Working on grammar at school: Empirical research from German-speaking regions

Abstract

The article reviews quantitative as well as qualitative research on grammatical learning at school in the context of L1 education in German-speaking regions. One of the specifics of this research is that its focus has been not on the effects of grammar learning on reading and writing outcomes but instead on the quality of the knowledge which is gained. Research results are reported with respect to five areas: (1) interventions aimed at promoting grammar knowledge; (2) interventions aimed at fostering linguistic skills; (3) observational studies; (4) large-scale studies; and (5) classroom discourse in grammar lessons. In its conclusion, the article points to issues pertinent to future research. They include measuring the extent to which students access syntactic features directly, without having them explain these features verbally, as well as conceiving of instructional methods to make sure that students gain continued access to syntactic information.