National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Faculty of English Language and Literature ELT Methods and Practices, Spring 2012 Course Instructor: Prof. Bessie Dendrinos
TEACHING GRAMMAR GRAMMAR TO YOUNG LEARNERS
Tutorial carried out by: Paul Bouniol
Can we teach grammar to children? c hildren?
The basic questions that this tutorial seeks to answer are: What type of grammar should we teach to young learners 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)
Can we teach grammar to children? c hildren?
The basic questions that this tutorial seeks to answer are: What type of grammar should we teach to young learners 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)
Different grammars
Different views of language result in different differ ent theories of grammar and how grammar is learnt and taught Structural views of language are the basis for formal grammars Functional views of language are the basis for notionalfunctional and for communicative grammars In English, we find a great many grammars for different groups 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
Teaching the grammar of a language
Language is a whole (system), but it cannot be taught in its totality. It needs to be broken down into parts which will constitute the content of the curriculum/syllabus. Different views about what type of a system language is, produce different approaches to ELT, leading to different curricula and syllabuses: Structural approaches to language lead to focusing on the 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, produce different methods and practices of language teaching and thus of grammar teaching
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 shaped through 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 foreign language experts and practitioners who have incorporated teaching practices resulting from all three language learning theories
Language and grammar teaching practices
Practices resulting from cognitive learning theories, used especially during the presentation stage
Practices resulting from behavioural theories, used especially during the practice stage
Explicit teaching (by explanation) of the rules of the language –rules about how language as a formal system is organized and/or about language use (i.e., structural and functional rules) Implicit teaching of the structural and functional rules of the language (by demonstration or through practice)
Modeling and repeating language patterns and words, especially through drilling, etc.
Practices resulting from interactional theories, used especially during the production stage
Organized activities providing opportunities for meaningful use of the new language (use of the language in social context)
Do the young learn differently from adults?
Theories about how young children learn are not different from theories about how adults learn language and therefore grammar, but there are special considerations regarding 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 metalinguistic information). Teaching grammar explicitly requires the learner to think about language abstractly, so the younger the learner, the less appropriate grammar (and especially form-focused instruction) is they learn best by playing, singing, and using language in real situations and for fun, NOT by explanation
What else should we remember?
Very young and young learners: need to be praised or else they give up and don’t want to 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 don’t always ask questions; they pretend to understand
Remember also that children change dramatically from one year to the next
The focus of grammar teaching for the young
Questions about whether the focus of grammar teaching for the 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 be ensured
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 word order 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 a text type is organized and what type of lexicogrammar is used in a text type such as a formal letter, an information leaflet, an advertisement, an email, etc.
Teaching grammar to young learners: Principles and tips
The teaching process
The procedure suggested by Batstone (1995) includes the following steps: (re)noticing (re)structuring proceduralizing
Noticing
It involves an active process during which learners become aware of the new pattern, notice the link between form and meaning, but do not try to produce the pattern themselves yet Successful noticing activities:
Support meaning as well Present the pattern/form) in linguistic AND social context Compare/contrast the new pattern/form with other (already known) 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
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
Structuring
Structuring activities are intended to help learners make the new grammar pattern part of their ‘internal grammar’ and, if necessary, reorganize it Structuring usually requires controlled practice around form and meaning Learners are involved in controlled use of the language, making necessary changes of form to express meaning correctly 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
Structuring activities
Interaction activities, such as questionnaires, surveys about learners’ favourite hobbies, food, routines, etc. Language games, such as Hangman) Info-gap activities, such as the one where learners are asked to guess an action mimed Meaningful repetition drills Controlled written practice, such as finding the correct word order of sentences) Songs with appropriate lyrics (where language patterns are repeated
Proceduralization
This is the stage of production where learners are given opportunities to use the new patterns Tasks require attention to grammar as well as effective communication 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
Why focus on form?
Attention to form leads to learning to use language with grammatical accuracy Form affects meaning, so teaching language entails concern with form, so long as it is not at the expense of socially meaningful language use. Form-focused instruction may be necessary, especially for features of the FL that differ significantly from L1 The first step to learning the new grammar feature is noticing an aspect of the form The second step is to make it part of the learner’s ‘internal grammar’ The third step is to help learners make it part of their language resources ready for use in a range of communicative situations
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 it in authentic situations Learners’ errors can give teachers useful information about their learning processes and their internal grammars
Why do we assess grammatical accuracy
We assess EFL learners’ language output in formal and informal 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 task types 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 young and young learners are concerned Informal assessment techniques are often desirable
Informal assessment techniques
Among the popular informal techniques with which to assess young learners’ grammatical competence are: Making a portfolio Arts and crafts activities Projects Language games
SAMPLE GRAMMAR ACTIVITIES
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, ‘ One of 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)
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 other’s picture. 2. Point out that the pictures are different, and demonstrate the kind of exchange 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)
Picture A
Picture B
KEEPING THE RULES Level: A2 Time: 20 minutes Aims: Reinforcing language of permission, deducing meaning and l anguage 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 ( mustn’t, can’t), permission (can, may), and impossibility (can’t). (Activity adapted from Phillips, 1993)
Suggested reading
Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Georgiou-Ioannou, S. & Pavlou, Pavlos. 2003. Assessing Young Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lewis, G. & Mol, H. 2009. Grammar for Young Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Thornbury, S. 2005. Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Student teacher task 1
Look carefully through two recently published course books addressed to elementary level young EFL students, choose a language pattern presented in both, and: decide in which book the new language pattern is best presented and practiced, and explain why you think so find an activity that provides an opportunity for meaningful production of the new grammar and explain why you find it effective Do not forget to attach a copy of the materials you’ve used
Student teacher task 2
Look in EFL coursebooks for young EFL beginners and locate activities which use one of the techniques below and explain how successfully it does so: Introducing a particular grammar point by (a) using a song, (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 you’ve used
