I. The role of grammar in ELT
In China grammar is taught in a traditionally teacher -centred way.
Obviously there is too much teacher dominance and too little student involvement in such a class. Often preparing such a grammar lesso n means collecting all the concerned rules or ideas on a topic form various books together with copied examples, and teaching grammar simply means reading aloud to the class what has been prepared beforehand. Students are supposed to take notes for the fin al assessment.
For many years Chinese teachers of English have followed the traditional way of teaching grammar as the following three steps:
to learn about the grammar rules,
to study a few examples,
and to do some written gramma r exercises.
Grammar is not a separate `subject', nor is it even a separate division of
English work.
Language teaching theory has tended to emphasize the rapid development of automatic speech habits, and the need to discourage students from thinking consciously about the underlying grammatical rules.
Advocates of the `Oral Method', the Audio -lingual method' and the
Natural Approach in their more extreme forms have assumed that language learning is an inductive rather than a deductive process, and that the most effective method of teaching is to provide plenty of oral and written practice, so that students learn to use the language spontaneously( 本 能 地 ) without the need for overt( 明 显 的 )grammatical analysis.
II. Classroom procedure of grammar instruction
(1) presentation
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Presentation of grammar can be conducted through a context like a passage, a dialogue and so on. Following the presentation, there may be a discussion or other kind of activities to get through the application rules of the presented grammar item.
(2) practice
Practice activities may vary from controlled mechanical training to semi-controlled practice, like substitution, completion, jumbled sentence and so on.
(3) production
Unlike activities at the practice stage, activities at this stage are more open, and free, involving students in real tasks.
III. Grammar presentation methods
The inductive approach and the deductive approach are the two main approaches in grammar instruction. In deductive teaching, the teacher first presents the grammar rules, explain with examples, and then direct the students in mechanical practice or rule application activities. While in inductive teaching, the students are usually first presented with a context containing the grammar items to be learned. The students are directed to induce the grammar usages from the context, and then apply them to real situations.
1. Deductive method:
The deductive method relies on reasoning, analyzing and comparing. It’s teaching procedure is:
teacher ’s example on the board
teacher ’s explanation of the rules (in student’s native language)
student’s practice application of the rules.
Advantages:
good for selected and motivate students
save time to explain complex rules
increase students’ confidence in examination
Disadvantages:
grammar is taught isolatedly
little attention is paid to meaning
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the practice is often mechanical
2. Inductive method
In the inductive method, the teacher induces the learners to realize grammar rules without any form of explicit (clear) explanation. Students will become evident to the grammar rules if they are given enough appropriate examples.
It is believed the inductive method is more effective in that students discover the grammar r ules themselves while engaged in language use.
This is especially true with grammatical regularities which are easily perceived, understood and applied.
IV. Grammar practice
According to Ur successful practice should consists of the following factors:
Pre-learning;
Volume and repetition
Success-orientation.
Heterogeneity ( 多 样 化 )
Teacher assistance
Interest
1. Mechanical practice:
Mechanical practice involves activities that are aimed at form accuracy.
By doing mechanical practice, the students pay repeated attention to a key element in a structure.
The form of practice : Substitution and transformation drills
2. Meaningful practice:
In meaningful practice the focus is on the production, comprehension or exchange of meaning though the students “keep an eye on” the way newly learned structures are used in the process.
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V. Principles of grammar instruction
1) motivation principle
● Appropriate topics, relevant to students age, cognitive level and language proficiency.
● Create situation to provide visual satisfaction
● Make grammar activities more open
● Combine form with meaning
● Individualize the practice
● Make the grammar activities challenging
2) efficiency principle
● Clear objective
● Involve as many students as possible
● Success-orientation
● Increase the variety of activities
● Sufficient preparation
● Classroom evaluation
3)Variety principle
Variety may concern that in approaches, in instruction, in activities and techniques applied.
4)Process principle
Grammar can only be the means of language learning, not the end. Instruction in grammar should enable the students to involve in the use of grammar to accomplish different tasks, and try to internalize the rules in the course of using.
5)Communication principle
There should be enough communicative activities in class. Grammar instruction is not for the students to learn grammar rules, but to do things in grammatically correct language. So in class, it is necessary to arrange for communicative activities for the application of grammar rules.
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