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1-Teaching of Grammar in ESL-1-2009

Grammar can be defined in several ways such as a set of rules governing language, how sentences are constructed, or a native speaker's internalized knowledge of syntax and morphology. Teachers should have an understanding of both prescriptive grammar, which defines "correct" usage, and descriptive grammar, which objectively describes language patterns. When teaching English grammar to ESL students, teachers need to balance being prescriptive about formal rules with acknowledging natural language variations, and consider how descriptive linguistic research can inform their lesson planning and syllabus development.

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92 views

1-Teaching of Grammar in ESL-1-2009

Grammar can be defined in several ways such as a set of rules governing language, how sentences are constructed, or a native speaker's internalized knowledge of syntax and morphology. Teachers should have an understanding of both prescriptive grammar, which defines "correct" usage, and descriptive grammar, which objectively describes language patterns. When teaching English grammar to ESL students, teachers need to balance being prescriptive about formal rules with acknowledging natural language variations, and consider how descriptive linguistic research can inform their lesson planning and syllabus development.

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i am legend
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Teaching of Grammar in ESL

Introduction

Defining Grammar

Broad Definitions
Laymans definition: grammar can be described as a set of rules that govern language. Grammar is the way we make sentences (David Crystal).

Definition 1
The systematic study and description of a language, a group of languages or language in general in terms of either syntax and morphology alone or these together with aspects of phonology, orthography, semantics, pragmatics and word-formation. The Oxford Companion to the
English Language

Definition 2
A set of rules and examples dealing with the syntax and morphology of a standard language, usually intended as an aid to the learning and teaching of that language.

Definition 3
A term for the syntactic and morphological system which every unimpaired person acquires from infancy when learning a language: a nativespeakers grammar.

Relevance of Definitions

1. Syntax and Morphology


Firstly, grammar is most commonly associated with syntax and to a lesser extent, morphology (some uses of grammar, however, makes it synonymous to syntax alone with the exclusion of morphology).

Morphology
Morphology is the way in which components of words are combined into words. It deals with the morpheme, the smallest unit that carries meaning. The -s inflection used to denote plurality, for example, is a morpheme as it carries the meaning of plurality. Distinct words such as catch is also a morpheme. Most linguists presently distinguish between the two morphemes -s and catch by referring to the first as a bound morpheme which cannot stand alone and to the second as a free morpheme (or lexeme) which can.

The sentence The cats will catch the rat therefore contains the morphemes The + cat + s + will + catch + the + rat or seven morphemes (six free and one bound). How many morphemes do the following have? Let manliness come through wisdom anti-disestablishmentarianism

Syntax
Syntax - the ways words combine into such units as phrase, clause and sentence. Concerned with the rules that govern the use of morphemes in a sentence. E.g.: the relationship between adjectives, nouns and determiners. In English, an adjective usually precedes a noun and the determiner must come before both the adjective and the noun. Syntax would be concerned with the rules that determine the use of these determiners, adjectives and nouns. It should also be pointed out that syntax rarely goes beyond the study of sentence structure.

Teachers, Syntax & morphology


Teachers should be aware of both morphology and syntax and the numerous rules and exceptions that are associated with each. Additionally, they should be sensitive to how knowledge of these sub-systems of grammar would best be presented to learners of English as a second language. In short, teachers are required to derive a pedagogical grammar that can be understood and applied by second language learners from the reference grammar that describes the rules of the language in much detail.

2. Prescriptive vs. Descriptive


Secondly, in determining the rules of a language, grammar is often looked at as being either prescriptive or descriptive. Prescriptive grammar is evaluative and distinguishes between good grammar or correct usage of the language and bad grammar - incorrect and disapproved usage of the language. A descriptive grammar, on the other hand, attempts to present an accurate description of the rules for actual usage.

Sample Descriptive vs. Prescriptive


Split Infinitive
To boldly go where no man has gone before (Star Trek) To go boldly where no man has gone before

Nominative vs. Objective pronoun


Its me vs. It is I When personal pronouns occur after forms of the copula verb be, the nominative forms, I, he, she, we, they should be used instead of the objective forms me, him, her, us, them.

Prescriptive vs. Descriptive The split infinitive example


The English-speaking world may be divided into: (1) Those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) Those who do not know, but care very much; (3) Those who know and condemn; (4) Those who know and approve; and (5) Those who know and distinguish Number 1 are the vast majority, and are a happy folk, to be envied by most of the minority classes (Fowler, 1965)

Teachers and Prescriptive vs Descriptive Grammar


Prescriptivism would be concerned with maintaining a standard in the language while descriptivism merely describes the actual use of the language. Grammarians prescriptive; Linguists descriptive. Teachers - balance between the two. Need to be aware of when appropriate to prescribe rules to their students, and when a description of rules would be better.

Split infinitives should teachers spend much time correcting this? Does descriptivism imply that any form of language is acceptable? Clear expression in writing and speech is important. The socio-economic and class connotations of using a language form should also be made clear. Should always be kept in mind: being too prescriptive may not be good for the learner.

3. Natural Grammar
Finally, the issue of a native-speakers grammar implies an implicit knowledge of the rules of language on the part of the native speaker. This natural grammar (or mental grammar) is a result of first language acquisition and the acquisition of either prescriptive or descriptive grammar is secondary. Many native speakers cannot explain the rules of their language although their use of the language is almost always correct.

Grammar is unlike the skills commonly associated with language: reading, speaking, listening and writing, although it may be a part of each. One may know grammar but yet not be good at each of these skills. Therefore language acquisition studies have examined grammatical acquisition to understand acquisition of language. A central issue is that of innate language abilities. Do we have special language acquisition abilities? Other issues commonly studied involve the role of language input and language output or production on acquisition.

Grammar and Language Development

Teachers must be aware of the research being conducted in the field of language acquisition as it has immediate relevance to classroom practice but also other pedagogical issues such as syllabus development and language planning. How do innate language abilities affect the way instruction should be presented? Can acquisition rate be influenced by different forms of language input or environments?

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