1 The grammar gap Dick Hudson Liverpool February 2010

2 Plan 1.Grammar in a normal world 2.How we got our grammar gap 3.Curriculum reform 4.The problem 5.The symptoms 6.The diagnosis 7.The remedy

3 1. A normal world Everyone needs some “knowledge about language” (KAL) –explicit knowledge –with established terminology Why? –like biology: for interest and self-understanding –like literacy: for learning more in L1 in foreign languages

4 What is KAL? External KAL: own language and others: –history –geography Internal KAL: –varieties, e.g. standard/non-standard –pronunciation, e.g. IPA –vocabulary, e.g. synonymy, hyponymy, cognate –grammar.

5 Grammar in a normal world ideas –e.g. compositionality and irregularity categories –e.g. word classes skill in analysing examples skill in using analyses in learning new language in using old language

6 Grammar in a normal world Accepted as part of the curriculum –like literacy, numeracy, IT. Informed by research on grammar. Taught by best methods –systematically –interestingly –relevantly

7 Where is this normal world? Ancient India, Greece and Rome Mediaeval Arabic civilization 18 th and 19 th century Britain France, Spain, Italy, … Russia, Bulgaria, …

8 2. How we got our grammar gap At one time, English education was normal. ‘Grammar schools’ taught Latin and other languages, including their grammar the ‘trivium’ in mediaeval universities was: –logic –rhetoric –grammar Grammar survived till the 1960s

9 GCE O-level English 1950

10 But between 1900 and 1950 … HE: No research on language –except phonetics –No teaching of ‘language’ except OE and philology Schools: Traditional grammar taught and tested –but grammar for English was ‘Latinate’. –‘ [it is] impossible at the present juncture to teach English grammar in the schools for the simple reason that no-one knows exactly what it is ’ (Board of Education 1921) –so grammar was marginal – one optional question

11 The turning point: the 1960s The end of grammar teaching in schools –first in English –then in Foreign languages The start of grammar research in universities –Quirk –Halliday –Chomsky

12 3. Curriculum reform Since 1990, grammar is back in the curriculum: –but not old-fashioned Latinate grammar –linguists have had a lot of influence The National Curriculum –for English (1990, 1995, 1999) –for foreign languages (1990, 1999)

13 and of course, … A-level English language appeared in 1985

14 What Ofqual expects in ALEL: 3.5 AS specifications should require candidates to show broad knowledge and understanding of … the characteristic speech sounds and intonation patterns (phonetics and phonology) the vocabulary of English, including the origins, meanings and usage of words (lexis) the forms and structures of words, phrases, clauses, sentences and texts in speech and writing (morphology, grammar and discourse) … 3.6 In addition, A level specifications should require students to show deeper knowledge and understanding of … the following frameworks …: –phonology and phonetics, lexis, morphology, grammar, discourse …

15 4. The problem Young teachers don’t know grammar –Schools didn’t need to teach grammar –Most university English and FL depts still don’t teach about grammar. –So since 1980 teachers have had to teach content that they probably didn’t learn either at school or at university.

16 5. The symptoms In 1986, educational linguists were worried. So Tom Bloor constructed a simple test –for Aston University French Dept –and UCL Linguistics Dept to be taken by new undergraduates: –63 in language subjects (Aston, UCL) –175 in other subjects (Aston) one part involved grammar KAL:

17 The grammar test From the sentence below give ONE example of each of the grammatical items requested and write it in the space provided. NB You may select the same word(s} more than once if appropriate. –Materials are delivered to the factory by a supplier, who usually has no technical knowledge, but who happens to have the right contacts.

18 The items requested verb, noun, … countable noun, relative pronoun, auxiliary verb, … passive verb, past participle, …

19 % of students who ‘gapped’ Linguists (N= 63)Non-linguists (N = 175) verb05 noun07 countable noun3843 passive verb2785 adjective227 adverb2566 definite article2148 indefinite article3367 preposition960 relative pronoun1768 auxiliary verb4454 past participle2145 conjunction1155 finite verb4156 infinitive1158 N % of linguists couldn’t find an auxiliary verb 85% of non-linguists couldn’t find a passive verb

20 A simple index of grammatical KAL Average gaps per student (max: 15): –linguists (inc French): 3.02 –non-linguists: 7.45 Conclusions: –linguists had serious gaps –but they were much better than non-linguists –they must have learned it from A-level FL

21 What happened next? NB from 1990 official policy requires grammar to be taught –but NOT tested Did this reverse the trend? 1992, 1994: Charles Alderson at Lancaster –tested students of French and of Linguistics

, 1992, 1994

Charles Alderson and I invited colleagues in LAGB and BAAL to repeat the test. It was taken by 659 students at 11 HEIs Including Aston and UCL

24 A typical FL undergraduate in 2009 French and Spanish at A-level ‘a describing word’?

25 How do students feel about it?

Aston French: 11 UCL Lingx: 18

27 Moreover, other HEIs are worse UCL BSc

28 Effects of A-level Foreign language A-level does teach grammar –1986: it added 5 points to score –2009: it only adds 1 or 2 points English language makes no difference

29 6. The diagnosis Students aren’t learning grammar at school –in spite of the curriculum But some grammar is being taught So official policy is not working Why not? Maybe because teachers –are anxious –don’t really understand –can easily avoid it

30 7. The remedy Official policy should test grammar. Ofsted should ensure it’s taught well. Linguistics and Eng Lang graduates should become school teachers. Linguistics depts should teach English grammar for text analysis.