Summary
Summary
For most foreign learners, especially undergraduates, knowledge of grammatical rules as well as terminologies is vital for the achievement of a high-level accuracy in the said language. Varied application of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), as well as information technology (IT), can be used to overcome the grammar deficit by combining approaches that are used in grammar teaching. The heated debate regarding the teaching of grammar in foreign language (FL) has taken center stage both in Britain and in Germany with teachers both in secondary schools, as well as those in universities opposing each other. However, with these arguments set aside, the author identifies two sides of the issue regarding grammar teaching and learning.
First, secondary schools should be more attentive to grammatical accuracy in the language teaching so as to achieve a mastery of the German grammar that is crucial for undergraduate studies. Secondly, the universities should identify the strengths and weaknesses of students and adjust the courses they offer appropriately.
Grammar can be taught in different ways; there is the deductive method, which is traditional and has since been less used. There is the inductive method which is often used as well as a third method; exploratory teaching. In the author’s evaluation, it has been realized that no single approach is universally applicable to all learners and that various learners could find different methods appropriate for them.
Many authors agree that the introduction of technology should not completely change the teaching practice. However, it should be an additional technique that should be involved only when it benefits the learners most. The importance of using IT in language education is that the computer adds variety to the learning experience as well as individualizing learning. The student can easily identify and quickly correct their mistakes since the computer gives almost instant feedback regarding the mistakes that a student might have made. Computers also have an interactive element which is not in books and their use also saves the teacher the tedious work of marking, hence reducing the workload while increasing productivity.
Use of Technology in Grammar Teaching
It is the author’s view that the teacher is best placed to explain and correct the students compared to the computer. This simply means that it is not recommendable to leave the task of grammar teaching entirely to computers; teachers must also come in. Word processing programs used nowadays by language students have a host of advantages, however, these advantages have little relevance to grammar since most of them only focus on spelling mistakes and fail to pick up most grammatical errors made by the student. To curb this, the author states that various electronic dictionaries and grammar checkers have been made even though they are not so readily available.
Regarding the internet based resources, the author finds that they are numerous, but there are extremely few ones that are of benefit to the german student. Even so, they still are a cheaper tool to use since they are free and easily accessible.
Conclusion
Many authors have reiterated the importance of integrating grammatical knowledge into the overall communication skills that a student is aiming at. A good example is the Didascalia software. According to the author, it is true that the computer is an effective tool that foreign language learners can use to overcome their grammar deficit. However, the teaching process cannot be entirely left to the computer to handle. This will remain as it is for a long time to come.
References
Hall, C. (1998). Overcoming the Grammar Deficit: The Role of Information Technology in Teaching German Grammar to Undergraduates. Canadian Modern Language Review/ La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, Volume 55, issue 1 , 41-60.
