Learning a new language always implies learning its grammar. In what depth should then teaching grammar be part of the teaching unit and what important aspects of the Second Language Acquisition should be considered by teachers in the classroom? There is also the question how the students in general acquire grammatical structures.
This paper first gives an introduction into the history of language teaching which is followed by an overview of different aspects of the Second Language Acquisition and an example for a study on the Teachability Hypothesis. I chose this study because it was a subject of interest in the seminar “Issues in Applied Linguistics” and was the topic my group worked on for a presentation. To show how grammar teaching is understood in the classroom, a summary of the different options in language teaching is given afterwards. The conclusion at the end not only serves as a summary of the paper but also sums up the answers to the questions asked above and shows the problems behind them. It is followed by a bibliography and an appendix.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.7 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Examines a published study involving eight university students learning German
- Discusses Pienemann’s Processability Theory in relation to acquisition stages
- 10 sources in the bibliography
Contents
1. Contents and structure of the term paper
2. A historical introduction into grammar teaching:
3. Second Language Acquisition
3.1. The Interlanguage
3.2. The teachability of grammar
3.2.1. A study on the Teachability Hypothesis
4. Different options in language teaching
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This term paper examines the role of grammar in language teaching, asking how extensively it should be taught, how learners acquire grammatical structures, and which aspects of second language acquisition teachers should consider in the classroom.
- The history of grammar teaching
- First-language transfer and second language development
- Interlanguage, acquisition stages, and error correction
- The Teachability Hypothesis and a published study
- Focus on formS, focus on meaning, and focus on form
Excerpt from the Book
4. Different options in language teaching
In the following chapter, three different options in language teaching are presented. The first option - the focus on formS - is a synthetic approach and implies the separation of the factors the second language consists of: “Words and collocations, grammar rules, phonemes, intonation and stress patterns, structures, notions, or functions” (cf. Long, Robinson 1998; 15). These factors are then taught separately depending on, for example, their difficultness. The pupil’s role is to combine them and then use them for communication. In classrooms, this long-established teaching option involves different teaching methods such as the Grammar Translation or the Audiovisual Method, as well as the application of “transformation exercises”, or the “repetition of [the] models” the different factors of the second language are summed up in. (cf. Long, Robinson 1998; 16)
Focus on meaning is the second option in language teaching. It is an analytic approach in contrast to the option of focus on formS. Therefore, the best way for pupils to acquire a new language is in a natural way without any teaching input from outside and without being conscious of learning it. The output of the pupils would also improve if they do not regard language as “an object of study” but as a possibility to express themselves and communicate with others. For the teaching practice in classrooms this means that teachers should be able to create an environment where pupils can learn a language by not being conscious of learning it, just as everyone did while learning the first language as a child. The problem here consists in the difficulty for older learners to learn a language this way. Even with instruction and input from outside pupils do not acquire a new language as easily from a certain age as they did as children. (cf. Long, Robinson 1998; 19)
The option which implies parts of both, the focus on formS and focus on meaning, is the analytic approach of focus on form which is not focused on linguistics. The aim of focus on form is that pupils should be able to learn a new language freely by communicating and - as Long and Robinson quote Schmidt (1993b) in this chapter - “noticing”, which means, recording certain elements of the language, such as the word structure. In the teaching context the communication and the noticing process can be supported by different tasks. Here, the role of the teacher becomes very important for he or she is supposed to create tasks for learners that are helpful for their language development. The teacher is also supposed to correct errors made by the pupils according to their level of language development and give suggestions in language use. (cf. Long, Robinson 1998; 28) Therefore, using focus on form in language teaching not only gives the students the possibility to discover the second language by themselves as the focus on meaning implies, it also attracts the pupil’s attention to certain “linguistic feature[s]” when they are brought up by the teacher or other pupils. (Doughty, Williams 1998; 3)
Chapter Summaries
1. Contents and structure of the term paper: The introduction presents the paper’s questions about grammar instruction and explains its structure.
2. A historical introduction into grammar teaching: This chapter traces approaches from grammar translation to the Natural and Direct Methods and later proposals to minimise explicit grammar instruction.
3. Second Language Acquisition: The author discusses first-language transfer, interlanguage, acquisition stages, error correction, and the teachability of grammar. A published study of university students learning German illustrates the Teachability Hypothesis.
4. Different options in language teaching: The chapter compares focus on formS, focus on meaning, and focus on form, including the roles of communication, instruction, and teacher feedback.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion revisits the place of grammar in language teaching and considers practical difficulties in matching instruction and correction to learners’ developmental stages.
Keywords
grammar teaching, language teaching, second language acquisition, interlanguage, first-language transfer, acquisition stages, Processability Theory, Teachability Hypothesis, error correction, focus on formS, focus on meaning, focus on form
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this paper about?
It examines the role of grammar in language teaching in light of research on second language acquisition.
What are its central topics?
The paper covers the history of grammar teaching, interlanguage development, the teachability of grammar, and different instructional approaches.
What questions guide the paper?
It asks how much grammar should be taught, how students acquire grammatical structures, and which aspects of second language acquisition teachers should consider.
What research method does the author use?
The author reviews and discusses published literature and a published study. The paper does not describe an original empirical study.
What does the main body cover?
It moves from the history of grammar teaching to learner development and the Teachability Hypothesis, then compares three options for language instruction.
Which keywords characterise the paper?
Key terms include second language acquisition, interlanguage, acquisition stages, the Teachability Hypothesis, error correction, and focus on form.
What study is discussed in connection with the Teachability Hypothesis?
The paper describes a published study involving eight university students learning German in an introductory course.
How does the paper distinguish focus on formS from focus on form?
It describes focus on formS as teaching language components separately, whereas focus on form combines communication with attention to linguistic features.
- Citation du texte
- Eveline Podgorski (Auteur), 2006, The role of grammar in language teaching, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/83868
