Comparison among GTM, CLT, and Flipped Classrooms for optimal grammar acquisition

Abstract

Grammar acquisition in English as a foreign language (EFL) setting has been a challenging task for language learners, including in Taiwan. Grammar Translation Method (GTM) and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) have been extensively practiced by EFL instructors over the years as principal pedagogical methods for teaching grammar, and there has been a debate about which method is more beneficial for EFL learners. More recently, the prevalence of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) promoted Flipped Classroom (FC) to become an innovative, effective teaching mode, where learners preview online instructional materials before class and then are engaged in interactive learning activities during face-to-face meetings. In view of the aforementioned concerns, the present study aims to investigate the effect of these three distinctive approaches with regard to grammar acquisition among high school students in central Taiwan. A group of 69 high school EFL learners were invited to participate in this empirical study, and they were divided into three groups, each receiving a different method. The results of the written post-tests indicated that the FC group performed significantly better than the other two groups; yet no significant difference was found between the GTM group and CLT group. As for the speaking tests, both the GTM and FC groups improved significantly, with much more improvement in the FC class.