Beliefs About Grammar Teaching Linked To Writing
Authors
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Carmen Sotomayor
Universidad de Chile
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7016-7568
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Elvira Jéldrez
Universidad de Chile
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7401-6687
Abstract
Grammar, understood as morphosyntax, is a content that was practically suppressed from the school curricula in Chile and Latin America, considering it ineffective for teaching oral and written language. However, grammar has been recovering its value in recent decades, especially in relation to the teaching of writing. At an international level, grammar teaching is postulated as a linguistic resource that allows language reflection and enriches written production. However, the evidence indicates that this new approach represents a challenge for teachers, who manifest insecurity and difficulties in putting it into practice. Based on these antecedents, an exploratory study was carried out with seven Primary Education teachers to inquire about their conceptual and evaluative beliefs about grammar and teaching practices of grammar linked to writing. In-depth interviews were conducted, qualitatively analyzed by emergent coding. The results suggest that teachers do not understand what grammar is and that they associate it with the notions of “writing well”, “spelling” and “vocabulary”. The study argues that teachers, in order to carry out grammar teaching with a communicative and metalinguistic approach, should have robust grammatical knowledge, for which a space in the school curriculum is required. Finally, some didactic strategies are proposed to teach grammar in the classroom with this approach.Keywords:
Grammar teaching, Writing teaching, Teacher beliefs, Grammar beliefs, Language curriculumReferences
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