Trends and Challenges of Teaching English Grammar and Vocabulary under Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh

English, being an optional subject, does not enjoy as much importance as other religious subjects in Qawmi madrasas [Islamic educational institutes] of Bangladesh. Since the government of Bangladesh recognized the highest degree of the said academy as equivalent to a Master’s in Arabic or Islamic Studies from a university, it is significant to explore the English langu age competence of BEFAQ [Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh] graduates who subsequently might opt for similar careers because the English language proficiency is an indispensable prerequisite to the current competitive job market. My previous study focused on the English language education of macro-level skills in the institutions in the title, and this article concentrates on the development of micro-level skills, i.e., grammar and vocabulary teaching to the same research population. In fact, an abundant stock of words and a knowledge of grammar-use are required for anybody who wants to use a language. Integrating the data collected from questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations, it is found that Grammar-Translation Method is implemented in English language teaching, especially grammar and vocabulary. To be more specific, deductive demonstration of grammatical rules and examples and memorization of word meanings from a bilingual word list are the regular teaching-learning activities found in these institutions. Consequently, the students cannot be able to carry out their communication purposes in English which indeed should have been their principal goal, as implied in the English course objective of madrasa education. Hence, some recommendations are suggested to the policymakers as well as curriculum and textbook designers with expected support from the government and private donors.


Introduction
Teaching grammar and vocabulary anyway is part and parcel of English language education in Bangladesh. Though English is included as an optional subject in Qawmi madrasa curriculum under BEFAQ board, these two micro skills of the language are taught and learnt with the utmost emphasis. There is no doubt that grammar and vocabulary are essential for developing the listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of the English language. Still, it is significant to consider what is being taught (contents) and how (method). Since the emergence of Bangladesh, different ELT methods and approaches have been followed by different educational streams at different levels of English programs. And some appear to be efficient, whereas some are inefficient in the relevant contexts.
Accordingly, the practice of memorizing, on the one hand, and translating the learners' target language English into their mother tongue Bangla and vice versa, on the other hand, manifests Qawmi madrasa's adoption of Grammar-Translation method in which English grammar and vocabulary meaning are used as the main tools. However, it was also found that they might know some grammar rules but do not know how to frame sentences while speaking in English (Ruman, 2021). Again, Chowdhury's (2019) research mainly centres on the teaching of four basic skills of the English language, and there seems to be almost no focus on grammar and vocabulary teaching. Still, the teachers she interviewed wanted "more grammar items and a diversity of content" (ibid) in the textbook. In another instance of discussing Anderson's reading principles, she simply mentions the importance of "developing a strong vocabulary base for the readers prior to reading" (ibid); rather than suggesting how to do it.
Though Azam and Kusakabe (2020) revealed that Qawmi madrasa students of grade 8 learn English by focusing on conventional grammar (i.e., contents), such as filling in the gaps using the appropriate words, sentence making and word meaning which is inadequate and incomplete; these researchers did not study how (i.e., method) they learn grammar. Nevertheless, to build their vocabulary and confidence, they advocated the inclusion of prefixes and suffixes in Qawmi English syllabi. Again, their study did not embrace the way of vocabulary teaching.
So reviewing the existing literature, the scope of the present study and the research questions can be justified. Yet, it should be kept in mind that "there is no literature that offers a rationale or justification for Grammar-Translation Method that attempts to relate it to issues in linguistics, psychology, or educational theory" (Richards and Rodgers, 2001, p.7).

Research Methodology
According to Mertens (2005), as Dornyei reports, "Mixed methods have particular value when we want to examine an issue that is embedded in a complex educational or social context" (2007). As a matter of fact, this study follows a concurrent mixed-methods research design in which quantitative and qualitative methods are used separately and parallelly (not influencing the operation of each other), and the results are integrated with the interpretation phase (Dornyei, 2007). On the one hand, the questionnaire is used here for collecting quantitative numeric data from a large number of participants. On the other hand, focused semi-structured open-ended interviews and classroom observation are used for getting specific details to complement those numbers and add to their validity as well as generate "an overall level of trustworthiness for the researcher" (ibid). Besides, in this way, one set of findings is verified against the other.

Data Collection
The quantitative research instruments used in this study were two separate questionnaire surveys based on 5 point Likert scale: one for 152 students and the other for 11 teachers (one madrasa having two English teachers) from 10 Qawmi madrasas selected from urban, suburban, and rural areas of Bangladesh, following the non-probabilistic convenience sampling design. Items in the questionnaires and interviews were translated into Bangla for the proper understanding of all the respondents except two teachers. The qualitative research instruments included semi-structured open-ended interviews with all those teachers and 20 brilliant students "who can provide rich and varied insights into the phenomenon under investigation so as to maximize what we can learn" (Dornyei, 2007, p.126). It should be noted that the criterion sampling method was followed to select those students. In addition, the researcher also conducted 5 classroom observations with field notes that provide direct information about the classroom tasks and activities for teaching and learning English grammar and vocabulary in each madrasa. It is worth mentioning that all these instruments were designed in proper consultation with a pertinent expert; and based on the research objectives, research questions, and literature in this field reviewed earlier. All the participants, including the madrasas, were designated numbers like 1, 2, 3, etc., to secure the promised confidentiality. Last but not least, to uncover a clear phenomenon in question, the researcher visited the BEFAQ board, talked to some personnel responsible for syllabus design and testing system who were considering some modifications, and collected English 2 textbooks as well as Ebtedayee [primary grade V] final examination's question papers which were found to be mostly grammar-translation oriented (See Appendices).

Data Analysis and Interpretation
Converging numeric trends from questionnaire surveys and specific details from interviews and classroom observation, this section will try to "gain a better understanding" (Dornyei, 2007) of the phenomenon of teaching grammar and vocabulary in the English subject of BEFAQ madrasas.

Quantitative Data Analysis:
Data collected from Student and Teacher Questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 21. The responses are presented in the form of tables, each consisting of the number and frequency of items related to the teaching or learning of English grammar or vocabulary, and the findings are interpreted below:

Richards and Rodgers (2001) maintain that "Grammar is taught deductively [in GTM
] -that is, by presentation and study of grammar rules, which are then practiced through translation exercises" (p.6). According to the table, almost all the students give positive feedback towards their teachers' teaching grammar in the classroom claiming that they explain grammar rules in detail with examples. Most of the students also express their interest in classes where rules, exercises, and tests are given in a clear order.
Alongside, the majority of them admit to getting enough opportunity to practice making sentences using grammar rules. However, their learning of grammar revolves around the memorization of rules and examples, as most of the students (92%) offered their agreement on the point. From the students' responses, it is manifested that grammar is taught conventionally in the Qawmi madrasa classroom. The traditional methodology assumes that "learners will develop the knowledge they need for communicative language use through conscious presentation and manipulation of forms through drills and practice" (Quader, 2014). In contrast, researchers like Azam and Kusakabe (2020) recommend for them "communicative grammar [which] deals with practice, creating opportunities to use language accurately." According to Richards and Rodgers (2001), "the student's native language is used to explain new items" (p.6) in the Grammar-Translation method of language teaching. It is evident in the above table, too, where the lion's share of the students agree to the fact that their teachers translate texts and explain the vocabulary items in Bangla, and the students do nothing but memorize the Bangla meanings of the English words. Here, bilingual vocabulary building also emerges as a fundamental part of reading skills, as all the students implied.  (11) 100.0

Teacher's Questionnaire
The result shows that the students are asked by language instructors to apply English grammar knowledge in the classroom, which is obviously a positive endeavor. Here, the teachers also seem to believe that learning the rules of grammar would provide the generative basis for the student's knowledge and eventually enable them to use the target language. Nevertheless, Krashen (1981) and Terrell (1983) emphasize that "comprehensible input" is mainly responsible for language learning, indicating that "it is unnecessary to teach grammar explicitly as long as the learner has sufficient exposure to the language and opportunities to use it" (Quader, 2014). But, the table above makes use of the impression that grammar is taught deductively in the madrasas where teachers provide the class with rules first which follow examples and subsequent practices. Here, a remarkable shift in concentration is also noted from communicative competence towards grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary. It is found that more than 90% of teachers focus mainly on the accuracy of the English language. Richards and Rodgers (2001) state that in GTM, "accuracy is emphasized" (p. 6), which is again manifested by almost all the respondents. The result reveals that the teachers motivate the students to translate the target language words into the mother tongue and vice versa to understand the vocabulary meaning, which indeed belongs to the Grammar-Translation method of language teaching. The table also indicates that most of the teachers concentrate on exam-oriented vocabulary teaching, which is very limited input for the learners of English as a foreign language. However, the main material prescribed and used for both teaching and learning English vocabulary, as indicated by the numeric data, is a bilingual dictionary though the selection of vocabulary is usually made based on the reading texts found in their English textbooks. This finding correlates with the view of Richards and Rodgers (2002) that [in GTM] vocabulary is taught through the bilingual list, dictionary, and memorization. Last but not least, except for one teacher, all others express that they instruct the students to guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary through the contextual reading of the text, which is an effective strategy.

Qualitative Data Analysis: 5.2.1 Classroom Observation
In Nunan's (2002) words, "As language classrooms are specifically constituted to bring about learning, it is not unreasonable to collect data about what goes on there as a means of adding to our knowledge of language learning and use." Therefore, the real practices and critical moments of 10 madrasas' English language classrooms were observed to explore another principal characteristic of the Grammar-Translation Method discussed by Richards and Rodgers (2001): Vocabulary selection is based solely on the reading texts used, and words are taught through bilingual word lists, dictionary study, and memorization. In a typical Grammar-Translation text, the grammar rules are presented and illustrated, a list of vocabulary items is presented with their translation equivalents, and translation exercises are prescribed. (p.6)

Classroom Infrastructure:
As for seating arrangement in general, the students sat on the floor, and one low bench was occupied by several students. Most teachers were found sitting on a mat with a low table in front of them. In addition, proper arrangement of light and ventilation was missing in many classrooms. Some classes looked relatively dark. Moreover, classroom space in some madrasas was too small, and students sat in a very congested way in class. Classrooms also lacked sufficient modern equipment for teaching all the skills of the English language. Common teaching aids found in the classrooms were traditional blackboard/whiteboard, chalk/marker, and duster. It is noteworthy that no use of modern equipment like multimedia projectors, overhead projectors, audio/video CD players, voice recorders, etc., were available in any Qawmi madrasas under observation.

Teaching English Grammar:
Grammar was taught in the traditional deductive way following the age-old Grammar-Translation Method. It was seen that almost all the teachers stuck to textbook materials for teaching grammar. Their grammar classes were basically confined to discussing, asking, and answering the definitions and examples of grammar items like articles, syllables, words, antonyms, parts of speech, sentences, tense, number, right forms of verbs, degree, transformation, punctuation, etc. It seemed that the communicative purpose was totally absent in the classroom practices because the grammatical forms were presented "explicitly in a decontextualized manner" (Quader, 2014). Furthermore, while teaching grammar items, the teachers explained the definitions in the mother tongue. For instance, in a suburban madrasa, the teacher defined the English tense and gave examples with meaning. He also explained the subject and the predicate of a sentence, though all in Bangla. Thus, he adopted Grammar-Translation Method, i.e., translation from Bangla to English.
Meanwhile, a few teachers gave examples from outside the textbook. One teacher was found using the inductive method for teaching grammar. 'Inductive' suggests a 'bottom up' approach in which students discover grammar rules while working through exercises/tasks (Quader, 2014). That teacher first offered some examples and asked his students to find out particular grammar items from them. Students' main duty was to memorize and express them in the classroom.

Teaching English Vocabulary:
The common practice of vocabulary teaching in Qawmi madrasas under observation was to select words from the textbooks and ask students to memorize them with their Bangla meanings. Students' performances were sometimes tested orally by telling them to say the meaning of the selected words in their mother tongue and sometimes in written form. Some teachers were also found to ask students to make sentences with the selected words. Very few teachers made pronunciation drilling. One instance was found in an urban madrasa where the teacher instructed the students to contextualize the words they learnt. The teacher in the previously mentioned suburban madrasa was seen to encourage the students to memorize at least five words from the dictionary everyday.

Interview Analysis
Personal interviews with the teachers and the students regarding how they teach and learn English grammar and vocabulary were first conducted in Bangla and then transcribed into English. After a qualitative content analysis of the emerging themes generated by coding of meaning, the researcher found the following details to add meaning to the aforementioned numbers:

Teaching and Learning English Grammar:
In the face-to-face interview, the students were asked-"How do you learn English grammar?" and it was revealed that grammar is taught deductively, following a 'top-down' approach, by explaining the rules. As Student 2 of Madrasa 8 demonstrated, "The teacher defines any grammar item, classifies it, and gives examples." In this regard, except few teachers, all give examples from the textbook. In the words of Student 3 of Madrasa 3, "The teacher explains grammar to us in a better way than it is presented in the book." The response implies that he is satisfied with the formal instructions. He continued-"and we discuss it among ourselves, making new sentences while we leave the classroom so that the learning becomes effective." Then in response to the leading question of whether they memorize the grammar rules with examples, all the respondents replied in the affirmative. Again, the majority of the students learn grammar through self-study, while some of them prefer group study-"Our teacher teaches us grammar. Later on, we do takrar of that grammar, and the grammar is learnt well by takrar" (Student 1, Madrasa 9). He clarified the word 'takrar' as "the study which is done together by all." Besides, some students tend to apply the acquired grammar knowledge practically-"We memorize with examples. After that, we also try to understand by giving other examples by ourselves." Meanwhile, only one of the interviewees revealed that he took help from an English guidebook to learn grammar. On the contrary, another student utterly rejected the tendency of using a guidebook-"Using a guidebook is prohibited, both in class and in selfstudy" (Student 4, Madrasa 3). Also, in case of not understanding any grammar items, they mostly ask their teachers for clarification, though very few of them, such as the respondent of Madrasa 6, rely on brilliant students-"If I can't understand, I ask my friends or the teacher". One student from Madrasa 3 put emphasis on learning grammar to achieve communicative competence in English as well: "Every day, the teacher makes all the students aware of particular grammar rules. And I try to read that topic attentively and try to understand the rule as the teacher explains so that I can be good at grammar. If I know grammar well, it will be easier for me to speak in English. Also, I learn grammar well to be able to read English." Meanwhile, in reply to the interview question-"Do you think the textbook contents are sufficient for achieving communicative competence in English?"-Teacher 8 expressed that due to the insufficient textbook contents in Class V, he taught "new grammar rules from the books which are taught in schools and colleges under general education. After teaching those rules, I make the students memorize them so that they can construct new sentences on the basis of grammar." It is clear from his response that the contents of grammar in the textbook prescribed by the Qawmi madrasa board are not only limited but also back-dated. This fact was also evident from an informal discussion with its Secretary-General, who reported that there had been no modifications to the English syllabus and textbook contents since the inauguration of the English subject under BEFAQ in 1987-1988. On this issue, some teachers (No. 1 & 8) recommended Communicative Language Teaching Approach for English studies in Qawmi madrasa, like general education of Bangladesh, which is worth consideration.

Teaching and Learning English Vocabulary:
The grammar-Translation method is used in teaching and learning English vocabulary too at level 5 of Qawmi madrasas. For example, in response to the question of how the students develop English vocabulary, Student 3 of Madrasa 1 said, "First, the teacher utters the English words and asks us what he uttered. Then he writes their meaning on the board and asks us to copy them in a separate notebook. Then we memorize them." The practice of memorizing vocabulary with meaning is available to all the respondents. Sometimes students themselves appeared to be interested in developing vocabulary: "I note down the unknown words in my diary and submit it to the teacher. Then he writes their meaning. Again, if we ask him for any word meaning, he answers orally" (Student 4, Madrasa 3). And the teacher tends to be cooperative in all instances. Besides, some students learn vocabulary from the guidebook and some from the dictionary. For instance, the interviewee from Madrasa 5 expressed, "I first learned the Bangla meaning of English words from a dictionary. Then to make a new sentence in English, I imagine its meaning in Bangla and translate it into English." However, he seems to brainstorm ideas as well in the Grammar-Translation method. Meanwhile, some students are found to learn only the spelling of English vocabulary without meaning for being able to write in class and examination, as the respondent from Madrasa 4 demonstrated. Only one of the interviewees is found to be a highly motivated learner who builds English vocabulary "looking up at different dictionaries. That means the teacher conveys one meaning of some words. Beyond them, there may be more meanings. I try to see and memorize them." Finally, very few students, such as the last respondent, apply the newly learnt vocabulary only in English writing-"Most of the time, the teacher clarifies English vocabulary. And I try to understand them as far as possible. Then I memorize them. Besides, I practice them by writing so that I shouldn't forget them" (Madrasa 10).
Likewise, in a partial answer to the interview question-"How do you motivate your students in learning English?"-Teacher 3 also appeared to motivate his learners in developing English vocabulary: "The students don't know enough English vocabulary and can't make sentences in English properly. I encourage them much to learn English vocabulary."

Conclusion and Recommendations
Teaching grammar and vocabulary is a necessary and indispensable section of English language education. In Wilkins' (1972) words, "…while without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed." But the main focus on these components is correlated with the 'structural view' of language, which sees language as "a system of structurally related elements for the coding of meaning. The target of language learning is seen to be the mastery of elements of this system" (Richards and Rodgers, 2001, p. 20). Based on this assumption of language, BEFAQ might have adopted Grammar-Translation Method, which has no learning theory. As the study reveals, first and foremost, Qawmi madrasa students generally use the strategy of memorization to learn English grammar rules and vocabulary. There is no doubt that this activity may "help consolidate new learning items…While traditional approaches to language teaching (e.g., Grammar Translation Method) made extensive use of memorization activities, contemporary approaches tend to discourage memorization in favor of activities which promote more creative uses of language" (Richards & Lockhart, 2010) because "activities with communicative purposes are helpful in breaking down barriers, expressing ideas, finding information, and learning about the culture" (Azam and Kusakabe, 2020).
Therefore, in the EFL classroom of Qawmi madrasa, the teachers should explain vocabulary items in English, and the students have to use them in sentences while writing or speaking. In other words, if grammar and vocabulary are exposed through real-life tasks in the classroom, the learners would be able to acquire these micro-skills of the English language more effectively. Alongside, an inductive approach to teaching grammar can enable students to develop their understanding of the optimal use of grammar rules, as they get actively involved in the process of learning grammar through this approach because they themselves formulate, check, and modify the rules based on the given examples instead of receiving them passively from their teachers without realizing the reasons (Ke, 2008). Indeed, the structural syllabus is designed with the assumption that language comprises a finite set of rules by combining which in various ways meaning can be derived (Nunan, 1988). So, BEFAQ curriculum designers need to update the English syllabus and textbook contents with more grammar items as well as provide supplementary audio-visual aids on vocabulary, which steps have been ignored for 35 years since the establishment of the BEFAQ board. Moreover, Qawmi madrasa policymakers must provide sufficient teacher training on current ELT methods "as it calls for creativity and resourcefulness to devise classroom activities" (Quader, 2014) in order to ensure the students' optimal learning experience. Besides, the government and private sectors should come forward to help them by providing digital learning resources which are useful for teaching the English language. The limitation of the study is that the researcher had no access to the girls' madrasas under the same curriculum, which requires further study by the female researcher(s).
Funding: This research received no external funding.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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