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DIFFERENT APPROCHES IN THE TEACHING OF GRAMMAR Article One

Descriptive English Grammar vs Prescriptive English Grammar


Monday, 01 March 2010 18:34 Written by Neal Chambers

Sparky: English grammar is really difficult. Mr.Maru: Why is that? Sparky: well, sometimes I read a grammar rule and study it but people don't speak that way. Mr.Maru: Can you give me an example? Sparky: Using their, a teacher told me I shouldn't use their for a single person, but people use it all the time. Mr.Maru: Yes, they/them/their is often used to talk about a single person. Some people do think it is wrong though. Sparky: Why? Mr.Maru: There are different kinds of grammar for English you can use - one is descriptive and one is prescriptive. What is the difference between prescriptive and descriptive grammar? What is descriptive grammar? What is prescriptive grammar? Let's go over some examples and explanations. What is Descriptive Grammar? Language is constantly changing. It is a unique organic system that is never static. English has become an important language because it has evolved and adapted over several hundreds of years to become what it is today. As the language changes the rules for the language change as well. If the majority (50% or more) use the language one way that becomes the new rule. Changes happen slowly because there are over a billion English speakers in the world, but they do still happen. Descriptive grammar describes how grammar is actually being used. It can also be called colloquial grammar. When speakers start to change the language, descriptive grammar helps to describe what is happening. For example, using 'they/their/them' to mean 'he or she/his or her/him or her' is a common piece of descriptive grammar. For example, An individual can update their profile with their name and address. Another grammar point that is becoming more common is using the verb 'graduate'
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without 'from'. For example, I graduated Japan university. I graduated from Japan university. (standard usage) Descriptive grammar is important to know because it describes how the language is actually being used. However, it is sometimes considered too casual or incorrect by some. It is not appropriate to use this type of grammar for school papers or business documents. What is Prescriptive Grammar? Prescriptive grammar is more familar to us. This is the type of grammar that is described in most older textbooks and reference books. If you are an ESL/EFL student you have studied these rules in class and drilled sentences with this grammar. If you are a professional writer you have seen these rules in the style guides such as the AP style guide that are in common use. Prescriptive grammar is usually the safest type of grammar to use. Professors and teachers expect you to use this type of grammar and publishers will require you to use it. Be sure to check the appriopriate guides for your industry. Where does Prescriptive Grammar Come From? About 500 years ago, there weren't any grammar rules for English. The same word had several different spellings. There were different regional dialects of English that had their own structure and vocabulary. William Bullokar wrote one of the first grammars for English in 1578. He also invented a standard alphabet for the English language. This first grammar book was written like the Latin grammar books written during the 16th century. William wanted English to become a widely used language. It had to be accepted by academics and scholars. So, he created rules similar to rules in Latin. Latin was used by academics and religious scholars at that time and it was highly respected. At the same time, English was seen as a common language used by the people and not highly respected.

Which is better Descriptive Grammar or Prescriptive Grammar? This is a difficult question. You must think about your audience (the people reading or listening to you). If your audience is academic or you are writing for business, it's better to use prescriptive grammar. In more casual situations, like emails, friendly chats, or (some) blogs, it's perfectly acceptable to use descriptive grammar .

Article Two
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COVERT AND OVERT COVERT grammar teching is where grammatical facts are hidden from the students -even though they are learning the language .In other words , the students may be asked to do an information gap activity or read a text where new grammar is practised or introduced , but their attention will be drawn to the activity or the text and not to the grammar . With covert grammar , teachers help the students to acquire and pratise the language , but they do not draw concusions attention to any of the grammatical facts of the language. OVERT grammar teaching means that the teachr actually provides the students with gramatical rules and explanations -the information is openly presented , in other words. Some techniques for the presentation of the new language - for example where the teacher explains how present simple questions need do, does -are extremely overt . So we are explicit and open with overt teaching ;with covert teaching we simply get students to work with the language and hope that they will more or less subconsciously absorb grammatical information.

CRITICAL RESPONSE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN THE TEACHING OF GRAMMAR Teaching approaches give different meaning to different people. According to Chris H-2011, teaching approaches is a personal philosophy of teaching. Different people might give different meaning and approaches in teaching grammar. However, the most common approaches used in teaching English are descriptive or prescriptive grammar and overt or covert.

In article one, it explain briefly about the descriptive and prescriptive grammar as it gives the meaning in detail of each approach. Descriptive essay refers to the structure of a language as it is actually used by speakers and writers. On the other hand, prescriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as certain people think it should be used. In simpler words, descriptive grammar proposed a communication language where the meaning is being stress compared than the language. Instead, prescriptive grammar stress on the correct grammar structure of the sentence.

In this article, it questioned the reader to compare which one is better between descriptive and prescriptive grammar. The article stated that the approach used depends on the audience who is the people reading of listening to you. For example, when the audiences are academic people or for business writing purpose, it is advisable to use prescriptive grammar as it show the formality of the situation. Prescriptive grammar during writing and speaking also show the intellectuality of someone as the speaker or writer need to think first before he or she speaks out. In more casual situation like friendly chat, writing an email or blogs, descriptive grammar is acceptable. This is due to the informality of the situation as well as the audience such as friends, family and colleagues. Normally, people tend to use descriptive language when they are dealing with people who are close to them.

The second article stated about the definition of covert and overt and some simple explanation about both of the approaches. Covert grammar teching is where grammatical facts are hidden from the students even though they are learning the language. With covert grammar , teacher helps the students to acquire and pratise the language , but they do not draw concusions attention to any of the grammatical facts of the language. For example, a teacher can have a language game without mentioning the purpose of the game. By doing so, students will enjoys the games and at the same time, they will learn grammar indirectly without realising it. On the other hand, overt grammar teaching means that the teacher actually provides the students with gramatical rules and explanations where the information is openly presented. For example, the teacher explains about present tense, past tense and many more. This teaching method is called overt as it explain the grammar rules directly.

Usually, students will be more interest in covert approaches as they can run, act and talk and do whatever they want during the acticity. Studies show that human brain will work and think better after doing some exersices. Therefore, teacher should include covert approach in their teaching routine so that students will not feel bored. However, overt approach is also important as too many play and no brief explanation will make the students confused. Therefore, teacher need to be creative in their teaching by combining both covert and overt. Covert activites can be used to attract their interest as well as indirectly educate them. Overt activity should also be done to make sure that the students really understand the input.

ISSUES IN THE TEACHING OF GRAMMAR Article One


Issue in teaching grammar-Teaching large multi-level classes Unfortunately, we often deal with many classes that do not conform the pedagogical norm of 20-25 students per classroom. In many parts of the world teachers may have a class size range from 30 students to over 130. This, of course brings benefits and challenges.

The benefits 1-There are always enough students for interaction. We tend to think small classes are ideal. However, when there are very few students in a class, they quickly get to know one another. Opportunities for personalization become rare as students have fewer new ideas to offer, and the classes themselves can become quite dull. 2. We get a rich variety of human resources. Depending on the age of our students, but normally we always have students from different backgrounds, that can contribute their experiences to the whole class and make the learning experience more significant and interesting. 3. The teacher is not the only pedagogue. Cooperation works better than competition in the large class: cross-ability grouping allows the more able learners to improve their language skills by honoring their ability to explain, to state clearly, and to give effective examples, while it provides the less able with considerable support (Hess, 2001, p.3). 4. We are never bored. This point reflects the richness and diversity of the large class. There are always multiple things going on, issues to attend and challenges to meet. 5. Professional development occurs naturally. Although we prefer small classes, the techniques we have taught will have to be reinvented and refined with larger groups.

The challenges :

1-We often feel out of control. Even the most experienced teacher can have trouble managing a large class. If we opt for pair or group work, simply getting students in and out of groups can pose a formidable challenge even before any teaching takes place. A chaotic environment can happen when all students talk at the same time, this will generate so much noise. It is often difficult to hear individual students or to make oneself heard. Hess (2001) suggests that a solution to a chaotic environment is organization. Good organization, among other things, helps students to know what is expected of them and to get on task quickly and efficiently. Having a special place on the board where homework assignments are always placed or where directions for the first activity of the day are written, and a place where all the scheduled activities for the lesson are listed, help in establishing good control (Hess, 2001, p.4).

2. In the larger class we may feel trapped in problems of management. We are confronted with multiple tasks, some of which are performed simultaneously with numerous practical managerial decisions including taking attendance, collecting homework, and so on. In terms of grammar, we have to deal with the following questions: How and when do we deal with errors when they occur in the course of a communicative activity? How about if the error occurs during a form-focused drill or exercise? How do we give feedback to students who are at different stages of grammar development, and for whom some explanations will either be irrelevant or incomprehensible?

3. We are frustrated by the huge amount of written work. Correcting the grammar errors in students written work is, for many teachers, the most time-consuming thing they do. Collaboration is key, getting students to act as peer reviewers of each others work can be helpful for the teacher when this is done in the classroom.

4. It is difficult to provide for individual learning styles. When we teach grammar, we need to use a range of different techniques that cater to those who favor the deductive learning of grammar as well as those who prefer to learn inductively.

5. Activating the quiet student is difficult. Even though some students can learn just as effectively by not participating as they can by participating. Giving them adequate time to prepare what they have to say, possibly by providing them with grammatical cues to improve accuracy, not requiring them to speak up in front of the whole class can actually improve participation rates.

Article Two
Catering to different learning styles A learning style refers to the learners preferred way of learning. It is an individuals natural, habitual, and preferred ways of absorbing, processing and retaining new information and skills (Kinsella, 1995, p. 171). Some individuals are visual learners while other prefer to learn by listening to the target language.

Learning Style
Type 1: Concrete learners

Definition
These learners tend to like games, pictures, films, video, using cassettes, talking in pairs, and practicing English outside class. These learners like studying grammar, studying English books, reading newspapers, studying alone, finding their own mistakes, and working on problems set by the teacher. These students like to learn by watching, listening to native speakers, talking to friends in English, watching television in English using English out of class in shops, learning new words by hearing them, and learning by conversation. These learners prefer the teacher to explain everything, like to have their own textbook, to write everything in a notebook, to study grammar, learn by reading, and learn new words by seeing them.

Type 2: Analytical learners

Type 3: Communicative learners

Type 4: Authority-oriented learners

How do you imagine that the four different types of learners might prefer to study grammar? Concrete learners like to encounter grammar in context. They are likely to respond well to tasks in which a grammar point is supported and explained by some kind of visual. Analytical learners, on the other hand, prefer to identify grammar rules and principles through the inductive study of language. Communicative learners also prefer learning inductively, and encountering grammar in context, where the relationship between form and function is clear. Authority-oriented learners favor a deductive approach in which the teacher provides a rule and then gives them opportunities to apply the rule.

What type of learner are you? To relate to what type of learner our students are, it is important to know what type of learners we are ourselves. Answer the survey and add up the subtotals. (No subtotal should exceed 24). Type of learner survey

Catering to different learning styles If the majority of your students are authority-oriented, they will probably be more satisfied with the fairly traditional exercises and tasks such as cloze, matching, fill-inthe-blank, and multiple choice. Analytical learners will probably be happy if you provide them with self-study resources, time in the self-access center or to practice grammar through internet. Communicative and concrete learners are more likely to prefer learning grammar through games, simulations, role-plays, information gaps, and projects. Often teachers will subconsciously design lessons that favor their dominant learning style. Therefore it is important to remember to cater to an assortment of learning styles.

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CRITICAL RESPONSE ABOUT THE ISSUES IN THE TEACHING OF GRAMMAR

The Ministry of Education in Malaysia has been discussing many issues in the teaching of grammar since a long time ago and it seems like the story will never end as it goes on and on. However, some people believe that it is good to have issues or conflicts as it will generate critical thinking of the administrator in order to provide a better education system in Malaysia. Comparing the Malaysian Educational System with other countries has provides a thoughtful debate and brief explanation about the system used. However, there are still some issues that should be looked closer which happened in Malaysia. Eventhough the issues might seem simple to some people, however, the issues raised are very rational and it is vital for the administrator to have a better look at the issues which are issue of teaching grammar in a large multi-level classes and issue of catering students to different learning styles.

In article one, the discussion lingers on the issue of teaching grammar in a large multi-level classes where it propose the benefits and challenges of having a large multilevel class consist of 30 students to over 130 compare to small class which is only 20-25 students per classroom. The article stated that there are five benefit of having a large class which are big class provide a better environment for learning as there are always enough students for interaction, the students get a rich variety of human resources, the teacher is not the only pedagogue, the teacher and students will never bored and professional development can occurs naturally within the students. Article one also stated the challenges face by the teacher nowadays in dealing with the students in big class as they often feel out of control as different student poses different attitude and behavior. In the larger class, the teacher may feel trapped in problems of management and frustrated by the huge amount of written work. In addition, it is difficult to provide for individual learning styles and activating the quiet student is hard.

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Having a big or small class is an issue to certain teachers as they need to provide suitable material for the students. However, the there are advantages of having a big class as well as small class. Big class might give multiple things going on, issues to attend and challenges to meet, hence, making the learning process more fun and interactive. Nevertheless, small class is easier to control and make fewer problems compare to the big class. Students in small class will also get more attention from the teacher. However, the disadvantage of having a big class is where different background and personalities of the students contribute to variety discipline problems. Still, small class has the disadvantage of having no variety of interaction. When there are very few students in a class, they quickly get to know one another and the character building of the students will become dull and boring. Nonetheless, big class gives the opportunity for the students where professional development occurs naturally through active and variety interaction among the students. Yet, small class also gives the opportunity for the students to ask question and ample time are given for each explanation. Though, big class requires the teacher to speak louder and give careful attention to the students to make sure they understand and well behaved. In small class however, activating the quiet students are more difficult due to unvaried interaction among peers.

Furthermore, the second article stated the catering of students to different learning styles or learners preferred way of learning. Some individuals are visual learners while others prefer to learn by listening to the target language. The article listed four types of learner and the first one is concrete learners who they tend to like games, pictures, films, video, using cassettes, talking in pairs, and practicing English outside class. The second type is analytical learners who they tend to study alone, finding their own mistakes, and working on problems set by the teacher followed by the third type of learners who are communicative learners who these students like to learn by watching, listening to native speakers and talking to friends in English. Lastly, authority-oriented learners who prefer the teacher to explain everything learn by reading and learn new words by seeing them.

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Catering students into their respective learning style may bring positive and negative impact to some people such as the students and the teacher. When students are being cantered according to the learning style, the learning process of the students will be a lot easier that having mix learning style students in one class. The teacher will also get to know the right method and approaches in teaching them, hence, producing an effective learning session. Other than that, time consume to choose the right method has been save. However, having students with specific learning style will imbalanced the quantity of students per class. For example, the number of analytical learners is less than the number of concrete learners. This situation will develop an unhealthy learning environment for the students as they could not mingle and interact with other students under one roof. Still, the opportunity of cantering the students is that they will be able to learn in their best way. For instance, an analytical learner will easily get distracted with an authority-oriented learner as their ways in learning are totally different. Eventhough many people gave their opinions about the matter, however, this issue is still being discussed and the result has not been decided yet.

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REFERENCES

BOOKS Rodney Huddleston (1984), Introduction to the Grammar of English, Cambridge University Press

Joseph O'Beirne Milner, Lucy Floyd Morcock Milner (2007), Bridging English, Prentice Hall, University of Virginia

Neena Dash & M. Das (2007), Teaching English As An Additional Language, Atlatic Publisher and Distributer

INTERNET http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/descriptive-prescriptive-grammar.html (17 JULY 2012)

http://www.englishspark.com/en/students/440-descriptive-english-grammar-prescriptiveenglish-grammar (17 JULY 2012)

http://grammar.about.com/od/basicsentencegrammar/f/descpresgrammar.htm (18 JULY 2012)

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