Week 3

Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar i) Descriptive grammar

Descriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as it is actually used by speakers and writers. Descriptive grammars describe how people use spoken and written language, and the knowledge that they use to decide whether something is grammatically correct. ii) Prescriptive grammar Prescriptive grammar is a set of rules and examples dealing with the syntax and word structures of a language, usually intended as an aid to the learning of that language. It refers to the structure of a language as certain people think it should be used. Prescriptive grammars prescribe the rules of a language. Both kinds of grammar are concerned with rules--but in different ways. pecialists in descriptive grammar !called linguists" study the rules or patterns that underlie our use of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. #n the other hand, prescriptive grammarians !such as most editors and teachers" layout rules about what they believe to be the $correct% or $incorrect% use of language.

Covert and Overt Approaches &armer !'())" puts forward two approaches to the teaching of grammar* covert and overt grammar teaching.

i)

Covert Approach

In this approach, the teacher uses the structure without drawing attention to grammatical rules. +he focus is on the activity and not the grammar rules. with at a later session. ii) Overt Approach In the overt approach, teacher explicitly explains the rules when presenting the new language. +here are two options available to the teacher* the deductive approach and the inductive approach. Deductive approach - the teacher presents the rules.patterns.generali/ations and then goes on to provide practice in the application of these rules. Inductive approach - also known as discovery method. +he students are first given a number of sample sentences containing the target forms and then the teacher guides the students into deriving the rule for themselves. +he two approaches should not be seen as separate but rather as complementary. 0 grammar rule presented covertly via communicative activity can be supported by an explicit explanation so that students understand the rules. students to use the structures for communicative purposes. 0 grammar rule presented overtly or explicitly should be supported by activities which encourage ,rrors should be tolerated during the course of the activity but should be noted and dealt

Grammar in Isolation vs Grammar in Context i" 1rammar in Isolation

+eaching of grammar in isolation involves learning grammar which is presented out of context. In this approach of teaching grammar, learners are given isolated +hese exercises are sentences, which they are expected to internali/e through exercises involving repetition, manipulation, and grammatical transformation. designed to provide learners with formal, declarative mastery of the language in which they are able to explain rules of using the form of the language. ii" 1rammar in 2ontext +eaching of grammar in context involves teaching grammar in relations to the context of the situation the utterances are usually used. 3hen learners are given the opportunities to explore grammar in context, it will make it easy for them to see how and why alternative forms exist to express different communicative meanings. 4or instance, getting learners to read a set of sentences in the active voice, and then transform these into passives following a model, is a standard way of introducing the passive voice. 5evertheless, this needs to be supplemented by tasks which give learners opportunities to explore when it is communicatively appropriate to use the passive rather that the active voice !5unan, 6777". contextuali/ed in meaningful language use. +here are many views on the benefits of teaching grammar in context. 0s teachers, we need to help learners see that effective communication involves achieving harmony between functional interpretation and formal appropriacy !&alliday '()8" by giving them tasks that shows the relationship between grammatical items and the context in which they occur. +his is because in genuine communication beyond the classroom, grammar and context are often closely related that appropriate grammatical choices can only be made with reference to the context and the purpose of the communication. discoursal contraints. 4urthermore, 2elce-9urcia and #lshtain !'(()" stressed that only a handful of grammatical rules are free from 1rammar is therefore

0ccording to 3eaver !'((:", grammar need not be taught, since it is ac;uired subconciously when the students learn the other language skills. 3eaver further postulates that students can learn and apply many grammatical concepts without learning to analyse and label the parts of speech and various other grammatical constructions. 4or example, we come to understand that ac;uiring the terminology that a <have= auxilliary is always followed by a past participle !$+hey have taken the chair%" and a <be= auxilliary is always followed by a present participle !$+hey will be taking the chair%".

Meaning, Use, orm !MU ) "rame#or$ i" 9,05I51> 3hat meaning does the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure have in the !specific" context? In other words what does the unit of language mean? +here are two aspects of meaning. 4irst, what is literal or <essential= meaning of the word, phrase, functional expression or grammar structure? econd, what does it mean in the context it=s being used in?

4or example> Shes wearing a red skirt. +he literal or essential meaning of the word has to do with naming a particular color. Shes red from sitting in the sun. &er skin has turned a particular shade of pink indicating sunburn. He was a well-known red. Red indicates the person=s political beliefs and affiliation. ii" 4#@9>

&ow is the vocabulary unit, functional expression, or grammar structure formed? 4orm refers to the visible and audible parts of vocabulary, functional expressions and grammar units> the spelling, phonemes, syllable stress, words in a phrase, prefixes or suffixes, syntax !word order", choice of noun or verb, etc for a particular place in a sentence, and.or punctuation. 4or example> the present perfect is formed with have been plus the past participle of the main verb; tired of is followed by ing!gerund not an to !infinitive, in m" opinion and not on m" opinion; the word is spelled c-o-n-t-e-n-t and the second s"llable is stressed iii" A ,> 3hen or why is the vocabulary, functional expression or grammar structure used? +he words, functional expressions, grammar structures we choose to use are determined by the situation we are in and.or what we want to communicate to our listener!s". Ase is interconnected with meaning.

4or example> #lease note$ %ail will not be delivered on &hursda"s until further notice. +he passive voice is used appropriately here because it is more formal and obBective* because listeners know generally that postmen deliver the mail and that this decision was made by a nameless government or postal official* and because the what is crucial to communicate is the fact that there will be no postal delivery on the specified day for the foreseeable future. 4or example> 'ood morning( is a greeting we use with friends, family, our boss, etc. when we see them before noon. If we say 'ood morning( to a family as s.he gets up in the afternoon !because they were out late the night before", we are being ironic and perhaps indicating disapproval. 3e would probably not say this to our boss when s.he came in late.

igure %& Celce'Murcia ( )arsen' reeman*s orm+Meaning+Use

Integration #ith the teaching o" )istening, ,pea$ing, -eading and .riting s$ills. 1rammar is the basis of all written and verbal communication. 3e cannot listen, speak, read or write without grammar. It is always present in any form of communication. +his is how grammar is ac;uired in the C' situation without being taught. +his is because they are totally immersed in the C' environment. &owever, the situation is different in the , C and ,4C context. In the , C and ,4C context, learning of grammar does not occur by pure chance. In the 9alaysian , C context, the DB @ states that* $+he principle of integration re;uires that the four language skills, grammar items.sentence patterns, the sound system and vocabulary be integrated and taught as a whole, wherever possible% +here are at least three ways in which grammar can be integrated with the other language skills like, listening, speaking, reading and writing* i. ii. by a systemati/ed mapping of the grammar syllabus within a thematically conceived series of units. &ow this is done is explained in detail below. by a unit-by-unit mapping of grammar. In this system, mapping of grammar that comes after the texts and situations for the four language skills have been determined. +he grammar element is then built in to support the skills-based activities. +he activities in turn, provide the grammar lesson with models from which to derive grammar rules. +his way of working out the grammar makes grammar-learning appear more interesting to the students as the need for grammar arises out of the immediate context. iii. through the specific ways in which grammar supports and is supported by each language skill. ! ource> 2hitravelu et al., 6778"

Week 4

Issues in grammar teaching +here are several issues pertaining to the teaching of grammar in the primary classroom. 0mong them are> i) /o teach o" not to teach grammar

+here is an issue on whether to teach or not to teach grammar and if so, how to teach it. +he issue on whether to teach or not to teach grammar depends on various variables !Brown, 677E" such as> ii) age proficiency level educational background language skills style !register" need and goals

,hould grammar 0e presented inductivel1 or deductivel1

+he issue here is whether learners benefit from an inductive approach where various language forms are practiced but in which the learners are left to discover or induce rules and generali/ations on their own? #r is it better if rule.generali/ation are given by the teacher or textbook and then allowed to practice arious instances of language to which the rule applies? ometimes a deductive approach, an inductive approach or even a blend between the two is effective. In practice, the distinction is not always apparent. iii) ,hould grammar 0e taught in context or in isolation

@esearch on the effectiveness of grammatical instruction indicates the advisability of embedding grammatical techni;ues into general language courses, rather than teaching it in isolation, and treating it in a separate course.

1rammar, whether learned consciously or subconciously is regarded as an enabling system that helps students to pursue relevant language goals. In other words, grammar serves as a contributor towards achieving such goals. In some curricula, certain class hours are set aside for grammar instruction. Ander certain conditions, however, they can provide a useful function, especially for the high intermediate to advanced learners !,llis 677:". iv) ,hould teachers correct grammatical errors

9any of the students= errors in speech and writing performance are grammatical. @esearch evidence shows that overt grammatical correction by teachers in the classroom is seldom seen of any conse;uence in improving learners= language. &owever, there are evidence showing that various other forms of attention to and treatment of grammatical errors have an impact on learners. In speaking we have to adhere to the principles of maintaining communicative flow, of maximi/ing student self-correction and of sensitively considering the affective and linguistic place the learner is in. &owever, in the process writing approach, overt attention to local grammatical and rhetorical errors is normally delayed until learners have completed one or two drafts of a paper. 5evertheless, global errors has to be treated earlier in the process. tudies have shown that certain attention to errors make a difference in final written products ! Brown, 677E".