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Module 1 EL 108

The document provides an introduction to grammar and assessment, emphasizing the importance of grammar as a system of language and its role in communication. It discusses the significance of good grammar in various contexts and outlines the assessment process, including traditional and communicative approaches to evaluating grammar. Additionally, it highlights challenges faced in teaching grammar, such as student needs, teacher experience, and classroom facilities.

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14 views6 pages

Module 1 EL 108

The document provides an introduction to grammar and assessment, emphasizing the importance of grammar as a system of language and its role in communication. It discusses the significance of good grammar in various contexts and outlines the assessment process, including traditional and communicative approaches to evaluating grammar. Additionally, it highlights challenges faced in teaching grammar, such as student needs, teacher experience, and classroom facilities.

Uploaded by

alarconlonagrace
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MODULE 1: GRAMMAR AND ASSESSMENT: AN INTRODUCTION

Lesson 1: Grammar and Assessment: Its meaning, and Importance

A. Grammar

What is Grammar?

“Grammar is the business of taking a language to pieces, to see how it


works.” (David Crystal)

Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe


grammar as the "rules" of a language; but in fact, no language has rules. If
we use the word "rules", we suggest that somebody created the rules first
and then spoke the language, like a new game. But languages did not start
like that. Languages started by people making sounds which evolved into
words, phrases and sentences. No commonly-spoken language is fixed. All
languages change over time. What we call "grammar" is simply a reflection
of a language at a particular time.

Grammar is the mental system of rules and categories that allows humans
to form and interpret the words and sentences of their language.

Grammar adds meanings that are not easily inferable from the immediate
context. The kinds of meanings realized by grammar are principally:
• representational - that is, grammar enables us to use language to
describe the world in terms of how, when and where things happen
e.g. The sun set at 7.30. The children are playing in the garden.
• interpersonal - that is, grammar facilitates the way we interact with
other people when, for example, we need to get things done using
language.
e.g. There is a difference between:
Tickets!
Tickets, please.
Can you show me your tickets?
May see your tickets?
Would you mind if I had a look at your tickets?
Importance of Good Grammar
1. Good grammar enhances accuracy and thus conveys the correct
message.
2. Good grammar is indispensable in formal, academic, and professional
writing.
3. Good grammar increases credibility and respect.
4. Good grammar sets you apart from your competition.
5. Good grammar boosts confidence.
B. Assessment
What is an Assessment?
Assessment is a systematic process of documenting and using
empirical data to measure knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. By taking
the assessment, teachers try to improve the student's path towards learning.

Importance of Assessment

1. Throughout a lesson or unit, the teacher might want to check for


understanding by using a formative assessment.
2. Students who are experiencing difficulties in learning may benefit from
the administration of a diagnostic test.
3. Students generally complete a summative assessment after
completing the study of a topic. The teacher can determine their level
of achievement and provide them with feedback on their strengths and
weaknesses.
4. Teachers may also want to use informal assessment techniques. Using
self-assessment, students express what they think about their learning
process and what they should work on.

Assessing Grammar

According to Larsen-Freeman (2009), in the traditional approach to


assessing grammar, grammatical knowledge is defined in terms of accurate
production and comprehension, and then assessed through the four skills.

Testing is typically done by means of decontextualized, discrete-point


items such as sentence unscrambling, fill-in-the-blanks, error correction,
sentence completion, sentence combining, picture description, elicited
imitation, judging grammatical correctness, and modified cloze passages.
Such formats test grammar knowledge, but they do not assess whether test
takers can use grammar correctly in real-life speaking or writing. A
significant contribution of the communicative or proficiency-based approach
in the 1970s and 1980s was a shift from seeing language proficiency in
terms of knowledge of structures, which could best be assessed using
discrete-point items, to the ability to integrate and use the knowledge in
performance, which could best be assessed through the production and
comprehension of written texts and through face-to-face interaction under
real-time processing conditions (McNamara & Roever, 2006, p. 43–44).

In the latter, more integrative, approach to grammar assessment,


grammatical performance is typically assessed by raters using scales that
gauge grammatical accuracy, complexity, and the range of grammatical
structures used. The judgments are subjective, and because the assessment
formats are more open-ended, they are subject to possible inconsistencies.

Lesson 2: Teaching Grammar for Communicative Competence

Teaching communicative grammar means that grammar instruction


and lessons are not limited to introducing a grammar item or items, having
learners do controlled exercises, and then later assessing students on their
ability to understand grammar items. It means designing grammar lessons to
include a communicative task or activity.
A communicative grammar lesson might start in very much the same
way as a traditional approach with presentation of a grammar item and
examples, followed by controlled exercises to practice the grammar item.
However, a communicative grammar lesson does not stop there.
Following the presentation and practice stages, a communicative grammar
lesson gives students the opportunity to practice the target grammar.
The beginning stages of a communicative grammar lesson often focus
on accuracy while fluency becomes more important during practice stage.
Communicative tasks are important because they allow learners to practice
the target grammar feature under “real operating conditions.”
Communicative grammar practice has often focused on speaking
activities; however, writing activities are also an important and valid way to
practice using grammar communicatively.
According to Rea-Dickins (2003), the five characteristics to measure
communicative grammar are:
1. The test must provide more context than only a single sentence.
2. The test taker should understand what the communicative purpose
of the task is.
3. He or she should also know who the intended audience is.
4. He or she must have to focus on meaning and not form to answer
correctly.
5. Recognize is not sufficient. The test taker must be able “to produce
grammatical responses.”
Lesson 3: Challenges of Teaching Grammar

The challenges of teaching grammar categorize into six different challenges;

1-Students.
2- Experience.
3- Facilities.
4- Perceptions.
5- Expectations.
6- Lessons.

1. Students
Some English teachers pointed at some issues related to the students, for
example :

 Teachers did not know the needs of the students.


 Correcting the mistakes is also a challenge. For example, their
reluctant about the time they should correct their errors, especially
in speaking class.
 Having students with low proficiency or weak students is a challenge
in teaching grammar.
 -Students had negative attitudes towards grammar.

2. Experience

Several teachers claimed that they lack experience. They do not expose
to teach English grammar by strategies, so it becomes difficult to teach
grammar besides teaching grammar through trial and error processes. They
did not coach on ways of teaching grammar. So, their teaching process is
based on observation and experiences that they had gained so far.

In review, English teachers must be applying the grammar rules and


strategies first; next, they can teach them.
3. Facilities

Not all schools provide their classes with sufficient equipment. Sometimes
we just have had one room with a computer and an LCD projector. Suitable
facilities are crucial to aid in making grammar lessons more meaningful. In
addition to that, enough exposure to the target language helps learners
learn a language better.

4. Expectations of the English teachers

Some English teachers had high expectations of their students in learning


grammar as they believed the students had learned a lot when they were in
school. Based on their perceptions, they had expectations on the condition of
the classroom to be comfortable for cozy students to learn. In terms of the
grammar lesson. Some teachers claimed that it was a challenge for them to
create lessons that can cater to various kinds of needs of the students.

5. Lessons

Pointing to grammar instruction, it was more difficult than some people


thought.

The lessons should balance between fulfilling the needs and achieving
the objectives. The teaching of grammar is very challenging because
teachers need to prepare grammar lessons that can interest the students
and at the same time encourage them. To achieve that, teachers must
emerge new approaches and new activities. These approaches and practices
are depending on student’s level and their locality.

6. Perceptions

Instructor perceptions play a significant role and can be a great challenge


to English teachers.

A negative perception of teachers about language teaching may


demotivate the English teachers and the students accordingly the English
teacher perceptions.
References:

Matthew Lynch (2016). The Real Purpose of Assessments in Education from


https://www.theedadvocate.org/real-purpose-assessments education/
https://www2.vobs.at/ludescher/pdf%20files/grammar.pdf
https://yourlanguageschool.co.uk/grammar-matters-5-reasons-why-good-grammar-is-
important/
https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/knowledge-center/assessment-knowledge-center/
assessment-vs-evaluation/item10642
How To Make The Assessment Of Grammar Skills More Efficient? by Nozade

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