Lecture Teaching pronunciation (1-6-forms) Plan

Lecture 3. Teaching grammar (1-6-forms)
Plan:
1. Cognitive aspect of acquiring grammar
2. Selection of the grammar material
3. The ways of developing grammar skills
4. Principles of teaching grammar

1. Cognitive aspect of acquiring grammar

There are a number of reasons why there occur different notions about “grammar” when one comes across this term. While it is perceived as a part of Linguistics in the course of mother tongue at the secondary school, in teaching/learning foreign language it is considered to be the grammar side of the speech. According to various scientific sources the word “grammar” could be limited in two notions: 1) the grammar side of the speech – the grammar cases found in speaking, listening, reading and writing the language (e.g., article; speech patterns; verb forms of the person) and 2) abstractions defining language situations (e.g., the first place of the subject in the sentence; the plural suffix of singular noun).
There are plenty of methodical literatures where one can see such terms as acquiring “grammar mechanisms”, developing grammar skills and others. The term ―mechanism‖ is used to describe the events in action. It is more decent to use in short “grammar mechanisms” (V.S.Setlin) than “using grammar elements in speech activity”.
V.S.Setlin has divided the process of acquisition of the grammar mechanisms into three parts: 1) acquiring grammar acts; 2) studying/learning ready material; 3) mastering grammar generalizations.
Grammar acts have the leading position in the grammar mechanisms of speech. Acquiring grammar act is classified by the formation of automatized skills of speech grammar. Learning the ready material of grammar is defined by memorizing grammar forms. Memorizing and using definitions, rules and notions is called mastering generalization.
Studying ready material is learning units of the foreign language, mastering grammar acts, i.e. forming skills. Linking words and grammar morphemes are learned as a material whilst change of words, word combinations and word order are acquired as skill.
The notion of grammar material is not a form of grammar case. The term ―form‖ is associated with the structure of a sentence or a word composition, the content parts of words, linking words and items forming a word. It is more logical to use the term ―grammar form of word‖ than ―form of grammar case‖.
Thus teaching foreign grammar is associated with acquiring of grammar mechanisms.
Active and passive grammar was the matter of discussion for a long period. I.V. Rakhmanov used the terms active and passive material in association with mastering the reproductive and receptive speech.
Active grammar means grammar cases used in reproductive (as well productive) speech. In some sources active grammar is called as ―grammar of speaking‖.
The notion passive grammar, according to the methodical doctrine of L.V.Scherba consists of grammar cases and their abstracts used in perception (reading, listening). The term ―passive‖ relates only to educational material, the essence of the pupils‗ activity in education to be always active was admitted in both Psychology and Didactics.
As it is known L.V.Scherba theoretically substantiated two kinds of speech activity. His theory added great contribution to the development of foreign language teaching methodology in our country and abroad. P.Hagboldt devoted a special part to the matter of passive (receptive) and active (reproductive) assimilation in his book (Language Learning. Chicago, 1935.). Passive grammar was named as ―recognitional grammar‖ by Ch.Handschin (Modern Language Teaching. New York, 1940), ―visual grammar‖ by H.Dunkel (Second language Learning. Boston, 1948) and M.West (How Much English Grammar? ―English Language Teaching‖. vol. VII, Autumn, 1952, N1.) called it as “grammar for recognition”.
Many methodological research works reveal passive grammar with the term ―grammar of reading‖. As passive grammar has wider meaning in modern methodology, it would be more appropriate to call it ―grammar of reading and listening‖.
Micro-form, micro-meaning and micro-usage are recognized as the unit of grammar selection. The grammar cases for the oral speech of the pupil are selected from the live speech of foreign native speakers and speeches of fiction heroes in that language. The source of selection active grammar is spoken literary language. Passive grammar minimum is selected from written texts for written speech (reading) of pupils. There are elected grammar cases reflecting written way of speech.
Selection of the grammar material
Active and passive minima do not differ very much as in vocabulary (active minimum enters passive), active minimum is selected for 5 – 7-grades and passive grammar minimum is selected only for higher grades, lyceums and colleges and followed.
The formation of grammar minima directly deals with speech themes and vocabulary minima, theme and vocabulary are the paramount notions and grammar depends on them.
The classification of methodical criteria in preparing grammar is as follow.
Criteria of selecting active grammar minimum:
1. Criterion of prevalence of grammar case in oral and written speech. The most frequent cases in people speech are ―picked up‖ from the all grammar material.
2. Criterion of standing to be a sample. It requires the ability to form very many new grammar cases through the samples based on grammar units selected on this criterion. Well then the cases that can provide most vocabulary are put in this minimum (e.g., forming noun, adjective, adverb with the help of suffixes).
3. Criterion of isolation of mono-semantic cases. Aiming to prevent difficulties the most frequent and stylistically appropriate unit is elected, i.e. one of the grammatical synonym cases is selected.
Criteria of selecting passive grammar minimum:
1. Criterion of wide usage in literary written style of speech.
2. Criterion of polysemantics.
The act of criteria in selecting grammar material is directly linked together. Some of them function as the main, others as complementary. Kinds of speech activity need various volume of language material. The most demanding in them are reading and listening. The volume of the material used in speaking and writing is relatively little.
The organization of preparing foreign grammar material requires serious approach, as the success of teaching is directly linked with the selection, distribution and methodical typology of the content. That’s why the selection should be appropriate to the above criteria.
The next task of preparing language material is presentation of selected minimum. Distribution of grammar minimum requires functional (i.e., according to the task in speech) approach. Grammar is divided into no less than a sentence, communicative units. Speech pattern performs as a unit of distribution.
The speech pattern embodies in itself all sides of speech, i.e. vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and graphic aspects, as speech pattern is considered to be the unit of mastering in distribution.
Reproductive way of learning the foreign language, especially based on speech patterns is bringing to expected results. The speech pattern was introduced into methodology in the 60s of the last century under another term. Then the notion ―model‖ (modelling) was methodically researched. Up to now ―the typo sentence‖ in the present educational programs is recognized as grammar unit.
Grammar was distributed in two ways i.e., with the help of rules and speech patterns. The third way ―vocabulary approach‖ is appropriate when the grammar case is presented isolated, i.e., if it is used in the only sentence, it needs to be learned without rule as a word(vocabulary). According to modern methodological requirements method of grammar distribution means ―using primarily speech patterns, and if necessary grammar rules‖.
The process of distribution consists of three stages: defining general sequence, distribution among grades and distribution in school year. Each stage has its own methodical criteria.
General distribution is measured according to the criterion of importance of grammar cases. In distribution of present indefinite and present continuous tenses of foreign language, the first one is considered to be the most important for speech process. Usually the most important grammar cases are distributed in initial stage.
Besides importance distribution of grammar among grades takes into account the criterion of correlation of grammar with vocabulary. Vocabulary is primary which in its turn influences on the distribution of grammar units.
The third stage is a very complex process of distribution. Here are detected the cases of positive or negative transfer of language experience of pupil(s). This methodical measure is a major factor of preventing difficulties, i.e., the criterion directed to prevent expected grammar errors in speech acquisition. It is called preventing difficulties appearing in speech.
The first and second distribution is presented in syllabus. The third one is reflected in textbooks.
The result of analysis of translingual and intralingual comparison of selected language material creates the basis to the stage of typology of grammar.
As it was emphasized in typology of vocabulary material, the learned cases in grammar are also divided into kinds. The details of easy/difficult acquisition are looked thoroughly. Identification of difficulties and their typology give the opportunity to create the system of exercises, work out methodical ways of teaching these cases and assign the time of assimilating the material. Typology of grammar material can be associated with typology of difficulties in the process of assimilation.
It is known that identifying the difficulty is a multistage methodical organization: analyzing speech errors, comparing languages (foreign language, native language and second) contacted in pupils mind and contrasting both results. The acts of analyzing errors, comparing and contrasting are performed according to grammatical meaning, form and usage.
Grammar cases are taught for developing speech grammar skills. For developing skills in the content of habits grammar skills pass through three stages: 1. Presentation stage consists of introducing new grammar unit, by this token explaining it and performing initial grammar acts. 2. Doing grammar exercises. This stage is mostly performed in creating skills. 3. Using grammar cases in kinds of speech activities.
The first and second stages are directly organization of teaching grammar, the third stage relates both to grammar skills and speech habits. Grammar cases presented in speech pattern are introduced orally to pupils in the lower and middle stages of education, and in written form in the middle and higher stages.
Grammar case is presented in speech pattern, as a rule, speech pattern and a rule unitedly, or as a vocabulary unit. The list of speech patterns in foreign language formalized by linguists and methodologists as corresponding models are known in the science as two kinds of rules: rule – instruction and rule – generalization.
Rule – instruction is a mental activity aimed at using or reading and listening comprehension of grammar cases, in psycholinguistics that studies speech issues, this program is called algorithm. Introducing the rule is the advance guiding base directed to providing speech act. In other words, rule can be defined as a theoretical wing of speech practice.
Rule – generalization is simple theoretical information related to grammar material that was learned sparsely in the process of speech acquisition. The rule should be always short, accurately defined, aimed and directed to using or recognizing grammar case.
Rule and model are methodical notions with the same essence. Using model provides to capture letter images in person‗s mind. (Verbal) abstraction expressed by words occurs discursively. Speech patterns play the role of sample for composing sentences, where verbal discursive abstraction doesn‗t attend but there occurs analogy. Discursiveness must be limited as much as possible.