The Effectiveness Of Incidental Teaching Of Grammar To Iranian Students

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study and a pilot study.  The ‘study’ considers the effectiveness of incidental teaching of grammar in a learning class of English As A Second Language by Persian speaking students.  The ‘pilot study’ examines the students’ attitudes toward the incidental learning of grammar from the perspective of field dependent/independent.   The subjects of this study are two groups of EFL learners, a total of 30 students studying at Sabzevar Payam Noor University, Iran.  English proficiency was measured by the TOEFL and an oral test of communicative competence.  Grammar is presented in two series of lessons. The first, a series of ten grammar lessons, provides an intensive review of grammatical points for beginning ESL students. These lessons assume a low vocabulary level, include a simple grammatical generalization, and provide extensive practice of specific grammar points using a wide variety of exercises. A built-in review is provided for items that are missed in each exercise. The second series, six advanced grammar lessons, provides extensive reinforcement and practice of a wide range of advanced grammar points. Each lesson consists of at least four mechanical exercises, including substitution, transformation, question/answer, and fill-in-the-blank drills.  The focus in this study is on learning grammar, in general, and passive voice, in particular.  A pre-test is administered to be certain. This test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions.  The subjects fortunately are almost at the same level; the averages are very close.  The subjects were divided into two groups: control and experimental. Then the easy texts, which include the grammatical points, are taught incidentally to the experimental group, whereas explicitly to the control group. A test is carried out for the groups.  Then in the following term, the same groups are taught the advance materials followed by a test. The results indicate that the use of an incidental method of teaching does not show a significant priority over the explicit one.  In reality, the control group does better, especially with the advanced materials.  Concerning the pilot study, a questionnaire is distributed among the subjects to identify the field dependent/independent ones. The aim of this pilot study is to identify what kinds of students are more interested in incidental learning of grammar.  Five students are selected from each group.   The analysis of the data concerning their reception of the method of teaching and the outcome of the groups is carried out. The study does not show a significant difference between field dependent/independent students concerning incidental learning.