Professional Documents
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learners
Nelly Zafeiriadou
ELT School Advisor, Thrace
nelzafeir@sch.gr
What is grammar?’ is the kind of question that
seems easy to answer until somebody asks it.
Michael Swan
What is grammar?
A -a system of rules and tools
B -a process that lets you communicate with
other people
C -an important professional skill for teachers
Grammar is emotion…
Grammar is such a Grammar is very,
waste of time, let’s very important for
get rid of it. the children.
What is grammar for?
A to learn about the system of English
B to communicate in English
C to give me status as a teacher / to
tell my students how English works
With the rise of communicative methodology in
the late 1970s, the role of grammar
instruction in second language leaning was
downplayed, and it was even suggested that
teaching grammar was not only unhelpful but
might actually be detrimental. However,
recent research has demonstrated the need
for formal instruction for learners to attain
high levels of accuracy.
Is there any grammar in this?
A Coffee? Would you like some coffee?
B Please. B Yes, I would like some of
A Milk? Sugar? that coffee, please.
B No milk. One sugar. Thanks. A Do you take milk?
A Toast? B I don’t take milk. But I will
B No thanks. take one sugar, please.
Thanks.
A Juice?
A Would you like some of this
B Mmm. toast?
Scott Thornbury,
2001 B I’d prefer not to have any of
that toast, thanks. (…)
Grammatical complexity
Do you think you could I wonder if you would
open the door? be so kind as to open
Open the door. the door?
Would you mind Would you mind
opening the door? opening the door?
I wonder if you would Do you think you could
be so kind as to open open the door?
the door? Can you open the door?
Can you open the door? Open the door.
The door! The door!
So …
Reasoning
Analysing
Comparing
How is it done?
The teacher…
Draws attention to an example on the board or in the textbook.
Explains the underlying rules regarding the forms and positions of
certain structural words
explanations often in student’s native language using grammatical terms.
comparisons can be made between the native language and the target language
or between the newly presented structure and previously learned structures.
The students…
Practise applying the rule to produce sentences with given prompts
Pros and cons of the deductive method
It often teaches grammar in an
isolated way
Little attention is paid to
meaning
Practice is often mechanical
Observing
Reasoning
Learning
How does it work?
The teacher
The students
… study examples of language in use and draw their own conclusions about
what is happening
The guided discovery method
Observing
Reasoning
Analysing
How does it work?
The students
… are stimulated to discover rules by themselves
The teacher
… carefully guides the process of discovery and assists
… elicits the rules
… teaches the rules explicitly
How do you teach grammar?
Work in groups of four. Discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of the
three methods of teaching grammar
Meaningful input – meaningful practise
Requirements
Pre-learning (noticed + short term
memory)
Volume and repetition
Success orientation
Heterogeneity
Teacher assistance
Interest
Grammar practice
Mechanical practice
Meaningful practice
Substitution drills
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