AN APPLIED LINGUISTICS IN TEACHING GRAMMAR

RISKA: 13144700038

PGRI University of Yoyakarta

[email protected]

ABSTRACT
Language is a tool in the communication for the people in the world. As we
know everyone have the language to express our feeling to the other. In the world have
many languages and only some of languages are used as an international language
like English language. English has complicated grammatical structures. The aim of this
paper is to give the information that between grammar and applied linguistics have a
relationship each other.
The author used the Hypothesis analysis to explain of the discussion. The data were
written in a descriptive theory. Its explained about an Applied Linguistics and Teaching
Grammar in English language.
The hypothesis showed that between an applied linguistics and grammar have the strong
relationship each other. They are mutually need each other. Applied linguistics coverage
mostly of the knowledge in the world including how to teaching grammar of the sentnce
in a language.
Keywords: Applied Linguistics, Grammar.

Introduction

As we know that English has complicated grammatical structures. English as an

International language which use to communicating people who has different language.
Why grmmar is important for us to learn? Actually the answer is because the grammar
is one of the important component of English. We must be able in English with the way
learn of English language. Then we should be able to mastery of four skills in English
such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing skill. All of about that can not be
mastered if we do not apply them in our daily activities. The aim of this paper is to give

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the information that between grammar and applied linguistics have a relationship each
other. We should be have more practise to master the grammatical English. As a foreing

language, we have to study more about grammar because little wrong of the structure, it
could be influence the meaning of sentences.

Here we will talk about applied linguistics in teaching grammar like for Present
continous tense and Past continous tense and another tenses as the example. Its cause
grammar have broad coverage knowledge in English language. Grammar should be
taught for a number of reasons. One reason is the important role played by the
conscious attention to the form.

Applied linguistics refers to a set of related activities or techniques mediating between

the various theoretical accounts of human language on the one hand and the practical
activities of language teaching on the other. Language teaching has long been claimed
to be the showpiece of applications of linguistics. There is no question that linguistic
theory has enormously broadened and deepened our knowledge of how languages are
structured, how they are learned, and how they relate to one another and this
understanding has to play a major role in the teaching of languages, although there are
sharp divisions on the precise dimensions of this role.

In teaching and learning the language especially in English language is point at grow up
the skill through the language as a communication tool. We could not have master it if
us have not make practices on it. Many things that should be learn to master the English
language. One of them are we should have more collected of vocabularies, also we
should learn the structures of it while includes in it is the Grammar. Therefore, applied
linguistics will help us in mastering the grammar in English because through the applied
linguistics we could apply our knowledge about grammar in the real life.

As a teacher we should be mastering how to teach the grammar to the students. It could
be a challenge in teaching-learning process in the class. Actually to make students
understand is not easy.

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Discussion

A. Applied Linguistics

Cook stated that Applied Linguistics means many things to many people (Alan Davies
2007:1). We can see that applied linguistics has broad coverage of knowledge in our
environment. Alastair Pennycook in his book Critical Applied Linguistics (2001) stated
that applied linguistics is an area of work that deals with language use in professional
settings, translation, speech pathology, literacy, and language education; and it is not
merely the application of linguistic knowledge to such settings but is a semiautonomous
and interdisciplinary domain of work that draws on but is not dependent on areas such
as sociology, education, anthropology, cultural studies, and psychology. Therefore
applied linguistics has the more important role in a language and another domain in our
life.

The scope of Applied linguistics could be divided into three domains (Guy Cook
2003:7):

1) Educatioal, this area includes: a. First-language education, b. Second-language

education, c. Additional-language education and so forth.
2) Language, Work, and Law: workplace communication, language planning, and
forensic linguistics.
3) Language, Information, and Effect: Literary stylistics, critical discourse analysis,
translation and interpreting, information design, and lexicography.

The first thing or the basic of language that should be taught is the grammar or structure
of the sentence. Grammar has the important role in master of English language. For the
reason, here applied linguistics also has the role in teaching a grammar because in
applied linguistics, it’s coverage mostly of knowledge including grammar specifically
related to language teaching.

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 B. Grammar

Talking about grammar, I think all of us knew what is grammar in English teaching-
learning. We can say that grammar is part of structures of the language specifically in
the sentences. Grammar has a history by itself. The word ‘gramma’ meaning ‘letter’ has
come down to us in a path through several languages (Dykes 2007:5). Barbara Dykes in
his book “Grammar for Everyone” (2007:5) stated that Grammar has a definition is a
language to talk about languge. In a language is available of structures of word or
sentences. All of speakers of English have knowledge about the structure of a sentence.

There is a lot to learn about English (not to mention other languages), and at every turn
these things involve grammar. My claim is that the better we understand the grammar
we already know, the better we can add to it and learn to use it more effectively
(Richard Hudson 2003:4). Here I just explained about two kinds verb in grammar, they
are Present continous tense and Past contious tense.

1. Present Continous Tense

The definition of Present Continous tense is to talk about actions in present, or

things that still going on or happening now (Anne Seatan;Basic English
Grammar p. 89). When we talk about present continous tense, it not strange in
our life because it is have been met when we were in the school.

2. Past Continous Tense

Past Continous Tense is used to express an activity in progress in the past for a
long time. Past continous tense or usually called the Past progressive tense
which talking about actions that were going on at a certain moment in the past.
The formulation of past continous tense is was/were+ - ing. For examples: 1. He
was working while I was playing tennis. 2. They were swimming when I
arrive at home. 3. He was working when I called.

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C. Applied linguistics in Teaching Grammar

As we know that applied linguistics has extensively knowledge in the world. Its
include the language teaching specifically in the teaching grammar of language. For
some person or students of English, grammar is one of the materials that make them
could be bored in the class. Oftentimes the students regard the grammar is difficult
to learn so that they don’t have the disire to learn more about grammar. We need
grammar to master the English so that language require the grammar as constructed
of the structure in a language. Here we will talking about applied linguistics in
teaching grammar. What is the relationship between applied linguistics and teaching
grammar?

Before we discuss about that, we going to talk about linguistics. What is the
linguistics? Linguistics is the science of language, requiring the study of human and
animal languages and speech with their origins. Speakers of a language know a lot
about their languages. For instance, we know about the sounds (phonology: studies
the structure and systematic patterning of sound in human language), the structure of
words (morphology: concerned with the properties of words and words building
rules ), and the structure of sentences (syntax: study of the structure of sentences and
phrases).

There are definitions of linguistics by expert Igor A. Bolshakov and Alexander

Gelbukh in their book “COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS” (2004:17) stated that
“linguistics is a science about natural languages”. Linguistics also has broadly
structures or branch of knowledge in it including Applied Linguistics. There are the
prescriptive rules and descriptive rules in linguisitics. Prescriptive rules is about say
they prescribe or dictate to the speakers, the way the language supposedly shoulb be
written or spoken in order for the speaker to appear correct or educated. Here we are
demanded to speak or write in the correctly rules. For example: do not end a
sentence with a preposition. Prescriptive rules are really rules of style rather than
rules of grammar. for the descriptive rules is about express generalizations and

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regularities about various aspects of language. Its contras to prescriptive rules. Here
we can talk about anything without banded of the rules that should use. Here no
limit to the kinds of things that can be talked about (Akmajian and his friends
2001:7).

Applied linguistics is the study about all of the field of knowledge in the world. Not
only for education, but it also could be including the field of work, law, information
etc. Applied linguistics develops the methods of using the ideas and notions of
general linguistics in broad human practice. With the applied linguistics we could be
applying the grammatical structure of language in our daily activities so that we
could have profinciency in English. In applied linguistics also discuss about the
method in teaching English to the students. We should be master the methods so that
we’ll have the greatest skill in a teaching process in the class.

In applied linguistics we’ll can find more about methodology in language teaching.
It very important for us to know more about the method in teaching process
especially in teaching grammar to the students. The methodologie including of
Grammar Translation Method, Direct method, Natural language learning method,
also Communicative Approach (CLT/ Communicative Languge Teaching).

Grammar is a word with many meanings. To some, it involves mainly syntax: a

study of the parts of speech (nouns, verbs, prepositions, etc.) or syntax in general.
Each speaker of English has knowledge about the structure of a sentence. This is
obvious from cases of ambiguity where sentences have more than one meaning. For
many linguists, however, grammar involves the study of linguistic rules that are part
of our linguistic competence: the unconscious knowledge of the rules of a language
that any fluent speaker possesses (Meyer 2009:9). In all language, sentences are
structured in certain ways. One of the first things we notice about the sentences of
human languages is that the words in a sentence occur in a certain linear order.

We recognize that the phrasethe lucky boys is a wellformed phrase in English, but
that there are two “phrases” are not at all wellforme: 1. boys the lucky, and

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2. lucky boys the. From these examples, we can see that English has strict rules for
combining words into phrases. The article (the) must go before the adjective
(lucky), which must go before the noun (boys). So, in order to be grammatical, this
type of phrase must have the sequence article + adjective + noun (and not noun +
article + adjective, for example) (Yule 2010:81).

As we know that English has the complicated grammar. It not easy for us to master
it. We should study hardly and accustomize ourself to apply what was we know
about English specifically grammar in language in our daily activities. There are
some kinds of grammar that should be mastering for us in an English language.
They are Verb and Tenses, it includes one of the discuss below:

1. To be : Am, is, and are.

For examples: My name is Riska. I’m a student. My favourite sports are
football and reading. The underline words is including the “To Be”.
2. Present continous tense
Present continous tense or usually called the present progressive tense is to
talk about action in the present, or things that are still going on or happening
now. In simple word present continous tense is to talk about what are you
doing now (Anne Seatan 2007: 89). For examples: I’m reading a novel,
They are swimming in the sea. Therefore the form of present continous tense
is: Am/is/are + verb ing.
3. Past continous tense
Past continous tense or Past progressive tense which talking about actions
that were going on at a certain moment in the past. So that the form of past
continous tense: Was/were + verb ing or you can form the past continous
tense like this: Was + present participle or Were + present participle. For
examples: I was working at at 10.30 last night, Miss May was cleaning the
chalkboard.

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So far, not only about the verbs and tenses like we discussed above, grammar also
discusses about many another things too, such as about Noun, Pronoun, Adverb, and
adjective. Like the linguistik and applied linguistics, grammar also explained about the
prescriptive approach and descriptive approach. It all of the parts of the grammar.
Therefore, we have to know how to apply it through mastering or has more knowledge
about applied linguistics because it have important role in teaching grammar. So far we
should be practicing the usage of grammar in a language especially in English
intensively. All of that for provisions for us in teaching the grammar to the students so
that the students could be have the good understanding grammar.

Conclusion

From the discussion above we can conclude that liguistics is a science that study about
natural language. Linguistics is study about the language naturally with the fields each
other as the key components of the emerging field of cognitive science, the study of the
structure and functioning of human cognitive process. Particularly, the field is
concerned with the nature of language and linguistics communication. Linguistics
including of the structural component of language such as morphology, phonology,
syntax, semantics, pragmatics etc.

We can see that linguistics coves the broad field or topics related to language and
communication. Not only explained about the language as a communication tool, but it
also explained about structures of language, how the sound of language, until explained
the meaning of the sentences. In linguistics explained about prescriptive and descriptive
rules. Prescriptive rules stated that we should use the correctly grammatical sentences
and for descriptive rules is vice versa, here we don’t have the limitation in the
expressing sentences in orally or written form.

Applied linguitics is the study about all of the field of knowledge in the world. Not only
in educationall but also in any kinds of the domains like work, law, information etc. In
other word we can say that applied linguitics is the consequence of linguistics. There is
the forms of applying of liguistics. Here, applied linguistics also explained of the

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development of method in teaching learning process such as grammar translation
method, direct method, natural language learning and communicative approach. Just
like linguitics, applied linguistics also discuss about prescription (saying what does
happen) and description (saying what ought happen). In applied linguistics also
explained about the linguistics competence, communicative competence, culture,
translation, discourse analysis and of course discuss about structures of the words or
sentences.

Grammar is study about the structures or the rules of the sentences. There are discuss
about the rules of the sentences in a language. We should use the rules that were
determined in a langauge. Like in linguistics and applied linguitics, in the grammar also
discuss about prescriptive approach or prescriptive rules and descriptive rules.

Here we can see that between applied linguistics and teaching grammar have the strong
relationship because they are have the relevancy each other. In teaching grammar is
required the applied linguistics and vice versa.

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Davies and Mitchell. 2007. An Introduction to Applied Linguistics: From Practice to

Theory. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Dykes Barbara. 2007. Grammar for Everyone: Practical tools for learning and teaching
grammar. Australia: ACER Press.

Hudson Richard. 2003. English Grammar. London and New York: Routledge.

Meyer Charles. 2009. Introducing English Linguistics. United States: Cambridge

University Press.
Pennycook. 2001. Critical Applied Linguistics: A Critical Introduction. London and
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