Rethinking Grammar and Communication

ABSTRACT The role of grammar in the communicative classroom has yet to be determined. This article examines several recent views on grammar, then revisits some of the perpetual problem areas in teaching grammar such as the deductive‐inductive debate, the use of L1 or L2 for grammatical presentations, and the explicit‐implicit controueny Examples of contextualized exercises, a guided inductive lesson using the target language, and the use of “many instances of the same structure” to suggest ways of introducing grammar into the communicative classroom. Since much of the current research favors more explicit teaching of grammar and since textbooks remain grammatically oriented, it seems clear that grammar and communication must join together in order to produce more pmficient language users. The use of the target language for grammar explanations by the teacher and in the textbook may facilitate real communication in the classroom.