Center for Second Language Studies

Orientation Session Presentation

August 21, 2012
Virginia Scott
Rethinking Grammar Teaching

INPUT PROCESSING
 THE
Questions
WHEN should I teaching grammar?
Every day?
At the beginning of the lesson?

HOW should I teach grammar?

Deductive lesson (rule  example)
Inductive lesson (example  rule)

Should I use L1 or L2 to teach grammar?

 Definition & Principles
Input Processing
Input processing is an approach to grammar instruction that
guides learners to process what they see or hear.

This approach helps learners connect language forms with

their intended meanings.

Learners must DO something with the input they see or

hear.
 Traditional approach
Traditional approach:

input  developing system  output

focused practice

a) Learners see or hear input.

b) They think about it … (?)
c) They practice during output.
 Input processing approach
IP approach:

input  developing system  output

focused practice

a) Learners see or hear input.

b) They DO something with what they see
or hear.
c) They produce the word or structure.
 Traditional / Input processing:
A review

1) Traditional approach:
input  developing system  output

focused practice

2) IP approach:
input  developing system  output

focused practice
 NOTE

For BOTH the traditional approach and the input processing

approach teaching grammar includes three main phases:

1) providing input
2) fostering learners’ developing language system
3) encouraging output
 Structure: verbs with “ing”
Topic: leisure activities

Going to the movies

Shopping at the mall
Eating pizza at Mafiosa’s
Watching TV
Talking to friends
Riding a bike
Dancing at a club
Hiking at Radnor Lake Park
Reading a book
Sleeping late
 Four kinds of IP activities:

1) Binary options
2) Matching
3) Selecting alternatives
4) Supplying information
**Reminder: Students are listening OR reading and DOING something
with what they hear/see. They are NOT speaking.
1. Binary options
Indicate if you think the statements are TRUE or FALSE:

TRUE FALSE
I like eating pizza. _____ _____
I enjoy going to the movies. _____ _____
I do not like hiking. _____ _____
I hate watching TV. _____ _____
I really like reading books. _____ _____
I do not like riding a bike. _____ _____
I like hiking. _____ _____
I love dancing. _____ _____

(ORAL or WRITTEN input?)

2. Matching
What do you like?
I like … I like …
books. hiking.
movies. shopping.
music. eating.
nature.
laughing.
pizza.
reading.
jokes.
new clothes. dancing.
watching TV.
(ORAL or WRITTEN?)
3. Selecting alternatives
When I have free time I enjoy
___ watching TV.
___ reading a book.
___ talking to friends.

When I am hungry I prefer

___ going out to a restaurant.
___ cooking dinner at home.
___ getting fast food.

When I go out with my friends we like

___ going to the movies.
___ sitting in a bar.
___ dancing in a club.

(ORAL or WRITTEN?)
4. Supplying information
Fill in the blanks below and be prepared to share the
information.

Name ____________________

I like eating _______________________________.

I love drinking _____________________________.
I enjoy watching ___________________________.
I prefer reading _____________________________.
I do not like going _____________________________.
 Elicit the rule
State the rule clearly

• You can add “ing” to verbs.

• You can state preferences before the “ing” verb:

I like going / I hate eating / I prefer dancing

• “ing” verbs are preceded by a helping verb:

to be (I am reading)
to like (I like shopping)
 Guiding principles for
input processing:
Use both oral and written input.
Focus on meaning before form.
Have learners DO something with input.
Design activities that require both discrete (one answer)
and open-ended (personal opinion) answers.
Have learners state the rule as final phase of the lesson.
 References
Farley, Andrew. 2004. Structured Input: Grammar Instruction for the
Acquisition-Oriented Classroom. New York: McGraw Hill.

Lee, James and Bill VanPatten. 2003. Making Communicative

Language Teaching Happen (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.

Wong, Wynne. 2004. Input Enhancement: From Theory and Research

to the Classroom. New York: McGraw Hill.