Difficulties In Teaching And Learning Grammar In An Efl Context

The role of grammar instruction in an ESL/EFL context has been for decades a major issue for students and teachers alike. Researchers have debated whether grammar should be taught in the classroom and students, for their part, have generally looked upon grammar instruction as a necessary evil at best, and an avoidable burden at worst. The paper reports a study undertaken to investigate the difficulties teachers face in teaching grammar to EFL students as well as those faced by students in learning it, in the teachers' perception. The study aimed to find out whether there are significant differences in teachers' perceptions of difficulties in relation to their gender, qualification, teaching experience, and the level they teach in school, thus providing insights into their own and their students' difficulties. Mean scores and t-test were used to interpret the data. The main findings are reported with implications. Appended to this document are "Research Instrument--Questionnaire. Student and Teacher Difficulties with Grammar" and five tables indicating "Teachers' Perceptions of Difficulties with EFL Grammar." (Contains 8 tables, 5 figures, and 1 footnote.) [A summary of this paper was presented at the 54th World Assembly of the International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) on "Maintaining Strategic Agility: Managing change and assuring quality in education for teaching," 14-17 December 2009, Muscat, Oman.].