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«How to teach grammar ?»
How to teach grammar?
When thinking about teaching the grammar of a foreign language, which of these definitions of ‘grammar’ seems most appropriate?
. Rules about sentence formation, tenses, verb patterns, etc. in a reference book.
. The moment-by-moment structuring of what we say as it is being spoken.
. Exercises about tenses, etc.
. Our internal ‘database’ as to what are possible or impossible sentences.
All of these are arguably valid descriptions of something ‘grammar like’ .
When thinking of ‘grammar’, many people probably first picture a book full of explanations and rules that tell them which verbs have what endings, how to use adverbs, how to make a superlative, etc. However, instead of being a dry record of facts and rules, the information in your head is a living resource that allows you to communicate and be understood. For this reason, learning rules in a grammar book by heart is probably not ‘learning grammar’. Similarly reciting grammar rules by heart may not be ‘understanding grammar’. Even doing tests and exercises may not necessarily be ‘learning grammar’. There is actually no hard evidence that any of these things lead to people being able to use grammar accurately and fluently in speech. These things are only useful if there is some way that students can transfer this studied knowledge into a living ability to use the language. The information is not in itself of much use. In real life, people rarely come up to you and say ‘Please tell me about conditionals’.
Scott Thornbury, in his book Uncovering Grammar, has suggested that we could open up our concept of ‘grammar’ if we start thinking of it as not just a noun (i. e. the information), but as a verb as well (i.e. the active skill of using language). It’s probably this ‘verby’ kind of grammar that we most need to help our learners work with in class. The learners need to have exposure to the language, they need to notice and understand items being used; they need to try using language themselves in ‘safe’ practice ways and in more demanding contexts they need to remember the things they have learnt.
Here we have a table with this description.
| To learn a language item learners need to: | It follows that, in class, you probably need to: |
| | Include lots of reading and listening activities. These should include realistic texts a little above the apparent current language level of learners so that learners are exposed to a lot of comprehensible new language (see Chapter 8) |
Notice specific items when they are being used, in texts(e.g.in stories, in conversations, etc.). | Provide texts, exercises and techniques that help learners notice specific items. Texts specifically written for learners (e. g. containing multiple examples of a target item)may be particularly useful (see Section 3 of this chapter) |
Understand the form, meaning and use of an item. Form refers to how the pieces fit together, the endings, etc. Use refers to the typical situations, conversations, contexts in which it might be used. | Be informed about form, meaning and use of language (see Chapter 10, Sections 2 and 4); Focus learners` attention on form, meaning and use by means of exercises, explanations, drills, games. Questions, etc. (see Section 3 of this chapter). |
Try things out in a safe environment with limited other linguistic demands. Have opportunities to practice new language, to get their mouths around new items. | Give many opportunities to practice things in activities that call only for restricted language when they speak and write, with encouragement and feedback (see Section 2 of this chapter) |
| | Offer speaking and writing tasks that allow learners to make use of all the language they know (see Chapters 7 and 9). |
| | Pay attention to how learners record items; Return to items again and again with revision tasks. |
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