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8/12/2019 Teaching Grammar to Yls

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TEACHING GRAMMAR

TO YOUNG LEARNERS

National and Kapodistrian University of AthensFaculty of English Language and LiteratureELT Methods and Practices, Spring 2012Course Instructor: Prof. Bessie Dendrinos

Tutorial carried out by:

Paul Bouniol


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Can we teach grammar to children?

The basic questions that this tutorial seeks to answer are:

What type of grammar should we teach to younglearners

Whether or not grammar should be taught explicitly to

very young and young learners In this tutorial we are concerned with EFL learners in Greek

primary school, both

very young learners (ages 6-8)

young learners (8-12)


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Different grammars

Different views of language result in different

theories of grammar and how grammar is learnt and taught

Structural views of language are the basis for formalgrammars

Functional views of language are the basis for notional-functional and for communicative grammars

In English, we find a great many grammars for differentgroups of people

L1 speakers, English teachers and advanced EFL

students, commonly make use of reference grammars Students of English commonly make use of pedagogic

grammars


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Teaching the grammar of a language

Language is a whole (system), but it cannot be taught in itstotality. It needs to be broken down into parts which willconstitute the content of the curriculum/syllabus.

Different views about what type of a system language is,

produce different approaches to ELT, leading to differentcurricula and syllabuses:

Structural approaches to language lead to focusing onthe formal grammatical & lexical components of language

Functional approaches lead to focusing on the notions

and functions of language, functional grammar,situational syllabuses.

Different views about how language is learnt, producedifferent methods and practices of language teaching andthus of grammar teaching


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Language learning & the teaching of grammar

Different views about how people learn languages include: Cognitive theories which claim that people learn through complex

cognitive mechanisms

Behavioural theories which claim that linguistic behaviour is shapedthrough stimulus + response classroom practices, punishment +

reward Interactional theories which claim that language is learnt through

use and it is through use that meanings are developed in language

No single theory is considered right or wrong by foreignlanguage experts and practitioners who have incorporatedteaching practices resulting from all three languagelearning theories


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Language and grammar teaching practices

Practices resulting from cognitive learning theories, usedespecially during the presentation stage Explicit teaching (by explanation) of the rules of the language rules

about how language as a formal system is organized and/or aboutlanguage use (i.e., structural and functional rules)

Implicit teaching of the structural and functional rules of the language(by demonstration or through practice)

Practices resulting from behavioural theories, usedespecially during the practice stage Modeling and repeating language patterns and words, especially

through drilling, etc.

Practices resulting from interactional theories, usedespecially during the production stage Organized activities providing opportunities for meaningful use of the

new language (use of the language in social context)


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Do the young learn differently from adults?

Theories about how young children learn are not differentfrom theories about how adults learn language andtherefore grammar, but there are special considerationsregarding how children learn anything. Remember,children:

have an amazing ability to absorb the new

they do not understand abstract concepts and theories(e.g. grammar explanations and metalinguisticinformation). Teaching grammar explicitly requires thelearner to think about language abstractly, so theyounger the learner, the less appropriate grammar (andespecially form-focused instruction) is

they learn best by playing, singing, and using languagein real situations and for fun, NOT by explanation


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What else should we remember?

Very young and young learners:

need to be praised or else they give up and dont wantto comply

can use language before they understand what it is that

they mean by saying something need to be absolutely clear about what to do

learn through their eyes, ears, hands and their senses

Get easily bored and need variety

cannot concentrate for a long time on one thing

cannot always differentiate fact from fiction

dont always ask questions; they pretend to understand

Remember also that children change dramatically from one year to the next


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The focus of grammar teaching for the young

Questions about whether the focus of grammar teaching forthe very young and young learners should be on form,meaning or use is a false question

Attention to all three is warranted but, in order for it to

work: the teaching techniques used must be appropriate for

young and very young learners

presentation, practice and production stages should beensured


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What aspect of grammar?

When referring to grammar, we are talking about: The grammar of words (rules about how words are formed,

how they are used to make meaningful sentences)

The grammar of clause and sentence, i.e., rules about wordorder and how sentences are linked together to make

paragraphs The grammar of texts, i.e., rules about text coherence and

cohesion, and about how sentences function as part of a text)

The grammar of text types and genres, i.e., rules about how atext type is organized and what type of lexicogrammar is usedin a text type such as a formal letter, an information leaflet, an

advertisement, an email, etc.


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Teaching grammar to young

learners: Principles and tips


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The teaching process

The procedure suggested by Batstone (1995) includes thefollowing steps:

(re)noticing

(re)structuring

proceduralizing


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Noticing

It involves an active process during which learners becomeaware of the new pattern, notice the link between form andmeaning, but do not try to produce the pattern themselvesyet

Successful noticing activities:

Support meaning as well

Present the pattern/form) in linguistic AND social context

Compare/contrast the new pattern/form with other (alreadyknown) patterns/forms

Require active participation on the part of the learner

Must be at a level of detail appropriate to the learners age

Lead into, but not include, activities that manipulate language


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Types of noticing activities

Classroom instructions, questions, requests, etc.

Dialog with a puppet

Using texts

Using visual

Exploiting every day situations

Modeling

Drawing

Writing and circling

Underlining critical points Time lines

Discovery techniques


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Structuring

Structuring activities are intended to help learners makethe new grammar pattern part of their internal grammarand, if necessary, reorganize it

Structuring usually requires controlled practice aroundform and meaning

Learners are involved in controlled use of the language,making necessary changes of form to express meaningcorrectly and appropriately

Learners are given choices in content that require

adjustments in grammar to express meaning During the structuring stage, practice is fully or partly

controlled


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Structuring activities

Interaction activities, such as questionnaires, surveys aboutlearners favourite hobbies, food, routines, etc.

Language games, such as Hangman)

Info-gap activities, such as the one where learners are asked toguess an action mimed

Meaningful repetition drills

Controlled written practice, such as finding the correct word orderof sentences)

Songs with appropriate lyrics (where language patterns arerepeated


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Proceduralization

This is the stage of production where learners are givenopportunities to use the new patterns

Tasks require attention to grammar as well as effectivecommunication

Proceduralizing activities:

Writing captions in comics and/or pictures

Parallel writing (based on a model text provided)

Finding and writing the ending of a story

Telling a story based on visuals

Role playing and simulations

Problem solving

Having learners correct content or form errors the teacher(deliberately) makes


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Why focus on form?

Attention to form leads to learning to use language withgrammatical accuracy

Form affects meaning, so teaching language entails concernwith form, so long as it is not at the expense of sociallymeaningful language use.

Form-focused instruction may be necessary, especially forfeatures of the FL that differ significantly from L1

The first step to learning the new grammar feature isnoticing an aspect of the form

The second step is to make it part of the learners internalgrammar

The third step is to help learners make it part of theirlanguage resources ready for use in a range ofcommunicative situations


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The learner is the one to do the learning

Teaching grammar does not mean that students will learn

Learners must be given opportunities to practice and use itin authentic situations

Learners errors can give teachers useful information about

their learning processes and their internal grammars


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Why do we assess grammatical accuracy

We assess EFL learners language output in formal andinformal ways in order to: monitor and evaluate learners progress

help them progress

provide them with evidence of their progress

enhance their motivation

plan our remedial work

Formal assessment techniques include traditional test tasktypes with Multiple choice questions, T/F, Y/N items,Multiple match, Cloze, Fill in, Sentence completion,

Sentence reordering, Transformations, Sentence writing,Parallel writing, etc.

We avoid formal assessment practices where very youngand young learners are concerned

Informal assessment techniques are often desirable


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Informal assessment techniques

Among the popular informal techniques with which toassess young learners grammatical competence are:

Making a portfolio

Arts and crafts activities

Projects Language games


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SAMPLE GRAMMAR ACTIVITIES


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ONE OF US, TWO OF US

Level:A2

Time: 10-20 minutes

Aims: To provide review of the pattern: One/two of us can / None of us can.

Procedure:1. Write the following rubric on the board:

One of us can

Two of us can

None of us can

2. Explain that of us means of our group and that none means

not one. Elicit ways of completing the pattern. For example, Oneof us can play tennis. None of us can speak Italian.

3. Divide the class into groups of four. Give them a rough time limit

say 10 minutes within which they must try and generate as many

true sentences as they can about their group, using the rubric. One

member of the group should be appointed to write down the sentences

that are generated.

4. Ask the group secretaries to read out some of the more interesting

sentences about their group, and use this as an opportunity to draw out

the students, inviting them to tell the class a little more about the things

they have said they can do.

(Thornbury, 2005)


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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Level: A1

Time: approx. 5 minutes

Aims: To provide interactive conditions for the use of on the right / left / between

Materials: Copies of the two versions of the same picture to be distributed to pairs.

Procedure:

1. Distribute the pictures so that each member of a pair has a different version

of the same picture. They should hold the pictures and be seated in such a way

that they cannot see each others picture.

2. Point out that the pictures are different, and demonstrate the kind ofexchange necessary in order to discover the differences. To help Ss,

write the following questions and model answers on the board:

What do you have (on the right / on the left / between) ?

I have

3. Ss take turns to ask each other questions until they have discovered all the differences.

(Adapted from: Thornbury, 2005)


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Picture B

Picture A


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KEEPING THE RULES

Level:A2

Time: 20 minutes

Aims: Reinforcing language of permission, deducing meaning and language rules

from context (Ss match sentences to places and then focus on the language)

Procedure:

1. Write down rules to suit Ss environment

2. Make copies of the rules (one for every pair of children), or copy them

onto a poster or the board.

In Class:

1. Ask the Ss to think of places that have rules (eg: library, swimming pool,

football match, park, classroom, home, etc) and make a list on the board of the

places they suggest.

2. Give out the copies of the rules, or put up your poster and tell the Ss that

each set of sentences refers to one of the places on the board. Tell them to read

the sentences and decide which place they refer to.3. Let Ss work in pairs to solve the puzzle and then check the answers.

4. Ask them to look at the sentences again and find sentences that express

obligation to do something (must), and then go on to prohibition (mustnt, cant),

permission (can, may), and impossibility (cant).

(Activity adapted from Phillips, 1993)


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Suggested reading

Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages to YoungLearners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Georgiou-Ioannou, S. & Pavlou, Pavlos. 2003. AssessingYoung Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lewis, G. & Mol, H. 2009. Grammar for Young Learners.Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Thornbury, S. 2005. Grammar. Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress.


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Student teacher task 1

Look carefully through two recently published course booksaddressed to elementary level young EFL students, choosea language pattern presented in both, and:

decide in which book the new language pattern is bestpresented and practiced, and explain why you think so

find an activity that provides an opportunity formeaningful production of the new grammar and explainwhy you find it effective

Do not forget to attach a copy of the materials youve used


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Student teacher task 2

Look in EFL coursebooks for young EFL beginners andlocate activities which use one of the techniques below andexplain how successfully it does so:

Introducing a particular grammar point by (a) using asong, (b) using presentation through involvement

Practicing the grammar point by (a) using role play, (b)using visuals

Do not forget to attach a copy of the materials youve used


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Children learn only when

they like what they are doing!