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This attitude comes from a humanistic approach to language learning in which it is believed that affective (emotional) factors as just as important as cognitive factors. It is probably[r]
(1)(2)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Contents
Introduction ………
Aims ………
Reading ………
Section A – Reflection ………
Section B – Approaches to teaching grammar ………
Section C – Presentation techniques ……… 19
Section D – Practice techniques ……… 29
Section E – Grammar in the young earner classroom ………… 34
References ……… 35
Feedback on unit ……… 36
(3)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Introduction
In many traditional language classrooms, grammar was viewed as the most important aspect of language learning Methodology was concerned almost solely with ways of having learners practise the grammar with vocabulary and pronunciation slotted in Nowadays most teachers would not recognise that situation – there has been a growing acceptance that there is much more to a language than grammar In the 1970’s, the communicative approach mostly abandoned this emphasis on grammatical form in favour communicating the message successfully, despite inaccuracies More recently, however, the importance of focussing on form has been addressed again
In this unit we will be considering different approaches to teaching grammar and whether we need to make form (or structure) rules explicit to learners We shall evaluate a number of presentation and practice techniques
Aims
By the end of this unit you should:
• Have a clearer understanding of deductive, inductive and guided discovery approaches to grammar teaching
• Have analysed lessons in relation to these approaches
• Have analysed the learning process within a guided discovery lesson
• Have planned a sequence of activities using a guided discovery
framework
• Have evaluated a number of presentation techniques
• Have a clearer understanding or the notion of controlled and free practice activities
• Have planned controlled and free practice activities for particular language points
• Have considered the place of grammar in younger learner classrooms
(4)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Essential Reading
Cameron, L 2001 Teaching Languages to Young Learners. CUP
Chapter – Learning Grammar
Nunan, D 1991 Language Teaching Methodology Longman
Chapter – the Role of Grammar
Ur, P 1999 A Course in Language Teaching: Practice and Theory CUP
Recommended Further Reading
ELT Forum Teacher Development Pack: Grammar
(5)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Section A: Reflection
Task
Read the following comments which were made by different teachers Consider whether you agree or disagree with them and why If possible, this task with a colleague
1 I usually tell the students the rule before we practice grammar I try not to use grammar terminology in the classroom
3 I like to use examples from my students’ life when I am teaching grammar I think if we provide enough good examples, then students can infer the
rules without being told
5 It is easy to explain some grammar rules by others are so complicated that it is better not to bother
6 It is better to other activities such as reading a story or listening to a song first that lead to grammar
When you have finished, look at the commentary that follows
(6)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Commentary
1 I usually tell the students the rule before we practice grammar
This is one of the features of the deductive approach (don’t be confused by the name!) to grammar teaching In this approach the teacher moves from rules to examples In contrast, there is the inductive approach, in which learners are presented with lots of examples and they work out the rule for themselves; in other words they induce the rule
This is also very characteristic of the grammar translation method of language teaching and is also very common in students’ grammar books
2 I try not to use grammar terminology in the classroom
If you are teaching very young learners you probably agreed with this
If you are teaching older children or adults then it is very difficult to avoid terminology altogether unless you are using a totally experiential approach to language learning where the students are using the language to perform task with no explicit analysis of the language
On the other hand, over use of terminology with turn a lot of students off and it is important to be sensitive to the effect use of terminology is having on students I like to use examples from my students’ life when I am teaching grammar This attitude comes from a humanistic approach to language learning in which it is believed that affective (emotional) factors as just as important as cognitive factors
It is probably an obvious point but if learning is personalised in this way then it will probably be more memorable Traditionally, the personalisation stage comes after the presentation but there is no reason why the presentation itself should not be personalised However, this would require a great deal of skill on the teacher’s part
4 I think if we provide enough good examples, then students can infer the rules without being told
See number This is characteristic of an inductive approach to learning grammar This approach is also called a discovery approach It is comparable to the way in which we learn our first language; direct experience of the language and unconscious assimilation of rules
(7)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
5 It is easy to explain some grammar rules by others are so complicated that it is better not to bother
Most experienced teacher would accept this and plan their teaching accordingly Perhaps a more important point is that some rules are very difficult to induce or discover For example the correct placement of adverbs – I like football very much or He is often late may never be noticed by students unless they are pointed out explicitly
6 It is better to other activities such as reading a story or listening to a song first that lead to grammar
This is an underlying principle in such approaches as task-based learning and the whole language approach – you learn best by doing
(8)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Section B: Approaches
The tasks in this section have been taken from Thornbury, 2004)
Task 1
Read through the following three mini lessons and for each one decide:
• Sequence: Which comes first the rule or the example?
• Rule: Is the rule stated explicitly or is it implicitly understood?
• Guidance: How much does the teacher guide the learners?
Lesson
Teacher
“to form the present perfect continuous, use the auxiliary verb have plus the past participle of the verb to be (been) plus the present participle, for example …”
Teacher writes on the board:
I have been working
Has Jeff been watching TV? They haven’t been listening
“You use the present perfect continuous to talk about activities that started in the past and continue to the present (or very recent past), especially when you want to focus on the process itself, or its duration, for example…”
Teacher writes on board:
We have been living here since we got married How long have you been studying Chinese? Why is your hair wet? I’ve been swimming
“Now make sentences using the present perfect continuous for these situations…
Jeff started watching TV at five o’clock Hi has just switched the TV off It is now nine o’clock
I first came to live in this town five years ago I’m still living here
Our company was set up over 100 years ago We manufactured bicycles them and we are still manufacturing them.”
(9)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
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Lesson
Teacher:
“Dawn is standing outside the cinema She is waiting for her friend Dawn arrived at eight o’clock It’s now ten past eight She has been waiting for ten minutes
When did she start waiting? (Learners: “Eight o’clock.”) Is she still waiting?
(Learners: “Yes.”)
How you express the idea of waiting that started in the past and is still continuing?
(Learners: “She has been waiting.”) How is the tense formed?
(Learners: “Have plus been plus –ing.”)
This tense is called the present perfect continuous Here is another situation:
It is now nine o’clock and Jeff is watching TV He started watching TV at five o’clock He has been watching TV for four hours
Use the present perfect continuous to make a sentence for each of these situations:
I first came to live in this town five years ago I’m still living here
Our company was set up over 100 years ago We manufactured bicycles then, and we are still manufacturing them.”
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(10)ICELT distance unit Grammar presentation & practice
Lesson
Teacher:
“Once upon a time, Goldilocks visited the Bears’ house There was nobody home She ate some of Baby Bear’s porridge She smoked one of Father Bear’s cigars She drank some of Mother Bear’s coffee, and she rode Mother Bear’s motorbike She played with Buddy Bear’s toys, and she played Buddy Bear’s guitar She read some of Missy Bear’s magazines, and she used Missy Bear’s computer
Well, finally, she felt tired so she went upstairs to sleep When the Bears came home, Baby Bear said, “Who’s been eating my porridge?” Repeat (Learners: “Who’s been eating my porridge?”)
Mother Bear said, “Who’s been drinking my coffee?” Repeat (Learners: “Who’s been drinking my coffee?”)
Father Bear said, “Who’s been smoking my cigar?” Repeat (Learners: “Who’s been smoking my cigar?”
What did Missy Bear say about her magazines? (Learners: Who’s been reading my magazines?” And her computer?
(Learners: “Who’s been using my computer?” What did Buddy Bear say about his toys? (Learners: “Who’s been playing with my toys?” And his guitar?
(Learners: “Who’s been playing my guitar?” What did Mother Bear say about her motorbike? (Learners: “Who’s been riding my motorbike?” Now tell the story to your partner.”