วันชาติ แก้วสถิตย์วงศ์. A Study of Grammar Learning Strategies in Doing Tense Use Exercises. Master's Degree(Applied Linguistics for English Language Teaching). King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi. KMUTT Library. : King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, 2009.
A Study of Grammar Learning Strategies in Doing Tense Use Exercises
Abstract:
This study investigated learners' use of grammar learning strategies for doing tense use
exercises. Six subjects with an average of lower-intermediate level English skills were
chosen from a pool of language centre students. Two types of exercises-gap-filling
passage and error recognition-and a semi-structured interview were utilized as
research instruments. The major findings were that, (1) using Context Clues was the
most frequent strategy reported by the subjects, (2) Translation and Rule Application,
which was used less than Context Clues, was employed a similar number of times, and
(3) Feeling and Language Familiarity, although not considered to be the main strategies
in this study, were also employed in doing the exercises.
The study also revealed that the subjects combined two strategies when there was
uncertainty about the judgment of the answers. Context Clues were used as the primary
strategy in combination with Translation or Rule Application. The combination of the
strategies enabled the subjects to correctly do the exercises. This can imply that, when
learning about tense use, students should not be taught only the forms of verb tenses.
The teacher should encourage students to notice signal words as time clues or some
linguistic structures in order that they can apply an appropriate tense with the action.
In addition, students should be encouraged to use their interpretation to understand the
meaning in context when time clues are not given; thus, students should be trained in a
variety of vocabulary in order to help with their interpretation.