the Effectiveness of Teaching Grammar in Context: Teaching Conjunctions as an Example

Abstract

This study seeks to find out whether or not teaching conjunctions in the context can help improve these Libyan EFL learners’ use of these devices. In so doing, a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention control group (CG henceforth) and treatment group (TG henceforth) was used to collect data. The results of pre-intervention results of both groups showed that the Libyan EFL learners experience different sorts of problems (namely misuse, underuse and overuse) in using conjunctions. An intervention course was then conducted where the TG was taught conjunctions in the context of their use in texts, while the CG was taught conjunctions in the traditional way (i.e. the way conjunctions are taught in the Libyan context). The post-intervention results for the CG showed little or no improvement in using conjunctions whereas the TG showed significant improvements in the use of conjunctions. This improvement was reflected in greater properties of correct use and fewer cases of misuse, underuse, and overuse. More diversity in using conjunctions was also evident, including in the TG participants’ use of conjunctions which had not been used before. This suggests the need to move towards teaching grammar in context rather than in isolation, as currently is often the case in ELT in Libya.