TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF GRAMMAR ENGLISH 213 A
Module 1
Lesson 1
Key Terms and Concepts in Managing and Implementing Standard-based
Grammar Teaching
GRAMMARING
Grammaring is sometimes used to refer to the process by which language learners use grammar
to create messages through grammaticalizing or adding grammar to a sequence of words to
create finer meaning distinctions. the linguist diane larsen-freeman proposed grammaring as an
important process in second language acquisition. grammaring emphasizes grammar as a
dynamic process rather than a system of rules (p. 552).
According to the definition stated above, grammar is no longer conceived as a description of
language or native speaker’s competence. Thus, a paradigm shift arose about the teaching and
learning of grammar. The purpose behind teaching grammar is no longer the transmission of
knowledge. Rather, teaching grammar is now performed to enable students to use grammatical
structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately. In this respect, Larsen-Freeman (2001)
further states that “grammar teaching is not so much knowledge transmission as it is skill
development” (p. 255). Thus, different activities have started to focus on developing such a skill.
A – Focus on form:
A distinction is often made between language use and language form. In other words, there has
been a continuous debate over whether to teach students the language or teach them about the
language. For Larsen-Freeman, both language form and language use are equally important.
Among the activities that focus on language form are language games, Cuisenaire rods, sentence
completion, and sentence unscrambling tasks, among others. In general, there are three important
activities, namely: games, use of rods, and sentence unscrambling activities.
B – Focus on meaning:
Linking form with meaning can be carried out by the use of different activities. In fact, meaning
should call for some sort of associative learning (cf. Ellis 1998). This activity gives students the
opportunity to associate the form with the meaning of a particular target structure. For example, it
is by associating form and meaning that a phrasal verb can be understood. Moreover, meaning can
also be made clear by using realia and pictures. By using real-world objects or pictures, the
relationship between word and referent can be made more explicit. For example, if someone asks you
what a cabbage means, and you have a cabbage, you will tell him this is a cabbage. Mimicry of
the appropriate action is another way of making the meaning of linguistic “signs” more clear.
C – Focus on use:
The right form with the right meaning should be selected for the right context to ensure
successful communication. A practical way of going about sensitizing students to the effect of
context on language is through making use of role playing.
Role playing can be considered one of the most effective activities for developing the
appropriateness of the linguistic behavior of students due to its simulation of real-life contexts.
GRAMMARING OR NOT GRAMMARING?
By Zarela Cruz
The questions above are reservations we all teachers lay to ourselves when preparing our classes.
Providentially, there are new tendencies regarding this topic we should consider. Ready to revise
some of them?
Let’s start with the definition of Grammaring which is a new word coined by Larsen-
Freeman1” The ability to use grammar structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately”.
According to her, we should stop teaching grammar just as a set of rules, and teach it in such a
way that students learn how to use it.
This idea, is not totally new as you can see in the chart. Grammar can be taught either as a
product, as a process and as a skill. Moreover, we have shifted from teaching exclusively a set of
rules to teach absolutely no grammar at all. Why? The former method was the Grammar
Translation Approach and the latter the Communicative approach, which has communication as
its main aim.
Let’s take a look at the ways grammar has been taught so far:
- - As structured input activities (the focus should be in meaning)
- - As input enhacement activities (using visual aids and phonological modifications)
- - Interactional feedback (reformulation, paraphasing a faulty statement, self- correction)
The Communicative Approach is not new at all. After more than 50 years from its creation, it is
clear now the absence of grammar instruction has not helped to achieve language acquisition.
Students do communicate and are fluent, but form is neglected in most cases.
So, what can we do now? What is the new approach? The new approach considers grammar as
the fifth skill and adds a new dimension to language teaching: form, meaning (semantics) and
use (pragmatics.)
Let’s see an example to clarify what this means:
CAN= a modal verb
FUNCTIONS: permission, ability, requests and possibility
How can we teach all these functions: by contextualizing them.
WORD ORDER: INTERROGATIVE: CAN+ SUBJECT+ MAIN VERB+
OBJECT(S)
AFFIRMATIVE : SUBJECT + CAN+ MAIN VERB+ OBJECT(S)
Examples:
Situation 1: You need to answer an urgent call
Can I leave for a minute, please?
Situation 2: You are talking about skills you have
I can use Excel really well.
Situation 3: It is summer. It is very hot.
Can you open the window please?
Situation 4: You and your friend had a good time at a party.
Do you think you can drive? You have been drinking
at the party.
Grammaticalization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In historical linguistics and language change, grammaticalization (also known
as grammatization or grammaticization)
' a process of language ' change by which words representing objects and actions
(i.e. nouns and verbs) become grammatical markers (affixes, prepositions, etc.). Thus it creates
new function words by a process other than deriving them from
existing bound, inflectional constructions, instead deriving them from content words. For
example, the Old English verb willan 'to want', 'to wish' has become the Modern
English auxiliary verb will, which expresses intention or simply futurity. Some concepts are
often grammaticalized, while others, such as evidentiality, are not so much.[1]
For an understanding of this process, a distinction needs to be made between lexical items, or
content words, which carry specific lexical meaning, and grammatical items, or function words,
with little or no lexical meaning, which serve to express grammatical relationships between the
different words in an utterance. Grammaticalization has been defined as "the change whereby
lexical items and constructions come in certain linguistic contexts to serve grammatical
functions, and, once grammaticalized, continue to develop new grammatical functions".[2] Simply
put, grammaticalization is the process in which a lexical word or a word cluster loses some or all
of its lexical meaning and starts to fulfil a more grammatical function. Where grammaticalization
takes place, nouns and verbs which carry certain lexical meaning develop over time into
grammatical items such as auxiliaries, case markers, inflections, and sentence connectives.
A well-known example of grammaticalization is that of the process in which the lexical
cluster let us, for example in "let us eat", is reduced to let's as in "let's you and me fight". Here,
the phrase has lost its lexical meaning of "allow us" and has become an auxiliary introducing a
suggestion, the pronoun 'us' reduced first to a suffix and then to an unanalyzed phoneme.
ERROR CORRECTION VS. FEEDBACK
1. Mistake is a decision that turns out to be wrong.
2. Error is more of a formal word – refers to error on set of rules in grammar, Math or a bad
formula. It is a mistake which students can not correct by themselves but needs an
explanation.
3. Correction is a form of feedback given to learners on the use of the language.
4. Feedback refers to the information that learners receive from their teacher about their
performance which will help them take self-corrective action and improve their
achievement. Learners receive feedback from several sources: themselves, the learning
task, fellow students and the teacher.
Purpose of feedback:
to improve learners’ performance
it provides corrective advice and guidance to learners in their effort to raise their
performance levels.
it aims to correct the errors but should not be demotivating
it can be used to reinforce learning
Effective feedback focuses on the learners’ performances and stresses both strengths and
suggestions for improvement.
SPOKEN VS WRITTEN
Spoken grammar often includes contractions, such as ‘I’ll’, ‘don’t’ or ‘can’t’ which are strictly
speaking not appropriate in written grammar, as well as the inclusion of slang words or
colloquialisms. Spoken grammar also includes breaking of strict written grammar rules such as
beginning sentences with prepositions. Conversely, there is grammatical syntax that exists
almost exclusively in written grammar that is not used in spoken grammar such as the existence
of the perfect past tense. Spoken grammar is also more dynamic and immediate, therefore often
including many grammatical errors that are unacceptable in written grammar. This is as a
productive of rapid speech and thought development. Written grammar is more planned and
precise, therefore allowing fewer margins for error and engaging with a more sophisticated
vocabulary and format of idea presentation. Spoken grammar is often more communicative as it
presents ideas at a lower level of engagement, making it more accessible in a way and therefore
communicative. It also is capable of more effectively conveying a tone, furthering the
assessment of spoken grammar as communicative.
Below is a Venn Diagram showing the comparison and contrast of spoken and witten language
Task 1
A. How is grammar taught as a:
1. Product
2. Process
3. Skill
B. Differentiate grammaring from grammatialization
C. Why do teachers need to give feedback?
D. Compare and contrast spoken and written language .
REFERENCES:
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/06/160095/grammaring-the-fifth-skill-in-language-
teaching-and-learning/
http://www2.vobs.at/ludescher/pdf%20files/grammar.pdf
Prepared by:
LEILA C. CORTEZ LPT MA
Instructor
