Views of Turkish as a foreign/second language learners on grammar

OpenAlex İngilizce

Turkish Language Teaching Application and Research Centers (TÖMER) support basic language skills with grammar lessons. Although practices vary from center to center, in many TÖMERs, grammar lessons are taught as a separate, independent component from skill lessons, and learners are subjected to exams on these subjects. Studies on grammar teaching advocate that grammar should not be prioritized but taught intuitively, and instructors also state in interviews that this approach is correct. However, when we look at the current situation and practices, the situation is different. Grammar lessons take precedence over skill lessons and even become the focus. The views of instructors are generally taken into account; the views of experts are included, but the views of learners of Turkish as a second/foreign language on grammar courses remain in the background. To fill this gap in the literature, interviews were conducted in the current study to determine the views of learners of Turkish as a second/foreign language on grammar courses. A total of 20 advanced-level participants who had learned Turkish as a second language were included in the study. In addition to their demographic information, participants were asked 8 open-ended questions. The open-ended questions were designed to elicit participants’ views on grammar and grammar courses. The participants’ answers were recorded both in writing and audio recording by the researcher. The data analysis for this study followed an inductive approach focused on category construction. When the participants’ answers were examined, it was concluded that learning grammar is essential for proper communication, motivates them to use language productively, and helps them understand the full context of receptive skills. However, when grammar is not learned correctly, it prevents them from speaking and writing, and keeps them unaware while reading and listening.