Attitudes towards the Effectiveness of Classroom Discourse Management in Grammar Classes

Abstract

This research paper dealt with attitudes of a teacher and his first-year licence students of English towards the effectiveness of classroom discourse management in grammar classes. It was hypothesized that if the teacher and students held the same beliefs about the nature of grammar teaching and learning, they would consider current classroom management as effective. The overall aim of the study was to find out whether the teacher and his students held similar beliefs about what constitutes effective grammar teaching and learning, and how those beliefs impacted on the management of time and talk in grammar classes. Two questionnaires addressed the same questions to one teacher of grammar and a sample of 65 of his students at Mohammed Seddik BenYahia university. Results revealed that both the teacher and students held similar beliefs about what makes the classroom discourse effective. They considered the inductive and explicit presentation of grammar rules using the target language only as more effective in acquiring the language structures. These beliefs were demonstrated in the importance both participants gave to interaction and communicative activities around grammatical points. However, learners were not satisfied with the amount of time given to them to explain grammar rules and they opted for the explanation and the practice as the main important part of the lesson while their teacher considered free discussion as the most beneficial aspect for students to meaningfully practice grammatical structures