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Jo Gakonga
What has grammar teaching ever done for
us?
Why does teaching
grammar get a bad press?
Illustrations from Jan, J.M. & Ollúa, R. (1950) El Inglés Práctico; Comercio, Exámenes y Viajes, Buenos Aires: Academias Pitman.
Do we need to teach grammar
at all?
http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2011/sites/iatefl/files/session/documents/walter_grammar_iatefl2011_handout.pdf
Catherine Walter
IATEFL Plenary 2011
Should we be planning to teach grammar?
Do we need to ‘teach’
anything?
Krashen's Input Hypothesis (1977)
"Language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules”
Stephen Krashen
"Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding."
"The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' containing messages that students really want to hear.”
"The best methods are therefore those that supply 'comprehensible input' containing messages that students really want to hear.”
i +
1
Monitor theory
Introduced in 1965 to give English speaking Canadian children a
chance to learn French
“Practice" is replaced by "creative construction”. Learners encouraged to experiment with linguistic forms.
Errors are not seen as bad
Canadian immersion studies (Swain 1985; Genesee 1987).
The result?
Immersion students often perform as well as native French-speaking students on tests of reading and listening comprehension in French.
However, they seldom achieve the same high levels of competence in speaking and writing as they achieve in comprehension.
Three problems:
Grammar is less complex and less redundant than that of native speakers.
Their grammar is influenced by English grammar.
Their use of language is often non-idiomatic
BUT…..
Of significance for ESOL learners
Common ground
Common ground
Significant amounts of exposure
A real need to communicate
(Paucity of opportunity to speak?)
So, explicit teaching is necessary….
Should we forget grammar and only teach vocabulary?
Vocabulary is arguably more important
Should we forget grammar and only teach vocabulary?
Michael Hoey – Lexical Priming
Should we forget grammar and only teach vocabulary?
Lexical Approach – Michael Lewis
Should we forget grammar and only teach vocabulary?
..but do they get enough exposure?
Evidence to support grammar
teaching?
Norris and Ortega (2000)
meta-analysis
Gass and Selinker (2008)
meta-analysis
Spada and Tomita (2010)
meta-analysis
Other reasons to teach grammar?
Conscious knowledge of grammar is
seen to help at different stages. Ellis 1994
Pretty much all course books based on it
Learners’ expectations
Different / less traditional approaches all include grammar
Task Based Learning
Jane and Dave Willis
Learners do task and rehearse their language to present to group
Learners present what they have practised
Teacher gives input on the ‘gap’.
Language input
Output
Task Based Learning
Proponents of task-based teaching all
argue for a place for pre-planned grammar
instruction in a TBI framework.
Skehan, 2003; Willis & Willis, 2007; Ellis,2006
Dogme
Suggests emergent language but still doesn’t suggest no language teaching
Luke Meddings and Scott Thornberry
Dogme
Possible problems – coverage and teacher skill
Luke Meddings and Scott Thornberry
Do we need to teach grammar?
YES!
What I am NOT saying…..
If we teach grammar, how
should we do it?
If we teach grammar, how should we do it?
Getting creative with grammar teaching
Jo GakongaThank you!
