Teaching grammar: a task-based approach

David Nunan

FORM
How is it formed? (Accuracy)

MEANING
What does it mean? (Meaningfulness)

USE
When/Why is it used? (Appropriateness)

Overview
With the development of communicative approaches to language teaching, the place of grammar has been uncertain. There are those who argue that there is no place for a formal focus on grammar in the communicative classroom of today. I do not share this view. In this presentation, I will argue that grammar has a central and fundamental place in the curriculum. However, this does not mean I am arguing for a return to "traditional" ways of teaching grammar. In the first plart of the presentation, I will explain what it means to look at grammar as a tool for communication rather than as a body of content to be memorized. I will then give practical examples of how teachers can implement these ideas in their classrooms.

 What

is grammar? Whats the difference between a prescriptive and a descriptive grammar? In what ways are grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation interrelated? What is a task?

Questions addressed in the presentation

Warm up task: Dictogloss

My name is David Nunan. I am a teacher. I live in Hong Kong, but I travel a lot. This is my second visit to Cambodia. I love the weather, the food and the people in here in Cambodia. I look forward to meeting new frends during the conference.

Traditional definition 1
Grammar may be roughly defined as the way language manipulates and combines words (or bits of words) in order to form longer units of meaning (Ur 1988, p.4).

Traditional definition 2
[Grammar is] a description of the structure of a language and the way in which units such as words and phrases are combined to produce sentences in the language (Richards, Platt and Weber, 2003).

Traditional definition 3
[Grammar] is the way in which words change themselves and group together to make sentences. The grammar of a language is what happens to words when they become plural or negative, or what order is used when we make questions or join two clauses to make one sentence (Harmer, 1987).

Grammar and pronunciation

Shes Italian, isnt she? (rising intonation) = I believe that shes Italian, but Im really not certain. (falling intonation) = Im pretty sure shes Italian, but Id like your confirmation on that. Shes Italian, is she? (rising intonation) = I thought she was Spanish, but Ive just received information that leads me to revise my belief.

Grammar and pronunciation

A A

woman without her man is nothing.

woman without her man (pause) is nothing. A woman (pause) without her man is nothing.

Grammar and vocabulary

Mary J. Blige has been dubbed the Queen of hip-hop Soul, but shes really an oldfashioned blues singer wrapped in hip-hop beats and soul grooves. (Rolling Stone September 18, 2003, page 70). Mary J. Blige the Queen of hip-hop she an old-fashioned blues singer

A communicative definition
Grammar is a resource that enables us: to get things done to make choices to express ourselves as individuals to articulate our feelings and attitudes

From principles to pedagogy

Teach grammar as an extremely flexible resource for making meaning. As far as possible, integrate the teaching of grammar with the teaching of pronunciation and vocabulary. Help learners see relationships between form and meaning.

Teach students how to use grammar to make appropriate choices and express their own personal meanings.

Repetition: The traditional approach

T: She can speak Spanish (French). Ss: She can speak French. T: They Ss: They can speak French. T: German - cant Ss: They cant speak German (etc.)

A task-based approach
Tasks: have a primary focus on meaning learners are not given other peoples meanings to regurgitate have an outcome other than the manipulation and practice of language forms generate language use that has some resemblance to real-world language

True / false

True / false
GFI 2e Level 2 Page 31 Task 4

Figure it out
GFI 2e Level 2 page 3 Tasks 3a & b

Figure it out
GFI 2e Level 2 page 3 Tasks 3a & b

Detective
Procedure:

An object to be stolen is decided onsay a coin or a ring. Once student (the detective) is sent out of the room. One of the remaining students is given the object; he or she is the thief.

The

detective returns and tries to find out who the thief is by asking participants: Do you have it/the ring?

Detective

Each participantincluding the actual thief denies guilt, and accuses someone else. No, I dont have it. A has it! Whereupon, the detective turns to A with the same questionand so on, until everyone has been asked and has denied responsibility. The detective then has to decide in three guesses who is lyingwho looks guilty. The process is then repeated with another detective and another thief. (Ur 1988)

Tic-tac-toe
GFI 2e Leve l2 page 6 Task 4 Go For It

Information gap

Information gap (cont.)

Surveys

Dictogloss

Preparation, when the learner finds out about the topic of the text and is prepared for some of the vocabulary. Dictation, when the learner hears the text and takes fragmentary notes. (Wajnryb recommends that the text be read twice, at normal speed. The first time through, learners simply listen to get a general sense of what the text is about. The second time, they write down key words.) Reconstruction, in which learners work in small groups, pool their notes, and reconstruct the text. Analysis and correction, when learners analyze and correct their texts. Wajnryb (1990)

Role play

References
Nunan, D. 1999. Second Language Teaching and Learning. Boston: Thomson/Heinle. Nunan, D. 2004. Practical English Language Teaching: Grammar. New York: McGraw Hill. Pennington, M. 1995. New Ways in Teaching Grammar. Alexandria VA: TESOL. Thornbury, S. 1999. How to Teach Grammar. London: Longman. Ur, P. 1988. Grammar Practice Activities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Web sites
http://ec.hku.hk/vec/grammar/default.htm http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/teacher/grammar.h tml http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/ http://esl.about.com/cs/grammar http://expressions.heinle.com http://www.eslcafe.com http://goforit.heinle.com