Assessing Implicit and Explicit Grammatical Knowledge

Abstract

The study of grammar has always had an important role in the history of foreign language teaching. Today, grammatical competence is seen as an integral part of communicative ability, which represents the aim of language learning and teaching process. The aim of this paper is to offer the most important theoretical views related to the grammatical competence and implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge. We will also try to establish grammatical descriptors based on the most frequent grammatical structures contained in the curriculum for Italian language in Montenegrin elementary schools at level A2. In order to achieve the goals we have set, we have tested 547 ninth grade students of 25 Montenegrin schools. The aim of the testing was to determine the extent to which the tested students fulfilled the requirements listed in the curriculum for Italian language. We have also determined their implicit and explicit grammatical knowledge. After the discussion of the results of the grammar test, we will try to find how the students’ achievement on grammatical tests can be improved. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p251