Chapter 2 Highlights

1
Chapter 2 Highlights

• ? Grammar is an Area of major concern in learning
  / teaching languages.
• ? Form, Meaning, Use (repeated throughout the
  chapter)
• ? Interdependence of syntax and lexis
• ? MANY different meanings for grammar and kinds
  of grammars

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education.
2
Main Points of Chapter on Grammar

• ? Many different definitions of grammar
• ? Different types of grammars
• ? Different approaches to defining content
• ? Grammar should not be seen as totally
  independent from other linguistic knowledge
• ? We should understand how we think people learn
  grammar
• ? We should think about different ways to teach it

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education.
3
"Grammar Types"

• 1. Prescriptive Grammar
• 2. Descriptive Grammar
• a. Representation of native speakers'
• unconscious knowledge
• b. Description of Mental Grammar
• 3. Pedagogical Grammar

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education,
pp. 18-19.
4
Prescriptive vs. Teaching Grammar

• "Although teaching grammar in a second language
  does involve some of the prescriptive rules for
  the standard varieties, a pedagogical grammar
  resembles a descriptive grammar much more than a
  prescriptive one, especially in terms of the
  range of structures covered (Odlin, 1994)."

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education, p.
19.
5
Which Rules to Describe

• Rules
• General rules
• Apparent exceptions
• Irregularities
• Varieties
• National
• Standard / Non-Standard / Informal
• Styles
• Formal / Informal
• Written / Spoken

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education,
pp. 19-20.
6
Definition of Communicative Competence

• Appropriate use of language
• the capabilities of a person, a competence
  which is dependent upon both tacit knowledge
  and ability for use (Hymes, 1972 282)

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education, p.
20.
7
Components of Communicative Competence

• ? Grammatical Competence
• ? Pragmatic / Sociolinguistic Competence 
• ? Discourse Competence
• ? Strategic Competence

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education, p.
20. Oxford, Rebecca L. 1990. Language Learning
Strategies What Every Teacher Should Know.
Boston Heinle Heinle Publishers, p 7.
8
Some Differences between Written and Spoken
English 1

• 1. More-formal vocabulary
• children
• kids
• 2. Less-colloquial language
• The restaurant was excellent.
• Well, dude, it was gnarly.
• 3. Few, but longer, words
• Mount Rainer is exquisitely beautiful.
• Mount Rainer is, well, more or less a pretty
  
• outstanding mountain in terms of beauty.

Excerpted from Joy M. Reid. 2000. The Process of
Composition, third edition. White Plains, NY
Pearson Education, pp. 5-6. (With only slight
modification.)
9
Some Differences between Written and Spoken
English 2

• 4. Complete sentences
• I wanted to go home.
• Because I wanted to.
• 5. Fewer questions / Fewer exclamation
  sentences
• This paper will define X
• What do you think X means? You're right!.
• 6. Fewer personal pronouns (especially "I")
• Most consumers prefer Brand A.
• I love Brand A, and you will too!

Excerpted from Joy M. Reid. 2000. The Process of
Composition, third edition. White Plains, NY
Pearson Education, pp. 5-6. (With only slight
modification.)
10
Some Differences between Written and Spoken
English 3

• 7. More complex sentences
• My parents came to America for this
  children's
• education, leaving behind their lives in
  Pakistan.
• My mother and father came to America.
  They
• came for their children's education. So
  they left
• their lives in Pakistan
• 8. More specific evidence (more detail)
• Two recent research studies (Anderson,
  1998 Li,
• 1997) report that
• As everybody knows

Excerpted from Joy M. Reid. 2000. The Process of
Composition, third edition. White Plains, NY
Pearson Education, pp. 5-6. (With only slight
modification.)
11
Some Differences between Written and Spoken
English 4

• 9. No contractions (If greater formality is
  desired)
• could not, they are, we will not
• couldn't, they're, we won't

Excerpted from Joy M. Reid. 2000. The Process of
Composition, third edition. White Plains, NY
Pearson Education, pp. 5-6. (With only slight
modification.)
12
Sentence Openers (Nattinger DeCarrico's (1992)
"Sentence Builders")

• Advising against
• If you ask me
• You might be sorry if
• You'll be sorry.
• I wouldn't do that if I were you.
• I'd think about that carefully before doing
  anything.

Intermediate Mandarin Vocabulary Study Guide, p.
173
13
Learning Grammar

• 1. Habit formation
• 2. Rule formation
• 3. Interactive / Implicit Learning
• 4. Non-Linear Acquisition
• 5. Associative Learning

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education,
pp. 26-29.
14
Grammar Techniques Teaching

• 1. Input Flooding
• 2. Guided Participation
• 3. Peer Interactions
• 4. Consciousness-Raising Tasks
• 5. Input-Processing Tasks
• 6. Grammaring
• 7. Meaningful repetition

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education,
pp. 29-31.
15
Chapter Summary

• 1. What are the possible different kinds of
  Grammar we could talk about?
• 2. What should be included in the Grammar to be
  used with L2 learners?
• 3. What are some important issues to consider in
  deciding what to focus on?
• 4. What do we know about how people learn?
• 5. What do we know about ways to teach grammar?
  Are some more effective?

Diane Larsen-Freeman DeCarrico, Jeanette. 2010.
In Norbert Schmitt, editor An Introduction to
Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition, Chapter 3,
Grammar, pp. 18-33. London Hodder Education.