AE_Webinar 7.

1_Ulfa Umi Nur Barokah_Samarinda_Mulawarman University

Connecting Reading and Writing in

Grammar Teaching:
A Functional Approach
Most of us probably relate the term ‘grammar’ to rules or structures. While,
majority of students may think grammar as something important but
boring and difficult to learn. It is teacher’s job to change students’
perspective towards grammar, to make them enjoy studying grammar.

One traditional grammar teaching method: Grammar Translation Method.

It teaches students to translate language of written language.

Another type of teaching method is Communicative Language Teaching

that focuses in using language to communicate.

A functional approach to grammar focuses on the job of grammar in

language, which are making meaning, connecting ideas and creating
relationship between speakers and listeners or between writers and readers.
Therefore, teachers can arrange activities that suit the function of grammar.

There are a number of importance of using a functional approach in

teaching English:

(1) connecting grammar to meaning

(2) Promoting critical thinking
(3) Integrates speaking, writing, reading and listening skills
(4) Cultivating discussion among students
(5) Giving instructors deep knowledge of language

Here are some activity ideas according to grammar’s function in language.

A. Grammar makes meaning in expressing ideas through participants,

the processes, circumstances. As in this sentence:
Many students (Participant) like to play (process) games in English
class (circumstamce).

Activity 1 : Close Reading Analysis

1. Teacher selects a short passage with which students are familiar
2. Students identify participants, processes, circumstances
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3. Focus on each part and ask questions about the meaning of the
text
For an extension activity, teachers can use a longer passage and
ask students to mention all participants in the passage.

Activity 2: Change Sentences

1. Teacher re-writes text with blanks

2. Students fill the blanks with different participants
3. Asking how the change influences the full meaning of the
sentence
Example:
Use this sentence: The young baseball players from Venezuela are
playing at the Little League World Series.
Teacher asks students to change the word ‘young’. The students
can fill it with another adjective such as strong, talented, little,
new, handsome or wonderful. Then, students need to think about
the change of full meaning after they put the adjective.
For an extension activity, teacher can ask students to change the
sentence with the same structure.
B. Grammar connects ideas in language through cohesive devices.

Activity 1: Identifying Cohesive Devices

1. Teacher selects short passage that students can understand
2. Students identify cohesive devices
3. Students write down cohesive devices in chart and explain their
importance
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Example: Students identify connectors that they see in the

following passage and write the meaning of them.
Learning a new language is challenging for many adults because
they are busy. However, language learning routines can make a
big difference. For instance, students can review new vocabulary
every night before bed. Another idea is to listen to the news in
the language they are learning.

Activity 2: Sentence Combining

1. Take a text composed of short sentences
2. Group related ideas
3. Combine sentences using connectors
4. Explain reasons to choose the connectors
5. The activity aims to discuss students’ awareness about
language, no single true answer is needed.
Example:
My pet Chihuahua is cute.
He is small.
Many Chihuahuas bark a lot.
My dog is calm.
He does not like strangers.
He is still nice to the neighbors.
Students can arrange the sentences to be:
My pet Chihuahua is cute and small. Even though many
Chihuahuas bark a lot, my dog is calm. However, he does not
like strangers. Nevertheless, he is still nice to the neighbors.

C. Grammar establishes relationship between the speaker and the

listener or between the writer and the reader.
These are how language establishes relationships:
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(1) Modality, expresses probability and obligation

Activity 1: Modality Scale

1. Students highlight modality in a passage/advice column

2. Students sort phrases on a continuum from gentle/uncertain to
firm/certain
3. Students discuss justifications behind their sorting. There is no
wrong answer, the point is having students’ discussion

Students can also make an advice column and compare their

sentences to other students, then discuss their language choices.

Tips to Remember
1. Select reading examples that are about topics familiar to students,
so they can have interest to study.

2. Connect grammar forms to meaning.

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3. Focus on discussion, because we want to use communicative

language teaching; there may be more than one correct answer.

4. Start with noticing new grammar forms in text, and then

gradually begin using them in writing.