The Impact of Grammar Consciousness-Raising Activities on Developing Syntactic Skills among Iraqi EFL Secondary School Learners

Abstract

Grammar is a pivotal component of effective communication, enabling language users to construct coherent sentences  and convey meaning with clarity and precision. However, Iraqi students in general are reported to face challenges not only in acquiring grammatical skills, but also in identifying grammatical structures, which negatively affects their overall language competence. To overcome these challenges, many different teaching strategies are emerged in the field of teaching (EFL), aiming to enhance students' syntactic skills, including Grammar Consciousness – Raising activities (GCR). Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the impact of GCR activities on developing syntactic skills among Iraqi EFL fifth grade  secondary school learners and find out which grammatical aspects mostly reveal improvement through the strategy activities. Experimental design is used to achieve the research  aims, and verify its hypotheses The sample of the study consists of eighty (80) students from fifth-grade preparatory female  in Diyala Province are randomly chosen  during the (2025-2026) academic year. The experimental group (40 students) is taught syntax using GCR activities, whereas the control group (40 students) is taught according  the conventional method. In addition, a pilot sample of (30) students has been selected from other schools in the same province. The researcher has selected Pre-test and post-test to be the primary instruments for the study, and all the collected data have been submitted to statistical analysis. The results reveal that there have been statistically significant differences in EFL students' syntactic skills in favor of the experimental group, demonstrating that the GCR activities have a positive affect and impact on developing students' syntactic competence. The results lead to drawing conclusions. Moreover, a considerable number of recommendations have been presented that may benefit teachers and curriculum designers. Finally, suggestions for further studies are proposed.