Teaching Grammar without Teaching GrammarInput-Oriented Grammar InstructionUsing Listening and Reading to Provide Structured Input

Ken Herbert—Nomen Global Language CentersJessica Hercules—Granite Peaks Adult Education

Intermountain TESOL Conference October 16, 2014

CreditsMaterial for this presentation adapted from:

Lee, J., & Van Patten, B. (2003). Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen. New York: McGraw Hill.

Farley, A. (2007). PPT Presentation, Texas Tech University.

Benati, A. (2011). Generalizability of Processing Instruction Research. Presentation at International Seminar on Instructed Second Language Learning. Vitoria-Gastiez, May 13, 2011

Do you teach a specific grammar section?

Do you have a textbook you are required to use?

What does grammar instruction look like in your classroom?

What are some specific approaches to teaching

grammar you have heard of?

Do you follow any of these approaches in your classroom

currently?

Change the following into negative statements:

1. I am happy._______________________.

2. We are sad._______________________.

3. They are tired._______________________.

4. You are funny._______________________.

5. She is hungry._______________________.

Conjugate the be verb in each sentence.

1. I (be) happy._______________________.

2. We (be) sad._______________________.

3. They (be) tired._______________________.

4. You (be) funny._______________________.

5. She (be) hungry._______________________.

Have you seen or used activities like these?

http://katstein-ross.escuelacampoalegre.wikispaces.net/file/view/WarmUpsGrammar_PDF_Book.pdf

Objectives for this sessionDemonstrate understanding of

the issues involved in learning and teaching grammar

the nature of input, intake, and input processing

Processing Instruction (PI), Structured Input (SI) and the role of the form-meaning connection

by participating in the development of SI activities.

What we will explore in this session

A brief look at traditional approaches to teaching/learning grammar

Processing Instruction (PI) and Structured Input (SI)

Your Take-away Undergo a paradigm shift in terms of how you teach

grammar in relation to the process going on in a student’s head as the brain attempts to construct a version of the target language (implicit, developing linguistic system)

Realize where in the process you are introducing skill getting activities and where you are introducing skill using activities

Catch the vision of what Structured Input activities can mean to your students and to your approach to introducing grammar concepts

If this stuff is so good, why isn’t everybody doing it?10-15 years for published research to work its way through an extremely convoluted system

This particular research is within the context of SLAForeign languages (other than English) are often the first to apply the “new” model.

For wider acceptance, there are some closely-held beliefs within “traditional” approaches to teaching grammar that must be overcome.

Some research into the (in)effectiveness of traditional approaches to teaching grammar:

Barcroft & Wong (2013); Benati (2003); Bybee (1991); Doughty & Williams (1998); Ellis (1983; Ellis (1989); Farley (2003); Gass (1997); Gass & Selinker (1992); Kaplan (1987); Krashen (1982); Larsen-Freeman & Long (1991); Lee & VanPatten (2003); Lightbown (1983); LoCoco (1976); Muscemi (1997); Pica (1983); Sanz & Morgan-Short (2003); VanPatten & Mandell (1999); Terrell, Baycroft, & Perrone (1987); VanPatten & Oikennon (1996); White (1977); Wong (2003); …….

Lee & VanPatten (2003), pp 117-129

Traditional Approaches to Teaching Grammar

Traditional Approaches to Teaching Grammar

1. That’s the way I learned, so…

2. Drills are effective tools for learning grammar• Mechanical Meaningful Communicative

3. Explicit explanation is necessary

4. The first language is the source of all errors

5. Acquisition involves the learning of paradigms

Lee & VanPatten (2003), pp 117-129

Traditional Approaches to Teaching GrammarMechanical approaches

• behavioral in nature• focus on form through • detailed explicit instruction• paradigms/diagrams• mechanical drills • repetition• rote memory

• do not allow for communication or self-expression

• usually lead to “planned parrot-hood.”Lee & VanPatten (2003), pp 117-129

Traditional Approaches to Teaching Grammar

Communicative approaches • focus on exchange of information• deem explicit grammar instruction

unnecessary • place focus on form on back burner • reward communication at expense of

accuracy • lead to “false” advanced and

intermediate learnersLee & VanPatten (2003), pp 117-129

Traditional Approaches to Teaching GrammarSome research into the (in)effectiveness of

traditional approaches to teaching grammar:

Benati (2003); Bybee (1991); Doughty & Williams (1998); Ellis (1983; Ellis (1989); Farley (2003); Gass (1997); Gass & Selinker (1992); Kaplan (1987); Krashen (1982); Larsen-Freeman & Long (1991); Lee & VanPatten (2003); Lightbown (1983); LoCoco (1976); Muscemi (1997); Pica (1983); Sanz & Morgan-Short (2003); VanPatten & Mandell (1999); Terrell, Baycroft, & Perrone (1987); VanPatten & Oikennon (1996); White (1977); Wong (2003); …….

Lee & VanPatten (2003), pp 117-129

Some working assumptionsInput“. . . acquisition involves the creation of an implicit linguistic system, one that exists outside of awareness.”

(Lee and VanPatten, 2003, p. 132).

This developing system is dependent upon input grows as learners receive and process a significant

amount of input requires input that is both comprehensible and

meaningful

Some working assumptions

“The concept of input is perhaps the single most important concept of second language acquisition.” (Gass, 1997, p. 1)

“All cases of successful first and second language acquisition are characterized by the availability of comprehensible input.” (Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991, p. 142)

Some working assumptions

Successful Language Acquisition Begins with INPUT

Language Acquisition Cannot Happen Without INPUT

Some working assumptionsInput defined in the context of this presentation

Samples of meaning-bearing language that learners are exposed to in a communicative setting

This meaning-bearing language communicates some kind of message

Some working assumptionsIntake Intake = linguistic information in the input that learners attend to and hold in working memory during real-time comprehension.

The way in which learners process input can have a huge effect on the intake they derive from it.

Some working assumptions Input Processing Attempts to explain how learners get form while

their primary attention is on meaning. Humans possess

a finite, short-term “working memory”mechanisms to selectively filter the input coming in

“…during the act of comprehension, learners will do whatever is necessary to grasp whatever meaning they can from the input.” (Lee & VanPatten, 2003, p. 138)

Some working assumptionsStructured Input (SI) Input that is structured in ways that push

learners to become dependent on grammatical form and structure to get meaning Form-meaning connections (mapping)

SI is more effective than input provided through traditional means.

SI helps the learners build the their developing linguistic system.

Some working assumptions Input = raw, unfiltered, unprocessed linguistic data

Intake = the linguistic info that learners actually attend to Filtered and stored in working memory for processing

Processing Mechanism = converts intake into form-meaning connections that build the developing linguistic system

Structured Input = input that has been modified to force learners to become dependent on grammatical form and structure to get meaning

Traditional LessonIntroduce the simple past Review present tense Introduce simple past tense Compare/Contrast structures Go over rules Explore paradigm charts Show how certain words require a past form

“yesterday” requires “walked” Complete practice drills—MechanicalMeaningful Perform a “communicative” activity

Traditional Lesson

Listen to each sentence. Does the action take place in the past or in the present? (Teacher reads each sentence aloud.)

1. Yesterday, I walked my dog around the block.

2. Right now, the restaurant across the street is open.

Why traditional approaches to teaching grammar are ineffective

Input Intake

Developing

Linguistic System

Output

Focused Practice

Processing Mechanism

s

Rules Paradigms

Explicit Instruction

Without access to meaning

Tarzan and Joe

J: “Hi, I’m Joe.”T: “Me Tarzan.”J: “Awesome outfit. Where are you going?”T: “Go to dance.”J: “Really?! Are you part of the entertainment?”T: “Find Jane. Dance.”

Let’s Take a Break

Brief Recap

Importance of learner’s developing linguistic systemReasons for focusing on input/intakeThe role of intakeThe interaction among input, intake, the learner’s

developing system, and outputHow the traditional approach reinforces the

learner’s faulty processing strategies (“yesterday”; “right now”)

Processing-Oriented Approach to Teaching Grammar

Lee and Van Patten propose a different model of instruction Processing instruction

focuses on input and how learners process input (intake)proceeds from input to output

from decontextualized sentences to richly contextualized connected discourse

Processing-Oriented Approach to Teaching Grammar

Before producing output, learnersare given information about a particular linguistic structure or form

are provided with information about helpful strategies for learning the form or structure

process the form or structure using structured input activities to promote form-meaning connections

Only after this phase will learners be required to produce output.

Input Processing

Two main principles:1. The Primacy of Meaning Principle. Learners process input for meaning before they process it for form.

Today, Jill is working at home.

2. The First Noun Principle. Learners tend to process the first noun or pronoun they encounter in a sentence as the subject or agent.

With John, he has to be extra careful.

(Lee and VanPatten, 2003, p. 139)

Input Processing

The Primacy of Meaning Principle. Learners process input for meaning before they process it for form.

The Lexical Preference Principle. Learners tend to rely on lexical items as opposed to grammatical form to get meaning when both encode the same semantic meaning.

Input Processing

The Lexical Preference Principle. Learners tend to rely on lexical items as opposed to grammatical form to get meaning when both encode the same semantic meaning.

Listen to each sentence. Does the action take place in the past or in the present? (Teacher reads each sentence aloud.) 1. I walked my dog. 2. The restaurant is open.

Things to Notice

I walked the dog. ___Past ___PresentHighly decontextualizedThe form, “walked” encodes meaning (past time)

The learner must extract meaning from form

As the learner connects form with meaning, intake is occurring

Rethinking Grammar Instruction: Processing Instruction and Structured Input

Input Intake

Developing System Output

Structured Input

Processing Mechanism

s

Rules Paradigms

Explicit Instruction

Structured Output

Focused Practice

with access to meaning

(Adapted from Lee and VanPatten, 2003, p. 142)

The Goal of Structured InputTo push learners away from faulty processing strategies…

lexical preference

first noun strategy

sentence location

Yesterday, Bill walked home.

With John, he has to be extra careful.

With John, he has to be extra careful.

Adapted from Farley (2007)

The Goal of Structured InputTo push learners toward better processing strategies…

attending to the form itself to get meaning and build form-meaning connections

identifying the function of nouns (and other parts of speech) correctly.

processing sentence-medial items

Adapted from Farley (2007)

From Theory to Practice

Change the following into negative statements:

1. I am happy._______________________.

2. We are sad._______________________.

3. They are tired._______________________.

4. You are funny._______________________.

5. She is hungry._______________________.

Conjugate the be verb in each sentence.

1. I (be) happy._______________________.

2. We (be) sad._______________________.

3. They (be) tired._______________________.

4. You (be) funny._______________________.

5. She (be) hungry._______________________.

● ordering and ranking● surveys● matching● selecting alternatives● agree/disagree● true/false

Alternatives to “make these sentences negative”

Guidelines for Developing SI ActivitiesPresent one thing at a timeKeep meaning in focusMove from sentences to connected discourse

Use both oral and written inputHave the learner do something with the input

Keep the learner’s processing strategies in mind.

Guidelines for Developing SI Activities

Keep the learner’s processing strategies in mind.Learners should focus on

grammatical itemsNOT ON

other elements of the sentence

2 Types of SI Activities

Referential AffectiveReferential activities are those for which there is a right or wrong answer and for which the learner must

rely on the targeted grammatical form to get

meaning.

Affective structured input activities are those in which learners express opinions,

beliefs, or have some other personal response in

processing information about the real world.

Referential

AffectiveFollow-up

Teacher assesses intake

Follow-up Activities: Output

Agree or Disagree Voting “for” or “against” something Share and compare Survey Compare old and new opinions

following new information

The culminating task:

Now, it’s your turn!It’s your turn to create a Structured Input activity. Here are some optional topics to plan around:● 3rd person singular● gerunds● passive voice● present progressive● too vs very● possessive -’s

You have 15 minutes to develop an activity with your group