What is the Place of Grammar in Language Teaching?

Firework=fire +work

This word can be taught at elementary level and it is composed of two free morphemes and they have their own separate meaning. The word “Fire” is the light and heat. While “work” is defined as being an activity in which one does or performs something. The combination of these two words forms the word ‘firework’. Even though this word has a unique meaning of its own, students can easily understand the meaning by dividing the word into two morphemes. Firework can be defined as; a small device that explodes to make a display of light and noise. It is a clear word that is easy to comprehend by the elementary level students.

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  Lamppost=lamp +post
  

This word can be taught to students who are at varying levels of English and it is composed of two free morphemes: Lamp + post. Lamp is “a device that produces light and post is a piece of metal that is fixed firmly as stay or support”. A student who is familiar with the meaning of these words can predict that ‘lamppost’ means a post with an outdoor lamp or lantern on top. “He stood by the lamppost, undecided as to which course to pursue.” This word seems difficult at first however once it is separated to its morphemes it can be clearly understood by the learners.

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  Right-hand man=right+ hand+ man
  

I would prefer to teach this word with examples to learners that are on an intermediate level because this word has 3 free morphemes. This word is not transparent. It can be understood by intermediate level students. It refers to someone (usually a male) who can be trusted and be relied upon to get things done and achieve the results desired. These words are used more or less like an idiom. If taken literally, the meaning would be lost. Three of them are fairly easy to understand, all of these three words (while standing alone: right, hand and man) are taught in elementary level. But, the word as whole has a quite different meaning: “A right-hand man is a valuable assistant upon whom one is accustomed to rely on”. It is not so easy for the learners to get this meaning only from the morphemes above. “The administration claims he remains the right-hand man of the president on economic matters. “

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