Grammar and error correction beliefs in language teaching: Similarities and differences between in-service EFL teachers and pre-service EFL teachers’ beliefs

Abstract

Grammar has always been an important aspect of language teaching and special attention has been put on the so called linguistic competence on every educational reform. These reforms have influenced many aspects in language teaching, but teachers’ background can also lead to changes. Their experience has an impact on their conception of teaching, on the way they carry out their lessons, and on the manner they develop the syllabus. Hence, the beliefs teachers may have regarding grammar teaching and correction will push them towards one teaching approach or another. This fact should have a particular relevance when designing and developing teacher training programmes, as teacher trainees are the ones that will relieve current in-service teachers in the future. In this investigation study, beliefs about grammar teaching and error correction have been gathered from both in-service EFL teachers (working in state secondary schools) and pre-service EFL teachers. Results show that both groups hold very similar beliefs regarding grammar teaching, but there is a slight difference in their beliefs about feedback and error correction. Therefore, the teacher training programme followed by pre-service teachers participating in this study has changed their beliefs regarding feedback and error correction, but it has not been influential enough so as to changing beliefs about grammar teaching. Some reasons for these similarities and differences are given.