Critical Response Probably the most common association that language teachers and their students make with

the word grammar is the word rule. When we mentioned about grammar, some people will automatically relate that grammar word to the rules, something to confuse about, or a burdensome. This is the perspective that people have towards the learning of grammar especially for those who English are not their first language. For them, learning grammar is a burdensome. For our Malaysian primary school, most pupils also have that kind of perspective towards learning grammar. This is because English is our second language. In order to help the pupils to do well in English language, the KSSR syllabus had been introduced. In this new syllabus, they focus more on the communicative language teaching. It emphasizes on the communication among the learners where fluency is focused but accuracy is also take into account. The question is how this communicative language teaching can help our primary pupils to communicate well because English is our second language. So, in order to teach grammar, there are a few approaches had been introduced to help the teachers to teach grammar successfully. However, are these approaches can help our pupils to learn grammar and at the same time can communicate well in this second language? In order to help our primary pupils, the suitable approach must be chose. As been explained above about the communicative language teaching, the most suitable approach is the teaching grammar in context. This is because learning grammar in context will allow learners to see how rules can be used in sentences. Language is context sensitive. This means that, in the absence of context, it is very difficult to recover the intended meaning of a single word or phrase (Thonbury, 1999,p.69). This is explains why the teaching in context is useful especially for our primary pupils. When teacher uses this approach, the pupils can actually know the rules of the sentences. The teachers chief task when teaching grammar is to sh ow the students what the language means and how it is used; and must show them what the grammatical form of the new language is and how it is said and written (Harmer, 1991, p.56). Through this, pupils will understand better on how the language is works and this will also improve their communicative skills. Hence, through this approach, the learners not only success in understand the grammar but they also manage to communicate well. This approach can be applied to teach our primary pupils especially when the KSSR syllabus uses the communicative language teaching.

Through this, the pupils will slowly develop their comprehension of grammar rules and when they already understand the grammar, they can have fluently communicative skills and at the same time the accuracy is also correct. Byrd states when grammar is studied as arising from the context, then a variety of forms emerge as essential to the expression of particular meanings in particular kind of discourse contexts (Byrd, 1998). When we learn grammar, we cannot avoid the errors happen whether in written or spoken language. Plus, for us who English is our second language. However do we have to correct the pupils errors in learning this second language? At some point in the learning process, error correction is definitely needed. However, it is will be complicated because we need to define the individual factors of our pupils. These factors are the crucial information and it can gives effect to the pupils especially our primary pupils. This is due to the fact that English language is our second language and they have to learn it. So, this will make them feel it as burden for them. The factors are learners age, aptitude, proficiency level, motivation, anxiety, learning styles and previous achievement. However, some theories in Second Language Acquisition deny the role of error correction. The Morpheme Studies and Krashens Natural Order Hypothesis account that we acquire the rules of language in a predictable way and this is independent of the order in which rules is taught in language classes (Krashen 1982, Brown 1973, Dulay and Burt 1973, 1974; Bailey et al. 1974). This is the important aspect should be taken into account when there are some teachers who are keep correcting the pupils errors but no successful result. Not only that, Walker (1973) in his study, he found that pupils actually preferred not to be corrected for each speaking and writing error because this practice undermined their confidence and forced them to waste too much effort on details that they used to lose the overall ability to use language. This is show that, by keep correcting them, it will make the pupils to lost their confidence and afraid to speak because they need to deal with grammar, pronunciation and others. A very useful, practical and effective way of correction is the use of inductive method. Inductive method is also known as discovery method. Teacher asks the pupils to do self correction. This automatically will expand their cognitive thinking skills because the mental effort involved. Pupils will actively join the teaching and learning session. However, this approach is more suitable to apply for secondary

pupils. This is because, for the primary pupils, they really need teachers guidance in order to have the correction. In short, the right choice of approaches can help our primary pupils to perform better in English especially in learning grammar. To establish an effective communication, learners need grammar skills. Therefore, without grammar, the speech gets meaningless. Teacher is also need to pay attention on the learners background, ability, proficiency level, their learning styles and others. It is very helpful in order to choose the right approach to teach the pupils especially for the second language learners. The chief usefulness of grammar is that it provides a convenient and, indeed, as English is taught today, an almost indispensable set of terms to use in talking about Language (Tabbert, 1984, p.40)