CONTENTS

PREFACE …………………………………………………………………………………………………. i
CONTENTS ……………………………………………………………………………………………. iii
OVERVIEW ABOUT Grammar in writing Context as Task
1 1
based Approach…………………………………..………….
Grammar and Its Place In Language Teaching and Learning
1.1 1
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Strategies for Learning Grammar
1.2 2
………………………………………………………………………….
1.3 Teaching Grammar in Context …………………………….……………. 3
1.4 The Interweaving of Grammar and Writing ……..……………. 5
1.5 Teaching Grammar as Task Based ………………….………………. 6
The Advantages of Task Based
1.6
………………………………………………………………….. 8
1.7 Teaching Grammar in Writing Context ………………………………….. 8
2 Teaching Grammar in writing Context as Task

Based…………………………………………………………………….

2.1 Applying Teaching Grammar in Writing context as Task

11
Based…………………………………………………………………………………

3 Course of Outline

4 Lesson Plan / SAP

REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………………… 18
APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
VITAE ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24

iii
2.1 Grammar and Its Place in Language Teaching and Learning
Grammar is taught with the purpose of making clear to the students the orderly their

language. Grammar is sometimes defined as the way words are put together to make correct

sentences( ( Ur, 1996: 75). Also, Hammer (2001 : 12) states that grammar of a language is the

description of the ways in which words can change their forms and can be combined into

sentences in that language. If grammar rules are too carelessly violated, communication may

suffer. Thus, good grammar is needed to make good communication. So, we can not haphazardly

words anywhere to construct a sentence. For example, we can not write “ Go I will America to.”

The reader or hearer will be surprised or confused of this sentence because of incorrect grammar.

In this case, grammar does not only affect how units of language are combined in order to “ look

right”; it also affects their meaning.

However, there is still controversy to place grammar in teaching and learning English.

Newmark ( in Brumfit, 1979 :165) said that “ the important point is that the study of grammar as

such is neither necessary nor sufficient for learning to use a language.” This statement, according

to Ur (1996:77), is probably true if it means that one learns one’s mother tongue without

grammar. But it is perhaps, a little misleading, and misuse the point that people also need to

know the grammar of the mother tongue to make their sentence good and correct. Of course, it is

necessary and needed to teach or learn grammar, even if it is taught consistently as a means to

improving mastery of the language. Hawkins (in Ur,1996 : 77) affirms that usefulness of itself.

And his main point is an affirmation of its value as a means to help language learning.

2.2 Strategies for Learning Grammar

Language teachers and language learners are often frustrated by the disconnect between

knowing the rules of grammar and being able to apply those rules automatically in listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. This disconnect reflects a separation between declarative

knowledge and procedural knowledge.

 Declarative knowledge is knowledge about something. Declarative knowledge enables a

student to describe a rule of grammar and apply it in pattern practice drills.

 Procedural knowledge is knowledge of how to do something. Procedural knowledge

enables a student to apply a rule of grammar in communication.

Procedural knowledge does not translate automatically into declarative knowledge; many

native speakers can use their language clearly and correctly without being able to state the rules

of its grammar. Likewise, declarative knowledge does not translate automatically into procedural

knowledge; students may be able to state a grammar rule, but consistently fail to apply the rule

when speaking or writing. To address the declarative knowledge/procedural knowledge

dichotomy, teachers and students can apply several strategies.

2.3 Teaching Grammar In Context

In some cases the exercises could be successfully completed without the learners even

understanding the meanings of the forms they were manipulating. As a result, in writing or

speaking the learners did not understand what they wrote or spoke , so that many grammatical

errors were made Lock (1996) stated that practice exercises in many text books of the 1950s,

1960s and 1970s typically involved manipulation of sentence level structures, with little or no

context. At the time, the structural grammar influenced language teaching.

In rejecting structural language teaching, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has

been proposed to develop communicative competence in which activities have been designed to
maximize opportunity for communication without ignoring grammar. Widdowson (Lock, 1996 :

40) has written that a proper understanding of the concept of communicative competence would

have revealed that it gives no endorsement for the neglect of grammar.

Unfortunately, for some teachers, the teaching grammar has come to be seen as a minor part

of development of communicative competence , even this time when Competence- Based

Curriculum (CBC) has been applied. In CBC has been applied. Grammar can, in fact, play its

role in the text level practice because it is easier to build up strong associations between

structures an d their meaning in context which makes it likely that the students are able to apply

their knowledge in their daily activities. CLT helps the teachers to relate their teaching materials

and activities to the real experience so that the students can connect their experience to their

daily lives as members of society. In CLT , the students are actively engaged, encouraged to

become active participants ; they learn from one another through cooperation , discourse,

teamwork and self-reflection. Meanwhile, the teachers act as facilitators of student learning and

employ a variety of appropriate teaching techniques; they appropriate students’ diverse life

contexts and prior experience. The students and the teachers are prepared to conduct some

experiments with new approaches. In relation to the principles of CLT , teaching grammar in

context attempts to adapt those principles. First, in inquiry, the teachers can observe and

progress students’ understanding of grammar and the students analyze grammar from the text

given by the teachers. Second, in questioning, they guide and assess the student’s understanding

of grammar in the text. Third, in constructivism, they guide the students to construct their prior

knowledge of grammar with new experience in analyzing grammar in text. Fourth, in modeling,

they give the students examples or models how to construct grammar to be a sentence, a
sentence, paragraph, even a text. Fifth, in authentic assessment, they measure their knowledge

and skill( grammar knowledge and writing skill) from relevant and contextualized tasks.

In text sequencing, the students have to pay attention to the relationship between grammar

and context to sequence out-of order units (e.g. clauses, sentences, or paragraph) of a text. In text

formation, the students recast for different contexts and communicative purpose, for example:

rewriting a set of rules or formal command focusing on mood and modality; recasting a spoken

explanation by someone about how she makes something as a written text about how something

is made, focusing on voice choice ( active or passive voice).

In addition, as part of language, grammar in context can relate grammar teaching to

situational context. it means that language can be easily understood in relation to the context in

which grammar is used. Relating to the writing, the context of situation in the construction of any

language text needs three variables : field ( what students are going to write), tenor ( to whom

students write) and mode ( how students use language to convey message, information, or idea) (

Widiati, 1995)

Teaching grammar at the level of text, in context of text types will attract the teachers

into awareness of notion of language as negotiated social practice since this knowledge of

language will be benefit them for teaching skills. Meanwhile, the students will get easier in

applying grammar directly in context.

2.4 The Interweaving of Grammar and Writing

Grammar plays the most important aspect in writing, bad grammar makes writing

imprecisely or ambiguous. Collinson (1986: 60) states that without grammar, that is without

rules to govern the arrangement of words and making of their plurals, tense and so on., meaning

could not be made clear by writers or understood by readers.

 Grammar is worth studying because it can help us to express our ideas clearly and effectively

in both speech and writing. Weakness in writing particularly incorrectness of sentence structure-

is often due to insufficient understanding of grammar. This study, therefore, is focused on

teaching grammar in writing context. then an experiment is conducted to compare teaching

grammar in context with conventional grammar. It is intended to prove that teaching grammar in

writing context is more effective than teaching grammar conventionally.

2.5 Teaching Grammar as Task Based

One approach to teaching language that has attracted a lot of attention over the past

twenty-five years is a task based approach to learning and teaching. In task-based approaches,

the focus of classroom activities is on the task, and ultimately on meaning (for more on Task

Based Teaching and Learning, see the Methodology section). In Jane Willis’ flexible model for

task-based learning, learners begin by carrying out a communicative task, without specific focus

on form. After they have done the task, they report and discuss how they accomplished this,

perhaps listening to a fluent speaker doing the same task. Only at the end is there a specific focus

on features of language form.

The advantage of the task-based approach, according to its advocates, is that during the

task the learners are allowed to use whatever language they want, freeing them to focus entirely

on the meaning of their message. This makes it closer to a real-life communicative situation. A

Task-based approach

Task -based learning offers an alternative for language teachers. In a task-based lesson the

teacher doesn't pre-determine what language will be studied, the lesson is based around the
completion of a central task and the language studied is determined by what happens as the

students complete it.

The advantages of Task Based learning

Task-based learning has some clear advantages unlike a PPP approach, the students are free of

language control. In all three stages they must use all their language resources rather than just

practising one pre-selected item. A natural context is developed from the students' experiences

with the language that is personalised and relevant to them. With PPP it is necessary to create

contexts in which to present the language and sometimes they can be very unnatural. The

students will have a much more varied exposure to language with TBL. They will be exposed to

a whole range of lexical phrases, collocations and patterns as well as language forms. The

language explored arises from the students' needs. This need dictates what will be covered in the

lesson rather than a decision made by the teacher or the course book It is a strong communicative

approach where students spend a lot of time communicating. PPP lessons seem very teacher-

centered by comparison. Just watch how much time the students spend communicating. during a

task-based lesson. It is enjoyable and motivating.

We can take conclusion that PPP offers a very simplified approach to language learning. It

is based upon the idea that you can present language in neat little blocks, adding from one lesson

to the next. However, research shows us that we cannot predict or guarantee what the students

will learn and that ultimately a wide exposure to language is the best way of ensuring that

students will acquire it effectively. Restricting their experience to single pieces of target

language is unnatural.

The idea of getting learners to acquire English through tasks was developed in India by
N.S.Prabhu in the 1980s. Prabhu made a strong Communicative Approach Project in Banglore,

south India . He put forward many kinds of tasks, and designed the learning contents into all

kinds of communicative tasks. He thinks learners may learn more effectively when their minds

are focused on tasks, rather than on the language they are using. Prabhu’s Banglore Project can

be regarded as a first try that tasks can be designed into a unit in classroom design (Li,2004).

In recent years increasing numbers of teachers, in all subjects, have been looking for

ways to change the traditional forms of instruction in which knowledge is transmitted, in a one-

way process, from a dominant teacher to a class of silent, obedient, “passive” learners. They

have sought ways to make the classroom more “student-centred” and have investigated the

different ways in which students can play more active roles in discovering and processing

knowledge. The result of the research is the outcome of task-based learning. Although task-based

learning is regarded as one particular approach to implementing the broader “communicative

approach” and, as with the communicative approach in general, one of the features of task-based

learning that often worries teachers is that it seems to have no place for the teaching of grammar.

Actually grammar is as important in a communicative approach as in any other approach. That is

to say, grammar applies with equal force to task-based learning. And the newly published Senior

High School English Teaching Curriculum Standard points out that the general aim of the

English curriculum is to enable students to clarify the aim of English learning, and to develop

integrated skills in using the language.

The publication of the new standard leads the English Language Teaching (ELT) in Iran to

a new direction. As a result, grammar teaching should not just maintain its rule-listing routine.

Instead, some new attempts should be involved. Teaching grammar through tasks in situational

contexts will pursue the appropriate practical use of grammar. Task-based Teaching can involve

communicative elements such verbal and nonverbal elements and inductive teaching.

Various Definitions of Task Task-based learning are widely promoted in English language

teaching nowadays. However the definition of task is greatly varied. Now let’s have a look at the
following definitions of task given by some prominent scholars. M. Long (Li, 2004): A task is a

piece of work undertaken for oneself or for others, freely or for some reward. Thus, examples of

tasks include painting a fence, dressing a child, filling out a form, buying a pair of shoes, making

an airline reservation, borrowing a library book, taking a driving test, typing a letter, weighing a

patient, sorting letters, taking a hotel reservation, writing a check, finding a street destination and

helping someone across a road. In other words, by “task” is meant the hundred and one things

people do in everyday life, at work, at play, and in between.

Tasks are the things people will tell you they do if you ask them and they are not applied

linguists. Nunan (Li, 2004): The communicative task is a piece of classroom work which

involves learners in comprehending, manipulating or interacting in the target language while

their attention is principally focused on meaning rather than form. The task should also have a

sense of completeness, being able to stand alone as a communicative act in its right. Prabhu’s

definition of task is as follows: this makes no reference to real world needs. Instead, tasks are

learning activities that engage learners in logical thinking. From the definitions given by the

three famous scholars, we may get the conclusion that tasks can be acquired easily in our daily

life and students’ attention can be shifted from the abstract and complex language items to the

fulfillment of tasks through target language. So transmitting information is the focus. Anyhow,

tasks do not include activities which involve language used for practice or display, such as ‘

Describe the picture using the words and phrases from the list below’ or ‘ Ask your partner if he

likes the food listed here using the forms Do you like…? Yes, I do/ No, I don’t. where there is no

outcome or purpose other than practice of pre-specified language.

The Basic Characteristics of TBL as follows:

 Student-centeredness. Teachers should always be aware to plan a lesson for the aim of

students’ mastery of how to use a language. Encourage students’ involvement in the task
 activities. If the teacher wants to design a task, firstly she should make sure that the

students can get involved in the activity. 

 Meaning-focused instead of form-focused It is for the accomplishment of certain tasks

that students use certain language forms to communicate meaningfully with someone.

The students don’t note down all the rules any more. Instead, they are involved in the

meaningful and interesting activities.

 Authenticity. The task given to students should be clear and authentic to the life reality

and have some information transfer. Make sure the task designed is real in daily life. And

tasks can be available everywhere from having dinner to making a paper plane.

 Teamwork. Cooperation is greatly valued during the process of reaching an outcome of a

task. Students should help others, rely on others and learn from each other. If they are

involved in an activity, they must try their best to finish it with the help of others.

 Feedback and evaluation. The reaching of an outcome is by far not the end of a task.

Teachers should pay much attention to the process of feedback. Give students a chance to

report on their findings and experience their achievements. Without this step, a task can

hardly called a task in a TBL class. Teachers should give appropriate evaluation to their

outcome as well.

 Inside and outside class. Often an in-class task can lead to post-class tasks. It is natural

that the excitement of the whole class may lead to a further discussion after class. Once

we talked about the prince of Britain—Charles and two women. That is Diana and

Camilla. After the argument of the beauty of the two women on class, the students were

so excited that they couldn’t help stopping their talking.

 The Procedure of TBL Task-based learning consists of, not of language items, but of tasks

requiring increasingly complex use of language. The problem-solving of practical tasks, usually

done in groups, were designed to interest and challenge the learners sufficiently to get them to

use the English they already knew and incorporate new items provided by input materials and the

teacher. That led to a general proposal for Task-based Learning, suitable, in principle, for use in

most English teaching situations. A three-stage procedure is commonly recommended:

 Pre-task Introduction to the topic and task Provision of useful input (listening, reading,

brainstorming, etc.) If necessary, reactivation or provision of essential language

Definition of the task (objectives, procedures, time limits, etc.)

 Task Planning the task Doing the task Reporting on the task or presenting the product of

the task [teacher monitoring and guiding as necessary all the time]

   Post-task Focus on the language used Practice of the language as necessary

Retrospective discussion of the task-awareness-raising It is important to emphasize that

tasks in TBL should have very clear objectives and conclude with a very tangible sense

of achievement for the learners (Li, 2004). 

2.6 Teaching Grammar in Writing Context

Grammar class became the dullest class and most students got confused by so many rules.

Many teachers or lecturers give the grammar class by using traditional method. They just have

their students memorize the rules and then do the exercises. It is also supported by Weaver

(1996)
 Our traditional teaching of grammar has little transfer to writing situation is underlying

behaviorist learning theory that we have simply taken for granted behaviorist ideas that practice

makes perfects. Kolln (1981) also pointed out that teaching grammar in the context of writing

might be much more effective than teaching grammar as a separate subject. It is also

emphasized by Harris and Rowan (1989) point out the practice , practice and more practice

usually doesn’t promote the adequate understanding in applying grammar. Kagan (1980: 127)

says that teaching concepts of subject, verb, sentence, clause, phrase and related concepts for

editing and more practice usually does not promote adequate understanding. because the

practice exercises in grammar books are carefully crafted to be relatively easy; they don’t give

students the opportunity to grasp the critical features of a concept like a sentence.

What all students need is guidance in understanding and applying these aspects of

grammar that are most relevant to writing. Teaching grammar in context includes suggestions

that we teach a minimum of grammar for maximum benefit.(weaver 1996 b) .

Teaching grammar in writing context is one of techniques which is much more effective

than teaching grammar as a separate subject or as in conventional one. But firstly we should

give the concept, the pattern of the grammar and some practices or exercises in drills. Then we

have students apply in their writing. Weaver ( 1996) emphasizes that

There are no miracles here. That is teaching grammar in the context of writing will not
automatically mean that once taught, the concept will be learned and applied forever after. On
the contrary, grammatical concept must often be taught and re taught to individuals as to groups
or classes and students continued to need guidance in actually applying what they have.

The list on the table above reflects one of his attempts to contrast a behaviorist,

transmission theory of learning and teaching with the constructivist transactional theory that
better reflects how people learn in general and how teachers may better promote the learning

concepts and complex process. The learning of grammatical concept is itself a complex process.
Table 2.6 Ends of Behavioral Perspective– Constructivist Perspective
Behavioral Perspective
 Behavioral Psychology
 Transformation
 Reductionist
 Habit formation
 Avoiding mistakes prevents
formation of bad habits
 Students passively practice
skills, memorize facts
 Teacher dispense prepackaged
predetermined curriculum.
Direct teaching of curriculum
 Task master with emphasis on
cycle of teach, practice/ apply/
memorize test.
 Lessons taught, practiced or
applied then tested
 Performance on
decontextualized tests is taken
as measure of learning of
limited information
 Learning is expected to be
uniform, some for everyone;
uniform means of assessment
guarantee that many will fail
significant ways
 Adds up to a failure –oriented
model, ferreting out students’
weakness and preparing them
to take their place in stratified
society.
Weaver 1994: 365; Weaver 1996b: 149
Constructivist Perspective
 Cognitive Psychology
 Transactional
 Constructivists
 Hypothesis formation
 Errors necessary for
encouraging more sophisticated
hypothesis
 Students actively pursue
learning and construct
knowledge
 Teacher develops and
negotiates curriculum with
students
 Responsive teaching to meet
students’ need
 Master craft person, emphasis
on demonstrating writing,
discussing, affirming,
facilitating, collaborating,
observing and supporting.
 Mini lessons taught as
demonstration, inviting, adding
an idea to the class
 Assessment from a variety of
contextualized learning
experiences captures diverse
aspects of learning
 Learning is expected to be
individual, different for
everyone; flexible and multiple
means of assessment guarantee
all will succeed in different
ways.
 Adds up to a success oriented
model, emphasizing students’
strengths and preparing them to
be the best they can be in a
stratified society.
 From the list on the table above , Weaver says that certain aspect of constructivist theory of

learning seem especially relevant to the teaching grammar. One is that the learners must form

hypothesis about the concepts in the process of coming to understand then. It means that as a

teacher must give a wide range of examples that are frequently mistaken for instance of the

concepts (such as a dependent clause which has a subject and predicate –often part of the hand

book definition of a sentence but which is grammatically not complete as a sentence

The following steps which are adapted from Betty Schamfer Azar (2004: 132) “Language Activities for

Teenagers” comprise a model of teaching writing for descriptive texts at the SMP/MTs level using “Put

Yourself in the Picture” strategy (see p. 11 the lesson plan for applying “Put Yourself in the Picture”

strategy).

 Introduce the concept of grammar form, the grammar lecture explain the rule and the concept.

 Have the students submit the students’ response on adjective clause as their assignment before
having discussion.

 Have the students perform the presentation, discussion, questions and response on the material,
adjective clause.

 Get the students to do exercises such as class room test( multiple choice and fill the blanks)

 Have the students write a paragraph with the particular topic involving the material related to
adjective clause (grammar in writing context as task based)

 Get students to reword the incorrect passages to eliminate the errors. If the students look the
error up again or have him ask questions involving the correct usage in grammatical situation.
  Remind the students that if they ever have questions about grammar, consulting a grammar book
can be helpful. Be certain the students understand the rules that they violated originally. Repeat
this process with more than one of the students’ papers or written text.
 Give feedback and positive washback on their writing.
 Assess their writing by using primary trait score which the lecturer just consider the usage and
application on adjective clause.

The last, assess the students’ achievement in grammar by using multiple choices test, because

it enables her to measure the effectiveness of the specific learning objective