EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices for Grammar Teaching. A Qualitative Interview Study at Lower Secondary School in Sweden

Abstract

Grammar teaching plays a crucial role in second language acquisition. However, in the specific context of lower secondary schools in Sweden, the emphasis on communicative language skills often overshadows the importance of grammar. This study aimed to examine the role of grammar teaching in EFL classrooms. Moreover, beliefs and practices for teaching grammar among EFL teachers were examined, as well as the extent to which the teachers’ beliefs and practices aligned. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with five EFL teachers. The findings revealed that the participating teachers value teaching grammar in a meaningful context, emphasizing its functional aspects rather than focusing solely on form. Meanwhile, their practices did not fully align with those beliefs, as their teaching predominantly consisted of form-focused grammar activities. This misalignment was attributed to various factors, including the challenge of finding suitable teaching materials and the complexities of classroom realities. The results of the study are subsequently discussed, followed by the potential pedagogical implications that shed light on the complex nature of teaching. Moreover, it is highlighted that further research is needed to understand better the role grammar has in the EFL classroom in Sweden, for which the results of this study can provide a foundation of data as a point of departure.