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This page has been
formatted for online reading and may not print properly. Index of
articles and materials Related Articles Minding
Our Ps: A framework for grammar teaching — Teaching
the expression of time: A concise framework — Materials Evaluation and Adaptation: A case study of
grammar teaching — — |
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I designed these materials for the ‘Grammar’
component of the RSA/Cambridge Diploma and Certificate courses, the short course Teaching Exam Prep Classes
(Professionals in Language & Education), the BA course ‘Introduction to
ELT’ (University of Indianapolis, Athens),
as well as various seminars, lectures and presentations, between
October 1994 and July 2001. Materials copyright © Costas
Gabrielatos, 1994-2001. You’re welcome to use
them in total or in part, in their original or an adapted form, as long as
you acknowledge the source. |
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stage
i. views & boundaries 1. Which of the following statements is closer to your view of grammar? a. Grammar is a set of rules which we must
follow in order to use the language correctly. b. Grammar is an attempt to present in a
systematic way observations about the structure and use of language. 2. Imagine that a learner has made the following two mistakes. After
being corrected, the learner has asked you for the ‘rule’ governing each
case. a.
I explained him the answer. b. He was fonded of by Jane. (Used as the passive form of Jane was fond of him). Source: Batstone, R. 1994.
Grammar. Oxford University Press. Ø In your groups prepare a rule and/or explanation for each. stage
ii. MEANING & USE 1. Divide the following
sentences/utterances in groups. Ø What were your criteria? Ø Is there only one possible grouping? a. Susan cheats. b. He’s getting his degree in October. c. Would you by any chance be available next
week? d. Granny would always tell us bedtime
stories. e. He’s always coming late. f. The show begins at Ø What conclusions can you draw regarding the relation between form and concept? Ø Which two alternatives of presenting grammar items can you see? Which one do you prefer? Why? 2. Think of a context in which the above sentences/utterances may have been
used. Ø Fill in the following table.
3. Compare your ideas with other
colleagues in the group. Ø Have you all come up with the same ideas about the intention of speakers/writers? Why (not)? Ø Can you understand the speaker’s / writer’s intention based on the form and/or concept alone? Ø What implications can you see regarding the teaching of grammar? STAGE III.
RULES & EXPLANATIONS 1. Provide the ‘rule’ for the following
grammatical phenomena: a. ‘some vs. any’ (include information about the type of nouns & sentences they can be used with) b. the ‘first conditional’ 2. Look at the following examples. a.
some vs. any That’s
some car you have there! Would
any of you like some more soup? Come
and see me any time you like. He refused to make
any other statements. source: Leech, G.& Svartvik, J. 1994. 2nd
ed. A Communicative Grammar of English.
Longman. b.
first conditional If
the party will end before midnight, it’s time to start enjoying ourselves
now. If
you’re going to be playing tennis against Jenny, you’d better borrow my
racquet. Let
me know if you should hear some more news. If
I’ve written the paper before Monday, Ill call you If
you feel seasick, take one of these pills. If
you are expecting a first-class hotel, you’re going to be disappointed If
anyone bets on horses, he or she deserves to lose money. If
United can win this game, they may become league champions. If Mary is at
liberty, I could see her for a moment. sources: Bygate, M., Tonkyn,
A.& Williams, E. eds. 1994. Grammar
and the Language Teacher. Prentice Hall. Leech,
G.& Svartvik, J. 1994. 2nd ed. A Communicative
Grammar of English. Longman. Quirk, R. et. al. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language. Longman Ø Can your rules account for all of them? 3. Read the following two texts and discuss the questions that follow
each one. text
1 Bill: Hey, have
you been watching the re-run of that comedy series on TV - Fresno, I think
it’s called? Tom: Ah, Fresno, yes! Annabelle really loves that programme. Bill: Look, Tom. I’m sorry but you really must let
go of Annabelle. She left you over two years ago, for goodness sake! Source: Batstone, R. 1994. Grammar. Oxford University Press. Ø Considering that Bill’s relationship with Annabelle belongs to the past and that Bill is not in a position to be certain about her present preferences, how do you account for the use of ‘loves’ instead of ‘loved’? Has Bill used the wrong tense? text 2 ‘Skinner (1957) argued that
language was learned through a process of stimulus-response, with
large amounts of controlled repetition. Chomsky (1959) argues that
language could never be learned in this way, and that we are all
endowed at birth with a language acquisition device which provides
essential assistance in the learning process.’ Source: Batstone, R. 1994. Grammar. Oxford University Press. - adapted from an article by
Riddle, E. 1986. Ø Why is the writer referring to Skinner’s work using the Simple Past and to Chomsky’s work using the Simple Present? Has he made a mistake? 4. There are two main types of grammar books relevant to TEFL: the
ones targeted at learners (pedagogical) and the ones targeted at teachers. Ø Identify similarities & differences between the two types in terms of the following (interdependent) factors
stage iv. which grammar? 1. Read the transcript of a post-graduate student (native speaker)
speaking informally [‘+’ = pause]. Ø What
do you think of it in terms of ‘grammaticality’ ? normally after + very heavy rain + or
something like that + and + you’re driving along the road + and + far away
+ you see + well + er
+ a series + of + stripes ++ formed like a bow + an arch ++ very very faraway + ah + seven colours but ++ I guess you
hardly ever see seven it’s just a + series of + colours which + they seem to
be separate but if you try to look for the separate-colours they always seem
+ very hard + to separate + if you see what I mean ++ source: Brown, G. & Yule, G. 1983.
Discourse Analysis. Cambridge University Press. 2. Although written & spoken language share a common ‘core’ of
grammatical characteristics, there are significant differences regarding
their structure. Ø Do you think that awareness of the differences between written and spoken ‘grammar’ should influence TEFL? Why (not)? Ø How can EFL teachers account for such differences in their planning and teaching? stage V. planning 1. Drawing on your knowledge & experience discuss the following aspects of a ‘grammar lesson’:
2. What does the preparation of a grammar lesson involve? Ø What factors should be taken into consideration? Ø What decisions does the teacher have to make? 3. You will be given the description of a grammar lesson. The
different stages are in jumbled order. Ø Put the stages in order. Be ready to state your reasons. 4. Look at the lesson description in the original order. Ø Identify the aim(s) of the lesson. Ø Identify the purpose of each stage. Ø Comment on the role of teacher & learners in the different stages. Ø Does the teacher adopt a deductive or inductive approach? Ø What previous knowledge does the teacher assume? Ø Comment on the staging decisions. Would you have preferred a different staging? Why? 5. Can you think of
other ways you can stage a grammar lesson? 6. Observe the ‘presentation’ stage of four different lessons. Ø During the ‘lessons’ take part as learners. Ø During and/or after each presentation take notes regarding the following:
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