From Grammar to Grammaring in Teaching Grammar

Grammar is a lot conceived as language component even language competence. But for this article, the term grammaring coined by Larsen-Freeman (2001) as a process of doing grammar which she defines as the ability to use grammar structures accurately, meaningfully and appropriately. It is the fifth skill to refer to the process by which language learners use grammar to create messages through grammaticalizing or adding grammar to a sequence of words to create finer meaning distinction. Given that language should be used accurately, meaningfully and appropriately, emphasis is laid upon form, meaning and use. To apply this technique, practical activities which focus on language forms are language games, Cuisenaire rods, information gap, and sentence unscrambling tasks. Linking form with meaning can be carried out by using realia and pictures. At last, a practical way of going about sensitizing learners to the effect of context on language is through making use of role playing. In short, grammar as a skill is taught through various activities. Viewed from the students’ production, the varied kinds of learning activities in grammaring seem to have worked well