A descriptive study of the current teaching of English grammar in 6th graders at Escuela Juan Santamaría, 2016

A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE CURRENT

TEACHING OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR AT

ESCUELA JUAN SANTAMARÍA, 2016

UNIVERSIDAD MAGISTER

FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN

VLADIMIR ARROYO ARGUEDAS

SAN JOSÉ, ENERO 2017

TESIS DE GRADUACIÓN PARA OPTAR AL GRADO

DE LICENCIATURA EN LA ENSEÑANZA DEL

INGLÉS

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, the English language provides positivebenefits in costa Rica, that is why the ministry ofpublic education is making a big effort on enhancingits English programs at elementary and secondarylevel.

JUSTIFICATION

Currently, the English programs by the Ministry ofPublic Education do not have the teaching ofgrammar as a fundamental skill to be learnt and this isaffecting the way students are learning the foreignlanguage.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

To analyze the current teaching of English grammar

in 6th graders at Escuela Juan Santamaría, 2016.

To review the current learning process of Englishteaching

To identify techniques implemented to teach Englishgrammar

To recognize didactic methodologies implemented toteach English grammar

To determine the implications of English grammar inthe development of English linguistics competences in6th graders

To elaborate a didactic proposal that helps to thelearning process of English as a foreign languagewhere grammar teaching can be incorporated as themain skill

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

What would be the outcomes of teaching English

grammar to 6th graders at Escuela Juan Santamaría?

PROBLEM STATEMENT

VARIABLES

Learning process of English grammar teaching

English grammar teaching techniques

English grammar teaching methodologies

English grammar role in a foreign language

Sixth graders linguistics competences

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Institution: Escuela Juan Santamaría

Location: Las Vueltas de la Guácima, Alajuela

Mission: To offer the required elementary

academic formation to children in the community

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Purposes of English teaching in Costa Rica

It is propose students to be in contact with a

second language in which they can communicate

in CR and other countries around the world with a

big social economic context

English is presented as a tool to expand their

knowledge to access scientific, humanistic, and

technological information of the world

Studying a foreign language exposes learners to

new experiences and permits them to make

connections in a possible way

English Skills:

Listening (students should be prepared to

understand basic speech in different environments)

Speaking (it is vital to obtain communicative

competence)

Reading (it facilitates the understanding of the

language)

Writing (students are able to express their feelings

and opinions)

Teaching Methods:

Grammar-translation Method

Direct Method

Audio-linguistic Method

Communicative language teaching Method

Teaching Techniques:

Teaching from rules

Teaching from examples

Teaching though texts

Multiple Intelligences

It is important to take into account how the different

intelligences work in every individual in order to implement

the adequate teaching methods and techniques

METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Type of Investigation:

Mixed investigation, it involves collecting, analyzing

and integrating the quantitative (experiments,

surveys) and qualitative ( focus groups, interviews)

researchers.

Sources:

Primary – instruments used

Secondary – literature review

Population:

The subjects are students at Escuela Juan

Santamaría studying at Elementary level.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THE RESULTS

The following instruments were applied during thisinvestigation:

Observation: it was applied to 5 differentclassrooms scenarios in which differentmethodologies and techniques were observed tobe analyzed.

Interview: it was applied to a professional in thefield. Different questions related to the Englishgrammar role in a foreign language were asked.

Questionnaire: it was applied to 18 students from6th grade at Escuela Juan Santamaría.

OBSERVATION

Learning process of English grammar teaching

English teachers are not fully prepared with the necessary

equipment to teach good English

Lack of didactic resources to teach/ big groups/ different

needs

Lack of English grammar instruction (inductive way

Lack of time to work with students


Different situations and specific behaviors are presented in

classes which interfere with the techniques used

Use of the native language to teach English (positive and

negative aspects)

Time management


Topics are in the majority of the time introduced in

oral way

Use of examples and creative activities for better

comprehension

Traditional model to teach English grammar

Error correction method is not frequently

implemented

OBSERVATION

Students opinions about the English macro skill most

frequently used in English class

17%

17%

55%

11%

Speaking Listening Reading Writing

Source: Chart N°3

QUESTIONNAIRE

Students opinions about the English macro skill that

should be implemented the most to enhance the English

language

67%

22%

11%

0%

Speaking Listening Reading Writing

Source: Chart N° 4.

Students opinions about the importance of teaching

English grammar for better understanding of the

language

28%

55%

17%

0%

Strongly agree Agree Strongly disagree Disagree


Students opinions about the implementation of

teaching of English grammar in English classes

0%

100%

Strongly agree Agree Strongly disagree Disagree


CONCLUSIONS

Learning process of English teaching

Lack of or minimum English grammar instruction

Students understand and comprehend what is taught

Lack of technological resources

Lack of time


Teaching techniques are important during the learning

process of students

They are required to facilitate the understanding of topics

and to create excellent standards in the study of the

language

CONCLUSIONS


English grammar is notoriously difficult to learn so good methodologies should be implemented

Teachers should combine different methodologies to address all the needs of their students

Students learn in different ways

English grammar role in a foreign language

Foreign language teaching is an interesting and complex process

Abilities are different for every student

Teaching of grammar is important and necessary for better understanding and comprehension

English Linguistic competences

English skills and different resources to be implemented to enhance each skill

RECOMENDATIONS

Teachers should be able to find a good balance within all

the macro skills and the time they are implemented and

also care about different tools that can be used as sub-

skills for addressing each macro skill

Grammar should be implemented combining both

deductive and inductive methodologies

Teaching oriented method

Technological resources and good didactic resources

should be used

Combined different techniques accordingly to each

student

Needs of the students

Time management

Language teaching is an art and a science

PROPOSAL OF A BASIC ENGLISH

GRAMMAR MANUAL FOR 6TH GRADERS

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

To create a Basic English Grammar Manual for 6th graders

by gathering important information of specific grammar

topics

COST OF THE PROPOSAL

DETAILSQUANTIT

Y

TOTAL AMOUNT

(COLONES)

TOTAL AMOUNT

(DOLLARS)

Bus transportation 2 weeks 10000 17.92

English Grammar Basic

Manual18 57000 102.15

Markers 5 3000 5.38

Erasers 1 1000 1.79

Paper (package) 1 5500 9.86

Pens or pencils 18 2700 4.84

Professional hours 30 450000 806.45

Total 520200 948.39

Note: Exchange rate, BCCR, ₡ 650.

Source: Arroyo, Vladimir (2016)

IMPACT OF THE PROPOSAL

Academic Impact: bringing up confidence to students

while learning the foreign language as they would be able

to better understand and produce the language in oral and

written ways

Institutional Impact: to have more prepared students who

are able to better understand and express themselves

using the English language

FURTHER POSSIBLE STUDIES

Topics related to:

Teaching of English grammar during the learning of

English as a foreign language

Use for other types of educational systems besides the

Ministry of Public Education

To apply on elderly population

To apply on adolescents population

To apply on indigenous population