Grammar teaching as a reflective practice: a historical approach

Although, historically, there has been a persistent tendency towards school practices based on explicit grammatical instruction in Spain, since the 19th century, pedagogues, grammarians, and teachers, among others, (through the media, in pedagogical conferences, and in their manuals, etc.) have highlighted the benefits of teaching aimed at promoting reflection on linguistic forms. Most of these authors follow a line that accepts grammar, not as an a priori matter, which allows the correct mastery of the language, but as a tool for analysis and reflection based on working with oral and written language. In this paper, we approach this trend by analysing the ideas of three authors on the teaching of first languages, who were of special relevance in Spain during the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century: Mariano Carderera, Jose de Caso and Alexandre Gali.