1、iAbstractCommunicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a teaching method of foreign language, whose goal is to improve students communicative ability in foreign language and emphasize the communicative function of languages, instead of the form of language study. A large number of studies have shown that
2、 the successful application of CLT in some countries has their own specific language and cultural backgrounds. However, as far as English teaching in China is concerned, many difficulties have occurred. One of the most outstanding problems is the issue between grammar teaching and communicative func
3、tion of language study. Although some people claim that grammar learning is less important than communicative ability, and advocate to weaken even give up grammar learning, it is very difficult to abandon grammar teaching in CLT, for grammar competence will not only provide a shortcut for students t
4、o study English as a effective tool to monitor, but also lay a foundation to improve their English communicative ability as a part of communicative ability. The thesis thinks that both CLT and grammar teaching should be involved in English teaching at the same time. Based on corresponding research i
5、n CLT and grammar teaching, the thesis discusses the function of grammar teaching to bring up English communicative competence, and attempts to put forward some teaching strategies which can combine grammar teaching with CLT. Key words: Communicative Language Teaching; grammar teaching; correlation;
6、 ii摘 要交际语言教学是一种旨在提高学生的外语交际能力，强调语言的交际功能而忽略语言形式学习的外语教学方法。 研究表明，交际语言教学在一些国家的成功应用有其特定的语言文化背景，但就中国英语教学的现状来看，推广运用交际语言教学存在诸多困难，其中最为突出的问题之一就是语法教学与交际功能之间的争议。尽管一些人认为语法学习没有交际能力重要，并且主张淡化甚至放弃语法学习，然而在交际语言教学中放弃语法教学是非常困难的，因为语法及语法能力作为一个有效的监控工具既为学生学习英语提供了一条捷径，同时它作为交际能力的一部分也为他们英语交际能力的提高奠定了基础。本文认为应该将交际语言教学和语法教学同时融入英语教学
7、之中，并结合交际语言教学和语法教学的相关研究，论述了语法教学在语言交际中对培养中学生英语交际能力的作用，探索性地提出了一些实现语法教学和交际语言教学有机结合的教学策略。关键词：交际语言教学；语法教学；关系；统一iiiContentsStatement of Authorship.i Acknowledgments.ii Abstract iii 摘 要 .iv Contentsv1.Introduction 11.1 The Background of Study11.2 The Significance of Study11.3 The Questions of Study 22.Liter
8、ature Review .22.1 Communicative Language Teaching 22.2 Grammar Teaching .42.3 The Relation between Communicative Language Teaching and Grammar Teaching 63. A Survey on Grammar Teaching and Communicative Language Teaching in Middle Schools 83.1 Participants .83.2 The Research Instruments 83.3 Questi
9、onnaire93.4 Data Analysis94. Strategies of Grammar Teaching in Communicative Language Teaching154.1 Connection with Real Context154.2 Proper Combination of Input and Output 164.3 Inquiry-based Language Teaching.174.4 Learner-centeredness .185. Conclusion 19ReferencesAivList of AbbreviationsCLT: Comm
10、unicative Language TeachingCA: Communicative A11. Introduction1.1 The Background of StudyGrammar-translation method has been conducted in the past decades even in a longer time. It has played an essential role in the history of foreign language teaching until today. But with other teaching methods s
11、uch as Audio-lingual method, CLT, Task-based Teaching and others are developed, Grammar-translation method has gradually been placed a less important position. Especially in recent years, as CLT becomes more and more popular. Many people begin to claim that the traditional grammar teaching should be
12、 weakened even given up. At the same time, the issue that whether CLT conflicts with grammar teaching has also become one of the most controversial problems. However, up to now, it seems that many people are not aware of the relation between grammar teaching and CLT. Todays foreign language teaching
13、 stresses the development of students communicative abilities, instead of the students grammatical abilities. Actually, grammar teaching and CLT are intricately interwoven. If there was no grammatical knowledge, there would be no communicative ability. They rely on each other and influence each othe
14、r. 1.2The Significance of StudyThis paper has carried out some corresponding study and investigation, which aims at making us have a more clear understanding to the real situation of the current English grammar teaching, communicative language teaching, and the relationship between them, so that we
15、can acquire some references and implications in English teaching. 21.3 The Questions of StudyThis thesis consists of five chapters totally. Chapter 1 of the thesis is introduction, which mainly introduces the background, the significance and the questions of the study. Chapter 2 is literature review
16、. It briefly introduces something about the CLT, grammar teaching and the relation between them. Chapter 3 is a survey on grammar teaching and CLT in middle schools, in which, the current situation of CLT and grammar teaching in middle schools and the problems existing in them will be presented and
17、analyzed. Chapter 4 puts forward some constructive strategies of grammar teaching in CLT. Chapter 5 is the last chapter of the thesis, which briefly summarizes the former study and draws the conclusion of the thesis.Based on the purpose of the thesis, the following three questions will be explored:1
18、) The current situation and problems existing in English Communicative Language Teaching and grammar teaching in middle schools of China2) The relation between grammar teaching and Communicative Language Teaching 3) The strategies to conduct grammar teaching in CLT 2. Literature review2.1 Communicat
19、ive Language TeachingCommunicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a teaching norm generally accepted nowadays. It came into being between the 1950s and 1960s. And Hymes (1971) firstly raises the concept “communicative competence”. He points out that peoples language competence should be their communicat
20、ive competence, which includes four parts: the first, “whether or not something is formally possible”, which actually shows that the importance of grammar; 3the second sector deals with “feasibility”; the third sector covers “appropriateness to context”; Hermess final sector refers to the area which
21、 we commonly refer to as accepted usage. It concerns “whether or not something is in fact done”. A sentence may be possible, feasible, appropriate, and not occur (Brumfit on the other hand, they also acknowledge the necessity of grammar teaching. And the view-points of Zhang Zhengdong on Communicati
22、ve Approach and grammar teaching are listed as follows:1. CA opposes the traditional grammar-translation method, emphasizes communicative function, advocates to let the students learn language in communication, and stresses the need not to teach grammar 82. CA does not emphasize to correct language
23、errors and thinks the errors made in communicative activities of language teaching do not have to correct, they will be corrected with the increase in the knowledge of the language and communication ability and obtain a self-correcting (Zhang, 2001)All learners should always keep in mind that the ul
24、timate goal of learning the language is to be able to communicate in English fluently, accurately and appropriately. Grammar learning itself is only one of the means to the end. Grammar learning, if treated appropriately, can facilitate language learning as a whole (Zhang, 2004:157-158). Therefore,
25、grammar learning should serve the ultimate goal of improving your language ability.3. A Survey on Grammar Teaching and Communicative Language Teaching in Middle Schools3.1 ParticipantsParticipants in this investigation consist of 100 students and 10 English teachers. The students are from 3 middle s
26、chools of Yuxi, of them, there are 52 female and 48 male. Most of them have learnt English more than 2 years and aged between 14 and 17. Because the students investigated were chosen at random in different classes and grades, the results of the investigation can reflect students opinions or thought
27、to a great extent. The teachers are also from the 3 middle schools. They all have taught English for more than 3 years, and they are in different grades. 93.2 The Research Instruments Questionnaire, classroom observation, and interview are adopted to collect data for this investigation. The long-tim
28、e classroom observation is to observe the ways that the teachers teach students in classroom, and helps realize the situation that really happened in the classroom. A series of interviews are made to dig into the real thought of students and teachers. For example: Can you talk about the true circums
29、tance of current English teaching？What are your teachers chief teaching methods? What is the real purpose of English teaching? How much do you know about CLT? Do you use CLT? Do you think CLT is feasible without grammar teaching? How do you carry out CLT if you do not give up grammar teaching? 3.3 Q
30、uestionnaireThe main instrument in this study is questionnaire, which (see Appendix) included two questionnaires, totally including 18 questions. The first questionnaire, which includes 10 questions, was finished by students, and every student was required to finish all of them. The questionnaire wa
31、s designed in Chinese so that the students could understand the questions well. The second questionnaire, which includes 8 questions, was finished by teachers. It was also designed in Chinese so that teachers could save their precious time. Every teacher finished a piece of them. To guarantee the qu
32、ality of the questionnaires, enough time was given the students and teachers. 3.4 Data A10The design of the questionnaire 1 is to investigate the students attitudes and understanding to grammar, grammar teaching in CLT, and the design of the questionnaire 2 is to investigate the teachers attitudes t
33、o grammar and grammar teaching in CLT and their understanding to CLT. 3.4.1The Questionnaire from Students: Statement1 More than 50 percent of the students think that their motivation to study English is to communicate in English. The results of this item shows that students have desire to express t
34、hemselves in English. For students motivation of studying English and English grammar, to understand and use English or to communicate in English are all regarded as the most important factors in English study by the students. It is not only in agreement with the goal to learn English as a foreign l
35、anguage, as a tool, but also reflects the tendency of pragmatism of students studying English. Furthermore, the results show that their motivation to learn English has improved.Statement2 As far as the importance of English grammar teaching, 50 percent of the students choose the option “important”,
36、and other 50 percent of students choose the option “very important.” Statement3 For the chief motivation to study English grammar, 75 percent of the students choose the option “to understand and use English.” Statement4 85 percent of the students think that the study of grammar can improve their Eng
37、lish competence. Statement5 From the result of the investigation, 50 percent of the students feel neither boring 11nor interested for the study of grammar knowledge, and 35 percent of the students think they have interests or they are very interesting to it. Statement6 For the relation between gramm
38、ar and English communicative ability, 93 percent of the students agree or very agree the study of grammar would contribute to improve their communicative ability.The results from the statement 2 to statement 6 show that most students think grammar is indispensable in English study and CLT. The study
39、 of grammar does not conflict with CLT, and they supplement each other.Statement7 According to the understanding of students to communicative competence, most of the students have a comprehensive view to it. They think that grammatical competence， which belongs to linguistic competence，can be regard
40、ed as a part of communicative competence, and communicative competence not only includes the competence of speaking, but also the competence in language comprehension, discourse analysis, comprehensive abilities to use language, even the ability in writing. It is consistent with the definition of co
41、mmunicative competence of current research on CLT.Statement8 89 percent of the students think that grammatical competence is the foundation of the communicative competence.Statement9 60 percent of the students think they can not express English if they do not think about grammar rules, only 20 perce
42、nt of the students think they can do it without thinking grammar. Statement10 More than80 percent of the students choose the options that “Get them 12summarize grammar regularities and apply them to express their own opinion and emotion” or “To add related grammar teaching in the drill of sentence p
43、atterns or conversations.The results of statement 8 and 10 show the Chinese students learning styles in language acquisition. They focus on grammar points and specific syntactical constructions. In this case,Students will tend to become almost structurally competent but communicatively incompetent.B
44、ased on the above analysis and classroom observation and interviews, we can find that, firstly, students motivation to study English and study English grammar has improved. Most students behave a relatively active attitude to the study of grammar. This would lay a psychological foundation for the ca
45、rrying out of CLT, which aims to improve students practical communicative ability. Secondly, according to students understanding to grammar, communicative ability and the relation between grammar study and communicative ability, the status of grammar in English study is shown. Most students think gr
46、ammar is indispensable in English study and CLT. Thirdly, grammatical competence can be regarded as a part of communicative competence. As far as the feedback to English grammar teaching methods from students, the results show Chinese students learning styles in language learning. This also implies
47、that the grammar teaching whose aim is developing communicative competence will be more popular. This also can show that combining grammar teaching with CLT will become a feasible means for foreign languages teaching. 3.4.2The Questionnaire from Teachers:Statement1 The result of the investigation sh
48、ow that 60 percent of the teachers investigated think the most important purpose of language teaching is to enable students to use language 13and improve their communicative competence, but the rest teachers think that high examination marks is the main goal of English teaching. This shows that curr
49、ent English teaching is still test-centered to a great extent, but teachers have realized that the real purpose of English study is its communicative function.Statement2 For the attitude of teachers to English grammar teaching, 80 percent of the teachers think that it is better to explain properly and enable the students to find out regular
