getting creative with grammar teaching
TRANSCRIPT
Getting creative with
grammar teaching
Jo Gakonga
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?
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
Canadian project1965 onwards
French immersion schools
“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
So, what…..
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 isnecessary….
Do you agree?Why do you teach
grammar?
Pretty much all course books based on it
Learners’ expectations
Seen as very traditional but…
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’.
Dogme
Suggests emergent language but still doesn’t suggest no language teaching
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?
What isn’t so helpful...
• Teacher: I found the book.
• Students: I found the book.
• Teacher: Pen.
• Students: I found the pen.
• Teacher: Bought.
• Students: I bought the pen.
Example of a mindless gap fill..
Use the present perfect to complete these sentences:
1. I _______ ________ (see) the Eiffel Tower.
2. She ________ _________ (eat) snake.
3. They ________ __________ (swim) in the sea.
4. We ________ _________ (fill) in too many of these gap-fill
exercises………
Creative Automaticity
Gatbonton, E. and Segalowitz, N. (1988) ‘Creative automatization: Principles for promoting fluency within a communicative framework’, TESOL Quarterly, 22, 3.
‘The techniques for this approach are designed to provide students with ample opportunities for repetition and practice within a wholly communicative context, without the shortcomings usually characteristic of pattern drills or other more traditional methods’
http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/?s=A+is+for
Activities that promote creative automaticity should be …
• genuinely communicative
• focused
• formulaic
• inherently repetitive
Some common examples…
• A class photo…
• Find someone who…
• What’s my line?
• What kind of animal am I? (“Do you have four legs? Can you fly? Do you lay eggs?” etc).
Creativity
Personalisation
Jill Hadfield’s ‘Creativity in the language classroom’
Modern English Teacher
January 2012
When I am old…When I’m an old woman, I will wear purple
And a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me
And I will spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves and candles, and say we have no money for butter.
I will sit down on the pavement when I am tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I will go out in slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr1RU4SM2L8
I’ll definitely
I’ll probably
I might
I’ll
I definitely won’t
I probably won’t
I might not
I won’t
When I am old, I won’t be quiet and I’ll bother my neighbours. I might have a toy-boy.
When we are old we will definitely do many crazy and dangerous things,
We will wear full make up from morning and we will spend our money for a face lift.
When I am old, I’ll be a honarable person.
I’ll definitely lede the people and I’ll be self-confident.
• genuinely communicative
• focused
• formulaic
• inherently repetitive
Creativity
Personalisation
Present Perfect for experience
I’ve never been to India, I’ve never been to FranceI’ve never eaten frog’s legsAnd I’ve never learnt to dance.
I’ve always lived in BirminghamI’ve never been abroadI’ve always lived at homeI’m getting rather bored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv7-yCYnAg0
Present Perfect for experience
I’ve never been to India, I’ve never been to FranceI’ve never eaten frog’s legsAnd I’ve never learnt to dance.
I’ve always lived in BirminghamI’ve never been abroadI’ve always lived at homeI’m getting rather bored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqXAwpAtLY
Present Perfect for experience
I’ve never been to India, I’ve never been to FranceI’ve never eaten frog’s legsAnd I’ve never learnt to dance.
I’ve always lived in BirminghamI’ve never been abroadI’ve always lived at homeI’m getting rather bored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqXAwpAtLY
Present Perfect for experience
Homework..
• Write your own….
I've never been in Ireland.But I've been in love with Irish man.
He had a huge talant to gain women's favor, but he was so mean.
He inculcated in me a taste for art and love for adventure.
Our love story was bright and unforgettable, but it finished witha phrase "I'm sorry".
At parting he gave me a kiss with an fragrant of Irish legend.
I've never been in Italy.But I've been in love with Italian.
He's been very clever, he's known many languages, but he's been so nervous and so fault-finding person.Well, we let as part friends.
He gave me as a keepsake the 33 recipes for Italian pasta and one recipe for happiness.
Alan Marsh’s article…
English Teaching Professional
March 2012
The Door to Spontaneity
Simple past tense questions..
Dates game – Did you / Were you..
1952 1989
1999 2010
Also makes a great card game…
1952 1989
1999 2010
Simple present tense questions..
yes 7
Kenya Birmingham
Present perfect questions..
For 2 years Since 2000
Since last night
For 15 years
Creativity
Personalisation
Thrill Drills
Milada Krejewska’s blog http://miladakrajewska.wordpress.com/
A picture paints a thousand words….
few
What is inside?
There is…There are…
What’s happening inside?
Someone is crying……
Creativity
Personalisation
It could be…
It might be..
It definitely isn’t…
It looks like ….
..he has…
..he is -ing….
It looks like ….
..it has… ..it is -ing….
Sources of pictures….
What’s the story?
What are YOUR ideas for grammar practice?
