Different approach to the teaching active grammar (grammar for conversation) and passive grammar (grammar for reading)

5. Different approach to the teaching active grammar (grammar for conversation) and passive grammar (grammar for reading).

Grammar items pupils need for conversation are taught by the oral approach, i.e., pupils aud them, perform various oral exercises, finally see them printed, and write sentences using them.

For example, pupils need the Present Progressive for conversation. They listen to sentences with the verbs in the Present Progressive spoken by the teacher or the speaker (when a tape recorder is used) and relate them to the situations suggested. Then pupils use the verbs in the Present Progressive in various oral sentences in which the Present Progressive is used. Grammar items necessary for reading are taught through reading.

Rule for the teachers:

If the grammar item the teacher is going to present belongs to those pupils need for conversation, he should select the oral approach method for teaching.

If pupils need the grammar item for reading, the teacher should start with reading and writing sentences in which the grammar item occurs.

While preparing for the lesson at which a new grammar item should be introduced, the teacher must realize the difficulties pupils will meet in assimilating this new element of the English grammar. They may be of three kinds: difficulties in form, meaning, and usage. The teacher thinks of the ways to overcome these difficulties: how to convey the meaning of the grammar item either through situations or with the help of the mother tongue; what rule should be used; what exercises should be done; their types and number. Then he thinks of the sequence in which pupils should work to overcome these difficulties, i.e., , from observation and comprehension through conscious imitation to usage in conversation (communicative exercises). Then the teacher considers the form in which he presents the grammar item – orally, in writing, or in reading. And, finally, the teacher plans pupils’ activity while they are learning this grammar item (point): their individual work, mass work, work in unison, and work in pairs, always bearing in mind that for assimilation pupils need examples of the sentence pattern in which this grammar item occurs.

Types of Exercises for the Assimilation of Grammar.

The following types of exercises may be suggested.

Recognition exercises which are the easiest type of

exercises for pupils to perform. They observe the grammar item in structures (sentence patterns) when hearing or reading. Since pupils only observe the new grammar item the situations should be natural and communicative. For example:

Listen to the sentences and raise your hands whenever you hear the verbs in the Past Simple.

Mike lives in Pushkin street. I lived there last year. Ann gets up at 7 o’clock in the morning. She got up at half past seven yesterday., etc.

It is desirable that sentences formed should concern real situations and facts.

Pupils listen to the teacher and raise their hands when they hear a verb in the Past Simple. The teacher can see whether each of his pupils has grasped the sentence.

Read the sentences and choose the correct form of the verb. The following sentences may be suggested:

I (go, went) to school yesterday.

Tom (takes, took) a bus when he goes to school.

She (got, gets, gets) up at 7 o’ clock every day.

Pupils should read the sentences and find the signals for the correct choice of the form. Since the necessary form is suggested in each sentence they should only recognize the one they need for a given context.

Recognition exercises are indispensable as pupils retain the grammar material through auditory and visual perception. Auditory and visual memory is at work.

Drill exercises are more completed as they require reproduction on the part of the pupils. In learning a foreign language drill exercises are indispensable. The learners cannot assimilate the material if they only hear and see it. They must reproduce it both in outer and inner speech. The more often they say it the better they assimilate the material. Though drill exercises are those in which pupils have only one difficulty to overcome, they should also be graded:

(a) Repetitive drill. Pupils pronounce the sentence pattern after the teacher, in imitation of the teacher, both individually and in unison. For example:

Teacher: They are dancing in the park.

Class: They are dancing in the park.

Individuals: They are dancing in the park.

Or pupils listen to the dialogue and say it after the speaker.

-Is Ann dancing now?

-No, she isn’t.

-What is she doing?

-She is watching television.

Attention is drawn to the correct pronunciation of the sentence pattern as a sense unit, as a statement ( sounds,stress, and melody).

(b) Substitution. Pupils substitute the words or phrases in a sentence pattern. For example:

The children are dancing in the park.

The children are dancing in the garden.

The children are dancing in the street.

The children are dancing in the yard.

The children are dancing in the hall.

The children are dancing after classes.

The children are dancing at the party.

A pupil substitutes a phrase, the rest may say it in unison. Then they are invited to replace the word dancing with other words.

They are singing in the park.

They are working in the park.

They are walking in the park.

They are playing in the park.

They are running in the park.

They are talking in the park.

They are watering flowers in the park.

They are planting trees in the park.

They are helping the workers in the park.

The use of a particular verb is stimulated with pictures (or a Russian word). Quick revision is achieved with a small expenditure of effort. In this way they review many words and phrases. As pupils have only one difficulty to overcome the work does not take much time. Or pupils are invited to replace the words in the dialogue with those given in columns

(see the dialogue above).

helping her mother

doing her homework working on the farm reading a book

listening to the radio washing windows

Kate

Your sister

This girl

They work in pairs.

There is one more advantage in performing this type of exercises—pupils consolidate the grammar item without thinking about it. They think of the words, phrases, but not of the form itself, therefore, involuntary memory is at work.

(c) Completion. Pupils complete the sentences the teacher utters looking at the pictures he shows. For example:

Teacher: Look at the picture.

Mike is ... ... .

Pupil: Mike is getting up.

Class: Mike is getting up.

Teacher: Mike is ... ... .

Pupil: Mike is dressing.

Class: Mike is dressing.

Attention should be given to the use of is in this exercise. The teacher should pronounce Mike is ... to prevent the typical mistake of the pupils (Mike dressing). This is essential structural element of the tense form of the Present Continuous; Russian-speaking pupils, however, do not feel any necessity to use it.

(d) Answering the teacher's questions.

For example:

Teacher: Is Mike getting up?

Pupil: Yes, he is.

Teacher: Who is getting up?

Pupil: Mike is.

Teacher: What is Mike doing?

Pupil: He is getting up.

Drill exercises may be done both orally and in written form. Pupils perform oral exercises during the lesson and written ones at home. For example, they ate told to write five or seven sentences on the model given.

During the next lesson the work done at home is checked orally. In this way pupils have practice in pronunciation while reading their own examples, and in auding while listen­ing to their classmates.

Creative exercises (speech exercises). This is the most difficult type of exercises as it requires creative work on the part of the learners. These may be:

(a) Making statements either on the picture the teacher shows, or on objects. For example, the teacher hangs up a pic­ture and asks his pupils to say or write three or five statements in the Present Continuous.

(b) Asking questions with a given grammar item. For example, pupils are invited to ask and answer questions in the Past Indefinite.

(c) Speaking about the situation offered by the teacher. For example, one pupil gives commands to perform this or that action, the other comments on the action (actions) his classmate performs.

Pupil 1: Go to the door, Sasha.

Pupil 2: Sasha is going to the door.

Pupil 3: Open the door.

Pupil 4: Sasha is opening the door.

(d) Speaking on a suggested topic. For example, a pupil tells the class what he did yesterday.

(e) Making dialogues using the grammar item covered.

(f) Telling the story (read, heard).

(g) Translating into English.

(h) Participating in free conversation in which pupils are to use the grammar item they have learned. E. g., pupils have learned sentence patterns with the impersonal it. (It's cold. It's late. It's winter).

Teacher: What's the weather like, children? Is it cold today? Do you like it when it's cold?

Through these questions pupils are stimulated to speak about the weather and use the grammar item they have learnt.

All the exercises of the creative type are designed for con­solidating grammar material pupils need for hearing and speaking.

All the exercises mentioned above are designed:

(1) to develop pupils' skills in recognizing grammar forms while auding and reading English texts;

(2) to accumulate correct sentence patterns in the pupils' memory which they can reproduce whenever they need these patterns for speaking or writing;

(3) to help the pupils to produce sentences of their own using grammar items necessary for speaking about a situation or a topic offered, or writing an essay on the text heard or an annotation on the text read.

Grammar tests. A check on the assimilation of grammar material is carried out through:

(1) auding (if a pupil understands what he auds, he knows grammar);

(2) speaking (if a pupil uses the grammar item correctly, he has assimilated it);

(3) reading (if a learner understands what he reads, he knows grammar);

(4) tests.

Tests allow the teacher to evaluate pupils' achievement in grammar, that is, how each of them has mastered forms, meaning, and usage. Tests in grammar may involve: filling in the blanks; opening the brackets; transformation (e. g., make it negative, change into plural, etc.);

extension (e. g., / like to read books — I like to raid English bocks in our li­brary); completion (e. g., When I came home ...); making state­ments on the pictures given; translation.

43

Introduction.

Language is the chief means by which the human personality expresses itself and fulfills its basic need for social interaction with other persons.

The aim of the foreign language is primary schools is to develop pupils` skills and understanding English speech and participating in conversation based on the topics covered.

Robert Lado wrote that language functions owing to the language skills. A person who knows a language perfectly uses a thousand and one grammar lexical, phonetic rules when he is speaking. Language skills help us to choose different words and models in our speech.

In my diploma paper I examine the forming of grammar skills. Grammar is known to be an important component of the language as a system. Communicative skills without regular using grammar are limited.

It is clear that the term “grammar” has meant various things at various times and sometimes several things at one time. This plurality of meaning is characteristic of the present time and is the source of confusions in the discussion of grammar as part of the education of children. There have been taking place violent disputes on the subject of teaching grammar at school.

The ability to talk about the grammar of a language, to recite its rules, is also very different from ability to speak and understand a language or to read and write it. Those who can use a language are often unable to recite its rules, and those who can recite its rules can be unable to use it. Nowadays we can hear the following opinions among teachers of foreign language: One teacher says, “ I do not favor teaching any grammar before the fifth grade, and not much then,” another is likely to reply, “But if you do not, how will your students learn to capitalize correctly, to punctuate sentences, or to spell accurately?” Another teacher remarks,

“If you teach no grammar, how can you expect to have correct usage in speech and writing?”

In the elementary grades the major emphasis will be upon the actual use, rather than upon knowledge of the language itself and attention to restrictive rules. Grammar of the analytical and structural sort will have little place or no place in the elementary grades, but the oral and written conventions of English, those which function in actual speaking and writing, will be of chief concern.

Grammar organizes the vocabulary and as a result we have sense units. There is a system of stereotypes, which organizes words into sentences. But what skill does grammar develop?

First of all it gives the ability to make up sentences correctly, to reproduce the text adequately. (the development of practical skills and habits)

The knowledge of the specific grammar structure helps pupils point out the differences between the mother tongue and the target language.

The knowledge of grammar develops abilities to abstract systematize plural facts.

Examining the problem of grammar skills we must acquire how they are defined in literature. We must differentiate their kinds, features, and the conditions under which they are formed, the steps of forming grammar skills, and the grammar minimum for the primary school.

Learning grammar and forming grammar skills are important tasks of the subject “Foreign language” at the primary school. It is necessary for children not to make grammar mistakes. Roberto Lado wrote that a mistake is the wrong skill the aim of my diploma paper is to prevent children from making grammar mistakes, i.e. to form grammar skills. I think that the best way to form grammar skills is to use a lot of training exercises and individual approach in teaching grammar.

T Theoretical part he Importance of Grammar in Learning a Foreign

Language.

To judge by the way some people speak, there is no place for grammar in the language course nowadays; yet it is, in reality, as important as it ever was exercise of correct grammar, if he is to attain any skill of effective use of the language, but he need not know consciously formulated rules to account to him for that he does unconsciously correctly.

In order to understand a language and to express oneself correctly one must assimilate the grammar mechanism of the language studied. Indeed, one may know all the words in a sentence and yet fail to understand it, if one does not see the relation between the words in the given sentence. And vice versa, a sentence may contain one, two, and more in known words but if one has a good knowledge of the structure of the language one can easily guess the meaning of these words or at least find them in a dictionary.

No speaking is possible without the knowledge of grammar, without the forming of a grammar mechanism.

If learner has acquired such a mechanism, he can produce correct sentences in a foreign language. Paul Roberts writes: “ Grammar is something that produces the sentences of a language. By something we mean a speaker of English. If you speak English natively, you have built into you rules of English grammar. In a sense, you are an English grammar. You possess, as an essential part of your being, a very complicated apparatus which enables you to produce infinitely many sentences, all English ones, including many that you have never specifically learned. Furthermore by applying you rule you can easily tell whether a sentence that you hear a grammatical English sentence or not.” *¹

A command of English as is envisaged by the school syllabus cannot be ensured without the study of grammar . Pupils need grammar to be able to aud, speak, read, and write in the target language.

*1 Roberts P. English Sentences. New York, 1962, p.1

A Brief Review Of The Major Methods

Of Foreign Language Teaching.

The grammatical systems of Russian and English are fundamentally different. English is an analytical language, in which grammatical meaning in largely expressed through the use of additional words and by changes in word order. Russian is a synthetic language, in which the majority of grammatical forms are created through changes in the structure of words, by means of a developed system of prefixes, suffixes and ending. ( p. 121,

Brown C. and Jule “Teaching the spoken language”, Cambridge, 1983)

No one knows exactly how people learn languages although a great deal of research has been done into the subject.

Many methods have been proposed for the teaching of foreign language. And they have met with varying degrees of success and failure.

We should know that the method by which children are taught must have some effect on their motivation. If they find it deadly boring they will probably become de-motivated, whereas if they have confidence in the method they will find it motivating. Child learners differ from adult learners in many ways. Children are curious, their attention is of a shorter duration, they are quite differently motivated in, their interests are less specialized. They need frequent of activity; they need activities which are exciting and stimulating their curiosity; they need to be involved in something active.

We shall examine such methods as “The Grammar – Translation Method”, ”The Direct Method”, “The Audio-lingual Method”. And we pay attention to the teaching grammar of the foreign language. We shall comment those methods, which have had a long history.

The Grammar Translation method will be discussed.

This method was widely used in teaching the classics, namely Latin, and it was transferred to the teaching of modern languages when they were introduced into schools

In the grammar-translation mode, the books begin with definitions of the parts of speech, declensions, conjugations, rules to be memorized, examples illustrating the rules, and exceptions. Often each unit has a paragraph to be translated into the target language and one to be translated into native one. These paragraphs illustrate the grammar rules studied in the unit. The student is expected to apply the rules on his own. This involves a complicated mental manipulation of the conjugations and declensions in the order memorized, down to the form that might fit the translation. As a result, students are unable to use the language, and they sometimes develop an inferiority complex about languages in general. Exceptionally bright and diligent students do learn languages by this method, or in spite of it, but they would learn with any method.

(R.Lado)

W

Classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language.

Much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words.

Long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given.

Grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of word.

Reading of difficult classical texts is begun early.

Little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis.

Often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language into the mother tongue.

Little or no attention is given to pronunciation.

Brown H., Douglas ‘Principles of language teaching’, N.Y., 1987

e list the major characteristics of Grammar Translation.

The grammar-translation method is largely discredited today. With greater interest in modern languages for communication the inadequacy of grammar-translation methods became evident.

The Direct Method.

The Direct Method appeared as a reaction against the grammar-translation method.

There was a movement in Europe that emphasized language learning by direct contact with the foreign language in meaningful situations. This movement resulted in various individual methods with various names, such as new method, natural method, and even oral method, but they can all be referred to as direct methods or the direct method. In addition to emphasizing direct contact with the foreign language, the direct method usually deemphasized or eliminated translation and the memorization of conjugations, declensions, and rules, and in some cases it introduced phonetics and phonetic transcription.

The direct method assumed that learning a foreign language is the same as learning the mother tongue, that is, that exposing the student directly to the foreign language impresses it perfectly upon his mind. This is true only up to a point, since the psychology of learning a second language differs from that of learning the first. The child is forced to learn the first language because he has no other effective way to express his wants. In learning a second language this compulsion is largely missing, since the student knows that he can communicate through his native language when necessary.

Classroom instruction was conducted exclusively in the target language.

Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught.

Oral communication skills were built up in a carefully graded progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges between teachers and student in small, intensive classes.

Grammar was taught inductively, i.e. the learner may discover the rules of grammar for himself after he has become acquainted with many examples.

New teaching points were introduced orally.

Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures; abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas.

Both speech and listening comprehension were taught.

Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized.

The basic premise of Direct Method was that second language learning should be more like first language learning: lots of active oral interaction, spontaneous use of the language, no translation between first and second languages, and little or no analysis of grammatical rules. We can summarize the principles of the Direct

Method:

The Direct Method enjoyed considerable popularity through the end of nineteenth century and well into this one.

Now we shall discuss “The Audiolingual Method”.

The Audiolingual Method (It is also called Mimicry-memorization method) was the method developed in the Intensive Language Program. It was successful because of high motivation, intensive practice, small classes, and good models, in addition to linguistically sophisticated descriptions of the foreign language and its grammar.

New material is presented in dialog form.

There is dependence on mimicry, memorization of set phrases and overlearning.

Structures are sequenced by means of contrastive analysis and taught one at a time.

Structural patterns are taught using repetitive drills.

There is a little or no grammatical explanation: grammar is taught by inductive analogy rather than deductive explanation.

Vocabulary is strictly limited and learned in context.

There is much use of tapes, language labs, and visual aids.

Great importance is attached to pronunciation.

very little use of the mother tongue by teachers is permitted.

Successful responses are immediately reinforced.

There is a great effort to get students to produce error-free utterances.

There is a tendency to manipulate language and disregard content.

Grammar is taught essentially as follows: Some basic sentences are memorized by imitation. Their meaning is given in normal expressions in the native language, and the students are not expected to translate word for word. When the basic sentences have been overlearned (completely memorized so that the student can rattle them off without effort), the student reads fairly extensive descriptive grammar statements in his native language, with examples in the target language and native language equivalents. He then listens to further conversational sentences for practice in listening . Finally, practices the dialogues using the basic sentences and combinations of their parts. When he can, he varies the dialogues within the material hr has already learned. The characteristics of ALM may be summed up in the following list:

Grammar explanations as used in the major methods.

We shall briefly review the treatment of grammatical explanations by some of the major methods. This is not meant to be an exhaustive study of all available methods; rather it is an attempt to show the variety of ways in which different methods deal with grammar explanations and may help teachers in evaluating available materials.

Grammar translation is associated with formal rule statement. Learning proceeds, deductively, and the rule is generally stated by the teacher, in a textbook, or both. Traditional abstract grammatical terminology is used. Drills include translation into native language.

The direct method is characterized by meaningful practice and exclusion of the mother tongue. This method has had many interpretations, some of which include an analysis of structure, but generally without the use of abstract grammatical terminology.

T

Table

he audio-lingual method stresses an inductive presentation with extensive pattern practice. Writing is discouraged in the early stages of learning a structure. Here again, there has bee considerable variation in the realization of this approach. In some cases, no grammatical explanation of any kind is offered. In other, the teacher might focus on a particular structure by isolating an example on the board, or through contrast. When grammatical explanation is offered it is usually done at the end of the lesson as a summary of behavior (Politzer, 1965), or in later versions of this method the rule might be stated in the middle of the lesson and followed by additional drills.

	Conscious grammar explanation	Isolation of (rule of structure)	Deductive or Inductive presentation	The “explainer”	Language type used for explanation	Oral or written explanation
Grammar-translation	Yes	Yes	Deductive	Book and/or teacher	Abstract	Written
Direct method	Yes or no	Yes	Inductive (if at all)	Teacher (when done)	Non-abstract	Oral-written
Audio-lingual	Yes or no	Yes	Inductive	Teacher	Example or non-abstract	Oral-written

Each method is realized in techniques. By a technique we mean an individual way in doing something, in gaining a certain goal in teaching learning process. The method and techniques the teacher should use in teaching children of the primary school is the direct method, and various techniques which can develop pupils` listening comprehension and speaking. Pupils are given various exercises, connected with the situational use of words and sentence patterns.

Literature.

Rogova, G.V., “Methods of teaching English”; М.,1970

Harmer, Jeremy, “the practice English language teaching”; London-New York; Longman,1991

Синявская, Е.В. и др., «Вопросы методики обучения иностранным языком за рубежом.» /сост.: Е.В.Синявская, М.М. Васильева, С.В.Калинина/; М., Просвещение,1978

Handschin, Charles H., “Methods of teaching modern languages.”; N.Y.,World Book Co.,1926

Bennett, William Arthur., ”Aspects of Language and language teaching.”; London-New York., Cambridge univ. press, 1968

Lado Robert and Fries Charles C., “English pattern practices. Establishing the patterns as habits.”; The univ. of Michigan press, 1970

F.L Billows., “The Techniques of Language Teaching.”; Longman, 1962

Fries, Charles Carpenter., “Teaching and Learning English as a foreign language.”; The univ. of Michigan press, 1964

Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rogers., “ Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching.”; Cambridge univ. press, 1986

Elaine Tarone and George Yule., “Focus on Language Learner.”; Oxford univ., 1991

Michael H. Long, Jack C. Richards., “Methology in Tesol: A book of Readings.”; USA., 1987

Pooley, Robert., “teaching English grammar.”; N.Y., Appleton – Century – Crofts, 1957

F.Genesee., “Educating second language children: the whole child, the whole curriculum, the whole community.” Cambridge, 1994

Griffith,S. “Teaching English Abroad”; Oxford,1991

Rivers, Wilga M., “Speaking in many tongues: Essays in foreign-language teaching.”; 3rd ed., Cambridge, 1983

Rixon, Shelagh., “How to use games in language teaching.”; London, The Macmillan press,1981

Applegate, Maurel., “Easy in English. An imaginative approach to the teaching of language arts.”; N.Y.,1960

Geoffrey Broughton, Christopher Brumfit, Roger Flavel, “Teaching English as a foreign language.”; London, 1981

Swan M., Smith B., “Learner English. A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems.”; Cambridge, 1987

Brown C. And Jule., “Teaching the spoken language.”; Cambridge, 1983

During my practice I examined the group of children of 9-10 year old. The children have been studying English for two years (the 3d form).

I used the test to receive some results and to point out the level of the forming of grammar skills on theme “the degrees of comparison of adjectives”. The test consisted of 5 tasks.

Task 1

The aim: to control the listening comprehension.

Listen.

Agree or disagree.

The elephant is the biggest animal.

the biggest cat is the tiger.

The monkey’s tail is longer than the cat’s.

Dogs are clever than cats.

Cats are funnies than monkeys.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

No, it isn’t.

Task 2

The aim: to control the reading skill and the level.

The passage from “Why Rabbits have Got Short tails” (p.211 “English I” I.N.Vereschagina, T.A.Pritykina, Москва; Просвещение, 1994)

Read and translate

Once there lived a Rabbit, His name was Bunny. He was grey and big, bigger than his brother Bonny. But he had no tail. And he wanted to have a long tail, longer than that of Mrs. Fox.

One day Bunny went for a walk. He saw Mrs. Fox.

“Hello, Mrs. Fox”, he said, “Where are going?”

“I’m going shopping.’

“What are you going to buy?”

“I’m going to buy a tail.”

“But you’ve got a tail! I think it’s the longest and the most beautiful tail!”

“Well, but I want a new one, alonger and more beautiful one than my old tail.”

Task 3

Complete the table.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
…	…	The kindest
…	Slower	…
Big	…	…
Popular	…	…
…	Better	…
Dry	…	…
Beautiful	…	…

Task 4

Compare these funny fellows (picture 1)

Nick and Rick make statements on the given picture:

Weak, strong; thin, fat; short, tall; young, old; good, bad.

Task 5

Choose the correct word and copy the sentences.

Lions are (clever, cleverer, the cleverest) than tigers.

The (big, bigger, biggest) animal is the elephant.

The giraffe’s neck is (long, longer, the longest) than the tiger’s.

The (clever, cleverer, cleverest) wild animals are monkeys.