“Grammar is what has always made English a school subject.” (Lewis,1993: iii) – Jimmie Hill´s opinion on English as a school subject is one of the simplest put but most accurate views I have ever come across so far. In this short phrase lies far more than one would imagine at first sight. Its explicit message is, of course, that grammar is a feature of great value for a student learning English and I would never contradict that. However, reading and thinking about this short sentence one comes to understand that there must be far more than that to really be able to communicate in English. In his list of principles Michael Lewis puts it as follows: “Successful language is a wider concept than accurate language.” (Lewis, 1993: vi)
That means that in order to communicate not only grammatical competence is required but that there are other factors which need to be considered when teaching English. A student learning a great amount of grammar will not be able to communicate in English if he isn´t, for instance, able to communicate at all, no matter if in his mother tongue or in the language he is newly acquiring because “socio – linguistic competence – communcative power – precedes and is the basis, not the product of grammatical competence.“ (Lewis, 1993: vii) As a consequence, a teacher of English (for Germans) can´t only teach grammar to his students and expect them to be able to fluently and correctly speak English but he or she (I will in the following stick to the masculine form only) is also obliged to keep in mind various long – term aims which cannot be checked on in the form of a test or an essay. Here arises the question about what a teacher of English might want to know about linguistics in order to provide students with the best conditions for successfully communicating in English especially outside the classroom situation. In which way and to what extent should a teacher make use of his linguistic knowledge though? Should students be made familiar with linguistic theories? Will it be sufficient if a teacher is aware of these theories and lets them slip into his teaching in class on a secondary basis? Or should he just forget about linguistics at all because it is too complicated a field to be used in teaching English to high school students?
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. GENERAL REFLECTIONS ABOUT LINGUISTICS IN CONNECTION WITH TEACHING
3. GRAMMAR
3.1. PHONOLOGY
3.1.1 THE SYLLABLE FINAL OBSTRUENT DEVOICING
3.1.2 FEATURES PROPER TO A SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ONLY
3.1.3 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN W AND V IN ENGLISH AND GERMAN
3.1.4 PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION
3.2. MORPHOLOGY
3.2.1. WORD FORMATION IN ENGLISH
3.2.2. WORD FORMATION IN GERMAN
3.3. SYNTAX
3.3.1 NEGATIVES AND QUESTIONS
3.3.2 OTHER ASPECTS WORTH LOOKING AT
4. BEYOND GRAMMAR: SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS
4.1 CONNECTED SPEECH: ASSIMILATION, SYLLABIC CONSONANTS, WEAK FORMS AND STRONG FORMS
4.2 VOCABULARY
4.2.1 HOMONYMY AND SYNONYMY
4.2.2. “FALSE FRIENDS”
4.2.3 WORD BY WORD – TRANSLATIONS
4.2.4. VARIATIONS WITHIN ENGLISH
4.2.5 CONVENTIONS
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This work explores the essential role of linguistic knowledge in the teaching of English to high school students, aiming to determine how teachers can integrate linguistic theories into classroom practice to foster successful communicative competence. The focus is on bridging the gap between abstract linguistic principles and effective language acquisition.
- Integrating linguistic theories into English language teaching.
- Comparative analysis of English and German linguistic features.
- The importance of phonology, morphology, and syntax in classroom instruction.
- Addressing semantics, pragmatics, and connected speech phenomena.
- Vocabulary acquisition, cultural conventions, and linguistic variations.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1 THE SYLLABLE FINAL OBSTRUENT DEVOICING
As to German phonology one of the characteristics would be the Syllable Final Obstruent Devoicing which – applied to English – could cause a lot of trouble and misunderstanding. For example it is not of great importance if a speaker of German pronounces the word for hand as [hand] or as [hant] because final sounds never function as phonemes in German. But in English it can be crucial and confusing to say [sæŋ] instead of [sæŋk] in a phrase like “playing Nearer My God To Thee the band sank”. Also, distinctions like between [bæg] and [bæk] or between [raɪd] and [raɪt] must clearly be made in order to ensure a successful communication.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: The introduction establishes the premise that successful communication requires more than just grammatical competence, arguing that teachers need a foundation in linguistics to guide students effectively.
2. GENERAL REFLECTIONS ABOUT LINGUISTICS IN CONNECTION WITH TEACHING: This chapter discusses the practical limitations and necessity of incorporating linguistic knowledge into the standard English curriculum.
3. GRAMMAR: This section provides an overview of essential grammatical sub-disciplines, specifically phonology, morphology, and syntax, highlighting differences between English and German.
4. BEYOND GRAMMAR: SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS: This chapter moves past structural grammar to address how meaning, connected speech, vocabulary, and social conventions impact communicative success.
5. CONCLUSION: The conclusion emphasizes that the teacher's ultimate role is to foster an enthusiasm for learning, enabling students to progress toward an automatic and autonomous use of the English language.
Keywords
Linguistics, English language teaching, Grammar, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, Connected speech, Language acquisition, Vocabulary, False friends, Linguistic variations, Communicative competence, Teaching methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work investigates the relevance and practical application of linguistic theories for teachers of English, focusing on how this knowledge can improve students' communicative abilities.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, along with practical classroom considerations for English instruction.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The goal is to determine the extent to which a teacher should utilize linguistic knowledge to help students move beyond simple grammatical correctness toward successful, fluent communication.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The work employs a comparative pedagogical approach, specifically contrasting English linguistic structures with those of the German language to identify potential sources of student error.
What topics are addressed in the main body?
The main body covers a wide range of linguistic aspects, including syllable-final devoicing, phonetic transcription, word formation, negations, connected speech, and social conventions.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include linguistic theory, language teaching, communicative competence, comparative linguistics, and pedagogical methodology.
Why is "Syllable Final Obstruent Devoicing" highlighted as a problem?
The author highlights this because German speakers often carry over their native phonological rule—where final sounds do not change meaning—into English, which can lead to critical misunderstandings in communication.
How does the author define the role of "conventions" in language learning?
Conventions refer to social norms and usage patterns, such as responding in complete sentences rather than with simple yes/no answers, which are essential for behaving appropriately within the target language's cultural context.
- Quote paper
- Stephanie Wössner (Author), 1999, Linguistics and Teaching, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1567
