The Current Status of English Grammar Instruction in the Norwegian school system: Attitudes, Opinions, and Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the current status of grammar teaching in the English subject in Norwegian schools, through English teachers' points of view. A mixed methods study was conducted by gathering data from English teachers all over Norway through interviews and an online questionnaire. The foundation of the research study is two research questions, each of which includes complementary sub-questions that further specify the topic. The research questions are formulated as follows: (RQ1). How do English teachers in Norway currently teach grammar, and what approaches do they employ when teaching? (1.1) Do they teach grammar implicitly or explicitly? (1.2) Do they favor a traditional approach, a purely communicative approach, or a combination of both? (RQ2). What opinions and attitudes do English teachers in Norway currently have regarding grammar instruction? (2.1) Do they believe grammar teaching is important? (2.2) Do they find grammar instruction challenging? The results of the present research study are discussed in comparison to relevant previous research and theory. The findings suggest that English teachers in Norway generally believe grammar instruction is important in school, and at the same time, they favor a communicative approach to language teaching. In addition, most of the participants state that they employ an implicit approach to teaching grammar, where they teach grammar without attracting the learners' attention to grammatical form. Most teachers in this study also do not feel uncertain about their knowledge when teaching grammar and generally do not find it challenging. The findings correlate with previous research done on the topic. It can be assumed that due to the change in perception of grammar teaching throughout the years, most teachers teach grammar implicitly, as a tool for communication and meaning-making.