TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR TO LIBYAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: CURRENT SITUATION AND SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE

Abstract

In Libya students start learning English as one of the main subjects from the age of 12 until the university stage. Libyan teachers followed the old traditional system, which was the grammar translation method. This method was based on analysing the grammar rules followed by translating of sentences and texts into the students‟ target language and memorizing large amount of vocabulary. For that reason, teachers tended to use the grammar translation method by focusing on these features. In Libya, the teaching was by using a translation method, which emphasized the acquisition of vocabulary through reading. As a result, teachers ignored all the communicative approach and techniques inside the class, for instance using different interaction activities such as games to attract learners‟ attention and keep them interested in the topic. I suggest authentic texts for the reason that they have been written for a communicative purpose and they are more interesting than texts which have been invented to illustrate the usage of some features of the target language; learners are thus likely to find them more motivating than invented texts.