ELT Methods and Practices

Unit 3: Dealing with Grammar

Evdokia Karavas
School of Philosophy
Faculty of English Language and Literature
 Issues to be discussed in this unit
• What is grammar?
• Types of grammar.
• Grammar in the audiolingual method.
• Grammar in the communicative approach.
• Teaching grammar: Main principles (form, meaning
and use, the importance of context, giving effective
explanations).
• Approaches to teaching grammar.
• Choosing grammar activities.

Dealing with Grammar 2

 What is grammar?
• Grammar is not a static object. It has evolved to
express the needs of its users as efficiently as
possible. It is a body of rules that underlies language
without which language would be chaotic.
• “Language is not fixed, but is rather a dynamic
system. Language evolves and changes... [it] grows
and organises itself from the bottom up in an
organic way, as do other complex systems.” (Larsen-
Freeman, 2006).

Dealing with Grammar 3

 Different conceptions of grammar
(1/2)
• Language itself does not possess some self
evident organisation which the linguist merely
notes down. Language has many facets and
linguists tend to give emphasis to a few facets
at the expense of others.
• Different theories of language entail different
ways of studying language and different
views of grammar. In essence theories of
language are theories of grammar.
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 Different conceptions of grammar
(2/2)
• For some, grammar involves the rules of combining
words into sentences and the rules for forming
words.
• For Chomsky, grammar includes the study of
phonology, syntax and semantics.
• For others, grammar includes how words are
formed, how they are combined to produce
sentences, and the meaning/function of these
sentences in the overall system of the language.

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 Some examples (1/2)
“The grammar of a language consists of the devices
that signal structural meanings... All the structural
signals in English are strictly formal matters that can be
described in physical terms.” (Fries, 1952).
“There is no boundary between lexis and grammar:
lexis and grammar are interdependent.” (Stubbs,
1996).

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 Some examples (2/2)
Grammar:
• noun uk /ˈɡræm.ər/ us /-ɚ/
• A2 [U] (the study or use of) the rules about how
words change their form and combine with other
words to make sentences› [C] mainly UK a book of
grammar rules: a German grammar.
(Cambridge Online Dictionary)

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 Example definition of grammar (1/2)
• The branch of linguistics that deals with syntax
and morphology, sometimes also phonology
and semantics.
• The abstract system of rules in terms of which
a person's mastery of his native language can
be explained.
• A systematic description of the grammatical
facts of a language.

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 Example definition of grammar (2/2)
• A book containing an account of the grammatical
facts of a language or recommendations as to rules
for the proper use of a language:
– the use of language with regard to its correctness or social
propriety, esp in syntax ⇒ the teacher told him to watch
his grammar.
– (as modifier) ⇒ a grammar book.
• The elementary principles of a science or art ⇒ the
grammar of drawing.
(Collins Online Dictionary)
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 Grammar books/grammars (1/2)
Just as there are many different views of language and
thus different views of what grammar is, there are
many types of grammar books. Each type of grammar
book represents the linguist’s description of the
language.
• Descriptive grammar: provides a precise account of
actual usage (how people use language in everyday
communication).
• Prescriptive grammar: attempts to establish rules for
the correct use of language.
Dealing with Grammar 10
 Prescriptive or descriptive? (1/5)
Sentences with comparatives.
Typical mistakes:
• The weather’s warmer as last week.
• I’ve been waiting longer that you.
Comparatives are followed by than:
• The weather’s warmer than last week.
• I’ve been waiting longer than you.

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 Prescriptive or descriptive? (2/5)
Which is correct: older than I or older than me?
• In informal English, we often use object pronouns
(me, him, her, us, them) after than. In a more formal
style, subject pronouns (I, he, etc.) are considered
more “correct”. e.g. She’s older than me (informal). /
She is older than I (am) (formal).
• When the pronoun is used with a verb, only subject
pronouns are possible, of course. e.g. Lucy found
more mushrooms than I did. (Not:*…..than me did.).

Dealing with Grammar 12

 Prescriptive or descriptive? (3/5)
The grammar of newspaper headlines.
Newspaper headlines often follow rather different
grammatical rules from other kinds of writing.
1. Headlines are not always complete sentences.
e.g. “MORE EARTHQUAKE DEATHS”.
2. Headlines often contain strings of three, four or
more nouns. e.g. “FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT
RIOT”.

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 Prescriptive or descriptive? (4/5)
• In expressions like this, all the nouns except
the last one act as adjectives. The easiest way
to understand headlines of this kind is to read
them backwards.
• ‘FURNITURE FACTORY PAY CUT RIOT’ refers to
a RIOT about a CUT in PAY for the workers in a
FACTORY that makes FURNITURE.

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 Prescriptive or descriptive? (5/5)
3. Articles and the verb to be are often left out.
e.g. “SHAKESPEARE PLAY IMMORAL, SAYS
HEADMASTER”.
4. Newspaper headlines have a special tense-
system. It is unusual to find complex forms
like is coming or has produced; generally the
simple present form.

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 Grammar books/grammars (2/2)
• Pedagogical grammar: Designed specifically for
teaching a foreign language or developing awareness
of the mother tongue. It is inherently prescriptive.
• Theoretical grammar: goes beyond the study of
individual languages and uses linguistic data as a
means of developing insights into the nature of
language and develops categories for linguistic
analysis. It presents a theory of language (functional
grammar, universal grammar, transformational
generative grammar etc.).
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 So what is grammar?
• Grammar is a meaning making system.
• Students make use of it when they are
‘learning how to mean’ (Halliday, 1975).
• So, we are teaching grammar in order to help
students make meaningful language and not
as an end in itself.

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 To teach or not to teach grammar:
arguments against
• The study of grammar promotes knowledge about
language not how to use the language.
• We acquire our first language without any explicit
knowledge of grammar.
• The natural order in which languages are learned
precludes the influence of instruction.
• If communicative competence is the goal, then
classroom time is better spent engaging in language
use (Krashen, 1981).

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 To teach or not to teach grammar:
arguments for (1/2)
• Without explicit instruction learners’
interlanguage often fossilizes.
• Grammar instruction may act as an advanced
organizer helping learners to notice features
of language when they are ready.
• Learning finite rules can help to simplify an
otherwise daunting and complex task by
organizing it into neat categories.

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 To teach or not to teach grammar:
arguments for (2/2)
• Older students’ expectations about language
learning often include grammar instruction.
• Learning grammar structures allows for more
creative applications of language. (Lightbown
& Spada, 1990, pp. 429-448).

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Grammar in the audiolingual approach
(1/2)
• Language was seen as a set of distinct entities
and language learning as the steady
accumulation of these entities.
• Rules were not taught , but memorisation and
repetition of language structures was seen as
the route to language learning.
• No account was taken of the context in which
structures occurred and students were not
given insights into the rules of use.

Dealing with Grammar 21

Grammar in the audiolingual approach
(2/2)
• Examples of mechanically structured activities
might include repetition or substitution. The
teacher is in control of the lesson, and
students can often successfully participate
without any understanding of meaning
(Davidson, 1978).

Dealing with Grammar 22

 Grammar in the communicative
approach (1/4)
• Communication is the be-all and end-all of
language learning and grammar is the by-
product of this endeavour.
• Grammar is cumulative. It should not be
presented in a linear additive fashion but
should be regularly revised and reintroduced
(cyclical/spiral approach).

Dealing with Grammar 23

 Grammar in the communicative
approach (2/4)
• The grammatical component of a syllabus is
characterised by selectivity. Grammatical
items are not included because they have
always been taught but because they can be
justified in relation to the type of course, its
length, objectives and student population.

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 Grammar in the communicative
approach (3/4)
• Grammar instruction and activities should be
integrated within a communicative
framework.
• Language should be presented and learnt
within a context.
• The relationship between forms and their
uses should be made clear to learners.

Dealing with Grammar 25

 Grammar in the communicative
approach (4/4)
When presenting new language items, attention
should be given to their form, meaning and use.
• Form: how the structure is formed.
• Meaning: what meaning the structure
expresses.
• Use: functions expressed by the language
forms. Can only be interpreted with reference
to the context.
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 Three-Dimensional Grammar
Framework

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Understanding form, meaning and use
(1/2)
Grammatical structures do not only have
morphosyntactic form, they are also used to
express meaning (semantics) in context-
appropriate use (pragmatics).
• Form-how a particular grammar structure is
constructed and how it is sequenced with
other structures in a sentence or text.
• Meaning-what a grammar structure means.

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Understanding form, meaning and use
(2/2)
• Use - Pragmatics: the study of those relations
between language and context that are
grammaticalized, or encoded in the structure
of a language (Levinson, 1983).
• Register: the language of groups of people
with common interests of jobs, or the
language used in situations associated with
such groups.

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 The influence of pragmatics may be
ascertained by asking two questions:
• When or why does a speaker/ writer choose a
particular grammar structure over another
that could express the same meaning or
accomplish the same purpose?
• When or why does a speaker/ writer vary the
form of a particular linguistic structure?

Dealing with Grammar 30

 Example: the possessive
(form and meaning)
• Form: inflecting regular singular nouns and irregular
plural nouns not ending in s with ’s or by adding an
apostrophe after the s’ ending of regular plural
nouns and singular nouns ending in the sound /s/.
e.g., dog’s / men’s /dogs’ / bus’.
• Meaning: indicates description (a debtor’s prison),
amount (a month’s holiday), relationship (Jack’s
wife), part/ whole (My brother’s hand), and origin /
agent (Shakespeare’s tragedies).

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 Example: the possessive (use)
• Possession can be • Native speakers prefer to
expressed in other ways: use the ’s with inanimate
with a possessive human head nouns if the
determiner (e.g., his) or head nouns are
with the periphrastic of performing some action.
the form (e.g., the legs of • E.g., the train’s arrival was
the table). delayed
• The of the form is used • A noun compound (table
with nonhuman head leg) is more appropriate
nouns and ’s with human than either the ’s form for
head nouns. the of the form.
Dealing with Grammar 32
 Form, meaning or use? (1/8)
Task 1: Suppose that a teacher • I am sitting.
had shown her/his students the • You are sitting.
contents of the table below. • He/she/it is sitting.
Decide if her/his intention is to
present them with: • We are sitting.
a. the meaning of the present • You are sitting.
continuous tense, • They are sitting.
b. the form of the present
continuous tense,
c. a series of meaningful
sentences.

Dealing with Grammar 33

 Form, meaning or use? (2/8)
Grammar presentation steps:
• Step 1: S/he mimes certain actions and asks
the class to tell her/him what s/he is doing,
choosing sentences among those in Column A
from the Table.

Dealing with Grammar 34

 Form, meaning or use? (3/8)
• Step 2: S/he hands individual or pairs of pupils
in the class pieces of paper with instructions
written on them, telling her/him to mime the
action, and asks the class to choose among
those in Column B the sentence that best
describes what the pupil(s) is(are) doing.

Dealing with Grammar 35

 Form, meaning or use? (4/8)
• Step 3: Now, s/he tells pupils that each will
each mime an action choosing among those in
Column C and s/he will ask them questions
about what they are doing. They have to
respond by selecting cues from Column C.

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 Form, meaning or use? (5/8)
COLUMN A. COLUMN B. COLUMN C.
What am I doing? What is [name] doing? Are you ……ing …….?
1. You are holding a pen. 1. He/She is reading a 1. No, I’m standing
2. You are writing a book. next to my desk.
word on the 2. He/She knocking on 2. No, I’m standing
blackboard. the door. next to Maria.
3. You are singing. 3. They are talking. 3. No, I’m looking at
4. You are laughing. 4. They are working. page 25 in my
5. You are showing us an 5. He/She is opening the coursebook.
old photo of door. 4. No, I’m looking out
somebody. 6. They are listening to the window.
6. You’re just thinking. music and dancing. 5. No, I’m putting my
7. You’re turning in 7. They’re playing things in my
circles. hangman. schoolbag.

Dealing with Grammar 37

 Form, meaning or use? (6/8)
• Step 1: The teacher asks the class to listen to a
recorded telephone conversation between
two young women, Joan and Mary, and then
answer the T or F items in Table A below. (The
pupils do not see the tape-script).

Dealing with Grammar 38

 Form, meaning or use? (7/8)
TABLE A T F
1. Mary and Joan are talking on the phone.
2. Mary’s asking Joan to dinner.
3. Jenny’s coming over to Joan’s house to study with her.
4. David’s going to Mary’s house tonight and bringing some take-out.
5. Joan is not watching TV right now. She’s e-mailing.
6. Mary’s sister is ringing her up while she’s speaking with Joan.
7. Joan and Mary are doing a project together.
8. Joan and Mary are not seeing each another at the gym next
Tuesday.

Dealing with Grammar 39

 Form, meaning or use? (8/8)
COLUMN A. COLUMN B.
Things happening while the two Things happening later in the day, not
women are talking on the phone while they’re talking on the phone

……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………

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 Grammar beyond the sentence level
(1/2)
• Understanding how language operates at
sentence level, does not help learners
understand how language is used purposefully
on oral and written discourse.
• It is one thing to be able to understand and
create sentences and quite another to be able
to put sentences together and taking into
account features of the context to produce
socially purposeful meanings.
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 Grammar beyond the sentence level
(2/2)
• Current view of teaching/learning grammar
also focuses students’ attention at how
grammar operates in context and how
discourse and genre determine our linguistic
choices.

Dealing with Grammar 42

 Discourse, genre and text (1/3)
Discourse (talk - λόγος): Forms of “talk” (oral
and written) which are institutionally delineated
and ordered (e.g. political discourse, medical
discourse, pedagogical discourse).

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 Discourse, genre and text (2/3)
Genre (κειμενικό είδος) particular categories of texts
with relatively stable structural forms (e.g. particular
beginnings, middles and ends) and with well-established
names which encode the functions, purposes and
meanings of various social occasions of a particular
culture (e.g. news report, letter, interview, promotional
leaflet, novel, office memo, political speech, editorial,
etc.). The rules that determine genres are institutionally
bound and determine what kind of language
(lexicogrammar) is appropriate in each instance and how
language is organized into text.
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 Discourse, genre and text (3/3)
Text (κείμενο): A piece of writing of a particular
discourse and genre which is intended to convey
an overall message and particular bits of
information, feelings, attitudes etc.

Dealing with Grammar 45

 Activity (1/2)
Look at the two different Welcome to Sunset !
We’re delighted to have you here.
texts. They are related Our staff is at your disposal to make
discourse-wise, but they your stay comfortable and pleasant.
lexicalized/ Ring us if you need us. Dial 0 for the
information desk. For all other calls
grammaticalized and for Internet connection look at
differently because each the directory on your bedside table.
Other services and facilities in your
text is of a different genre. room: TV, mini-bar, room-service,
Guess what is which and cleaners upon request.
explain what helped you The flowers and wine are
compliments of the manager
decide.
Ms Olivia Sukiyama

Dealing with Grammar 46

 Activity (2/2)
A luxurious, five-star hotel in
Honolulu, conveniently located
near one of the most beautiful
beaches in Waikiki, not far from
the centre of town. With its own
shopping centre, two swimming
pools, conference rooms and
more services than you can
imagine, with staff to please and
[1]
service you, and prices to surprise
you, watching the Hawaiian sunset
in Paradise is a must!

Dealing with Grammar 47

 Presenting language in context (1/3)
• Grammar is not an abstract system detached
from contexts of use.
• Context is the situation or the linguistic and
non-linguistic information surrounding the
new grammatical form and results in the new
language being used.

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 Presenting language in context (2/3)
Characteristics of context:
• The context should show what the language means
and how it is used.
• It should be interesting to students; something that
students can relate to.
• It should be simple enough to show the form and
rich enough to show the meaning and its use. Too
many new words will distract students; a poor
context will not be able to reveal meaning and use.

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 Presenting language in context (3/3)
Types of context:
• The classroom.
• Situations.
• Formulated information (tables, graphs, maps
etc.).
• Dialogues and texts.

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 The importance of context (1/2)
• Teacher writes ‘I went shopping yesterday’ on
the board.
• Teacher translates.
• Teacher explains the Past Simple form and
meaning in L1.
How will students react to this?

Dealing with Grammar 51

 The importance of context (2/2)
• Fairy tale – Little Red Riding Hood.
• Adapt story to suit age/language ability.
• Students listen and understand the story by
sequencing pictures.
• Students listen and act out story.
• Focus on the past simple used to sequence the
events in the narrative.
• Teacher checks meaning and highlights form.
How about this activity?

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 Present- Practice – Produce (1/2)
• Presentation: The teacher selects new
materials, presents new language
items/information in a meaningful context
(dialogue/text), explains new language and
makes sure students understand it. This stage
helps students assimilate new facts about the
language and produce language for the first
time. Focus is on accuracy.

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 Present- Practice – Produce (2/2)
• Practice: This stage falls between the two
extremes. Students are given opportunity to
practise new language for themselves in
meaningful contexts.
• Production: In this stage students are engaged
in free, uninhibited communication. Focus is
on fluency, on getting messages across.

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 From practice to production

Very controlled Controlled

practice practice

Communicative
Guided practice
practice

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 Task based grammar focus
The teacher: The students:
• introduces and defines the • note down useful words
topic, and phrases from the pre-
• uses activities to help task activities and/or the
students recall/learn useful recording,
words and phrases, • may spend a few minutes
• ensures students understand preparing for the task
task instructions, individually.
• may play a recording of
others doing the same or a
similar task.

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 Task cycle (1/3)
Task.
The students: The teacher:
• do the task in • acts as monitor and
pairs/small groups. It encourages students.
may be based on a
reading/listening text.

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 Task cycle (2/3)
Planning.
The students: The teacher:
• prepare to report to the • ensures the purpose of
class how they did the the report is clear
task and what they • acts as language adviser
discovered/decided
• helps students rehearse
• rehearse what they will oral reports or organize
say or draft a written written ones.
version for the class to
read.
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 Task cycle (3/3)
Report. The teacher:
The students: • acts as chairperson,
selecting who will speak
• present their spoken
next, or ensuring all
reports to the class, or
students read most of the
circulate/display their written reports,
written reports.
• may give brief feedback
on content and form,
• may play a recording of
others doing the same or
a similar task.
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 Language focus (1/2)
Analysis.
The students: The teacher:
• do consciousness-raising • reviews each analysis
activities to identify and activity with the class
process specific language • brings other useful words,
features from the task phrases and patterns to
text and/or transcript, students’ attention.
• may ask about other • may pick up on language
features they have items from the report
noticed. stage.

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 Language focus (2/2)
Practice.
The students:
The teacher:
• practice words, phrases
• conducts practice and patterns from the
activities after analysis analysis activities.
activities where
• practice other features
necessary, to build
occurring in the task text
confidence.
or report stage.
• enter useful language
items in their language
notebooks.
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 A sample task (1/3)
One sentence is missing from the Spiders story
below. It is written at the end. Work with a
partner and decide where it fits best. Be ready
to explain why you think so.
“Phobias make life a misery for thousands. A new
organisation called “Triumph Over Phobia” (TOP) has
been formed by a pioneering group of volunteers to
help people cure their phobias. Here is one success
story.”

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 A sample task (2/3)
Spiders
One woman was so afraid of spiders she could not be left in a house alone. If
she saw one would climb on the table and not be able to get down until
somebody came into the room and removed it.
During her first TOP meeting, she noticed doodles on a page which
resembled spiders and she suddenly recoiled in horror.
She was eventually persuaded to look at photographs of spiders in books,
then leave the pages open in a room so she saw them each time she walked
in. Her husband began to move the position of the book and change the page
so she saw a different one each time.
After three weeks she was given a plastic spider at a TOP meeting and
took it home. She later agreed to take the real spider home and gave it the
name Bernard.
Two and a half months after first going to the group her phobia had gone.

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 A sample task (3/3)
Lost sentence:
“One of the group took a real spider in a jar to
the next meeting, where it was gradually
moved nearer to the sufferer.”

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Characteristics of a good presentation
(1/2)
A good presentation should be:
• Efficient: The aim is to get to the accurate
reproduction and practice stage as soon as the
students can manipulate the new language.
• Lively and interesting: Students must be
interested and involved in the presentation; if
they are they will remember the new
grammar more easily.

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Characteristics of a good presentation
(2/2)
• Appropriate: However interesting, funny or
demonstrative a situation is it should be
appropriate to the language being presented.
• Productive: The situation should allow
students to make sentences and/or questions
with the new language. (Harmer, 1987:18)

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 Characteristics of effective
explanations
• The explanation should be clear.
• The explanation should include simple vocabulary.
• The explanation should encourage the active
involvement of students.
• The explanation should relate new information to
old.
• The explanation should be sequenced clearly and
signposted.

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 Approaches to teaching grammar
• Deductive– teaching through rules (the rule is
provided followed by the provision of
examples in which the rule is applied).
• Inductive– teaching through examples
(students are provided with several examples
from which a rule is inferred).

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 The deductive method
The deductive method relies • Presentation of
on reasoning, analysing and an example
1
comparing.
The deductive method is
criticized because: • Explanation
• Grammar is taught in an 2
isolated way.
• Little attention is paid to • Practice with
meaning. 3 given prompts
• The practice is often
mechanical.
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 Inductive grammar teaching
• In the inductive method, the teacher induces
the learners to realise grammar rules without
any form of explicit explanation.
• The rules will become evident if the students
are given enough appropriate examples.
• The inductive method is more effective in that
students discover the grammar rules
themselves while engaged in language use.

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 Sources of inductive instruction
• Realia/Actions.
• Worksheets (can often be structured to
inductively lead students to a grammar rule).
• Authentic texts (after listening to a dialogue or
reading a text, students can answer questions to
highlight certain grammatical structures– these
may then be used to derive rules).
• Dialogues.
• Recorded Conversations.

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Effective grammar instruction (1/2)
Noticing:
• Paying attention to grammar as it occurs in
different contexts, e.g. grammar input in
lessons, structures in texts and listening
material, language practice activities and
spoken interactions.

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Effective grammar instruction (2/2)
• Noticing the gap: Learners become aware of
differences in their performance and L1
competence. For example, you read something,
or hear something about a grammar item which
seems to be new to you and sticks in your mind.
In fact, it is probably not new, but you are
‘noticing’ it for the first time. Having ‘noticed’ it
you will see it or hear it regularly and wonder
how you could have failed to notice it before.

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 Noticing
• Is necessary for learning.
• Intake is that part of the input which has been
noticed.
• Incidental learning is possible, provided that
noticing takes place.

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 Noticing tasks (1/2)
Two friends bump into each other 1. Sara: Hi Jane, where are you
in the street. Read their going?
conversation then answer the 2. Jane: The gym – I’m trying to get
fit for my holidays, Sara.
questions which follow.
3. Sara: Oh good for you Jane. Are
• In lines 1-4 and 6, they use the you doing a class?
present continuous form. 4. Jane: Yes – aerobics twice a week
Why? and I’m taking swimming lessons
too.
• In lines 5 and 7 Sara uses the
5. Sara: Oh, that’s a good idea.
‘will form’. Why? Listen, I need to get fit. I’ll come
• Is it possible to reverse this, ie, with you.
use will in lines 1-4 and 6 and 6. Jane: That’s great Sara. By the
use the present continuous in way, I’m dieting too.
lines 5-7? What would the 7. Sara: Really? I won’t join you on
that!
effect be?

Dealing with Grammar 75

 Noticing tasks (2/2)
Look at the Direct Speech Reported speech
conversation on “Let’s go to a restaurant,” She suggested going to a
the left and she suggested. restaurant.
compare it with “I haven’t got any money,” He said he hadn’t got any
the reported he said. money.
version on the “I’ll lend you some,” she She offered to lend him
right. Work offered. some.
with a partner “No, I don’t want to borrow He said he didn’t want to
and identify any money,” he said. borrow any money.
what changes “It doesn’t matter,” she told She told him it didn’t
are made to him. matter.
direct speech to “Let’s eat at home instead,” He suggested eating at
make it into he suggested. home instead.
reported “All right,” she agreed. She agreed that was all
speech? right.
Dealing with Grammar 76
 From form to meaning focus (1/4)
1. Mainly form-focus.
a. Discrete items:
• A car is ……… than a bicycle (fast).
• Chinese is …………………. than English
(difficult).
• A lion is ……………. than a dog (big).

Dealing with Grammar 77

 From form to meaning focus (2/4)
b. Full text:
– Glenda: I don’t know which dress to buy, the red
or the green!
– Sally: Well, the red one is …………. (expensive), the
green one is much ….. (cheap).
– Glenda: yes, but the red one is much …………..
(pretty). Which do you think suits me
…………(well)?

Dealing with Grammar 78

 From form to meaning focus (3/4)
2. Form and meaning
Compare the people in this family.
Use the adjectives big, fat, thin, small, big, tall,
young, short, old:
• Karen is………………………...Ben.
• Jill is……………………………… .
• Ben ……………………………… .
• ……………………………… .
Dealing with Grammar 79
 From form to meaning focus (4/4)
3. Focus on meaning
Choose one of these pairs of items. How many
different ways can you think of comparing them?
Use the comparative form of the adjective.
• A radio and a computer.
• A rabbit and a snake.
• Playing football and reading a book.
• Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore.
Dealing with Grammar 80
 Practice is necessary
• Teaching through practice:
– Drills: activities that are structured to allow
only one correct answer.
– Exercises: Open-ended grammar activities
• Practice leads to the creation of a continuum
ranging from text manipulation activities to
text creation activities.

Dealing with Grammar 81

 Text manipulation activities (1/2)
• Provide students with sentences that they will
be required to operate on in some limited
manner such as:
– fill-in-the blank,
– make a choice from items provided,
– substitute another item, or
– transform into another pattern.

Dealing with Grammar 82

 Text manipulation activities (2/2)
• Provides opportunities for focused practice
(restricted to a main grammar area) after
language has been contextualised and
form/meaning established.
• Should be enjoyable, meaningful, give
students a reason to use the language, full of
practice.

Dealing with Grammar 83

 An example
Complete the following sentences by choosing the
present simple or present continuous.
• She (look) for a job with EU in Brussels. She (speak) 5
different European languages so I (think) they’ll be
interested in her.
• I (travel) to work by car, but I (want) to be more eco-
friendly, so I (consider) other ways.
• I (read) a book about psychology in everyday life, but
it’s very dull.

Dealing with Grammar 84

 Text creation activities
• Require learners to produce language creatively
using the target structure (these activities are not
truly communicative because the students are aware
that the purpose of the activity is to practice a
specific structure).
• They offer semi - controlled and freer practice.
• Chance for learners to experiment a little, integrate
new language with old and personalise the language.
Students will use the grammar in focus and also
other language they know.
Dealing with Grammar 85
 Other examples
Focus on meaning, semi-controlled form (sentence
completion): e.g. Since this time last year, I have ….
Focus on meaning, free sentence-making.
e.g. Think of a situation (using the present perfect)
that would produce the reaction:
Oh dear! / Wonderful! / What a surprise! Help!
Congratulations! / What a relief! / What a pity! /
Thank you! / I’m sorry! / Oh no! / (sigh).

Dealing with Grammar 86

 Meaningful practice
• Happens when the focus is on the production,
comprehension or exchange of meaning,
while the students “keep an eye on” the way
newly learned structures are used in the
process.

Dealing with Grammar 87

 Sample Exercise
Look at the Items Cheap Healthy Tasty Fattening Important
table. Rank the Beer
items on the left
column Water
according to the
Fruit
criteria listed on
the top. (After Cigarettes
the presentation
and mechanical Alcohol
practice of
adjective Milk
comparatives
and
superlatives.)

Dealing with Grammar 88

 Examples of tasks for meaningful
grammar practice (1/2)
• Jigsaw: learners combine different pieces of
information to create a whole.
• Information-Gap: learners have different
information. They negotiate to find the other
individual’s information.
• Problem-Solving: students must find a
solution for a problem (typically there is one
resolution).

Dealing with Grammar 89

 Examples of tasks for meaningful
grammar practice (2/2)
• Decision-Making: students solve an open-
ended problem by discussing multiple options
and choosing the best
• Opinion Exchange: learners exchange ideas
without needing to come to a consensus

Dealing with Grammar 90

 Focus on meaning
Full paragraph writing:
Today is picture B.
What has happened
since yesterday
(picture A)?

[2]

Dealing with Grammar 91

 Focus on communication (1/2)
Performance task:
• You have enough money to go on holiday
abroad. You might: a) go skiing in Switzerland
b) go on safari in Kenya. Prepare a (written or
spoken) presentation comparing them.
Present the arguments for or against each;
decide which you’d prefer and say why.

Dealing with Grammar 92

 Focus on communication (2/2)
Discussion:
• Debate based on comparison. e.g. ‘Computers
are better than books’. ‘It’s better to live in the
town than in the country’.

Dealing with Grammar 93

 References (1/2)
Davidson, D. M. (1978). Current Approaches to the Teaching of
Grammar in ESL (Vol. 5). Harcourt.
Fries, C. C. (1952). The structure of English: an introduction to the
construction of English sentences. New York: Harcourt, Brace
& Company; London: Longmans.
Halliday, M. A. K. (1975). Learning How to Mean--Explorations in
the Development of Language.
Harmer, J. (1987). Teaching and learning grammar. Longman.
Krashen, S. D. (1981). Second language acquisition and second
language learning. Oxford University Press.

Dealing with Grammar 94

 References (2/2)
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2006). The emergence of complexity,
fluency, and accuracy in the oral and written production of
five Chinese learners of English. Applied linguistics, 27(4),
590-619.
Levinson, S.C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge textbooks in
linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (1990). Focus-on-form and
corrective feedback in communicative language
teaching. Studies in second language acquisition,12(04), 429-
448.
Stubbs, M. (1996). Text and corpus analysis: Computer-assisted
studies of language and culture. Oxford: Blackwell.
Dealing with Grammar 95
End of Unit
 Financing
• The present educational material has been developed as part of the
educational work of the instructor.
• The project “Open Academic Courses of the University of Athens” has only
financed the reform of the educational material.
• The project is implemented under the operational program “Education
and Lifelong Learning” and funded by the European Union (European
Social Fund) and National Resources.

Dealing with Grammar 97

Notes
Note on History of Published Version
The present work is the edition 1.0.

Dealing with Grammar 99

 Reference Note
Copyright National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evdokia Karavas.
Evdokia Karavas. “ELT Methods and Practices. Dealing with Grammar”.
Edition: 1.0. Athens 2015. Available at the ELT Methods and Practices Open
Online Course.

Dealing with Grammar 100

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Dealing with Grammar 101

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Dealing with Grammar 102

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Dealing with Grammar 103