Explicit and

Implicit
Grammar
Teaching
Prepared by: Josephine Gesim & Jennifer Marcos
Grammar
Teaching
● Grammar teaching is a process that involves learners’ attention to grammatical
forms so as to understand it meta linguistically or process it in comprehension so
that learners can internalize it (Ellis, 2006). 
●  Intentional and incidental teaching are the concepts that are closely related to those
of explicit and implicit teaching, and often used as synonyms.
● Grammar teaching has undergone many ups and downs through history.
● As Brown (2000) explains when grammar translation method was popular, explicit
instruction was used greatly by teachers of the time.
● As needs of the learners changed from just understanding written texts to
effectively communicate in the target language, natural and communicative
approaches emerged, and as a result different types of instruction showed up.
Explicit Teaching
It equates language to grammar mastery
We can define explicit teaching as and accurate usage and create bored,

01focusing on language forms

presentation, explain the grammar
rules and practice through
02 disaffected students who can produce
correct forms on exercises and tests, but
consistently make errors when they try
to use the language in context.
drilling. 

In explicit teaching, learners

know they are learning 0 Giving the rules upfront or

03 something, they try to

understand the rules on
purpose. 4
eliciting them after a text do
not change the type of
instruction that is explicit.
Why
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e f xp
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Why do teachers prefer explicit
teaching? Crowded
classrooms

Time-saving

Easiness
no need to be prepared before
each lesson
Pros and Cons of Explicit Grammar

Pros Cons

• Better for adult learners

• Learning a language, • Achieving fluency
knowing the rules • Acquiring a language
• Reveals exceptions • Promoting memorization
• Task description
Implicit Teaching
teaching where the instructor does Implicit learning

01 02
not outline such goals or make such
explanations overtly, but rather
requires more time
simply presents the information or than explicit learning.
problem to the student

Implicit grammar instruction is the

teaching of complex information in

03 an incidental manner, without

awareness of what has been taught.
Implicit
Teaching
hat is the
When we ask a child “W
they would
plural form of apple?”,
n’t know.”
most probably say “I do
em an
However, if we show th
apple”, and
apple, they can say “an
ples that
if we show them two ap
es” without
can again say “two appl
alinguistic
being aware of the met
plicitly
knowledge that they im
have.
Explicit and Implicit Instructions
01 02
Gass & Selinker (2008) argues that Dörnyei (2008) states that explicit learning is about
awareness is the key issue, if learners are consciousness, while implicit learning is bound with
aware of the rule irrespective of the time unconscious, automatic processes. Implicit teaching
rules are presented, it is explicit. involves unconscious process without giving rules.

03 04
But there is a danger in seeing explicit Grammar teaching can be more effective within a
and implicit teaching as opposing context of meaningful learning activities and tasks that
methods rather than points on a provide the learners with sufficient opportunities to
continuum of options. practice the forms in their production (Rodriguez, 2009;
Poole, 2005; Lowen,2005).
Deductive –
Inductive Instruction
Deductive and inductive teaching
Larsen-Freeman (2001) gives clear
definitions of deductive and inductive
instruction. In inductive instruction,

01 02
are different terms as explicit learners are supposed to infer the rules
knowledge can be gained through from text, or set of examples. In deductive
deductive or inductive teaching course, the teacher gives the rules and
methods. learners apply these rules in the following
activities.

If they are aware of the

03 metalinguistics elements, it is
explicit instruction.
Implicit Teaching
Children can acquire their first
language without any explicit
knowledge about how to put words
together to make a sentence, so there
should be no need for grammar
instruction in second language
acquisition, too. That is the reason
why some scholars state that L1
acquisition relies on processes of
implicit learning, whereas L2
acquisition often relies on both
implicit learning and explicit learning.
Remarks on Explicit &
Implicit Instruction
● There are experts advocating both sides. Krashen emphasizes the importance of
implicit instruction and argues that explicit knowledge cannot become implicit
knowledge. While Ellis states the role of explicit and formal instruction and
says that it is an important part in second language acquisition.
● Ellis (2006) states that, to verbalize rules, learners must have at least some
productive metalanguage and the ability to provide clear explanations of
abstract things while learners’ explicit knowledge exists independently of both
the metalanguage they know and their ability to explain the rules.
● Krashen (1992) on the other hand claims that the effect of direct instruction on
specific rules has an impact on tests that focus on form, but the effect is short-
lived.
● Krashen (1982) believes that instruction should be implicit in order
to achieve a communicative competence. He states that both
accuracy and fluency comes from acquisition, while many linguists
think that accuracy comes from explicit, form focused instruction.
● DeKeyser (1998) argues that explicit knowledge becomes implicit
knowledge if learners have the opportunity for plentiful
communicative practice.
● Explicit instruction does not lead to explicit learning only, it can also
lead to implicit learning effects as well (Adringa, 2005).
The Natural
Order, Age
and
Individual
Differences
● If a learner is not developmentally ready to learn a structure, or if a structure is way
much more beyond the learner’s current level, s/he can hardly master the target
language.
● It is similar to Krashen’s i+1 comprehensible input hypothesis (i.e., if the input is not
comprehensible or much more beyond the learner’s current level, the learning cannot
take place).
● Age is one of the most important factors among the individual differences. It is
generally hypothesized that older learners may require explicit information to
successfully learn a second language, while young learners can do it entirely
implicitly.
● Tian & Xiao-fei (2008) also notes that older learners require explicit information,
while young learners can achieve higher levels without any explicit instruction just
like acquiring their first language.
● There should be interaction between implicit and explicit instruction. Teachers
should first make learners have an implicit knowledge base before learning
complicated task, then try to establish explicit task model.
Conclusion

We should not forget that Grammar teaching should

explicit grammar instruction not be the only focus in
language teaching, but it
does not mean isolated, focus on
should not be neglected at
forms approach, teachers can
all either.
serve the rules through texts,
authentic materials, and try to
elicit the language features with
the learners.
T ha nk
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