American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
195
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajsshr
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
195-197
10.37547/ajsshr/Volume05Issue05-49
Integrating Grammar and Discourse: A New Approach to
Language Teaching
Gafurova Robiya Nasim qizi
Teacher at the Department of Practical English Course, Uzbekistan National Pedagogical University named after Nizami, Uzbekistan
Received:
29 March 2025;
Accepted:
25 April 2025;
Published:
30 May 2025
Abstract:
Discourse competence plays a crucial role in English Language Teaching (ELT) as it forms the foundation
for effective communication and language learning. It encompasses the ability to construct coherent and cohesive
discourse, understand text features, apply construction strategies, and possess knowledge of academic writing.
Developing discourse competence aids in mastering academic writing, enhancing communicative skills, and
understanding language structures in context. Furthermore, integrating media-discursive competence into
learning materials can improve students' conversational skills and motivate learning. This article compares
discourse competence with grammar skills, how it works if the learners use them together in speech. In the
classroom, discourse competence is essential for language teachers as it influences learners' engagement and the
learning process. Overall, discourse competence is a fundamental component of ELT that facilitates effective
communication, language learning, and teaching practices with correct grammatical structures and relevant
knowledge.
Keywords:
Discourse competence, tense, grammatical structures, cohesion.
Introduction:
In recent years, the widespread and
continuously developing innovative technologies and
internet resources have become a key factor in the
advancement of every field, including education. The
stages and methods of foreign language learning now
differ significantly from those of the past. Unlike
traditional teaching methods, modern approaches
allow students to learn languages in interesting and
accelerated ways, as well as enhance and even assess
their knowledge independently. These advantages
arise from the strong competition among internet
resources, which are constantly being updated and
gaining relevance.
Currently, higher education specialists are also
abandoning traditional methods and keeping pace with
the times by thoroughly studying and implementing the
latest teaching methodologies and knowledge.
Additionally, Uzbekistan's expansion of international
relations has increased the importance of foreign
languages in social, economic fields, and intercultural
communication,
making
language
learning
a
fundamental principle. Therefore, there is a need to
update and align existing language teaching methods,
tools, and approaches with contemporary demands.
Since one of the requirements in students' professional
activities is to have a perfect command of the language,
the competence-based education model holds
significant importance. [1] This allows for a more
effective and cost-efficient learning process with the
help of innovative information communication
technologies.
Students' discourse competence is essentially a
systematic accumulation of specific knowledge and
skills. These knowledge and skills are crucial factors for
achieving communicative goals and include not only
lexical, syntactic, and grammatical rules but also
stylistic, genre-related, cultural, social, psychological,
emotional, coherence and harmony aspects. [2] It is
important to note that the concepts of discourse,
speech acts, and communication fundamentally differ
from one another. The distinction between discourse
skills and speech abilities lies in the fact that speech
abilities aim to address specific communicative tasks in
managing language skills: writing, speaking, reading,
and so on. However, the concept of discourse is
broader because it encompasses extra linguistic
factors. In previous scholarly works on the
development of the concept of communicative
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
competence, Canale further explains sociolinguistic
competence, which includes discourse competence. [3]
This approach allows for the analysis of written and
spoken texts in various genres, examining their
grammatical forms and meanings together. Such
research is crucial for designing curricula based on
written and spoken texts in communication. Discourse
competence
is
a
significant
component
of
communicative competence, which is essential for
students during academic writing and reading
processes. It is natural that developing this competence
poses certain challenges for many ESP students.
Previously, many English as Foreign Language (EFL)
teachers adhered to the idea that grammar was solely
about how words are combined to form correct
sentences. As awareness of students' competencies
has significantly increased, this notion has been
replaced by the new principle that grammar is relevant
not only to forms and rules but also to context
(Frieman-Larsen, 2001: 251). Based on this, grammar
should be taught not in isolation but within the context
of discourse. This perspective is grounded in the
interconnection between grammar and context, which
can be observed in the three-dimensional aspects of
grammar, the variability of word order, modality
indicating precision, and tenses that express future
actions. According to Larsen-Frieman, the important
three dimensions aid in the equal study of grammar
and discourse. They are form and structure of the
sentence, meaning and semantic position of the
sentence and pragmatic interpretation of the
sentences. [9]
Grammar is interconnected with context. This
interconnection can be seen in the three dimensions of
grammar, modality indicating precision (such as must,
may, might, and could), variations in word order, and
tenses that express the future. To enhance students'
communicative competence, grammar should be
taught not at the sentence level but at the discourse
level.
The classification of discourse competence not only
relates to linguistic competence but also involves the
correct use of linguistic knowledge in contextual, social,
and cultural frameworks. This principle of integration
connects discourse competence with the concept of
genre. Bruce defines discourse competence as the
ability to generalize various kinds of knowledge in
creating linguistically accurate and socially appropriate
extended written discourse. Bruce's discourse
competence encompasses complex knowledge that
addresses students' challenges in academic writing and
task completion, leading to the application of a genre-
based
principle
in
deconstructing
discourse
competence.[2] This involves a system governing three
structures of knowledge related to discourse
competence (social genre, cognitive genre, and
linguistic). The social genre corresponds to the
classification of an entire text based on its social
purpose, that is, its socially recognized structure. As
mentioned above, discourse competence involves
knowing how to interpret larger content and how to
connect and expand sentences coherently and
cohesively.
For
effective
communication,
speakers
must
understand how language is used in social contexts.
Each language has its own specific usage rules, meaning
that speakers must know when, how, and to what
extent they can impose verbal actions on their
interlocutors. Those deemed knowledgeable in oral
discourse can identify and interpret various functions
of speech acts in different contexts: classroom
discussions, interviews, and conversations with native
and non-native speakers.
According to Nunan, discourse competence is not only
the ability to construct complex sentences and
pronounce phonological features correctly but also
includes the ability to use aspects like stress, rhythm,
and intonation at a high level of fluency. This implies
that they should demonstrate the ability to take turns
in conversation, understand the purpose of the
communication,
ask
questions,
and
utilize
conversational formulas and fillers. Rivers suggests that
self-generated expressions are not merely empty
statements; they should accurately convey what a
speaker intends in any situation, allowing new
language learners to express their goals correctly.[7]
Tense and Discourse
Tenses indicate the time of real events and establish
the sequence and tone of events in discourse. For
example, the past simple tense is typically used in
narrative language because it expresses completed
actions: "She walked into the room, looked around, and
sat down." Here, the sequence of events is conveyed.
However, present perfect can also be used in
interviews or news: "Police have arrested a suspect in
the case."
—
in this case, the event is still relevant.
Modal Verbs and Position of the Speaker
Modal verbs indicate the speaker's attitude towards an
action: likelihood (might, may), obligation (must, have
to), permission (can, may). In discourse, the choice of
modal verbs defines the speaker's tone and position:[8]
- "You must finish this today."
—
command;
- "You might want to finish this today."
—
polite
suggestion.
These can have the same grammatical structure but
serve different communicative purposes in discourse.
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
Cohesive Devices and Grammatical Consistency
Cohesive devices create grammatical connections
between sentences or ideas in a text. This includes:
- Pronouns: he, she, it, this, that
- Conjunctions: however, because, although
- Repetition and synonymy: "The car was fast. This
vehicle…"
For example:
"John was late. He missed the bus. That made him
angry."
—
here, cohesive devices (he, that) ensure
consistency in the text. Referential cohesion is also
important: "She opened the door. The woman looked
around."
—
here, "She" and "The woman" refer to the
same person.
Discourse-based grammatical tools are used in the
following text:
"It had been raining all night. When Sarah woke up, she
looked outside and sighed. 'I guess I won’t be jogging
today,' she muttered. Still, she might go to the gym
later."
- "had been raining"
—
indicates the duration and prior
phase of the event (past perfect continuous);
-
"won’t be jogging" —
future decision (future
continuous, appropriate tone for discourse);
- "might go"
—
modal verb indicating likelihood;
- Cohesive devices: she, she, later (ensure connection).
Although tenses, modal verbs, and cohesive devices are
grammatically independent units, their true function is
revealed in discourse context. Factors such as the
speaker's intention, audience, and communicative
situation dictate the selection of grammatical tools.
Thus, teaching grammar in real speech contexts is one
of the important strategies for language educators.
REFERENCES
1.
Bruce, I. (2008a). Academic writing and genre:
A systematic analysis. London, UK: Continuum.
2.
Bruce, I. (2008b). Cognitive genre structures in
Methods sections of research articles: A corpus
study. Journal of English for Academic
Purposes,7(1),
38-54.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2007.12.001
3.
Canale, M. (1983): “From communicative
competence to communicative language
pedagogy”. In Richards, J.C., & Schmidt, R.
(ed.): Language and Communication. Harlow,
Essex: Longman.
4.
Canale, M. & Swain, M. (1980): “Theoretical
bases of communicative approaches to second
language teaching and testing”. Applied
Linguistics, 1, 1-47.
5.
Halliday, M.A.K. & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion
in English. London: Longman.
6.
McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse Analysis for
Language Teachers. Cambridge: CUP.
7.
Nunan, D. (1985). Introducing discourse
analysis. London: Penguin Nunan.
8.
Palmer, F.R. (2001). Mood and Modality.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
9.
Larsen-Friman,
Dayan.
2001.
Teaching
grammar. Selce-Mursiyada Marianne ed. 2001.
Teaching English as a foreign language. Boston.
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