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    Teaching Grammar: A Task-Based Approach

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    This document discusses approaches to teaching grammar in a communicative classroom. It argues that grammar has a central role but should be taught as a tool for communication rather than memorization. Various task-based activities are proposed, such as information gaps, surveys, role plays and dictoglosses, that integrate grammar with vocabulary and pronunciation in a meaningful way. Examples are provided of how traditional grammar explanations and exercises can be adapted into communicative tasks.

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    Teaching Grammar: A Task-Based Approach

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    toumache
    1K views28 pages
    This document discusses approaches to teaching grammar in a communicative classroom. It argues that grammar has a central role but should be taught as a tool for communication rather than memorization. Various task-based activities are proposed, such as information gaps, surveys, role plays and dictoglosses, that integrate grammar with vocabulary and pronunciation in a meaningful way. Examples are provided of how traditional grammar explanations and exercises can be adapted into communicative tasks.

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    David Nunan 08

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    This document discusses approaches to teaching grammar in a communicative classroom. It argues that grammar has a central role but should be taught as a tool for communication rather than memorization. Various task-based activities are proposed, such as information gaps, surveys, role plays and dictoglosses, that integrate grammar with vocabulary and pronunciation in a meaningful way. Examples are provided of how traditional grammar explanations and exercises can be adapted into communicative tasks.

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    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    1K views28 pages

    Teaching Grammar: A Task-Based Approach

    Uploaded by

    toumache
    This document discusses approaches to teaching grammar in a communicative classroom. It argues that grammar has a central role but should be taught as a tool for communication rather than memorization. Various task-based activities are proposed, such as information gaps, surveys, role plays and dictoglosses, that integrate grammar with vocabulary and pronunciation in a meaningful way. Examples are provided of how traditional grammar explanations and exercises can be adapted into communicative tasks.

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    Teaching grammar: a

    task-based approach
    David Nunan
    Overview
    With the development of communicative approaches to
    language teaching, the place of grammar has been
    uncertain. There are those who argue that there is no
    place for a formal focus on grammar in the
    communicative classroom of today. I do not share this
    view. In this presentation, I will argue that grammar has
    a central and fundamental place in the curriculum.
    However, this does not mean I am arguing for a return to
    "traditional" ways of teaching grammar. In the first plart
    of the presentation, I will explain what it means to look at
    grammar as a tool for communication rather than as a
    body of content to be memorized. I will then give
    practical examples of how teachers can implement these
    ideas in their classrooms.
    Questions addressed in the
    presentation
     What is ‘grammar’?
     What’s the difference between a
    ‘prescriptive’ and a ‘descriptive’
    grammar?
     In what ways are grammar, vocabulary
    and pronunciation interrelated?
     What is a ‘task’?
    Warm up task: Dictogloss

    My name is David Nunan. I am a


    teacher. I live in Hong Kong, but I
    travel a lot. This is my second visit
    to Cambodia. I love the weather,
    the food and the people in here in
    Cambodia. I look forward to
    meeting new frends during the
    conference.
    ‘Traditional’ definition 1

    Grammar may be roughly


    defined as the way language
    manipulates and combines
    words (or bits of words) in order
    to form longer units of meaning
    (Ur 1988, p.4).
    ‘Traditional’ definition 2
    [Grammar is] a description of the
    structure of a language and the
    way in which units such as words
    and phrases are combined to
    produce sentences in the
    language (Richards, Platt and
    Weber, 2003).
    ‘Traditional’ definition 3
    [Grammar] is the way in which words
    change themselves and group together
    to make sentences. The grammar of a
    language is what happens to words
    when they become plural or negative,
    or what order is used when we make
    questions or join two clauses to make
    one sentence (Harmer, 1987).
    Grammar and pronunciation

    She’s Italian, isn’t she?


    (rising intonation)
    = I believe that she’s Italian, but I’m really not certain.
    (falling intonation)
    = I’m pretty sure she’s Italian, but I’d like your
    confirmation on that.
    She’s Italian, is she? (rising intonation)
    = I thought she was Spanish, but I’ve just received
    information that leads me to revise my belief.
    Grammar and pronunciation
     A woman without her man is nothing.

     A woman without her man (pause) is


    nothing.
     A woman (pause) without her man is
    nothing.
    Grammar and vocabulary
    Mary J. Blige has been dubbed the Queen
    of hip-hop Soul, but she’s really an old-
    fashioned blues singer wrapped in hip-hop
    beats and soul grooves. (Rolling Stone
    September 18, 2003, page 70).
    Mary J. Blige … the Queen of hip-hop …
    she … an old-fashioned blues singer
    A ‘communicative’ definition

    Grammar is a resource that enables us:


     to get things done
     to make choices
     to express ourselves as individuals
     to articulate our feelings and attitudes
    From principles to pedagogy
     Teach grammar as an extremely flexible
    resource for making meaning.
     As far as possible, integrate the teaching of
    grammar with the teaching of pronunciation
    and vocabulary.
     Help learners see relationships between
    form and meaning.
     Teach students how to use grammar to
    make appropriate choices and express their
    own personal meanings.
    Repetition: The ‘traditional’
    approach
    T: She can speak Spanish (French).
    Ss: She can speak French.
    T: They
    Ss: They can speak French.
    T: German - can’t
    Ss: They can’t speak German
    (etc.)
    A task-based approach
    Tasks:
     have a primary focus on meaning
     learners are not given other people’s
    meanings to regurgitate
     have an outcome other than the
    manipulation and practice of language
    forms
     generate language use that has some
    resemblance to real-world language
    True / false
    True / false
    GFI 2e Level 2 Page 31 Task 4
    Figure it out
    GFI 2e Level 2 page 3 Tasks 3a & b
    Figure it out
    GFI 2e Level 2 page 3 Tasks 3a & b
    Detective

     Procedure: An object to be stolen is


    decided on—say a coin or a ring. Once
    student (the detective) is sent out of the
    room. One of the remaining students is
    given the object; he or she is the thief.
     The detective returns and tries to find
    out who the thief is by asking
    participants: “Do you have it/the ring?”
    Detective
     Each participant—including the actual thief—
    denies guilt, and accuses someone else. “No, I
    don’t have it. A has it!” Whereupon, the detective
    turns to A with the same question—and so on,
    until everyone has been asked and has denied
    responsibility. The detective then has to decide
    in three guesses who is lying—who looks guilty.
    The process is then repeated with another
    detective and another thief. (Ur 1988)
    Tic-tac-toe
    GFI 2e Leve l2 page 6 Task 4 Go For It
    Information gap
    Information gap (cont.)
    Surveys
    Dictogloss
     Preparation, when the learner finds out about the topic of
    the text and is prepared for some of the vocabulary.
     Dictation, when the learner hears the text and takes
    fragmentary notes. (Wajnryb recommends that the text be
    read twice, at normal speed. The first time through,
    learners simply listen to get a general sense of what the
    text is about. The second time, they write down key words.)
     Reconstruction, in which learners work in small groups,
    pool their notes, and reconstruct the text.
     Analysis and correction, when learners analyze and correct
    their texts. Wajnryb (1990)
    Role play
    References
    Nunan, D. 1999. Second Language Teaching and
    Learning. Boston: Thomson/Heinle.
    Nunan, D. 2004. Practical English Language
    Teaching: Grammar. New York: McGraw Hill.
    Pennington, M. 1995. New Ways in Teaching
    Grammar. Alexandria VA: TESOL.
    Thornbury, S. 1999. How to Teach Grammar.
    London: Longman.
    Ur, P. 1988. Grammar Practice Activities.
    Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    Web sites
    http://ec.hku.hk/vec/grammar/default.htm
    http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/teacher/grammar.ht
    ml
    http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/
    http://esl.about.com/cs/grammar
    http://expressions.heinle.com
    http://www.eslcafe.com
    http://goforit.heinle.com

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