History and Development of Grammar Teaching
History and Development of Grammar Teaching
History and Development of Grammar Teaching
Introduction
What is grammar?
The word grammar comes (indirectly) from
the Greek word techn grammatik which simply meant the art of using letters (grammata)
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle had all made incidental contribution to its foundation
Modern grammar nowadays was built on
traditional grammar
Timeline
300 BC1957
1957 now
discovered and applied to the grammar of various European languages Eg. word classes (verb and noun), grammatical functions (subject and object) Languages could best be described in terms of abstract categories number, gender and case
Technology) showed how grammar could be studied in a scientific way by building completely explicit formal models of grammars Grammar was called generative grammar (they generate structures in a technical sense) It contains rules
Traditional Grammar
It refers t ra ar t at evel e i t e i le f 18t a 19t ce t ry.
studying. Formal speech was given more priority compared to informal speech. Informal speech was condemned as incorrect.
2. Treated their subject in a highly difficult way Describe grammatical patterns through the use of
Prescriptive ra
Prescriptivism :
y
ar
Is an approach to language y It is considered as traditional grammar y View that language has an inherently higher value than others and ought to be the norm for the whole of the speech community.
considered to be acceptable
y Proscriptive: the usages of grammar that is to be
Example of the approach: Complaint: Only should be next to the word to which it relates. People should not say I only saw John when in fact, they mean I saw only John. Comment: Only is always linked with the next word that carries a strong stress. I only saw JOHN (and no one else) I only SAW John (I didnt talk to her)
Introduction
Chomsky introduced Transformational Grammar to the world in 1957 monograph syntactic structures. Followed up with a more complete explanation of the theory in 1965 (Aspects of the theory of syntax) In his books, Chomsky declares that language can be explained as a system of rules.
Chomskys theory is a way to explain what is going on when people use and interpret language (explanatory adequacy). Linguist believe that we are born with the capacity for language already in place. Every human born with the ability to learn any language.
Transformational Grammar suggests what an ideal native speaker of a language must already know about language in order to use and interpret it. Most of this knowledge is subconscious. All of our knowledge of language , both conscious and subconscious (called speakers competence) E.g: because of linguistic competence, people understand that two sentences can be related or have the same meaning even though that they appeared different or may seem not related
Describing the production of structurally wellformed-sentences, matching the inborn native speakers competence. TG separates syntax from semantics Chomsky claimed that structure of a language works independently from consideration of meaning.
In Transformational Grammar, grammar refers to how the structure of language operates. The term ungrammatical indicate that a particular utterance is not well formed. Utterances that are grammatical are conformed to the system of rules which generate well-formed structures in a language.
Rules describe the way a language actually works. Linguistics is a descriptive study. Linguists describe the way they observe language working, based on their observations of real language users.
TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR
MODERN GRAMMAR
1957 until now Some new methodologies were introduced Chomsky introduced Transformational Grammar to the world in 1957 monograph syntactic structures. Linguistics has changed into a science Grammar was called generative grammar (they generate structures in a technical sense) It contains rules
300 BC 1957 Prescriptive Grammar Insisted that only certain styles of English were worth studying Treated their subject in a highly difficult way
Natural Method
Direct Method
1920s1930s 1970
Audiolingual
1972
1972
1970