Investigating the beliefs and preferences of pre-service teachers as regards grammar instruction in EFL context

ABSTRACT: This research study aimed to investigate the beliefs of pre-service teachers about the role of grammar in learning and teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), their preferences in teaching grammar, and their views about the departmental courses as regards the contribution of these courses to their readiness in teaching grammar upon graduation. Accordingly, the study addressed the following research questions: 1. What are the beliefs of the participating pre-service teachers about the role of grammar in learning and teaching English as a foreign language? 2. What are the preferences of pre-service teachers in teaching grammar? 3. How do the participating pre-service teachers evaluate the courses offered in the ELT department as regards the contribution of these courses to their readiness in teaching grammar upon graduation? The present study was carried out in the English Language Teaching (ELT) department of Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in Northern Cyprus. The study followed qualitative research design. In the study both a questionnaire and a number of interviews were administered to 66 students (i.e. pre-service teachers) to gather data. The first finding of the current study seemed to indicate that a great number of the participants believe in the essential role of grammar in learning and teaching English as a foreign language. Next, the participating pre-service teachers reported that they would probably prefer to teach grammar deductively in their own classes while many participants emphasized the importance of teaching grammar inductively. The findings of the study also revealed that majority of the participants found some of the departmental courses very useful because they thought these courses contributed highly to their readiness level in teaching grammar upon their graduation. In conclusion, the study provided useful findings and made related implications for pre-service English language teachers in raising their awareness towards grammar teaching and the academic staff in the ELT departments in designing and redesigning their courses. Keywords: Teachers’ beliefs, grammar instruction, pre-service teachers. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………