Name: Candidate Number: Centre: Centre Number: LSA 1

Robert William McCaul XXX CLIC International House, Seville ES068 Systems Assignment

Helping learners to hypothesise about past events using the third conditional
Contents 1. Introduction 1.1. Why focus on hypothesising about the past? 1.2 Scope 2. Analysis of Features 2.1 Meaning 2.2 Form 2.3 Pronunciation 2.3.1 Weak forms 2.3.2 Sentence stress and rhythm 3. Problems and Solutions 3.1 Meaning 3.1.1 Problem: confusing negative and positive meanings 3.1.1 Solution 3.1.2 Problem: confusing the third and the second conditionals 3.1.2 Solution 3.1.3 Problem: Avoidance 3.1.3 Solution 3.2 Form 3.2.1 Problem: erroneous forms 3.2.1 Solution 3.3 Pronunciation 3.3.1 Problem: Weak forms and sentence stress 3.3.1 Solution 4. Conclusion Bibliography Appendices Page Number 2 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 10 11 12

Word count: 2, 317 Introduction

1.1. Why focus on hypothesising about the past?

There are dozens of ways of hypothesising about the past e.g. I wish + past perfect, If only + past perfect, I regret + gerund and the third conditional. I found that very often learners tend to use past simple instead of the past perfect to refer to hypothetical past events. What is more, they tend to over-generalise the second conditional to unreal past situations. This misuse is more to do with form rather than meaning, as the concept expressed by the third conditional exists in most languages (although very likely expressed by a different construction). My teaching practice agrees with what Parrott states (2010), that learners find it difficult to remember the long form of the third conditional. While I agree with Krashen (1983), up to a point, that certain grammar rules can be acquired through exposure to large amounts of comprehensible input, I disagree with his view that learning cannot result in acquisition, (Although he has, more recently, backed away from this position). Furthermore, I agree with Michael Swan (2010 OUPTEFL Conference) who states that the Learning-Acquisition Hypothesis has done enormous damage as it has led people to devalue formal instruction. It seems to me as a Language Learner that some forms require attention and practice before being acquired. This is in line with Thornbury (2004), who maintains that the 3rd Conditional is not a structure that is usually picked up by exposure and is probably best learned through conscious study and application of rules. I also wholly agree with Thornbury (1999) who states that because of its (the 3rd Conditionals) syntactic complexity and because it expresses a concept which is fairly opaque it tends to get taught at a relatively advanced stage. Consequently, I am going to put into practice with Upper-Intermediates. Taking the above into account, I think that the 3rd Conditional is teachable and while I am not expecting learners, who might not be familiar with its use, to acquire the grammar straight away, I agree with Schmidt (1990), that treatment of it in class will help them to notice it in their future reading and listening and acquire it when they are ready. 1.2 Scope I decided to limit the scope to the third conditional only, as its more

complicated form needs more time to be acquired, and as its use is broader. (I wish/If only/I regret are more specifically regrets). The context will be hypothesising about consequences of past events.

Analysis
2.1 Meaning Most broadly, we use the third conditional to speculate about past events (Parrott 2010: 235). Thornbury, in Natural Grammar, describes it as a structure we use to talk about an imaginary past situation and its results (2004:60): It wouldve been more fun if it hadnt rained.

Compared with other more specific definitions, I find the above one the most useful, as it is clearer, more concise and conceptually broader than other definitions which I discuss below. According to Swan, the third conditional is used to talk about past situations that did not happen (2004: 248): If you had asked me, I would have told you.

This explanation would also be useful for learners, as a supplement to Parrotts, however, I believe that the negative definition is conceptually less easily digested :

If he hadnt stolen the car, he wouldnt have gone to jail. (he did steal a car and he did go to jail).

Aitken lists 4 different uses of the third conditional: tracing cause and effect, expressing fate and chance, justifying or explaining past actions and blaming (1992: 114). I think this list is too specific and consequently neither student nor teacher friendly: If you had told me, I wouldnt have made that mistake 2.2 Form: The third conditional consists of two clauses: the if clause and the result clause (Penston 2005: 93), or a conditional clause (Parrott 2010: 231). In

the if clause we use past perfect and in the result/conditional clause would have + past participle. Corpora prove that native speakers tend to use just one of the clauses more often rather than both of them together. This probably stems from a lack of context gap in everyday conversations, among other factors. Here are some examples of the conditional clause being used where the context has evidently already been established (From the British National Corpus, on 20th December 2011) ADG 1569 I joined her, a bit reluctantly I would have felt awful not joining in, because I needed it more than she did! B0P 1149 Ideally, I would have liked to have baited on a little and often basis, say a couple of dozen lobworms and one mashed loaf every day. B0P 1496 If the distance between bait and bullet was, say, 12 inches, then I would have 12 inches of line that would be out of my control. B1X 701 I would have welcomed even a reproachful speech from the coroner but all I got from him was an expression of sympathy. C8T 2190 I would have liked brothers and sisters but I don't remember that I was ever lonely. CKF 2322 I would have to talk to Neil first.

Nevertheless, I believe that students should first be exposed to the full form before they can delve into everyday speech which often tends to break or stretch grammar rules practised in class. The order of the clauses can change without any change in meaning (Swan 2004:248): If you had worked harder, you would have passed your exams.

However, the protasis must always follow the word "if" (Swan 2004:248) Id have been in bad trouble if Jane hadnt helped me. exhibit subject-verb inversion (Swan 2004: 250) Had I realised what you had intended

If the if clause comes first, we generally separate the two clauses with a

Instead of would we coma (Parrott 2010).can use could to express ability: If it hadnt rained, we could have gone for a walk

and might and could to express a lower degree of possibility than that expressed by would (Murphy 1994):

If it hadnt rained, we might have gone for a walk (maybe we would have, but I am not sure).

2.3 Pronunciation 2.3.1 Weak forms The subject (e.g. I) and both would and had are contracted to Id /ad/ which due to smoothing (Underhill 1994) in quick speech is pronounced as /a:d/. Have in would/could/might have is almost never (unless for emphasis) pronounced as /hv/ and most often due to vowel reduction and h dropping is phonemically realised as /v/, or even /v/ (Gimson 1994): /wdv/, /kdv/ and /matv/ (Underhill 1994). If in quick speech will likely be reduced to /f/: If Id /fa:d/ (Parrott 2010).

These processes take place as English is an isochronous language equal time passes between each two stressed syllables (Gimson 2008) and unstressed syllables are often reduced to a schwa to achieve regular stress intervals (Kelly 2001: 70). 2.3.2 Sentence stress if clause oo O o If Id studied conditional clause o o O o o O Id have passed the exam

According to Gimson (2008) syllables which contain full vowels (O) take longer to pronounce than the reduced ones (o) and fall within equal intervals of time. Even though some empirical studies disprove the concept of English as an isochronous language (see Roach 1983, for example), and some authors, such as Gimson (2008) have proposed alternative theories and definitions, I still find that showing students that stress occurs rhythmically and in

equal time intervals is very helpful and beneficial for their pronunciation.

Issues and Solutions

3.1 Meaning 3.1.1 Problem: confusing negative and positive meanings I agree with Aitken (1992) that students might confuse negative and positive meanings, i.e. If I hadnt written my PDA on time, I would have passed DELTA.

As she points out, this results from wanting to express a negative idea (I didnt write the PDA). 3.1.1 Solution To solve this problem I use the first exercise from the guided discovery (appendix 1). Students in pairs have to answer a set of CCQs for three sentences, taken from a dictogloss done at the preceding stage, which clarify that to express a negative idea (i.e. not been able to get a Sevici bike) we use the affirmative (i.e. If I had been able to get a Sevici bike) and vice versa. This is in concordance with what Scrivener suggests, that people learn more by doing things themselves rather than by being told about them (1994). 3.1.2 Problem: confusing the third and the second conditionals In some languages, i.e. Polish, both in second and third conditionals we use past simple in the if clause. This can lead to an indiscriminate use of the second conditional for hypothetical past, present and future events. Hence, learners need to be made aware that in English there is a distinct

construction for speculating about past events. 3.1.2 Solution To solve this problem I use a board game (appendix 2) from New Headway Intermediate Resource Pack (Soars 2009: 53):

put these two sentences on the board: If I was rich, versus If I had been rich when I was young, concept check: Does it refer to the present/past/future? Ask students to complete with their own ideas, feedback and check the correct form

tell the students they are going to play a board game they will have to complete the sentence in the boxes using the correct form (either second or the third conditional), other students decide if it is correct, if the student is unable to complete the sentence s/he has to go back

if a student lands on What would you do? field they have to say what they would have done in that situation

More advanced students can be asked to complete the sentence and talk about the topic for at least 30 seconds. The activity contrasts the form and use of the second and the third conditionals as well as gives students practice in hypothesising about the past, present and future. 3.1.3 Problem: Avoidance Although Ellis (1984) argues after Tarone (1977) that avoidance is used mostly by lower levels, my teaching practice has shown that it is present at higher levels too. It might stem from the fear of making mistakes or from not seeing the relevance of a particular language point. However, it is important to make students aware that their language range is assessed as much as their accuracy is, in exam contexts. 3.1.3 Solution To solve the avoidance problem and help the students notice the gap (Thornbury 2001: 40) I will use a dictogloss (appendix 3). Batstone argues that such activities furnish rich opportunities for learners to notice grammar in context (1994: 100), which he calls the gateway to subsequent learning (1994: 100). I use the following procedure:

listen to the text, pens down after the first listening 30 seconds to write down the key words compare with your partner and listen again to expand your notes work in pairs to reconstruct the text, compare with other pairs and with the original

notice the differences, especially the ones concerning the target language

This activity is followed by a guided discovery as shown in appendix 1 and described in 3.1.1 Solution. Depending on the listening skills of the class, the text can be read more or fewer times. Students can be allowed to note key words while they are listening. 3.2 Form 3.2.1 Problem: erroneous forms When teaching the third conditional to upper intermediate students I have found that they frequently substitute past perfect in the if clause with would, would have and/or past simple:

*If I would study/ would have studied/studied more I would have passed DELTA.

Using would in if clauses is especially common among Spanish speakers due to negative L1 transfer. According to Shackle, speakers of South Asian Languages might also use would in the if clause (Swan, M and Smith, B 2001). This may also stem from the contracted forms of had and would being the same d (Aitken 1992). Moreover, pressure and stress reduce students accuracy (Batstone 1994) and which Krashen reffered to as the affective filter (1983) Although in some dialects of English using would or the form had have + 3rd form in the if clause is an acceptable form, I agree with Parrott (2010: 236) that it would be inappropriate for learners to learn this as it could only confuse them. Finally, students might omit have after would: *If Id caught the bus I wouldnt come late.

3.2.1 Solution To practise the correct form I use Jennys life activity (appendix 4) from New Headway Intermediate Resource Pack (Soars 2009: 52): explain that Jenny is hypothesising about different events from her past hand out the worksheet folded up so that only the top half is visible tell the students they have to match the beginnings of the sentences 1-6 with their endings a-f feedback on the answers tell the students they will hypothesise about their own past remind them that could is used for ability and might for possibility unfold the worksheet, students write sentences using the prompts cover the worksheet, tell the sentences to your partner (this can be repeated more than once with a weaker group to give more time for rehearsing the language) try and remember what your partner has told you change pairs and tell your new partner what your previous pair has told you class feedback: what have you learnt about your classmates?

This activity helps learners focus on form by first exposing them to correct language, then giving them opportunity to write their own sentences and finally to practise saying them. As Batstone (1994) points out, it is very difficult for learners to attend both to form and meaning of the language simultaneously. Consequently, this activity gives students time to rehearse and focus on the form, which enhances learning (Thornbury 1999). Moreover, personalising activities is important for raising learners focus and interest. Finally, I agree with Batstone (1994), Ellis (1984) and Richards & Rogers (1986) that it is important to teach grammar for communication, that is, give learners a task and a reason to use the target language naturally.

3.3 Pronunciation 3.3.1 Problem: Weak forms and sentence stress I would have / a wd hv/ in quick speech is pronounced as /a:dv/ in most British dialect and as / adv/ and the authors own accent . This might result in problems with understanding and mistakes in form, as students will not hear the have and/or the would. As indicated in 2.3.1, in English, only the stressed syllables are pronounced fully, whereas the vowels in the unstressed ones will likely be reduced to schwas. Moreover, usually only content words are stressed in a sentence. This can be a problem for speakers of syllable timed languages, i.e. French or Spanish (Kelly 2001). 3.3.1 Solution To practise noticing and producing weak forms and sentence rhythm I use an activity (appendix 5) from Face2Face Upper Intermediate Student Book (Redston and Cunnigham 2007: 25):

put: I would have on the board. Point out to students that we rarely say / awd hv/ and that have is most often pronounced as /v/, drill as a class

tell the students they will listen to 4 sentences, pause after each sentence and drill as a class

underline the stressed words put students in pairs and practise saying the sentences together remembering to pronounce have as /v/ students listen to 5 other sentences and they have to write them down. They hear each sentence twice

feedback, underline the stressed words, practise saying the sentences in pairs

This activity exposes students to the contracted and weak forms, natural sentence stress and makes them aware of the phonological processes occurring in quick speech. The activity could be extended by asking students to write down 3 sentences about themselves and practise saying them with a partner remembering to pronounce have as /v/.

4. Conclusion

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My research (Parrott 2010) and teaching practice shows that students are likely to have problems with accurately reproducing the form of the third conditional. Consequently, I intend to expose them to the correct structure of the target language in a variety of manners and practise using it in a controlled and a free way. I agree with Thornbury (2001), Harmer (2006), Schmidt (2004) and Batstone (1994) that noticing is a crucial part of the learning process. Consequently, I will use a dictogloss as a means of introducing the target language and a guided discovery to focus on its form and usage. Since activities which are communicative and which make learners use the target language to carry out meaningful tasks lead to acquisition (Ellis 1984, Richards & Rogers 1986), I intend to use activities which follow these principles.

Bibliography: 11

Research materials

Aitken, R. 1992. Teaching Tenses (Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd) Batstone, R. 1994. Grammar (OUP) Ellis, R. 1984 Communication strategies and the evaluation of communicative performance (ELT J 38 (1): 39-44) Ellis, R. 1984. Classroom Second Language Development (New York Pergamon) Gimson, A. C. 2008. Gimsons Pronunication of English (Hodder Education) Harmer, J. 2006. The Practice of English Language Teaching (Longman) Kelly, G. 2000. How to Teach Pronunciation (Pearson Education Limited) Murphy, R. 1994. English Grammar in Use (CUP) Parrott, M. 2010. Grammar for English Language Teachers (CUP) Penston, T. 2005. A Concise Grammar for English Language Teachers (TP Publications) Richards, J. and Rogers, T. 1986. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (CUP) Roach, P. 1983. English Phonetics and Phonology (CUP) Scrivener, J. 1994. Learning Teaching (Heinemann) Shackle, Ch. 2001 Speakers of South Asian Languages in Swan, M and Smith, B (eds.) Learner English (CUP) Swan, M. 2005. Practical English Usage (OUP) Swan, M and Smith, B (eds.) 2001 Learner English (CUP) Tarone, E. 1977. Conscious communication strategies in interlanguage: a progress report in H. Brown et al. (eds.). On TESOL 77. Washington, D.C.: TESOL. Thornbury, S. 1999. How to teach Grammar (Longman) Thornbury, S. 2001. Uncovering Grammar (Macmillan) Underhill, A. 1994. Sound Foundations (Macmillan)

Resource materials

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Oxenden, C. & Latham-Koenig, Ch. 2008. New English File Upper Intermediate Student Book (CUP) Redston, Ch. & Cunnigham, G. 2007 Face2Face Upper Intermediate Student Book (CUP) Soars, L. & J. 2009. New Headway Intermediate Resource Pack (OUP)

Appendices
Appendix 1

1.

Look at the three sentences below which were taken from the story. In pairs answer the questions below each of them. I might have still made it in time if I had been able to get a Sevici bike.

Did I make it in time for the class? What was the possibility of making it in time? Was I able to get a Sevici bike? If I had walked to Clic, I wouldve arrived sooner.

Did I walk? Did I arrive sooner? I could have stayed in bed if the reception had let me know!

Was I able to stay in bed? Did the reception let me know? 2. In pairs answer these questions: 3. Are these sentences about the past, the future or the present? Do they talk about real or unreal/imaginary/hypothetical situations? Which modal verb expresses possibility: could, would or might? Which modal verb expresses ability: could, would or might? Which modal verb expresses certainty: could, would or might?

Choose the correct word or phrase to complete the rules.

We use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical/real situations in the present/past. Instead of would have we can also use might have/could have to mean I would have been able to; and might have/could have to mean I probably would have.

4. The third conditional is composed of two clauses or sentences: the if clause and the
conditional clause.

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Below write the correct form of the two clauses based on the example sentences at the top of the page. If clause: Conditional clause: Which clause comes first? Is the order important?

Appendix 2

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Appendix 3 It was a disastrous day. First I got up 15minutes late. I might have still made it in time if I had been able to get a Sevici bike. I decided to catch a taxi but I lived to regret it. It was the slowest taxi ever! If I had walked to Clic, I wouldve arrived sooner. To top it off, when I got to school, I found out that my class had been cancelled! After all, I could have stayed in bed if the reception had let me know!

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