Scholars International Journal of Linguistics and Literature

Abbreviated Key Title: Sch Int J Linguist Lit

ISSN 2616-8677 (Print) |ISSN 2617-3468 (Online)
Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Review Article

Inductive Approach: Its Pros & Cons

Rudra Prasad Samanta1*
1
Research Scholar, University Department of English, Ranchi University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

DOI: 10.36348/sijll.2021.v04i11.002 | Received: 29.09.2021 | Accepted: 05.11.2021 | Published: 23.11.2021

*Corresponding author: Rudra Prasad Samanta

Abstract
Nowadays the general idea is that grammar has a pivotal role to play in language learning and teaching. English grammar
instruction is extremely important for the English learners. However, prescriptive and deductive approaches to English
grammar teaching have proved ineffective and boring, because the grammar of a language is acquired not through
imitation but through abstracting a set of grammatical rules from language data. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to
introduce an inductive approach to English grammar teaching that will help the students to rediscover their subconscious
grammar knowledge and bring it to their consciousness, and to show how it is applied in the classroom. At the same time
the merits and demerits of this approach are discussed meticulously and elaborately to help the teachers to use this
approach in an effective manner in the classroom.
Keywords: Inductive approach, English grammar, Teaching, Learning.
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original
author and source are credited.

SALIENT FEATURES
INTRODUCTION Nunan (1999) identifies inductive approach as
Among the effective approaches to the a process where learners discover the grammar rules
teaching of English grammar, Inductive Approach is themselves by examining the examples. In an inductive
one of the indispensable approaches to the teaching of approach it is also feasible to use a context for grammar
English grammar. It is also called rule-discovery rules. The learners explore the grammar rules in a text
learning. It starts with the presentation of a host of or an audio rather than isolated sentences. Thornbury
examples. Then it is the endeavour on the part of the (1999) notes that in an inductive approach the learners
learners to elicit the rule from the examples given by are provided with the samples that include the target
the teacher. When grammar is taught inductively a grammar which they will learn. Then the learners work
teacher allows students to, on the basis of assumption, on the examples themselves. When the students derive
induce and formulate a rule by themselves. Namely, the grammar rules, they practise the language by
students produce rules indirectly, applying a rule to creating their own examples. An inductive teaching is
exercises from a text. The teacher’s task is to provide based on the bottom-up theory which accepts the view
the appropriate context for communication. This that the language learners tend to focus on parts rather
method of teaching grammar incorporates presenting than the whole. For this reason the teaching process
several examples that illustrate a specific concept and begins with a text, audio or visual in a context.
expecting the students to notice how the concept works Secondly, the learners work on the material to find the
from these examples. No explanation is given rules themselves. In the final stage, they give their own
beforehand, and the expectation is that the students will examples. However, in an inductive approach they are
be able to recognize the rules of grammar in a more active as they are responsible for exploring the rules
natural way during their own reading and writing. themselves. So the process of learning is experimental
Discovering grammar and visualizing how these rules in this approach. According to Thornbury (1999), the
work in a sentence allow for easier retention of the class where the students are engaged in the lesson
concept than if the students were given the explanation actively is quite reasonable since it gives more
that was not connected to the examples of the concept. comfortable and motivating ambience for them. He also
The inductive teaching is mainly concerned with the remarks that an inductive teaching supply more
retention of grammar concepts and here the teachers use profound knowledge as the learners study cognitively in
the techniques that are known to work cognitively and order to discover the rules. It has been pointed out that
make an impression on students’ contextual memory.
Citation: Rudra Prasad Samanta (2021). Inductive Approach: Its Pros & Cons. Sch Int J Linguist Lit, 4(11): 351-353. 351
 Rudra Prasad Samanta., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Nov, 2021; 4(11): 351-353
when the learners take part in the learning process which governs the use of the English reflexive
actively to discover the rules, they are able to develop pronouns in the following manner:
their own skill which makes them good language
learner. The inductive approach, in its turn, moves from A reflexive pronoun does not have
specific to general. The learners are first shown many independent reference, and must take its reference from
examples that contain grammatical structure in different an antecedent.
contexts and they have to work out the rules by
themselves. Next the learners apply the rules with Under this rule, the sentence in (2a) is
various exercises and in different contexts to learn how grammatical because the reflexive pronoun himself can
they actually work in real language use. Yet here take its reference from its antecedent Bipin. However,
theorists have differing opinions about whether or not the sentence in (2b) is ungrammatical because the
the rule should be verbalized at all. Some consider it to reflexive pronoun himself does not have an antecedent
be helpful for the learners but others think it only to refer back to.
disturbs the process of acquisition (Decoo, 1996). The
rules are sometimes verbalized as a summary after the According to Step 3, students are asked to
learners had a scope to discover the rules by themselves check and test the rule against new sentences involving
from the examples. This is done as some learners the use of the reflexive pronouns, and to find out
require some explicit rules to understand the concepts. whether this grammatical rule can apply to new
This approach is often compared with the Audio- sentences. For example, the sentences in (3) can be used
Lingual method that sees language learning as habit for students to check and test the rule:
formation where, according to Shaffer (1989), learners (3) a. Bipin won’t commit themselves.
will learn the structure through examples until it b. Bipin won’t commit itself.
becomes automatic. He also opines that the students c. Bipin won’t commit myself.
will not know what they are learning unless the teacher d. Bipin said that Rina won’t commit himself.
gives a detailed explanation to them. Grammar is
presented here in context and the learners can The result of such a check and test shows that
consciously work with the language. the rule cannot account for the ungrammatical sentences
in (3), even though an antecedent is available for the
HOW TO USE THIS APPROACH reflexive pronoun in each of them. In other words,
Now, let us present the basic ideas behind this based on students’ grammatical judgments about these
inductive approach English grammar teaching, which sentences in (3), Bipin cannot serve as an appropriate
can be roughly characterized as the following four antecedent for the reflexive pronouns themselves, itself,
steps: myself and himself respectively: that is, in (3a) Bipin
(1) Step 1: Students are given a set of sentences about does not agree with themselves in number; in (3b) Bipin
an area of English grammar; does not agree with itself in gender; in (3c) Bipin does
Step 2: Students are asked to elicit the grammatical not agree with myself in person; and in (3d) Bipin and
rule from the set of English sentences; himself are not in the same clause. Thus, the
Step 3: Students are asked to check and test the inadequacy of the rule calls for its revision, which will
grammatical rule against new sentences about the lead us to Step 4.
same area of English grammar;
Step 4: Students are asked to revise the In order to accommodate these ungrammatical
grammatical rule to accommodate the new sentences in (3), students are asked to revise the
sentences. grammatical rule, which may end up as follows:

Now, let us use the teaching of the English A reflexive pronoun does not have
reflexive pronouns as an example to show how this independent reference, and must take its reference from
inductive approach works. According to Step 1, an antecedent that agrees with the reflexive pronoun in
students are given a group of sentences regarding the number, gender and person.
use of the English reflexive pronouns, as exemplified
by (2): The revised rule does not only account for the
(2) a. Bipin won’t commit himself. sentences in (2), but accounts for these ungrammatical
b. *Himself won’t be committed. sentences in (3) as well. In this way the Inductive
Approach may be used in English grammar classroom
According to Step 2, students are asked to effectively.
produce or generalize a grammatical rule from the
group of sentences to account for both its grammatical PROS AND CONS
and ungrammatical sentences. Based on their In fact, consciousness raising is seen as an
grammatical judgments about the two sentences in (2), important feature in language learning as it focuses on
students would formulate a tentative grammatical rule the learners’ attention actively on a grammatical
structure through examples and guides them to work
© 2021 |Published by Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 352
 Rudra Prasad Samanta., Sch Int J Linguist Lit, Nov, 2021; 4(11): 351-353
out the rules of the target language themselves, instead I. Inductive teaching is learner – centred and helps
of giving them everything ready and waiting (Ruin, to promote effective learning.
1996). This approach also involves the learners in a II. Students hardly forget grammar structures that
more active, participation and as they require to figure they learn.
out the rules by themselves, the learners will remember III. It helps learners fish out information themselves.
and acquire then better than just by hearing them from IV. It helps to motivate the students to learn the
the teacher. Despite the advantages of the inductive structures they are introduced to.
approach, it might not always be a good way to V. The grammar structures are learnt in real life
approach a grammar item. Firstly, it can be very time situations and this situational learning encourages
consuming as the teacher has to create the many students to use the language in a real life
examples needed to demonstrate the rules well enough situation.
and it might also take much time for the learners to VI. It helps teachers to avoid long definitions they
actually discover the rules. The time taken for the make students memorise.
discovery of the rule might not leave enough room for VII. It helps students to learn from the known to the
exercises and in that case the learners could only unknown and this really helps students to
depend on their own conclusions. Secondly, the learners understand structures by blending the old and the
might hypothesize the rules wrong which might lead to new knowledge.
incorrect assumptions of the grammar item (Thornbury, VIII. The mental effort involved ensures a greater
1999). Now, if the rules are not verbalized at all, it degree of cognitive depth which, again, ensures
might be very difficult later to unlearn what the learners greater memorability.
have originally acquired and, thus, it could lead to bad IX. Students are more actively involved in the
habits in real language use. Again, the researchers are learning process, rather than being simply passive
not completely satisfied with the method although many recipients: they are therefore likely to be more
have found it functional. Here the learners get to attentive and more motivated.
participate more but, on the other hand, this
participation might lead to incorrect knowledge about All these important aspects of inductive
the language and also take time from actually practicing approach should be kept in mind while using this
the rules. approach to the teaching of English grammar to make
this approach more fruitful and more effective.
CONCLUSION
The significance of this inductive approach REFERENCES
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