teaching_grammar (tibo oesterschulze)

Teaching GrammarTeaching the Language System

How to Teach Grammar

A presentation by Merle Oesterschulze & Ann-Kristin TiboThis presentation is (mainly) based on

Tricia Hedges Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom, (2000) Chapter 5 pp.158-178

Further material was taken out of

Scott Thornburys How Teach Grammar, (1999)Rosie Tanners and Cathrine Greens Tasks for Teacher Education. A Reflective Approach, (1998) (Chap.3)

Teaching GrammarOverviewContent of our Presentation

Introduction1.1 Why teach grammar?1.2 Grammar acquisition a short revision1.3 Basic principles for grammar teaching

2. Guiding principles in the teaching of grammar2.1 Presenting grammar2.2 Practising grammar

3. How can we suit approach to learner needs?

4. Bibliography

Overview

IntroductionWhy teach grammar?Grammar acquisitionBasic principles

Guiding principles inthe teaching ofgrammarPresenting grammarPractising grammar

How can we suit approach to learner needs?

Teaching GrammarIntroduction- Why teach grammar? -Overview


Guiding principles in the teaching of grammarPresenting grammarPractising grammar


To what extent do you agree or disagree with these statements?taken from Tasks for Teacher Education p. 13

Teaching GrammarIntroduction- Why teach grammar? -Overview




Presentation of grammar can facilitate learning in a number of ways:

it can provide input for noticing language forms

it can help to see the difference between the learners output and accurate forms of English

Without some focus on form, learners run the risk of fossilising

it can give information on the stylistic variation of language form Me Tarzan, you Jane- kind of language fails to deliver intelligibility

BUT this does not mean that grammar should be the goal of teaching, nor that a focus on form alone is sufficient.

A language is acquired through practice [communication]; it is merely perfected through grammar (Leibniz)

On balance, there is a convincing case for grammar teaching

(taken out of How Teach Grammar pp.15-17; 23-25)

Teaching GrammarOverview




Introduction- Grammar acquisition -

We have to be aware of the ...

developmental sequences or natural order hypothesis = readiness to learn order in which certain features of language are acquired

variation of the time needed to learn a new structure among Ls implication: to recycle structures

fact that the process is not a lockstep onee.g. go went *goed

inductive learning- use of acquired knowledge and knowledge of L1 to discover the language

Consequences for the role of grammar instruction





Introduction- Basic principles -Grammar presentation and practice activities should be evaluated according to:

1. How efficient they are

1.1 How time-efficient is it? (its economy) presenting grammar: the shorter the better

1.2 How easy is it set up? (its ease) the easier an activity is to set up, the better it is

1.3 Is it consistent with good learning principles? (its efficacy) try to exclude any distracting or irrelevant details understandable and easy to remember2. How appropriate they are

2.1 learners needs and interests

2.2 learners attitudes and expectations

factors: age; level; group size; constitution of the group

(taken out of How Teach Grammar pp.25-28)





Guiding principles- Presenting grammar -





Guiding principles- Presenting grammar -Language is context-sensitive (Thornbury; p.90)

Context can be created through:visuals; miming/ demonstrating; dialogues; texts; songs; videos; situations

The context should be useful and appropriate to the learners needsWhich forms and in what order?

Experiment





Guiding principles- Presenting grammar -ExperimentConsider the set of forms for the present continuous tense to express current actions:





Guiding Principles- Presenting Grammar -- metalanguage may be useful for advanced learners and analytical learners Sometimes, it is most effective to guide students into seeing the patterns (above all for beginners)Explicit = deductive approach grammatical explanation and application activityImplicit = inductive approach discovery learning e.g. consciousness-raising tasks

Compare Material 5A and 5BPattern: it + linking verb + adjective + infinitive with to

e.g.: Its difficult to make up your mind. Its easy to say that.

Lexical phrases used by native speakers

Teaching grammarOverview


Guiding Principles in the Teaching of GrammarPresenting GrammarPractising Grammar


Guiding Principles- Practising Grammar -The PPP model PRESENTATIONPRACTICEPRODUCTIONaim: to achieve accuracy aim: to achieve fluencySee table 5.1; p. 166





Guiding Principles- Practising Grammar -The PPP model

ProsConshas a logic appeal both to teachers and students and reflects the way other skills are learned, e.g. footballLearners will perform the activity with the new learned structure correctly in that lesson, but will then cease to use it, or produce it inaccurately (see also: Ellis; p.166)allows the teacher to control the content and pace of the lesson andprovides a convenient template Language is learned in bits and steps

BUT: Language acquisition is more complex and less linear than the PPP model assumesControlled practice stage provides conscious focus on form assumes that accuracy precedes fluency

BUT: learners might be able to speak fluently while still making mistakes





Guiding Principles- Practising Grammar -Alternative Models:

Dictogloss Technique

Form of dictation, BUT: students need to hear and reconstruct the whole text

Focus is on language form which is contextually embedded in a situation Learners are encouraged to reflect on grammar

Students need to work collaboratively on reflecting the text which necessitates decision-making

negotiation of form (Swain)

Sample Lesson

Sample Lesson

aim: Learn would in its past habitual sense

example: When we lived in Canada we would often go kayaking.

Instructions

Listen and as soon as I have finished write down what you remember of the text.

Join up in pairs and compare what you have noted down.

Try to reconstruct the text.

Compare your version with the original.Overview




Guiding Principles- Practising Grammar -Teaching Grammar

When I was a child we used to go camping every summer. Wed choose a

different place each year, and wed drive around until we found a beach we

liked. Then wed pitch our tent, as near as possible to the beach. Wed

usually spend most of the time on the beach or exploring the country round

about. We never went to the same beach twice.

Taken out of How Teach Grammar p.83

Overview




Teaching GrammarGuiding Principles- Practising Grammar -

To sum it up

Order of the dictogloss activities

warm-up to the topic and preparation of relevant vocabulary

text is read twice, on the second reading students note down the words they catch

students try to reconstruct the text in groups they use the grammar they know and consider the possible alternatives

when comparing their version of the text with the original, students see the differenceOverview




Guiding Principles- Practising Grammar -Teaching Grammar





Guiding Principles- Practising Grammar -Alternative Models:

2) Task-Based Model

focus on: fluency-to-accuracy sequence

Learners perform a communicative task

Teacher uses this to identify language features learners could have used to communicate more effectively

These features are taught and practised

Students re-perform the original (or a similar) taskTASKTEACHTASK






Celce-Murcia: the more factors the teacher identifies on the left side of the grid, the less important it is to focus on form; the more factors the teacher identifies on the right, the more important the grammatical focus (Celce-Murcia 1993: 294)

Teaching GrammarBibliographyGreen, Catherine & Tanner, Rosie (1998). Tasks for Teacher Education. A Reflective Approach. Longman

Hedge, Tricia (2000). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford University Press

Thornbury, Scott (1999). How Teach Grammar. Longman

http://www.songtext.net/A/Adams_Bryan/Summer_Of_69.html

teaching_grammar (tibo oesterschulze)

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