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Inter Alia 2, Ljubljana, February 2011

ISBN: 978-961-91069-3-8

 

 

Slavica Čepon

 

Grammar – an obligatory ‘optional extra’?

 

 

Abstract

 

This paper first focuses on general English (GE) attrition and its possible consequences for business English (BE) students at Ljubljana’s Faculty of Economics (FELU). It then discusses the role of grammar within the areas of foreign language (FL) and BE teaching/learning as well as various opinions regarding the advantages of explicit FL/grammar instruction over implicit FL/grammar instruction. The author concludes that BE learners as economics students at the FELU must be given an opportunity to continue learning FL uninterruptedly. The author’s suggestion is the introduction of grammar instruction in BE contexts in the first year at the faculty. By the latter the author refers to a combination of meaningful uses of a FL and form-focused instruction (FFI in BE contexts. The author emphasizes that FL teaching/learning policies of certain academic institutions in Slovenia that do not offer FL instruction at all, or, not at periods crucial for FL learning of non-native speakers, are essentially flawed.

 

Keywords: business English, language attrition, explicit/implicit grammar instruction, FonF/FoF approach, form-focused instruction/FFI.

 

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