Unit 7 Teaching Grammar

Aims of the Unit Able to understand the role of grammar in language teaching Able to know the pattern in teaching grammar Able to know the major types of grammar presentation methods Able to know the major types of grammar practice activities

Discussion Task 1: The following are assumptions about grammar in English learning, decide if you agree with them or not, and give the reasons.

Pattern in teaching grammar Three stages for teaching new grammar: Presentation Practice Production

Presentation --- the teacher introduces new grammar knowledge in particular communicative situations, focusing on its meaning and form. The teaching aim is to make the students understand grammar. stage1

Practice --- the students work through activities ,usually from controlled practice, half controlled practice to free practice in order to use the new language in different situations. The teaching aim to make the students remember the grammar rules and learn to use the grammar in listening, speaking, reading and writing, but the focus is on accuracy of the new learned grammar knowledge. stage2

Production --- the students are given chances to use the new grammar freely and integrate it with their prior grammar. The focus is on free use and fluency. stage3

Grammar presentation methods Deductive method Inductive method Guided discovery method

Deductive grammar presentation The deductive method is characterized by a direct presentation of grammar rules, explanation and analysis through a large number of examples. It mainly focuses on meaning and forms.

Teaching Process First, the teacher states the grammar rules. Second, the teacher explains the rules with examples in students’ native language and makes the students regard the grammar form and position of certain structure words. Sometimes comparisons are made between the native language and the target language or the newly presented structure and previously learned structures. Third, the students practice applying the rule to produce sentences with the given prompts.

Disadvantages to deductive method It teaches grammar in a direct and isolated way which is isolated from the language context. It focuses on forms and little attention is paid to meanings. The practice is often mechanical.

Advantages to deductive method Students can understand the grammar easily without any hard-thinking, and it saves times when they are confronted with complex grammar rules. It is easy to get a good mark for the students who can remember the grammar rules. And it may help to increase students’ confidence.

Inductive presentation method The inductive method mainly relies on students’ discovery and induction of grammar rules from the authentic language data provided by teachers without any form of explicit explanation.

Teaching Process First, the teacher gives the examples with new structures in authentic context such as actions, pictures, real objects and other visual aids. Second, the teacher induces the students to find out the rules in mind. Third, the teacher induces the students to try to apply the newly learned structures to produce sentences to check if they can understand. Finally, the teacher elicits the grammar rules from the students.

Assessment to the inductive method It is mainly to induce the students themselves to discover the grammar rules, so the students will understand and remember them well. The students learn the grammar rules in language use, so it can develop the students’ language competence. It is important for developing the students’ learning ability and good leaning habits and strategy.

The guided discovery method In the guided discovery method, students are presented with contextualized scenarios illustrating a specific structure. Students are then guided to discover the underlying rule of the structure as well as its meaning in context followed by explicit teaching and learning of the target structure.

Grammar practice methods Mechanical practice Meaningful practice

Mechanical practice Mechanical practice involves activities that are aimed at form accuracy. By doing mechanical practice, the students pay repeated attention to a key element in a structure. The commonly conducted activities are substitution drills and transformation drills.

Substitution drills: mechanical practice The students substitute a part in a structure so that they get to know how that part functions in a sentence. Sometimes certain prompts are given. mechanical practice

mechanical practice Transformation drills: The students change a given structure in a way so that they become another similar structure. mechanical practice

Meaningful practice Meaningful practice usually comes after mechanical practice. It focuses on the production, comprehension or exchange of meaning.

Using prompts for practice Using picture prompts. Using mimes or gestures as prompts. Using information sheet as prompts. Using key phrases or key words as prompts. Using chained phrases for story telling. Using created situations.

Key Points What's the pattern in teaching grammar? What's the major types of grammar presentation methods? What's the major types of grammar practice activities? What's mechanical practice/meaningful practice?

Assignment Prepare a mini class presenting a grammatical item using inductive method.

Micro-teaching Practice Using inductive presentation method Choose one from the following: If I..., I would...(虚拟语气) Past tense of the verb(过去时态) so ...that... Except 动词第三人称 名词复数

Micro-teaching Plan Teaching Title Teaching skills Teaching Time Teaching Stages Teacher Action Skills Used Students Action