HBEL3203 TEACHING OF GRAMMAR

HBEL3203 TEACHING OF GRAMMAR

PART A

Introduction

Product approach is centred around providing students with a model which they are encouraged to mimic. This approach is heavily directed by the teacher where students are expected to replicate the samples provided. As I reflect on my years as a student , it is alarming that the vast majority of my teachers employed the product approach in their venture to teach us "how to write". It is now apparent that the grades which I cherished as trophies of excellence were reflective of my ability to reproduce what my teachers wanted. Consequently, this stifled my creativity and I have now understood why so many of my peers despised writing.

However, it is my belief that if the process approach was utilized, not only would attitudes improve but also the ability of students to express their creativity and maybe even a passion for expressing themselves. The process approach focuses more on the "journey" towards the product as oppose to "just" the product. This emphasis on the process towards achieving the product is evident in the strategies such as brain- storming, exploration of ideas, peer editing and re- writing geared towards simplifying and assisting when creating the final product. The process approach allows the writer to become self- directed and regulated learners where the individual can witness his/ her personal growth, be able to identify strengths and weaknesses while enjoying what is being produced.

The process approach, I believe despite how tedious it may be and time consuming, I believe it is a more efficient approach to writing as focuses on producing more than just a piece of writing but allows for exploration of a person's mind and creativity.

The Product Approach

During the audiolingualism era, language classes downplayed the role of writing since writing was seen as only a supporting skill. ESL writing classes thus only focused on sentence structures as a support for the grammar class. The product approach was used in order to highlight form and syntax and the emphasis was on rhetorical drills (Silva, 1990).

Students using the product approach are normally told to write an essay imitating a given pattern. Generally the focus of such writing is on the written product rather than on how the learner should approach the process of writing.

Writing is viewed as mainly concerned with the knowledge about the structure of language, and writing development is mainly the result of the imitation of input, in the form of texts provided by the teacher (Badger and White 2000:154). It is therefore teacher-centred, as the teacher becomes the arbiter of the models used (Brakus, 2003).

Proponents of the product approach argue that it enhances students writing proficiency. Badger and White (2000:157), for example, state that writing involves linguistic knowledge of texts that learners can learn partly through imitation. Arndt (1987: 257-67) argues the importance of models used in such an approach not only for imitation but also for exploration and analysis. Myles (2002) further argues that, if students are not exposed to native-like models of written texts, their errors in writing are more likely to persist. Pincas (1982 cited in Badger andWhite, 2000:157) focused on the appropriate use of vocabulary, syntax and cohesive devices.

The product approach, often referred to as the current-traditional rhetoric (see e.g. Matsuda, 2003, Pullman, 1999), however, suffers from a number of strong criticisms that have led teachers and researchers to reassess the nature of writing and the ways writing is taught. Prodromou (1995: 21) for example, argues that it devalues the learners potential, both linguistic and personal. The outcome of the re-assessment is the writing-as-process movement, which has led to the field to ward a paradigm shift, revolutionising the teaching of writing. The Process Approach

Process approaches to writing tend to focus more on the varied classroom activities which promote the development of language use: brainstorming, group discussion, re-writing. Such an approach can have any number of stages, though a typical sequence of activities could proceed as follows;

Stage 1 - Generating ideas by brainstorming and discussion. Students could be discussing qualities needed to do a certain job, or giving reasons as to why people take drugs or gamble. The teacher remains in the background during this phase, only providing language support if required, so as not to inhibit students in the production of ideas.Stage 2 - Students extend ideas into note form, and judge quality and usefulness of ideas.Stage 3 - Students organise ideas into a mind map, spidergram, or linear form. This stage helps to make the (hierarchical) relationship of ideas more immediately obvious, which helps students with the structure of their texts.Stage 4 - Students write the first draft. This is done in class and frequently in pairs or groups.Stage 5 - Drafts are exchanged, so that students become the readers of each other's work. By responding as readers, students develop an awareness of the fact that a writer is producing something to be read by someone else, and thus can improve their own drafts.Stage 6 - Drafts are returned and improvements are made based upon peer feedback.Stage 7 - A final draft is written.

Stage 8- Students once again exchange and read each other's work and perhaps even write a response or reply.

A summary of the differences

Process-driven approaches show some similarities with task-based learning, in that students are given considerable freedom within the task. They are not curbed by pre-emptive teaching of lexical or grammatical items. However, process approaches do not repudiate all interest in the product, (i.e. the final draft). The aim is to achieve the best product possible. What differentiates a process-focussed approach from a product-centred one is that the outcome of the writing, the product, is not preconceived.Process writingProduct writing

text as a resource for comparison

ideas as starting point

more than one draft

more global, focus on purpose, theme, text type, i.e., reader is emphasised

collaborative

emphasis on creative process imitate model text

organisation of ideas more important than ideas themselves

one draft

features highlighted including controlled practice of those features

individual

emphasis on end product

Which approach to use

The approach that you decide to use will depend on you, the teacher, and on the students, and the genre of the text. Certain genres lend themselves more favourably to one approach than the other. Formal letters, for example, or postcards, in which the features are very fixed, would be perhaps more suited to a product-driven approach, in which focus on the layout, style, organisation and grammar could greatly help students in dealing with this type of writing task.

Other genres, such as discursive essays and narrative, may lend themselves to process-driven approaches, which focus on students' ideas. Discursive activities are suited to brainstorming and discussing ideas in groups, and the collaborative writing and exchanging of texts help the students to direct their writing to their reader, therefore making a more successful text.One or the other

The two approaches are not necessarily incompatible. I believe that process writing, i.e. re-drafting, collaboration, can be integrated with the practice of studying written models in the classroom.

What I take from the process approach is the collaborative work, the discussion which is so important in generating and organising ideas. Once students have written their first drafts, model texts can be introduced as texts for comparison. Lightbown found that learning appeared to be optimal in 'those situations in which the students knew what they wanted to say and the teacher's intervention made clear to them there was a particular way to say it.' Teacher intervention through model texts could thus aid the learning process.

I also like to incorporate the exchanging of drafts, so that the students become the readers of each others work. This is an important part of the writing experience as it is by responding as readers, both during the collaborative stage of writing in groups, as well as when reading another group's work, that students develop an awareness of the fact that a writer is producing something to be read by someone else.

PART B

DAILY LESSON PLAN

Subject

: English

Date

: 13 March 2014Time and duration

: 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. (60 minutes)

Class

: Form 4 DedikasiLevel

: Intermediate

Topic

: Take part in social interaction by solving problems and

making decisions

Previous Knowledge: In the previous lesson, students have learnt preposition of

place and are exposed to several texts on interesting

places. They were also exposed to simple prepositions of

direction (up, down, into, out of) in Form Three and can

use the learnt prepositions appropriately.

Curriculum Specifications : Section I: Learning Outcomes and Specifications

2.2 Process information by

a) Skimming and scanning for specific information

and ideas.

Level 1

Process text read by:

ii. Skimming for gist and stating what text is about.

iii. Scanning for details.

Section III: Language Content

7. Preposition

iii. Preposition of direction (across, towards, along)

Learning outcomes

: Student will be able to:

1. Process text read by:

i. Skimming for gist and stating what the text is about.

ii. Scanning for details.

2. Use preposition of direction appropriate according to cont Specific objectives

: By the end of the lesson, student should be able to:

1. Identify the general idea of the given text by answering

comprehension questions (Who, Where, When, How and

Why) and skimming for the gist

2. State the specific information of the given text by scanning

for details.

3. Recognise the use of preposition of direction (such as:

across,along, over, toward) according to context.

4. Draw a route on a map based on the preposition of

direction given.

Teaching aids

: Reading text, maps [see appendices] PowerPoint slides

can be used when presenting some important points to the

students.

Moral values

: Patience is a virtue.

Procedures :StagesContentsActivities and Rational

Set Induction

(5 minutes)Warm-up game:

Guess Me If You

Can (Appendix 1) Teacher prepares 3 to 4 guessing envelopes (see appendix 1), which consist of one major tourist attraction in each envelope.

Asks students to choose one of the envelopes and they are required to guess the name of the tourist spot based on the hints given by the teacher.

The teacher has to read out loud the hints to facilitate the students in their guessing.

Teacher has to reveal the answer after the students have guessed it correctly or after a time limit set by the teacher.

Rationale:

To gain students interest towards the lesson and relate to their previous knowledge (preposition and and topic)

Presentation

(20 minutes)

Reading text

Going to Taman

Desa (Appendix 2)- Comprehension

Questions

Route-Drawing

Map of Taman

Desa (Appendix 3

and 4) A text (Going to Taman Desa) is distributed for students to

read silently.

Comprehension questions are asked to guide students to get the meaning of the text.

Example:

Where were the writer and her brother heading to?

Who were they visiting?

Rationale:

Questions asked are to guide the students throughout the whole process of understanding the text through the skimming and scanning skills.

A map of Taman Desa (Appendix 3), which is derived from the reading text is then distributed to the students.

The students will have to read the text again and draw the route on the map based on their understanding.

After the students have completed, the teacher then unveils the correct route (Appendix 4) by discussing with the students how the route is obtained.

Teacher highlights some of the preposition of direction used in the text that helps to generate the routes. (for example: across, over, along)

Rationale:

The whole idea of drawing the route based on the text that the students read will check whether they are able to identify the specific information of the text particularly concerning the usage of preposition.

This interactive activity will enable the teacher to check whether the students can use preposition of direction appropriately according to context. The game is also highly interactive and helps to encourage communications among students in the class.

Closure

(5 minutes)

A review of the

Lesson

Moral value.Teacher gives a general overview to the students of what they have learnt in the lesson and a preview of the next lesson.

Teacher also talks about the moral value patience is a virtue based on the context of the text given earlier on.

Students are encouraged to be patient whenever bad things happened and treat it as a challenge to push forward.

References :Braddock, R., Lloyd-Jones, R., & Schoer, L. (1963). Research in Written Composition. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Form 4 English Language Textbook. (2003).Harmer, J. (1993). Teaching and Learning Grammar. UK: Longman.

Harris, R. J. (1962). "An Experimental Inquiry into the Functions and Value of Formal Grammar in the Teaching of Written English to Children Aged Twelve to Fourteen." Ph.D. dissertation. University of London.

Hillocks, G., Jr. & Smith, M. (1991). "Grammar and Usage." In J. Flood, J. M. Jensen, D. Lapp & J. R. Squire (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts. New York: Macmillan, 591603.

National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association. (1996). Standards for the English Language Arts. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Noguchi, R. R. (1991). Grammar and the Teaching of Writing: Limits and Possibilities. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Appendix 1: Guessing Envelopes For Guess Me If You Can activity. [Samples ]

(to be cut and put into an envelope)

Teachers Note: Teacher can name other tourist spots but bear in mind that the spots should be within the students schemata. Teacher may also include pictures as hints. In this case, the examples are all the famous tourist spots in Sarawak to cater for students in the state.

BAKO NATIONAL PARK

Hints:

There is a waterfall in the depth of the park.

This place is a botanical treasure of Sarawak.

It is famous for its pitcher plants (periuk kera).

We can see many kinds of birds, animals such as wild boars and monkeys.

The water of waterfall is dark brown.

SARAWAK CULTURAL VILLAGE

Hints:

You can see a lot of performances by different races in Sarawak.

Houses of different races can also be seen here.

Hand-made souvenirs are sold here.

The first word is the name of the state.

The first letter for the second word is C.

Appendix 2: Reading Text

Going to Taman Desa

Last Saturday, my brother and I went to visit our cousin Ally. She was sick and was admitted to the hospital. The day before, mom advised us to depart early as traffic jams often occurred in the peak hour around eight in the morning. After we have taken our breakfast, we took a bus to the bus station. It was around seven oclock. That was the first time for us to go to Taman Desa, we were not familiar with the place and had to bring along a map that dad had drawn for us few days earlier.

Looking at the map excitedly, we then walked along Jalan Parit until we reached a T-junction. Later, we saw a row of shop houses on the opposite side of the junction. We went across the road and stopped by to buy some fruits, flowers and magazine there. After that we continued and walked along Jalan Bayu. While we were walking, we were nearly knocked down by a reckless motorist who disobeyed the traffic rules. He did not stop and apologise but kept staring at us as if we were the one who offended him. My brother and I lamented on the incident while continuing our journey.

Then we arrived at a park, which is well-known by its beautiful flowers and landscape. I begged my brother to accompany me for at least half an hour in the park as the hospital is not far from the park. Sadly, I broke one of the flower pots at the park when I ran over a small bridge to the other side of the park. Being scolded by its care taker, we were fined.

Downheartedly, we proceed along the road until we came to a sharp bend and turned right to reach the hospital. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to visit Ally as the visiting hour has just over. What a bad day!! I said to my brother. We were then forced to wait until lunch hour in order to pay Ally a visit. Later, we chatted with Ally and told her about the accident that I have made.

It was still early after visiting Ally, so my brother decided to walk to the post office to buy some stamps. We walked along Jalan Bayu and passed a fire brigade where we saw the firemen were busy maintaining the fire engines.

After that, we went over Merdeka Bridge. I could see a lot of water lilies floating on Sungai Malik. Under the bridge, there was a few people busy fishing. Being not aware of my footstep, I skidded and fell down. Luckily, I only suffered some minor injuries. My brother was very worried and called my uncle to bring us back after buying his stamps at the post office, which is opposite the public library. He told me that we better went home before any bad things happened to me again. What a bad day!Appendix 3: Map of Taman Desa (without the route)

Appendix 4 : Map of Taman Desa (with the route)

Appendix 5 : Map of The Fishy Town (TASK A)Task A:

In your group, decide on a place to go from the destination you are now (marked with the star).

Then draw the route on the map and make 3-5 sentences to describe the route. You must use the preposition learned.

Appendix 6 : Map of The Fishy Town (TASK B)

Task B:

Listen carefully to the descriptions by the other group.

Then draw the route described by the group in this map and see if you can get it right.

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