to practice English grammar ... 26
2.2.6. The challenges when applying the flipped classroom ........................................ 27
2.3. Prior studies ............................................................................................................. 28
2.4. Chapter summary ..................................................................................................... 33
Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 35
3.1. Research setting ....................................................................................................... 35
3.2. Flipped classroom materials ..................................................................................... 36
3.3. Research design ....................................................................................................... 37
3.3.1. Participants ....................................................................................................... 38
3.3.2. Procedures of the experiment ............................................................................ 38
3.3.3. Learning and teaching grammar in the CG and EG ............................................ 41


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3.3.3.1. Learning and teaching in the control group ....................................... 42
3.3.3.2. Learning and teaching in the experimental group .............................. 42
3.4. Data collection instruments ...................................................................................... 43
3.4.1. Tests ................................................................................................................. 44
3.4.1.1. Pre-test ............................................................................................. 44
3.4.1.2. Post-tests .......................................................................................... 45
3.4.2. Questionnaire .................................................................................................... 47

3.5. Chapter summary ..................................................................................................... 49
Chapter 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................... 50
4.1. Analytical framework ............................................................................................... 50
4.2. Test data analysis ..................................................................................................... 51
4.2.1. Pre-test analysis ................................................................................................ 51
4.2.2. Post-tests analysis ............................................................................................. 52
4.2.2.1. Test 1 results..................................................................................... 52
4.2.2.2. Test 2 results..................................................................................... 54
4.2.2.3. Test 3 results..................................................................................... 56
4.3. Questionnaire data analysis ...................................................................................... 62
4.3.1. Student’s reflection towards learning English grammar before
applying flipped classroom ......................................................................................... 62
4.3.2. Students’ perceived the benefits of the flipped classroom .................................. 63
4.3.3. Students’ perceived the challenges of the flipped classroom .............................. 66
4.4. Discussions .............................................................................................................. 69
4.4.1. Research question 1: To what extent does the flipped
classroom affect grammar learning of FPT University HCMC nonEnglish majored freshmen? ......................................................................................... 69
4.4.2. Research question 2: How do they perceive the benefits and
challenges in studying grammar with the flipped classroom? ...................................... 71


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4.4.2.1. Discussions on the benefits of the flipped classroom ......................... 71
4.4.2.2. Discussions on the challenges of flipped classroom .......................... 73
Chapter 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................... 76
5.1. Main findings of the thesis ....................................................................................... 76
5.2. Implications ............................................................................................................. 79
5.2.1. Implications for school administrations ............................................................. 79
5.2.2. Implications for teachers ................................................................................... 79

5.2.3. Implications for students ................................................................................... 81
5.3. Limitations of the study ............................................................................................ 82
5.4. Recommendations for the further research ................................................................ 83
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 84
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................... 97


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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 2. 1. Stages of the flipped classroom.......................................................... 21
Figure 4. 1. The Post-test 1 results ........................................................................ 53
Figure 4. 2. The Post-test 2 results ........................................................................ 55
Figure 4. 3. The Post-test 3 results ........................................................................ 57
Figure 4. 4. The percentages of weak students of the three tests............................ 59
Figure 4. 5. The percentages of average students of the three tests ........................ 59
Figure 4. 6. The percentages of fairly good students of the three tests................... 60
Figure 4. 7. The percentages of good students of the three tests ............................ 61


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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 2. 1. The activities of the flipped classroom compared to those of the current
classroom practice ................................................................................................ 17
Table 3. 1. Summary of the experiment procedures .............................................. 39
Table 3. 2. Grammar learning activities ................................................................ 41
Table 3. 3. The structure of three Post-tests .......................................................... 46

Table 3. 4. The purpose and format of the questionnaire ....................................... 48
Table 4. 1. Results of the Pre-tests for two groups ................................................ 51
Table 4. 2. Results of the Post-test 1 for two groups ............................................. 52
Table 4. 3. Results of the Post-test 2 for two groups ............................................. 54
Table 4. 4. Test 2 vs. Test 1 .................................................................................. 55
Table 4. 5. Results of the Post-test 3 for two groups ............................................. 56
Table 4. 6. Test 3 vs. Test 2 .................................................................................. 58
Table 4. 7. Students’ reflection towards learning English grammar ...................... 62
Table 4. 8. How students perceived the benefits of the flipped classroom ............. 64
Table 4. 9. How students perceived the challenges of the flipped classroom ......... 67


x

ABBREVIATIONS
CALL

Computer Assisted Language Learning

CG

Control group

EG

Experimental group

HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City

ICT

information, communication, and technology

LMS

Learning Management System

MOOC

Massive Open Online Course

PPP

Presentation, Practice, Production

SPSS

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

T

Teacher (the researcher)

Ss

Students

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Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 provides information for the background of the study connected
with the rationales for conducting this thesis and the purpose of the study. Also, two
research questions, and the significance of the study will be introduced in this
chapter. In the end, the organization of the study which consists of five chapters will
be presented.

1.1. Rationales of the study
English as a foreign language is one of the essential and required subjects at
FPT University HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City). All students who would like to learn at
this school must complete six levels of general English, which is seen as a
necessary standard for students to learn their major subjects in English. The
common practice of almost all teachers at FPT University HCMC in teaching
general English as that of the others is that students listen to a lecture in class and
then go home to do homework (Jalal, 2016). However, I realize that when teaching
English for non-English majored freshmen who are obliged to learn English in the
first year with the current teaching practice at FPT University HCM, students might
play quite passive roles and tend to wait for the main source knowledge from their
teachers in class. Particularly, in teaching grammar, teachers explain the grammar
points thoroughly in class but students hardly remember and apply them not only to
complete the test but also to practice speaking and writing. Moreover, the lesson’s
objective of the course book is to help students use their grammar knowledge to
pass the grammar test and create the English environment for students so that they
can apply their grammar, vocabulary, and knowledge to role-play the conversation
naturally. However, with such current teaching practice, it seems difficult to make
students more interested in communicative learning (Nguyen, 2018).

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Different ways have been applied at FPT University HCMC as getting
students to work in groups, asking them to set themselves the English study target
and punishment if they do not complete their homework to promote students’
engagement in learning English but the results are not as expected. Anyhow, the
above difficulties might be addressed with the new technology. As for language
learning and instruction, Thaichay and Sitthitikul (2016), Bergmann and Sams
(2012), Kostaras (2017) suggested that “Flipped classroom”, one type of CALL
(Computer Assisted Language Learning), comes into effect with active learning
(Bergmann & Sams, 2012) and classroom interaction (Egbert, Herman & Lee
2015). For English teaching and learning, the flipped classroom, a specific type of
blended learning design that lectures or explanations would be done at home by
using technology, and homework or assignments would be guided in class instead
of at home (Bergmann & Sams, 2012) to ask the students to learn grammar lesson at
home by watching some grammatical online videos before coming to class.
Theoretically, the flipped classroom changes passive students into active
students when creating the environment for students discover and manage their
knowledge by themselves not only receiving the information from their teachers.
Students, therefore, tend to love technology and complete all assignments by
watching videos before going to class. Furthermore, this technique improves the
relationship between teachers and students because students have more time to
communicate with the teacher in class. Moreover, with the flipped classroom,
students enjoy more time to practice speaking with their friends after learning and
understanding all grammar points at home.
At FPT University HCMC, no one has done the research relating to the
flipped classroom in teaching English before although this approach has been
applied by teachers of other subjects at school and it is highly advocated by the
Academic department. Furthermore, in Vietnamese teaching, the flipped classroom

has not been implemented by many researchers, and that is the reason why I am
encouraged to conduct the research of the flipped classroom.


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1.2. Statement of purposes

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of applying the
flipped classroom at FPT University HCMC to non-English majored freshmen’s
grammar learning. Besides, this study aimed to explore how students perceived the
benefits and challenges of the flipped classroom in their grammar learning.

1.3. Research questions
In order to fulfill the two objectives stated above, two research questions
were addressed as follows:
1. To what extent does the flipped classroom affect grammar learning of FPT
University HCMC non-English majored freshmen?
2. How do they perceive the benefits and challenges in studying grammar
with the flipped classroom?

1.4. The significance of the study

The study proves to be significant in many ways. Firstly, this study is
expected to provide an evidence of the flipped classroom’s benefits to facilitate
teachers’ teaching English and arouse students’ interest in learning English
grammar. As for the students trained with the flipped classroom, their grammar
performance could be enhanced, which is useful for them to learn further English
skills. Moreover, the flipped classroom, one type of the effectiveness of technology
tools, could motivate students in learning English, reduce teacher’s workload at

class, increase students’ chances to acquire the language naturally and help students
have more time to interact with teachers instead of lecturing in the classroom.
Furthermore, this study encourages English language teachers to use the flipped


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classroom and appeal the other studies on different ways to continue researching the
flipped classroom.

1.5. Background to the study
1.5.1. The school
This study was carried out at FPT University HCMC, one of the four
campuses of FPT University including FPT University Ha Noi, Da Nang, Can Tho,
and Ho Chi Minh City. FPT University HCMC is a small campus located at Quang
Trung Software City with the adequate facilities to accommodate 2,000 students
attending undergraduate programs. FPT University HCMC undergraduate programs
are highly appreciated for its industry-oriented curriculum to help narrow the gap
between higher education and actual industry demands. Focusing on two of the
most demanded fields, information technology and business, FPT University
HCMC aims to equip students with the best quality education, skills, and open the
possible pathway for them to go further into their future. The teachers came from
different countries in the world such as the Philippines, Australia, America, India,
Vietnam and most of them had the master’s degrees in their major. In the first year,
all students learn English as the main subject within three hours per day. Most of
the classes are held from Mondays to Fridays. The number of learners in each class
ranges from 19 to 30 students. Classrooms are well-equipped with a whiteboard, an
air-conditioner, a sound system, 4 flipcharts, a projector, tables, and chairs.

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1.5.2. Description of the English syllabus for English non-majored freshmen at
FPT University HCM
In the first year, students must complete the general English with 5 levels
(Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, and Upper-intermediate)
before starting to learn their major subjects in English at the university. In each
level, the requirements of the syllabus always concentrate on the four skills
(listening, speaking, reading, writing). However, this thesis only focused on the
syllabus of Level 4 - Intermediate course (Appendix 2). The main learning objective
of this level is to help students acquire the range of vocabulary and grammar
knowledge to improve their all language skills equivalent to the intermediate level.
To help first-year students meet the requirement of learning objectives, grammar is
an essential and obligatory factor that keep learners from being misunderstood
while expressing their thoughts or ideas.
For the five levels, the English first-year students use the coursebooks as Top
Notch (Saslow & Ascher, 2015), and Summit (Saslow & Ascher, 2017).
Specifically, Top Notch 3 (Saslow & Ascher, 2015)-B1+level is applied as the
coursebook of Level 4. In the course Level 4, students learn ten units. Grammar
points only are taught in Lesson 1 and 2 of each unit. Such course is composed of
70 slots (90 minutes per slot). For general English classes, students have to learn
English per day during the week from Monday to Friday and each class lasts for 2
slots. The time length of the course Level 4 is approximately 7 weeks (105 hours).
According to the course schedule (Appendix 3), each unit is completed within
approximately three days (7 slots) including one preview, four lessons, one review,
and one writing slot.


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1.5.3. Description of the textbook “Topnotch 3”
The English textbook “Top Notch 3” was published by Pearson Education in
2015. “Top Notch 3” textbook includes ten units: Make a small talk, Health matters,
Getting things done, Reading for pleasure, Natural disaster, Life plans, Holidays
and traditions, Inventions and discoveries, Beautiful world, and Controversial
issues. These ten units are taught in approximately 70 slots for one course. Each
unit focuses on seven parts: Preview, Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4,
Review, and Writing. Each part almost focuses on practicing four skills: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. Grammar only is taught at the beginning of lesson 1
and lesson 2 accompanied with the other skills. At FPT University HCMC, lecturers
of English prefer using the inductive approach with P-P-P lesson plan (Presentation,
Practice, Production) and use the textbook to teach grammar. Because the limited
time of teaching grammar at class, almost all students only complete the exercises
of grammar points to understand the structures and rules before applying grammar
points in speaking, listening, or writing skills. Insufficiently, grammar points are
just taught in twenty slots for the whole program of Level 4 - Intermediate.

1.5.4. The test and the students
At FPT University HCMC, depending on students’ levels which are
equivalent to their placement test, all non-English majored freshmen used the series
of course-books designed by Pearson Longman such as Top Notch 1, Top Notch 2,
Top Notch 3, Summit 1, and Summit 2. The placement test has been designed to
analyze the English level of new students so they can be placed into groups
corresponding to the five levels (Beginner, Elementary, Pre-intermediate,
Intermediate, and Upper). All students passing each level are assessed by the
average of on-going assessment score and the final examination score. In an ongoing assessment, students must complete all speaking, writing assessments and


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take part in five progress-tests within seven weeks. Each progress test is carried out
after students finished two units. Moreover, the final examination with four skills
(listening, speaking, reading, writing skills) and grammar test are carried out to
evaluate students’ performance after the course. Therefore, students are expected to
acquire all grammar points and know how to apply them accurately so that they can
perform effectively in the final examination. After completing the five levels,
students meet the condition required to learn all their major subjects in English. All
students passing Level 3 - Pre-intermediate can move to Level 4 - Intermediate.
Moreover, students learn English three hours per day and five days per week so they
are really tired and do not have any desire or motivation in learning English.

1.6. Overview of thesis chapter
The thesis is organized into five main chapters including: Introduction,
Literature review, Methodology, Data analysis & Discussions of findings, and
Conclusion & Recommendations.
Chapter 1 presents the rationales of the study, the aim of the study, the
background to the study. Then two research questions are stated together with the
significance of the study. In the end, the overview of the thesis chapters will be
described thoroughly. Chapter 2 presents a review of the literature related mainly to
the flipped classroom as well as grammar, and the relevant previous studies. The
research gap is also introduced in this part. Chapter 3 describes the methodology. It
provides information about the research setting, flipped classroom materials,
research design, participants, procedures of the experiment, and data collection
instrument. Chapter 4 analyses the collected data from the tests and questionnaire,
reports and interprets the results. Then, the results will be discussed in relation to
the two research questions and the findings of previous research in the field.
Chapter 5 summarizes and makes conclusions based on the findings which have
been discovered from the study. Moreover, it gives implications to develop and

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improve the way to learn and teach English grammar as well as some
recommendations for further research and the limitations of the study.


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Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This section of the study gives a review of the relevant concepts of grammar
and the flipped classroom including (1) definition of grammar, (2) the role of
grammar in language teaching and learning, (3) approaches to teach English
grammar, (4) processes in teaching grammar, (5) how to learn grammar effectively,
(6) definition of the flipped classroom, (7) the characteristics of the flipped
classroom, (8) how to conduct the flipped classroom, (9) selection of videos
material, (10) the benefits of the flipped classroom in learning English language,
(11) the challenges when applying the flipped classroom, and (12) prior studies.

2.1. Grammar
2.1.1. Definitions of grammar
Each language has their own rules to integrate words with each other into a
complete sentence. To do this, grammar is one of the most necessary tools to attain
that purpose. There are two types of grammar as prescriptive and descriptive
grammar which have been defined by many researchers and grammarians worldwidely. Firstly, prescriptive grammar refers to actual rules stated by the
grammarians (Fenn, 2014). According to Brown (2001), “Grammar is the system of
rules governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in a
sentence” (p. 362). Furthermore, in Thornbury’s opinion (1999), “a grammar is a
description of the rules that govern how a language’s sentences are formed” (p. 125)
and “grammar attempts to explain why the sentences are acceptable” (p. 1).

Summers (2001) defined the term grammar as “the rules by which words change
their forms and are combined into sentences, or the study or use of these rules” (p.
619).


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Secondly, descriptive grammar refers to grammar in the real life of native
speakers (Saengboon, 2017) and pays attention to “the relationship between the
language and the context in which it is used” (Ismail, 2010, p. 145). According to
Bakka (2018), “Descriptive grammar sets out to study language categories and
various structures and identifies rules based upon how actual language takes place
in real life situations” (p. 32). Besides, grammar is “a description of the structure of
a language and the way in which linguistic units such as words and phrases are
combined to produce sentences in the language … usually takes into account the
meaning and functions these sentences have in the overall system of the language
… may or may not include the description of the sounds of a language” (Richards
et al., 1992, p. 161). In other words, descriptive grammar refers to the structure of a
language as used to help learners speak and write like a native speaker.
Generally, the descriptive grammar is focused more than prescriptive
grammar because at the university, students learn not only the rules of grammar but
also how to apply grammar in actual speaking or writing (Richards et al., 1992). As
Sugata (2016) observed that grammar will help learners form confidence, language
knowledge, and fluency, it therefore plays an important role to develop language
skills.

2.1.2. The role of grammar in language learning and teaching

The role of grammar in second/foreign language instruction has been
considered over some decades. In 1988, Ur stated that “There is no doubt that a

knowledge – implicit or explicit – of grammatical rules is essential for the mastery
of a language” (p. 4) because you not only learn the way to use words but also learn
how they cooperate with each other. Besides, Widodo (2006) stated grammar
played a crucial role in learning listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. It
means that students can know how to form phrases, clauses, and sentences in
meaning through applying grammar rules (Doff, 2000). Furthermore, according to


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Nassaji and Fotos (2011), “nothing in the field of language pedagogy has been as
controversial as the role of grammar teaching” (p.1). First, grammar had an
important place in teaching methods reliant on “a structural syllabus” (Ellis, 2008,
as cited in Azar, 2007). Then, the way to teach grammar changed from acquisition
of grammatical rules into language for communication (Thaichay & Sitthitikul,
2016).
At university, students are encouraged to learn English grammar for the
purpose of communication. It is impossible for people communicate without
grammar knowledge because at that time people only use individual words or
sounds, pictures and body language (Azar, 2007). In other words, grammar
knowledge is a basic standard for students communicate accurately, meaningfully
and appropriately (Larsen-Freeman, 2001). Moreover, learners need develop the
ability to use the language to communicate in the real life because teaching specific
sequences of grammar forms do not produce it. As a result, grammatical knowledge
plays a vital role for students to improve four skills or apply their linguistic ability
to real-life situations.

2.1.3. Approaches to teach English grammar

Thornbury (1999) mentioned that the efforts of teaching English grammar to

EFL students have been established in three main approaches: teaching grammar
based on rules (a deductive approach), examples (an inductive approach) and
contexts. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages as stated below.
“A deductive approach starts with the presentation of a rule and is followed
by examples in which the rule is applied” (p. 29) (Thornbury, 1999). It means that
deductive teaching begins the process from rules to examples (Morganna, 2016).
For example, if the grammar point is the simple past, the teacher will begin the
lesson with introducing the rules of grammar first and then giving students a lot of
examples to understand the rules. In this approach, students are passive to receive


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the knowledge and the teacher is the center of the class to control, manage, give the
presentation and explanation (Tran, 2012). This way brings several benefits and
disadvantages to teach grammar in class. Firstly, a deductive approach is a simple
and quick way for teachers to teach the rules so that students have more time to
practice the structure (Gorat & Prijambodo, 2013) and teachers have enough time to
solve some problems relating to language points when they happen during the class
(Chalipa, 2013). Moreover, in the deductive approach, the intelligence and maturity
of students especially adult students will be respected because sometimes they find
out the incorrect rules of target language (Alzu’bi, 2015). However, some crucial
disadvantages of deductive approach cannot be disregarded. This way pays less
attention to students’ role in class when beginning the lesson with the grammar
presentation (Mallia, 2014) and students only wait for the knowledge from their
teacher. Therefore, students sometimes might feel difficult to understand and have
to struggle to grasp the rules of grammar but they still finalize their exercises.
In the contrary to deductive approach, “without having met the rules, the
learner studies examples and from these examples derives an understanding of the
rule in the inductive approach” (p. 49) (Thornbury, 1999). Inductive grammar

teaching will help learners study through their experiment such as examples, errors
when they figure out the rules of grammar by themselves (Chalipa, 2013). For
example, if the grammar point is the comparative form, the teacher will begin the
lesson with drawing the picture and say “This is a red car. The price of it is cheap”.
After that, the teacher will draw another car with the low price next to the first and
say “This is a blue car. It is cheaper than the red car. Then, the teacher will continue
show as many examples as possible for students to understand how the structure is
established. After discovering the grammar rules, students will create their own
examples and practice the structure (Thornbury, 1999). The inductive approach has
their own pros and cons stated as follow. According to Shaffer (1997), inductive
teaching creates opportunities for students to develop their cognitive ability because
this way requires students use their intelligence to conclude the structure of


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grammar points. Moreover, students become active instead of being passive in their
class because they have a chance to design the knowledge they will learn not imitate
and copy from their teachers (Pourmoradi & Vahdat, 2016). However, when using
this way, teachers spend much time preparing their lesson plan by selecting the
materials and organizing the steps for learner acquire the knowledge easily
(Morganna, 2016).
One more approach is teaching grammar through contexts. According to
Thornbury (1999), “Language is context-sensitive. This means that, in the absence
of context, it is very difficult to recover the intended meaning of a single word or
phrase” (p. 69). Students do not need to know how grammar rules work in a
sentence and do not learn the grammar structure because learning grammar in
context will help students understand how language works (Mart, 2013). In
addition, according to Harmer (1991), “Students need to get an idea of how the new
language is used by native speakers and the best way of doing this is to present

language in context” (p. 57) so context can help learners improve their
communication skills.

2.1.4. Processes in teaching grammar
According to Aslan (2016), a lesson schema is reflected by a specific model
such as PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production), TBLT (Task-based Language
Teaching), OHE (Observe, Hypothesize, Experiment), III (Illustration, Interaction,
Induction) and TTT (Test, Teach, Test). However, in the process of research
implementation, the research just focuses on PPP processes to teach grammar
because PPP is the traditional methodology employed popularly around the world
(Aslan, 2016) and it also makes teaching grammar easier (Tran, 2015).
In the Presentation step, students will receive the target knowledge which can
be the form of rules, function, patterns and structure (Hellström, 2015) from their
teachers. In the Presentation step, teachers can apply the deductive and inductive