Mind Your Grammar! ? Learning English Grammar the Fun Way

Abstract

English has complicated sets of grammar rules, which make it a challenging language to master. Many non-native learners struggle with these rules and encounter difficulties in understanding them. Malaysian students, in particular, are unable to apply the different parts of speech and types of tense in English accurately in their speaking and writing. Hence, using the right approach to teach grammar is essential to help the students learn it effectively. This paper presents a survey study of an innovation project titled Mind Your Grammar!. It is a language board game, designed specifically for the beginner-level learners of English, both in schools and higher learning institutions. When learning grammar becomes a game, it takes away the monotony that appears to associate with it. Instead, the game aspect comes to the foreground where the learners believe that they are playing a game; thus, this will enable the language teacher to retain their interest without making them bored or anxious. The board game is a useful tool for teaching and learning the English grammar items, which could help reduce the learners’ anxiety and motivate them in the learning process. Based on the survey conducted on the students’ feedback after playing the board game, a huge majority of the participants responded that it is a useful, practical and fun tool for learning English grammar.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n7p402