Lesson 4 Grammar - Chapter 13

Questions What kind of approach do you take when teaching grammar? Activities? What’s been effective? Ineffective?

Grammar Translation Method This method focuses on translating grammatical forms, memorizing vocabulary, learning rules, and studying conjugations. Its focus is on accuracy and not fluency. Emphasis is on form and not on meaning. The Grammar translation method involves translating from the second language to the native language with an emphasis on grammar usage. Explanation is given in the learners’ first language.

Direct Method of Instruction A method that teaches grammar inductively with no explanations, the learner's first language is not used in the class, and new vocabulary is introduced by demonstration. It focuses on repetition of words and phrases. Second language learning should model first language learning in that it should be learned 'directly'.

Audio-Lingual Method The belief that language learning is a matter of habit formation. This method is focused upon pattern practice after listening to the second language over and over. Memorization of dialogues was common and it was all about Drill! Drill! Drill! Students would be given access to writings only after sufficient memorization of audio materials had been achieved.

Communicative Approach In this approach, students are given tasks to accomplish using language, instead of studying the language. The main goal is being able to communicate. The syllabus is based primarily on functional development (asking permission, asking directions, etc.), not structural development (past tense, conditionals, etc.). There is also less emphasis on error correction as fluency and communication become more important than accuracy.

Content-Based Instruction As the needs of second language learners have changed over time so have the approaches. This approach teaches language through content in areas such as math, science, and social studies. Language is no longer the main focus, but instead language is picked up while focusing on other regular content.

Questions How would you describe deductive and inductive grammar lessons? Which do you think you use? Can you think of any benefits and/or drawbacks for either of these approaches?

Deductive (Explicit) & Inductive (Implicit) Approaches In TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages), there are two main theoretical approaches for the presentation of new English grammar structures or functions to ESL/EFL students: inductive approach and deductive approach. The more traditional of the two theories, is the deductive approach, while the emerging and more modern theory, is the inductive approach.

Deductive (explicit) Approach The deductive approach represents a more traditional style of teaching in that the grammatical structures or rules are dictated to the students first. Thus, the students learn the rule and apply it only after they have been introduced to the rule. In this approach, the teacher is the center of the class and is responsible for all of the presentation and explanation of the new material. Students learn grammar ruleUse Rule

Deductive Approach Example Example: if the structure to be presented is present perfect, the teacher would begin the lesson by saying, "Today we are going to learn how to use the present perfect structure". Then, the rules of the present perfect structure would be outlined and the students would complete exercises, in a number of ways, to practice using the structure.

Presentation, Practice, Production A deductive approach often fits into a lesson structure known as PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production). The teacher presents the target language and then gives students the opportunity to practice it through very controlled activities. The final stage of the lesson gives the students the opportunity to practice the target language in freer activities which bring in other language elements.

Inductive (implicit) Approach The inductive approach represents a more modern style of teaching where the new grammatical structures or rules are presented to the students in a real language context. The students learn the use of the structure through practice of the language in context, and later realize the rules from the practical examples. With this approach, the teacher's role is to provide meaningful contexts to encourage demonstration of the rule, while the students evolve the rules from the examples of its use and continued practice Use grammar rule Learn Rule

Inductive Approach Example Example: if the structure to be presented is the comparative form, the teacher would begin the lesson by drawing a figure on the board and saying, "This is Jim. He is tall." Then, the teacher would draw another taller figure next to the first saying, "This is Bill. He is taller than Jim." The teacher would then provide many examples using students and items from the classroom, famous people, or anything within the normal daily life of the students, to create an understanding of the use of the structure. The students repeat after the teacher, after each of the different examples, and eventually practice the structures meaningfully in groups or pairs.

Deductive Approach Positives? effective with students who are accustomed to a very traditional style of learning and expect grammatical presentations easier to apply and leaves little room for mistakes providing that the rule is concisely and clearly stated makes students feel secure and provides them with a tool with which to tackle the tasks at hand confidence is reinforced by numerous examples, but also by the fact that the scope of what is expected of them is very clearly defined does not require much preparation on the part of the teacher;boils down to producing a comprehensible and lucid definition which can be easily applied in the exercises that follow

Deductive Approach Negatives? less suitable for lower level language students for presenting grammatical structures that are complex in both form and meaning lack of student involvement and struggle for understanding lesson is teacher-centered and not demanding in terms of creativity and imagination Teacher incompetence may deteriorate the situation further if the teacher is unable to state the rule explicitly and back it up with relevant examples

Inductive Approach Positives? students can focus on the use of the language without being held back by grammatical terminology and rules that can inhibit fluency encourages mental effort and forces students to rely on their intelligence and the ability to analyze and make connections between particular samples of speech promotes increased student participation and practice of the target language in the classroom in meaningful contexts

Inductive Approach Negatives? sometimes difficult for students who expect a more traditional style of teaching to induce the language rules from context Choosing examples that will guide students to the desired conclusions is an awfully demanding and risky may take a lot of valuable time (in cases when students are not able to come up with the rule implied in the given sentences) that could be devoted to practice and production

Inductive Lesson Example A newspaper article with examples of the passive is given to Ss. Ss answer a set of questions on the article. Example of passive verb identified; Ss find others & work out how passive is formed. Ss answer a further set of questions on the article which focus on the passive. Ss look at examples of sentences using the passive & answer questions focusing on the lack of an agent in many passive sentences. A definition is then developed by SS which explains the passive; teacher clears up misunderstandings Further examples are provided to test understanding: a fill the gap, cloze or tense conjugation activity