DEDUCTIVE APPROACH IN TEACHING AND LEARNING GRAMMAR IN THE UNIVERSITY ESL CLASSROOM: EFFECTIVENESS AND THE ATTITUDES OF THE UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

This experimental study endeavors to assess the efficacy of teaching grammar deductively in the university English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom and the perceptions of the undergraduates towards this top down approach. The study integrated both qualitative and quantitative data collecting instruments namely the pre and post-tests, the student attitude questionnaires and the focus group discussions. The data gathered through the pre and post-tests were analyzed quantitatively to discover the effectiveness of the deductive approach to teach grammar in the ESL classroom. The student responses for the questionnaires and focus group discussions provided the necessary data to explore the attitudes of the undergraduates regarding the above phenomena and they were respectively analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results vindicated that teaching grammar deductively is a better approach in the university ESL classroom and plays a more effective role in facilitating the learning process. It is a learner-friendly and preferred approach by the students in the university ESL classroom.