Teaching Grammar Form: Direct instruction vs. contextual learning

The question of whether to teach grammar forms directly or let them be learned in context is a matter of learning goals, language proficiency level, and the situation. Both methods have their advantages, and their combination is often the most effective strategy.
With advanced learners, a purely direct instruction approach sometimes does more harm than good. For example, teaching advanced phrasal verbs out of context-to a list that they should memorize-was very alienating for my students in one class. They were much more interested once I used authentic materials such as articles and videos where the phrasal verbs appeared in context and could be used meaningfully.

In short, direct instruction tends to be clearer and more accurate, especially for beginners, while contextual learning fosters fluency and usability. Combining the two approaches-starting with explicit teaching and then reinforcing through context-can be a highly effective strategy.

What do you think-for what kind of students or for what situations-would one of these two approaches direct teaching and contextual learning-be more effective?

Since you don't work in a school yet, how do you intend to adapt these approaches when you actually get to a classroom where students may also be different in their learning styles and needs?

I think teaching type of grammar depends on many factors. For example, some students may find it easier and more effective to learn a theme in context, paying attention to the sentence structure. While for other students it may be easier to learn by looking at the full table and the given structures.
For me, teaching in context seems more effective for adult students. But for younger learners I try to first give specific rules and tables for learning grammar

which method do you use more in your particular work practice?

In my particular work practice, I work with both younger students and older ones, and the methods I use vary depending on the age group and their learning needs.
In primary grades, I stick more to direct instruction; after all, grammar is generally a new and confusingly complicated system that young students hardly know how to handle without explicit explanations. For instance, the ability to form some simple present tense sentences, explained step by step through repetitive exercises and clear examples.

With older learners, I like to use more contextual approaches. The majority of these learners would already have some grammatical background, so what I need to emphasize is how grammar works in a given context. For example, when teaching conditionals or modals, scenarios involving essay writing or debates can be employed.
I believe that the adaptation of the method to the level and needs of the students is important for their understanding and interest.