Ling 550: Pedagogical Grammar
Dr. Andrea Tyler
Spring 2002
4:15-5:30 MW
This course provides a critical survey of current approaches to describing particular English
constructions, with the aim to identify, for each structure, how rules of usage can be accurately
characterized and how they might be effectively presented to second language learners.
Approaches that focus on pragmatic and discoursal aspects of grammatical phenomena, as well as
cognitive linguistic approaches, will receive particular attention.
Depending on students’ interests and previous linguistic and teaching background, a selection of
the following English grammar areas will be examined: the article system, tense and aspect,
modality, prepositions, discourse markers, anaphora, deixis, complex sentences, passive voice,
ditransitive/dative alternation, etc. Throughout the semester, students will encounter
opportunities for analysis of learner data (both in writing and speaking) and applications of
pedagogical grammar to the design of classroom materials.
Course objectives
1. Develop a deeper understanding of some of the major English grammatical phenomena
that are particularly challenging for L2 learners.
2. Develop analytical skills:
a) for error diagnosis and intervention
b) for evaluation of teaching materials
c) for developing new analyses of grammatical phenomena based on relevant
linguistic descriptions and empirical findings
3. Develop familiarity with literature on English grammar as both teaching and research
resources
Readings
Journal articles and chapters from:
Dirven and Radden (to appear) Cognitive English Grammar.
Hinkle and Fotos, eds. (2002) New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second
Language Classrooms. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
McCarthy & Carter (1995) Language as Discourse. Cambridge University Press.
Tomasello, M., ed, (1998) The New Psychology of Language: Cognitive and Functional
Approaches to Language Structure. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Requirements
15% Class participation
30% Journals: reflections on readings for class, outside reading, reading for research
project. Due approximately every two weeks.
15% Group oral presentation
10% Preliminary research proposal
30% Research paper