Transcript First language acquisition

Teaching grammar
Key terms
Grammar is commonly defined as the way words are put
together to make correct sentences.
A specific instance of grammar is usually called a structure.
The teaching of grammar does not necessarily help people
to use the language. It is because language is used to
perform certain functions (e.g. introducing, suggesting,
apologizing, expressing likes/dislikes)
When presenting a structure, it is essential to:
 show the meaning and usage of the structure
 show how the structure is formed
Some functions can be expressed by a range of different
structures, e.g. intention can be expressed by I am going
to, I am planning to, I intend to.
Teaching a grammatical structure is not sufficient on its
own.
Students should be more aware of why they are practicing
particular structures:
e.g. modal verbs not learned as “useful structures” but
rather as language tools for expressing permission,
possibility, etc.
Different approaches to teaching grammar
The grammar translation method (explicit) x
communicative language teaching (implicit)
A deductive approach: the rule is presented and
then practised
An inductive approach: the rule is inferred
through some kind of guided discovery
Grammar and young learners
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In the Czech Republic, the teaching of grammar has a deep-rooted
tradition (rules are essential for the mastery of an L2, grammarbased tests…).
To what extent can grammar teaching benefit young learners?
“Although formal teaching of grammar is not
usually a major objective in the young learners’
classroom, teachers can most usefully
contribute to children’s understanding of
grammar by using form-focused techniques in
meaningful and interesting contexts.”
Brewster, Ellis: The Primary English Teacher’s Guide, p. 93/94
Initial stages
- holistic learning of languge chunks
- initial grammatical patterns are learned
implicitly by meeting language in the
context of e.g. lesson routines, games,
stories and rhymes
- children can transfer these chunks to new
contexts and use them creatively (Can I go to
the toilet? → Can I go to the outside? (sic) )
Moving on to explicit grammar work
- unlikely to be appropriate before the ages
of 8-10 (depends on the educational context,
children’s cognitive maturity, number of
hours/years of L2 instruction)
- must correspond with work and concepts
covered in L1 grammar lessons (Are the
children familiar with what a noun / tense /
plural, etc. is?)
Language awareness
 encouraging observation about how English works
as a system (discovery approach: guessing,
hypothesizing, treating L2 as a logical puzzle)
 noticing particular language patterns and
contrasting these with L1 forms
 observations alone do not ensure that children can
apply the new features → must be accompanied by
plenty of practice; regular recycling of grammatical
patterns and forms
Articles
Making Grammar Memorable
-
http://www.hltmag.co.uk/dec08/mart03.htm
how to personalize grammar, create grammatical
mnemonics
Reintroducing Grammar
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/ukpublishers/oup/reintroducing-grammar
- message-focus vs. form focus teaching