Key Terms and Concepts in Managing and Implementing Standards-based

Grammar Teaching

Introduction: This module covers the opportunities to see grammar rules and
concepts in context, review rules and concepts in conference. It includes both
implicit and explicit grammars, universal and language-specific grammars, the way
that language “ought to be used” and the way it actually is used, theoretically
exclusive grammars and more eclectic ones.

II.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, the students will be able to: 
Discuss the grammar rules and concepts in context;  Identify the error correction
and feedback in a certain context;  Share the implication of one’s knowledge of
key concepts.

III.

Content:

Definition of Grammar An overview:

-the whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually

taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and
sometimes also phonology and semantics. -is the study of words, how they are
used in sentences, and how they change in different situations? -The study of
sentence structure. Rules and examples show how the language should be used.
This is a correct usage grammar, as in a textbook or manual/guide. The system
which people learn as they grow up.

Grammaring -Larsen-Freeman says “grammaring” can be seen as a “fifth skill.”

Her definition of the word is as follows: “the ability to use grammar structures
accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately. Grammaring emphasizes grammar as
a dynamic process rather than a system of rules. Practical Activities for
“Grammaring” -The practical activities that are used in “grammaring” fall into
three categories as specified by Freeman’s definition of the term. Given that
language should be used accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately, emphasis is
laid upon form, meaning, and use. For example, in teaching phrasal verbs, the form
is presented first. What should be explained is that a phrasal verb consists of a verb
plus a particle such as “break up.” However, explaining form alone is not enough
for understanding what the word means. Thus, meaning is a very important
dimension to evade any possible confusion that surrenders the phrasal verb “break
up,” as the latter cannot be guessed from the form only. Again, it is not enough
merely to instruct students how to use “break up” in speaking or writing in English
unless an explicit teaching has been supplied. Thus form, meaning, and use are
equally important for the teaching and learning of grammar. In general, the
practical activities that are used in “grammaring” can be categorized into: a. form,
b. meaning, and c. use. A – Focus on form: -A distinction is often made between
language use and language form. In other words, there has been a continuous
debate over whether to teach students the language or teach them about the
language. For Larsen-Freeman, both language form and language use are equally
important.

B – Focus on meaning: -Linking form with meaning can be carried out by the use
of different activities. In fact, meaning should call for some sort of associative
learning (cf. Ellis 1998). This activity gives students the opportunity to associate
the form with the meaning of a particular target structure.

For example, it is by associating form and meaning that a phrasal verb can be
understood. Moreover, meaning can also be made clear by using realia and
pictures. By using real-world objects or pictures, the relationship between word
and referent can be made more explicit. For example, if someone asks you what a
cabbage means, and you have a cabbage, you will tell him this is a cabbage.
Mimicry of the appropriate action is another way of making the meaning of
linguistic “signs” more clear. C – Focus on use: -The right form with the right
meaning should be selected for the right context to ensure successful
communication. A practical way of going about sensitizing students to the effect of
context on language is through making use of role playing. The latter can be
described, according to Larsen-Freeman (2001). -Role playing can be considered
one of the most effective activities for developing the appropriateness of the
linguistic behavior of students due to its simulation of real-life contexts.

Error correction vs. Feedback -Error correction performed by the teacher followed
by a feedback is a usual part of most traditional and even non-traditional school
approaches. However, if we think about it, our ultimate goal is to teach the students
how to become independent learners and be able to check their own work. Lack of
awareness about the necessity of doing this has become one of my teaching
challenges.

The main aspects of the approach and some examples: 1. Define what a “mistake”
is. A mistake is a misuse of the rule/s that has ALREADY BEEN STUDIED AND
EXERCISED. A mistake is NOT a wrong use of rule/s or vocabulary that have not
yet been studied in class. 2. Make sure the assignment contains only the material
that has been thoroughly studied and exercised in class. 3. Change the
assignments’ instructions to include self-check as its integral part. Example:
"Please compose 10 sentences describing your day. Check your composition using
the provided checklist". 4. Provide a checklist of the typical mistakes. (Especially
important for beginners). Example:

Grammar Capital letters Punctuation The use of time expressions (usually,

sometimes, often) Spelling

5. Provide any visual materials that can improve mistakes correction, such as
charts, tables, pictures, lists 6. Encourage using colorful markers and special
editing signs. 7. Refuse to grade papers that have not been self-checked. 8.
Structure reference materials, such as grammar rules, vocabulary, etc. in a way that
students can easily access the necessary “help” page. I suggest that each student
has a folder separated into sections, such as “Grammar”, “Reading”, “Writing”,
etc. We file each page into a corresponding section and create a table of contents of
each section. 9. Do not highlight mistakes in the material the student has not yet
studied as mistakes, but rather as suggestions. Example: I can not to read. –
Mistake. No “to” after “can”. His name was Kristofer. – “Christopher”. Students
often are unaware of the right spelling of foreign names. 10. Always discuss
corrections. Encourage reasoning rather than saying which answer is “right” or
“wrong”. Example: Student: “She is read the book” is wrong. Me: Are you sure?
Student: No. Me: Let’s try to check the sentence structure. Let’s use the scheme we
have… Student: “She is read the book” is wrong. Me: Are you sure? Student: Yes.
Me: Please explain. Student: It’s because we must use –ing ending if the verb is in
the Present Continuous. 11. In your final error check highlight mistakes, provide
suggestions and create a list of repeating mistakes. Give the students more
exercises to practice specific points that they have probably misunderstood. If
grading is necessary, suggest some extra points for completing the correction
assignment.

Spoken Vs. Written Grammar

Grammatical Assessment

-In the language assessment literature, grammatical ability is widely accepted as a

key component of second language (L2) ability in general and L2 writing ability in
particular. Indicators of grammatical ability have been investigated in L2 writing
research, but the indicators L2 writing teachers attend to when determining
grammatical ability levels of their students have not been studied. Furthermore,
there is no research on what students know about their teachers’ assessment criteria
and how that knowledge might affect their writing and learning process. This
mixed methods triangulation study examines these questions in university L2
academic writing classes through a quantitative text-based analysis of academic
essay exams, student questionnaires, and teacher and student interviews. The
combined results of all data sources indicate that the teachers in this study focus
primarily on accuracy when assessing grammatical ability. This leads to risk
avoidance behavior by students and may have a negative impact on their learning
as students adapt their writing to meet above all their teachers’ expectations for
grammatical accuracy.

Pedagogical Issues what do we know?

Teachers' role needs to change Some activities are more successful than others e.g.
Sketchy Teachers can be reluctant due to previous technological problems Culture
has led teachers to be reluctant to innovate Teachers listen to other teachers
involved in large scale projects share best practice Activities involving m-learning
engage learners/learning

What more do we need to know?

How to help teachers plan for learning Why do some activities succeed more than
others? What characteristics do they share? How to assess and record learning
journeys which theories of learning apply How to future proof

What do we need to do/can do about it?

TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF GRAMMAR

Key Terms and Concepts in Managing and

Implementing

Standards-based Grammar Teaching

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this module, the students will be able to:

•Discuss the grammar rules and concepts in context;

•Identify the error correction and feedback in a certain context;

•Share the implication of one’s knowledge of key concepts.

Definition of Grammar

•the whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general

•is the study of words

•The study of sentence structure.

•Rules and examples show how the language should be used

Grammaring

•Larsen-Freeman says “grammaring” can be seen as a “fifth skill.”

•“the ability to use grammar structures accurately, meaningfully, and

appropriately.”

•The practical activities that are used in “grammaring” fall into three categories as

specified by Freeman’s definition of the term.

A. Focus on form:

A distinction is often made between language use and language form. In other
words, there has been a continuous debate over whether to teach students the

language or teach them about the language.

B. Focus on meaning:

Linking form with meaning can be carried out by the use of different activities. In

fact, meaning should call for some sort of associative learning (cf. Ellis 1998). This

activity gives students the opportunity to associate the form with the meaning of a

particular target structure.

Meaning can also be made clear by using realia and pictures.

References:

https://pdfcoffee.com/module-1-english-110-teaching-and-assessment-of-
grammar-pdf-free.html