Individual Grammar Task 1
Running head: INDIVIDUAL GRAMMAR TASK
Individual Grammar Task
Dr. Heather Robertson
University of Southern California
EDHP 519
Yu-Ching Yang (Virginia)
December 7, 2007
Individual Grammar Task 2
Context
English now is a required course that Taiwanese students need to take from 3rd
grade, and students would have some basic ideas about English structure. For example,
students would know the simple tense, and they would know how to produce a complete
sentence (subject + verb + object), etc. My target level is 5th grade students in the
elementary school in Taiwan. When students are in 5th grade, they should have ability to
read a short and simple dialogue by themselves. Students probably saw “preposition”
before from reading materials. Therefore, I think it is a good time to teach 5th grade
students prepositions. First, they may have more cognitive ability to notice prepositions I
want them to know. Second, they will be developmentally ready to learn prepositions
now.
Target form
The form I want to teach is prepositions about location, which are at, on, and in.
The preposition is an interesting grammar point for me. Why I feel that is because some
students think prepositions are hard to learn, and some usages of prepositions are too
abstract. In Taiwan, teachers always ask students to memorize prepositions at the same
time without authentic materials and context, and students just do rote grammar practice
and drills to use prepositions. However, I think the preposition plays a key role in English.
You can recognize an article or a speech which is produced by a native speaker or by a
second language learner. Mostly native speakers can use prepositions more flexibly and
accurately than language learners do. So what I want to do is to teach students
prepositions with context and meaning, and to help them understand prepositions more
Individual Grammar Task 3
easily and correctly. I want to teach prepositions which focus on “place”. First, when I
teach “at”, I want students to know that they can use this preposition for describing a
narrowly specified point in space that normally has no relevant dimension. Second,
students can realize that “on” can be used in a location which is a line or a surface.
Finally, I want to let students know that they can use “in”, when this preposition is used
in a general area or volume with two or three dimensions.
Theoretical background
Lesson plan A
In this lesson plan, I adopt consciousness-raising instruction, and inductive
approach. First, according to the interface hypothesis, the weak interface position argues
that learners can acquire implicit knowledge by receiving the explicit knowledge. In other
words, explicit knowledge of grammar rules does help learners draw attention to obtain
the grammatical features (Ellis, 2006). Second, according to teachability hypothesis,
learners can’t truly obtain grammar structures only if learners are developmentally ready
to notice and acquire them (Ellis, 1992). Moreover, learners can notice the specific
grammar features and internalize grammar rules by getting a bulk of meaning-focused
input (Hinkel & Fotos, 2002).
Based on these theories, consciousness-raising can help learners to focus on the
concept of grammar, and lead them to develop the grammar knowledge of a target
language though an awareness activity. The researcher believes that this kind of method
can truly help learners acquire the grammar forms, and activate their autonomy to use
these grammar points. This teaching approach can give learners “metalanguage” to notice
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and induce the grammar rules by themselves, and pave the way for learners to acquire
grammar rules more effectively (Nitta & Gardner, 2005, pp.3-4).
In the presentation stage, I will apply inductive approach which can let learners
analyze the grammar rules by themselves. Learners would induce the grammar rules after
reading the target structures. The inductive approach can help learners become more
active. In the process of pattern-seeking and problem-solving, learners can absorb the
grammar points in a positive way (Thornbury, 1999).
Therefore, I want to use consciousness-raising instruction and inductive approach
to teach students prepositions. By asking learners to notice and describe the specific
prepositions of place can help them to acquire and understand prepositions more easily
and meaningfully. My goal is that learners can really realize the meaning of the
prepositions of place, and can know how to use these prepositions properly.
Lesson plan B
In this lesson plan, I use Communicative Language Teaching and task-based
instruction. According to Krashen’s (2006) input hypothesis, learners can acquire the
target language successfully when they are exposed to a comprehensible input. In other
words, second language learners can acquire the knowledge unconsciously just like the
way they acquire their mother tongues. Moreover, the researcher argues that learners
can’t use target language well in a real conversation if they are taught in a formal
instruction. That means learners can’t obtain the second language by only learning rules
or doing rote grammar practice; instead, learners need to be taught to use the target
language which focuses on meaning (Lightbown & Spada).
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Therefore, in the communicative approach, the teacher can give students a brief
idea about target language through the communication. Students can know how to use the
language more correctly and appropriately (Thornbury, 1999). In addition, the teacher can
help students to review the usage and meaning of preposition by asking students to
complete a task. Through the interaction with peers and the completion of a task in the
classroom can facilitate learners’ language acquisition. For example, the teacher can give
students an information-gap task that learners need to ask others for getting answers. In
this activity, learners need to use prepositions of place to give their partners the correct
information. After doing this activity, I hope students can truly understand the usage and
meaning of prepositions in space.
Grammar tasks/instruction
Lesson plan A
1. The teacher explains to the class that today’s topic is prepositions (at/on/in).
2. Give students a dialogue (Appendix A), and ask them to find out prepositions
(on/in/under) in space.
3. Give students a paper (Appendix B) with questions that can help them to notice the
different usage of different prepositions.
4. Divide students into several groups, let them discuss their answers in a group, and
present their answers to the class.
5. Use the picture of living room (Appendix D) to explain the meaning and usage of
prepositions. Give students more ideas about how to use prepositions of space.
6. Give students other quizzes (Appendix C) that can help them reinforce the usage of
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prepositions.
7. Make more practices to make sure that students have absorbed the grammar
knowledge. The teacher can ask students to produce a sentence which includes
prepositions, and students need to act out after producing the sentence. For example,
if a student make a sentence like “the pen is on the table”, the student needs to put the
pen in his/her table to show that he/she has understood how to use prepositions.
8. If students make mistakes, the teacher can correct them immediately and explain the
meaning of prepositions for them again. Make sure every student can use at/on/in
properly.
Lesson plan B
1. The teacher tells the class that today he/she will lead them to review prepositions.
2. The teacher gives everyone a picture (Appendix D), and then the teacher starts to
make sentences which include prepositions in different rooms. For example, the
teacher makes the sentence like “Mary is at the table in the dining room”.
3. The teacher asks each student to produce at least one sentence according to the
picture.
4. After the warm-up, the teacher gives students an information-gap task. Each student
has one family picture (Appendix E), and there are 10 family members in that family.
Each family member is in the different room, and students need to find out where the
other members are by asking their peers. During the activity, the teacher can walk
around to listen to students’ conversations, and give students corrections if the teacher
thinks they needed.
Individual Grammar Task 7
5. When students finish this task, the teacher asks the class answers to make sure
everyone knows the correct usage of the preposition. For example, the teacher can ask
like “where is the cat”, the class needs to answer like “It is in the dining room.”
6. The teacher can explain the usage and meaning of “in” again to reinforce their ideas
of “in.”
7. The teacher gives students another task. There are two pictures (Appendix F), and
each picture has something lost, and students need to ask others to find out where
these things are.
8. Through this activity, students can know how to use a sentence like “where is xxx” to
ask others, and they can also practice prepositions in sentences when they tell others
the information. For example, students will speak the words like “The bag is on the
sofa.”
9. The teacher can assist students if they have troubles in vocabulary or prepositions.
The teacher can tell students the usage and meaning of prepositions to students again.
Individual Grammar Task 8
Reference
Chang, Yin-Huei & Chen, Li-Chiou. (2007). English learning in elementary schools.
Retrieved December 5, 2007 from
http://content1.edu.tw/content/9year/previewpln.do?planeId=1002#1
Ellis, R. (1992). Grammar teaching- Practice or Consciousness-Raising. In R. Ellis,
Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Pedagogy. Multilingual
Matters, Clevedon, Avon.
Ellis, R. (2006). Current Issues in the Teaching of Grammar. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1),
83-107.
Hinkel, E., & Fotos, S. (2002). From theory to practice: A teacher’s view. In Hinkel and
Fotos, (eds.) New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language
Classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Lightbown, P., & Spada N. (2006). How language are learned. Oxford University
Press.
Nitta, R., & Gardner, S. (2005). Consciousness-raising and practice in ELT textbooks.
ELT journal, 59(1). 3-13.
Thornbury, S. (1999). How to teach grammar. Longman.
Individual Grammar Task 9
Appendix A
Underline the prepositions (at/on/in) in this dialogue.
Where Is My Basketball?
Ray and his parents moved into a new house yesterday. Most of their stuff is still packed.
Today Ray is going out to play basketball with his father.
Ray: Mom, where is my basketball?
Mom: It’s in a small cardboard box.
Ray: Where is the small cardboard box?
Mom: It's in the living room.
Ray: In the living room?
Mom: Yes, it's under the table.
Ray: Oh, I got it, but there is only a baseball, no basketball.
Mom: Oh, did you say basketball? It's in the big cardboard box on the table.
Ray: Oh~ yeah! I got it this time! Is dad at home?
Mom: Nope, he is waiting for you at the door.
Ray: I see. I’m gonna play basketball with dad now.
Mom: Take care!
(Adapted from Chang & Chen, 2007).
Individual Grammar Task 10
Appendix B
Answer the following questions.
1. What places follow the preposition (at) in this dialogue? Is it a point, line, surface,
general area or volume in space?
2. What places follow the preposition (on) in this dialogue? Is it a point, line, surface,
general area or volume in space?
3. What places follow the preposition (in) in this dialogue? Is it a point, line, surface,
general area or volume in space?
Appendix C
Use at/on/in to complete the following questions.
1. The florist is ___ the corner of the street.
2. I left your books ___ the table.
3. There is no milk left ___ the bottle.
4. We take a bath ___ the bathroom.
5. He sits ___ the desk ___ the classroom.
6. The pen is ___ the pencil box.
7. The cat was___ the floor.
8. I live ___ 625 Royal Street.
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Appendix D
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Appendix E
Individual Grammar Task 13
Appendix F
(From Chang & Chen, 2007)