Term Paper: A review of studies on issues related to the teaching and learning

English at the Secondary level: Grammar

A final paper presented to the Faculty of the School of Education as partial

fulfillment of the Course ELT307

WINCHEL SEVILLA

FLORENCE MAE GERONA

REGINA LUCENAS

BSED-English, 3RD year

JOSEPH ARNOLD COLE BAUNSIT, LPT, Med

INSTRUCTOR

JANUARY 2023
 Abstract

This research is the study of Grammar teaching in an English Education Department.

The purposes of this study are: to find out the approach used in teaching grammar, to
describe the difficulties encountered by students in studying grammar, and to find out the
students’ grammar ability. The population is students of English Education. Sample was
taken using the technique of random according to Krejcie and Morgan table. The
instruments used to collect data are tests, observation sheets and questionnaires. The
results showed that there are several approaches used in teaching Grammar by the
lecturers at the beginning of the semester. They are deductive, inductive, structural and
communicative approaches. The problems faced by students in learning grammar are
problems related to natural difficulties, mother tongue, students’ aspects, lecturers’
aspects, and the method and timing aspects. The next finding from this study is students’
grammar mastery. It was found out that the grammar mastery of students who have taken
all grammar subjects is in fair level.

Keywords: grammar, approach, difficulty, mastery

 I. Introduction

Grammar is an important element of a language. Mastering the grammar of a

language will affect the mastery of language skills. Therefore, in studying language
formally, grammar is a subject that should be studied in depth. The students need to be
given adequate provision of grammar so that they have good language skills. Grammar, for
many students, is considered a difficult and unattractive subject. They do not like learning
grammar and therefore they cannot have good achievement in learning it. Even students
who have learnt grammar for some years in college still get difficulty to construct good and
correct sentences.

Learning the complexity of grammar through writing has continuously remained a

problem to many students especially the second and foreign users of English. In majority of
the countries all over the world, the English variations – British and American are regarded
as models, and the choice of usage greatly depended on whether the country was colonized
by either the Americans or the British people (Quirk, et al. 2010) . In the Philippines, the
American English language is used in majority of the disciplines especially in schools. This
means that Filipinos, though second language learners only, have learned the basic skills
and other conventions of English. However, Filipinos have not fully learned all the
competencies. Others did, but are limited only to those taught in school. Even the ones
taught are not fully applied in the classroom writing context. Thus, errors in grammar
occur. Grammar enables expressions and it aids the person in eloquently expressing
thoughts and concepts. Grammar is the life of all the sentence within a paragraph, so
correctness in writing leans on grammar. More reasonably, grammar constrains the
writers, but it does not stop them from writing. It only sets rules in order for the writers to
achieve clarity, coherence, sense and conciseness in meaning. You use grammar every time
you write speak and text a simple phrase or even fragment. In general, grammar is the
system that creates harmony between the reader and the writer in terms of sense and
meaning in the quest for successful expression according to Tredinnick (2008).

However, errors are inevitable in learning to write especially for second and foreign
language learners. Many considered it a natural phenomenon as the learner gradually
progresses towards developing his or her communicative competence. As students learn,
they commit writing errors that speak of their level of competence in the use of English as
medium. Commonly, even minor errors in grammar cripple the meaning of the
communication being engaged into. When errors persist, misunderstanding comes in,
causing delays in comprehension, that further results to failure in the part of the sender as
he sends the intended message to the receiver. As a result, the teachers’ effectiveness and
efficiency are being doubted. Though intelligibility and comprehensibility of what is
written are to be primarily observed over grammatically accurate phrases and sentences,
the need of mastering the complexity of grammar must be addressed especially that
English has been globally used in almost all transactions. Consequently, the ability to use
English correctly and acceptably has now become an edge over others (Khansir, 2013).
From the mentioned reasons above, the need to examine the grammar lapses of the
Filipinos, who are learning the grammar of the English language, should be given emphasis.
So, this study was conducted to investigate the common grammatical errors that students
committed inside the classroom during writing activities in order to address the students’
grammatical difficulty.
 II. Related Literature

The incorrect usage of grammar in writing for second and foreign language learners
is caused by their lack of awareness on the rules of English. It was discovered that the
students’ difficulty was influenced by the way the language was taught. In some cases, the
source of the mistakes was the influence of the native tongue of the learners, the many
rules and complexity of the language and the students’ partial or lack of knowledge. Most of
the errors that constrained the learners were their inabilities to apply the rules in the vast
aspects of grammar. Students are still incapacitated in constructing grammatically correct
sentences despite the fact that they were taught about it before. They are still confused in
letting the verb and the subject agree, deciding which among the prepositions in, on and at
should be used and remembering that nouns also have irregular forms. The English
learners also have struggle using the right antecedent for some nouns according to Hervina
(2014).

The students’ first language has caused negative transfer in the learning of the
second language in these levels, words and sentence. More often than not, students rely on
their mother tongue by translating from their mother tongue into English when they write.
The errors of the learners fell into these categories: a) letting the subject and the verb
agree; b) including fragmented sentences in their writing; c) forming the plural forms of
nouns incorrectly; d) identifying the singular forms of the nouns; e) observing correct
tenses of verbs; and etc. (Tiensawangchai, 2014). Learners have problems in using
conjunctions, prepositions, semantics and sentence patterns (Singavelu, 2010). On the
other hand, the present perfect progressive and present progressive tenses show a high
frequency of error according to Garrido & Romero (2012). In addition, the frequently
committed errors in the part of the students were articles, prepositions, verb tenses and
the singular and plural forms of nouns. In contrast, forming the past tense of irregular
verbs, forming the possessive forms of nouns and identifying adjectives were the least
committed errors according to Yasir & Tan (2017). Another grammatical lapses in the
writing pieces of students were: form and tenses of the verb, agreement of the subject and
the verb, proper usage of prepositions, order of words in the sentences, articles, singular
and plural forms of the verb, passive voice construction, double negation and auxiliaries
(Sokeng, 2014).

However, correcting students’ errors is as good as giving credit to the positive

points that students do in class. This calls for effective strategies from teachers in order to
reinforce and address learning difficulty. Teachers may initiate activities using the errors of
the students for them to be ready for the next level of difficulty of the lesson (Wu, 2014).
This means, corrective strategies of the teachers should not be threatening in the part of
the students. Teachers may use complete sentences when they talk to give the students
more exposure of the English language. They may also provide variety assessments such as
reading, writing, speaking and listening. For problems on the perfect tenses of verbs,
teachers may use exercises that show the difference among past perfect tense, present
perfect tense and future perfect tense, since students tend to overgeneralize the usage of
these tenses.

To further combat the phenomenon, it was recommended that English language

teachers go through a rigid training on the use of varied and advanced teaching methods in
class to aid the students in understanding the system of the English language. However,
there is also a need for the government to intervene. The state may begin the move of
letting the school allocate more time in teaching English. It is also an urgent need to recruit
more qualified teachers and it is also important to treat accent as a basic skill to learn,
which can be addressed through listening, speaking, writing and reading.

Consequently, teachers, in general, should not only focus on errors solving errors
involving linguistic view alone, but also on understanding the different reasons why the
errors occur. Teachers need to further investigate the weaknesses of the learners and aid
them with the most appropriate interventions.
 III. Presentation of Table

Title of the
Study and Problem Design Respondents Results
Author
COMMON This research This research isThe As a result,
GRAMMATICAL entitled classified as a researcher students’
ERRORS OF “Common case study conducted performance has
THE HIGH Grammatical using with the the study in been greatly
SCHOOL Errors of the use of five public affected. As
STUDENTS: High School qualitative schools in the conclusion,
Students: The research
THE province of students have not
Teachers’ design,
TEACHERS’ Cebu, mastered some of
Perspective”
PERSPECTIVE specifically Philippines. the competencies
This study
investigated the conducting The involved despite the
(Gino
common errors participants repetition of these
Sumalinog interviews and were the
that students lessons in
2018)
encountered focus group fifteen (15) previous grade
as they study public school and year levels.
discussion .
English, teachers who Recommendations
have already include using
especially the served for ten strategies that are
case of the (10) years technology-based
and still and suited to the
second
continuing. learners.
language They were
learners. purposively
chosen due to
their years of
experience as
English
teachers. It
was believed
that their
length of
service would
be a good
basis for their
evaluation on
the common
 errors that
most Filipino
learners of
English
committed.
A Study on This research Sample was The research The results
Grammar entitled “A taken using the population is showed that there
Teaching at an Study on technique of English are several
English Grammar random department approaches used
Education Teaching at an according to students in in teaching
Department in English Krejcie and semester 2, 4, Grammar by the
an EFL Context Education Morgan table. and 6. lecturers at the
Muh. Saeful Department in The Samples were beginning of the
Effendi, Umi an EFL Context instruments taken semester. They
Rokhyati, Uchti Muh. Saeful used to collect randomly. are deductive,
Al-Muchanifah Effendi, Umi data are tests, The number inductive,
Rachman, Aulia Rokhyati, Uchti observation taken is structural and
Dwi Al-Muchanifah sheets and based on communicative
Rakhmawati, Rachman, Aulia questionnaires Krejcie and approaches. The
Dati Pertiwi Dwi Morgan table. problems faced by
(2017) Rakhmawati, For the students in
Dati Pertiwi second learning grammar
semester are problems
(2017) related to natural
students who
The purposes take the difficulties,
of this study Intermediate mother tongue,
are: to find out Structure students’ aspects,
the approach with the lecturers’ aspects,
used in population of and the method
teaching 250 and the and timing
grammar, to sample was aspects. The next
describe the 152 students. finding from this
difficulties For the fourth study is students’
encountered by semester grammar mastery.
students in students, the It was found out
studying population that the grammar
grammar, and was 183 mastery of
to find out the students and students who
students’ used as have taken all
grammar samples was grammar subjects
ability. 123. The 6th is in fair level.
semester
student
population of
212 is used as
a sample of
 140.
Problems in The objectives The For the Findings of the
Teaching of the study; to researchers selection of study concluded
Grammar to identify the used the sample, the that teachers who
English various quantitative researcher teach English to
Learners at problems of research used the the secondary
Secondary teaching method for the simple school students
English study and the random are not fully
Level
grammar to study was sampling satisfied with
Muhhamad secondary descriptive in technique. their teaching of
Javel Iqbal school nature.  The English grammar
(2017) students; to researchers that's because
explore the adopt a they have no
ways and standard specialization in
means for the questionnaire English language.
improvement (Alam, 2005) On the other way,
of the teaching and set the 9 teachers are not
of English sub-scale trained to teach
grammar to items for the English grammar
secondary research tool. at secondary
school For primary level. 
students; to data
sort out the collection, the
solutions for researchers
the problems visited the
that hinder in sample
teaching personally
English and
grammar to administered
secondary the
school questionnaire
students. to the sample
of the study
as much as
150
secondary
school
teachers.
Changes and The primary Aiming that this There were It is a fact that has
Challenges in objective of this proposed study 10 been observed
Teaching of paper is to would produce participants and proved by
Grammar in the examine and intervening who were a many teachers not
Age of describe the program in the part of this just ESL area but
Disruption challenges and future, the study, and other majors that
(Luisito changes in the researcher purposive having grammar
Nanquil 2021) teaching of decided to sampling was competence can
grammar as include employed in help both students
experienced by appropriate the rigorous and professionals
select language methodology selection to achieve their
teachers in the and design. process goals and perform
 Philippines This paper used communicative
phenomenology tasks in the
as a qualitative workplace.
approach of Results of the
analyzing and study provided
describing insights and tips
observations on how language
and teachers can make
perspectives to grammar teaching
form textual effective and
data. relevant despite
changes in setting
and environment.
Grammatical This study This study The research The study
Competence of entitled employed the involved the determined the
Junior High “Grammatical descriptive- participation level of
School Competence of developmental of 177 Junior grammatical
Students Junior High method. High School competence of
School Descriptive students. 177 Junior High
Estrella C. Students” research is a There are School students
Sioco & Dr. useful mode of many male and on the design
Presley V. De Estrella C. Sioco inquiry to students (52 and
Vera (2018) & Dr. Presley V. know what is percent) than development of a
De Vera (2018) happening or to female supplementary
aim to know explain a students (48 learning material
the material phenomenon percent). to enhance the
students are where people They are grammatical
preferred to have conflicting Grade 7 competence of the
read. beliefs about students students along
what is (25.4 subject verb
happening percent), agreement. the
(Church, 2010). Grade 8 study revealed
Descriptive students that students
research was (27.7 favored textbooks
engaged in this percent), as their preferred
study for its Grade 9 reading material
requirement to students at home.
describe the (23.2
sets percent) and
of data Grade 10
gathered from students
the (23.7
respondents percent).
such as: sex, Their ages
grade level, age, vary across
grade in English 12 to 19-
in the first and year-olds
second with larger
grading, first fractions of
language used, students aged
reading 13-16 (84.7
 materials at percent). In
home, types of addition, the
media grades
exposure, obtained by
occupation of the
parents, students in
parents’ the first and
educational second
attainment, quarters
monthly family range across
income, and “Did Not Meet
level of Expectations”
grammatical to
competence on “Outstanding”
subject-verb and the
agreement. average
Developmental grades in
approach is both quarters
known as the got
systematic “Satisfactory”
study of ratings
educational (80.61 /
processes 80.98)
where the
creation

The information in the table above demonstrates the grammatical challenges that
arise when teaching and learning English at the secondary level. The information
concentrates on the types and causes of challenges that instructors and students encounter
when introducing and learning English grammar. Aside from that, this paper also provides
tactics for teachers to employ when instructing English grammar as well as remedies to
some of the problems that were raised.
IV. Conclusion

The study, in condensed language, concluded that students struggle in remembering

and applying grammar rules and patterns. Some of their mistakes were those that had been
repeatedly taught to them in their previous grade levels. However, this could not fully
discredit the ability of the students in adhering to the conventions since English in the
Philippine was only a second language. It can also be concluded that the teachers
eventually had a clear idea as regards the type of errors that students often committed with
the help of their years of experience in teaching.
References

Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G. and Svarvik, J. (2010). A comprehensive grammar the
English Language. Knowledge Boulevard, India: Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd., p. 7.

Tredinnick, M. (2008). Learning to make sense. Canberra, A.C.T. : News Unlimited

Khansir, A. (2013). Error Analysis and Second Language. Theory and Practice in Language
Studies, Volume 3, No. 2, pp. 363-370.

Hervina, J. (2014) Grammatical Errors in Speaking Made by the Third Year English
Department Students at STKIP Abdi Pendidikan Payakumbuh, Volume 21, Number 3. DOI:
http://dx.doiorg/ 10.15548/jt.v21i3.106

Tiensawangchai, 2014.Type of Grammar Errors Foundthai EFL students’ business writing.

International Journal of Arts and Sciences: Cumberland Vol. 7, Issue 2.

Singaravelu, G. (2010). Learning difficulties in English for rural learners. I-Manager’s

Journal on School Educational Technology, Vol. 5, Issue 3, p. 44.

Garrido, C. & Romero, C. (2012). Errors in the use of English Tenses. Ikala, Medellin:
Christian Publishing Inc. Vol. 7, No. 3., pp.

Yasir, B. & Tan, H. (2017). Grammar Errors in the Writing of Iraqi English Language
Learners.

International Journal of Education &Literacy Studies, Vol. 5, Issue 4, p. 1784.

Sokeng, S. (2014). Grammatical Errors of bilingual 1 Francophone learners in the

University of Ysounde. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 4, Issue 9, p. 52.

Wu, H. (2014). Types and Attributes of English Writing Errors in the EFL Context – A Study
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Rice, J. The Impact of Teacher Experience Examining the Evidence and Policy Implications.
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 Bionote

Winchel Sevilla is a 21 years of age and comes from Kalubihan 1, Umapad Mandaue City.
She graduated from Don Gerardo Llamera Ouano Memorial National High School. She
graduated with honors during her Senior High School with the strand of General Academic
Strand ( GAS). She is a 3rd- year student taking up of Bachelor of Secondary Education
major in English at Mandaue City College located at Mandaue City Cultural and Sport
Complex, Don Andres Soriano Ave., Centro, Mandaue City, 6014 Cebu.
Florence Mae Gerona 21 years old currently residing at Capasanan Casili Mandaue City. She
Graduated in Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School with the the strand of
Computer System Servicing (Css), and attended her immersion in Innodata Knowledge
Services, Inc. HVG IT Park Subangdaku Mandaue City. She is a 3rd year College taking up
Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English in Mandaue City College.
Regine B. Lucenas is 24 years old, comes from Pilar, Camotes, and is now residing at P.
Burgos St., Brgy. Alang-Alang, Mandaue City, Cebu. She graduated from Pilar National High
School. She graduated as one of the top ten students under the old curriculum and is
currently working as a medical secretary at VisayasMed Hospital. She is a 4th-year student
taking up a Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English at Mandaue City College,
located at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, Don Andres Soriano Ave., Centro,
Mandaue City, 6014 Cebu.