How Do I Explain Grammar in a TPRS Classroom?

Lizette LieboldNBCT-WL-EAYAProject COACH

Please sit with someone who teaches the language you teach.

Please take out a reading passage thatyou might use in your classroom

My Journey to TPRS⦿ Beliefs

⦿ Frustrations

My Journey to TPRS⦿ Beliefs

⦿ Frustrations

What Are Your Beliefs and Frustrations?⦿ Beliefs

⦿ Frustrations

My Epiphany⦿ 3 day conference with Susie Gross

• Demo• Second Language Acquisition Theory

⦿ Learning⦿ conscious learning⦿ about the language⦿ knowing rules⦿ being aware of rules⦿ being able to talk about

rules

Second Language Acquisition⦿ Acquisition-Learning Distinction

⦿ Acquisition⦿ first language⦿ subconscious⦿ effortless

Second Language Acquisition• Input Hypothesis• Language is acquired when learners

understand messages in the TL.

ACTFL Position Statement⦿ ACTFL…recommends that language educators

and their students use the TL as exclusively as possible (90%) at all levels of instruction during instruction time and, when feasible, beyond the classroom

ACTFL Position Statement1. provide comprehensible input that is

directed toward communicative goals; 2. make meaning clear through body

language, gestures, and visual support; 3. conduct comprehension checks to ensure

understanding; 4. negotiate meaning with students and

encourage negotiation among students

ACTFL Position Statement5. elicit talk that increases in fluency, accuracy,

and complexity over time; 6. encourage self-expression and spontaneous

use of language; 7. teach students strategies for requesting

clarification and assistance when faced with comprehension difficulties; and

8. offer feedback to assist and improve students’ ability to interact orally in the target language.

SLA⦿ Monitor Hypothesis

⦿ Learning is used as monitor or editor⦿ Used to change the form of the utterance

before or after we write or speak⦿ Conditions necessary for use

⦿ focus on correctness ⦿ know the rule ⦿ have time to apply rule

Natural Order⦿ Acquisition of grammar structures

occurs in a natural and predictable order.

⦿ Early acquired vs late acquired

⦿ Changes that affect the meaning of an utterance are early acquired

Natural Order⦿ Earlier acquired

⦿ voy/va⦿ voy/fui⦿ je vais/je suis allé

⦿ Acquired laterel cine/la cinefalda roja/rojocontent/contenteje pense (que) je suis …

What do the experts say?⦿ Stephen Krashen

⦿ Bill Van Patten

In the classroom⦿ How is language acquired and what are the

ramifications of this in my classroom?

⦿ What skills do you want to emphasize?

Pop-up Grammar⦿ When students ask a question.⦿ Form that you want to focus on

⦿ 5-10 seconds⦿ Learn to avoid metalanguage⦿ Keep it short⦿ Start with structures that are early acquired

discarding the metalanguage⦿ Work with a partner⦿ Choose any reading from the language you

teach.⦿ Start anywhere in the reading.⦿ Practice explaining the grammar items in the

reading without using traditional terms.⦿ Keep your explanation to 5 seconds or fewer.

Using Color⦿ Ed quiere ir al cine.

⦿ Ed quiere ir al cine.⦿ Ed wants to go to the movies.

⦿ Ed quiere ir al cine.⦿ Ed wants to go to the movies.

Color Coding

⦿ Su mamá quiere que Ed vaya a la biblioteca.⦿ His mom wants Ed to go to the library.

⦿ H

⦿ Su mama quiere que Ed vaya a la biblioteca.

⦿ Su mama quiere que Ed vaya a la biblioteca.⦿ His mother wants Mike to go to the library.

Restate ⦿ Restate to class

⦿ First skill of circling⦿ Speaking to class using correct language⦿ Provides CI

Clarification⦿ Comprehensible⦿ -No correction needed

⦿ Appropriate⦿ - Recycle and rephrase

Recasts⦿ Correct with yes!

⦿ I fly to Korea last year.

⦿ Yes! Class, he flew to Korea last year.

Restate vs Recasts⦿ Corrective reformulation of all or part a student’s utterance.

⦿ Implicit feedback, there is no overt indication that an error has been committed,

⦿ learner centered⦿ unobtrusive⦿ don’t impede the flow of information⦿ not an embarrassing form of correction⦿ give correct language input

The comparative effectiveness of recasts and prompts in second language classrooms

Recasts⦿ Restatement becomes recast⦿ Corrective reformulation of all or part a student’s

utterance.

⦿ T: When you were in school?⦿ L: Yes. I stand in the first row.⦿ T: You stood in the first row?⦿ L: Yes, in the first row, I sat in the first row.

Prompts⦿ Prompts encourage learners to correct their

errors themselves.

⦿ Try that again⦿ You said that he … or Y⦿ Did you mean X

How to teach tense⦿ Tell story in present; retell in past.⦿ Use natural language. ⦿ Interview actor as the story unfolds.⦿ Compare with students in class using present

tense.

Guarantee Success⦿ Differentiation

⦿ Only ask a student a question that you know they are capable of answering.

⦿

Explain Your Beliefs⦿ How did the information that you heard this

hour challenge your beliefs?

⦿ Lizette Liebold

⦿ lizette@liebold.com