Chief stages of formation of grammatical habits

Principle of polysemy.

The content of teaching grammar in a secondary school includes:

§ assimilation of grammatical forms, parts of speech, their meanings and functions (within the limits of the school syllabus);

§ knowledge of the rules of usage of these 2 forms in dependence with a situation of communication and a context;

§ development of habits of usage of grammatical material under study in oral and written speech, namely, development of the following habits:

a) selection of the structure of a speech-pattern adequate to the speaker’s intention and to the situation;

b) selection of forms of the chosen words to be used in a speech-pattern according to the norms of the target language;

c) choice of form-words and their correct combination with the notional words

Methodological classification of the grammar material of the English language comprises 3 groups:

1.The grammar phenomena which do not require any explanation since they are similar to those in the mother-tongue of the pupils: e.g. word-order in the sentences.

2.Grammar phenomena which require corrections, e.g. the family are…

2.Language phenomena which are strange for Ukrainian-speaking pupils. They require explanations because new habits should be formed in pupils, e.g. articles, tenses, verbal, modal verbs.

The ways of forming grammatical habits:

Ø Lexical approach: within this approach pupils from the very beginning are taught to communicate; grammatical correctness of their speech being of minor importance. In such a way pupils gain some language experience with support of analogy, not abstraction and later on this experience is subconsciously analyzed and turns into grammatical rules.

Ø Structural approach, which presupposes teaching through structural models (sentence speech patterns), is a communicative and situational realization (embodiment) of a language model in a particular situation of communication.

Ø Grammar in action (communicative grammar) deals with the language in action and uses the language as a system of symbols, abilities and command rather than knowledge.

Ø Text-based approach. New grammar material is concentrated in one text, where it is repeated for many times in different situations (context) and with appropriate formal signs.

I stage – (Presentation): the aim is - presentation of the grammatical phenomenon and creation of an orientation basis for further formation of a habit.

Different ways of introducing a grammatical phenomenon to pupils:

- Inductive (practical) - from the partial to the general. From a speech pattern: pupils come to understand it independently, perform grammatical acts by analogy, by means of imitation.

- Deductive (theoretical-practical) – time-line. It implies some theoretical explanation. Explanation can be either very detailed or short. Detailed explanation is given only in some specific cases (if a certain Gr. phenomenon is completely strange to the mother-tongue and, thus, it is impossible to learn how to use it correctly without full understanding

There are exist different kinds of short-formulated rules:

· Explanation rules (e.g. the Pr. Ind. Tense is used to denote…..);

· Instruction rules (no particle “to” after modal verbs);

· Scheme rules:

I, we, they was read + ing

She, he, it were listen+ ing

· Operation rules with language units.

e.g. Change the sense by adding Participle One: He does – he is doing.

How to introduce a grammatical structure to pupils:

Step 1. State the subject (in its functional aspect;

Step 2. Introduce a grammar structure in connected speech / a situation/ a text;

Step 3. Check up understanding of a Gr. structure (by means of translation into the mother-tongue or of laconic answers to the teacher’s questions);

Step 4. Explain the meaning and some peculiarities of formation (preferably with the help of instructions;

Step 5. Phonetic drill of a new gram. Structure which is organized in imitation exercises with a speech task (not a formal one);

Step 6. Summing up: the teacher’s conclusion, remarks about the pupils’ activities.

II stage (focused practice) – formation of speech grammatical habits by means of their automatization in oral speech. It is at this very stage – dynamic stereotype is formed. The basic type of ex. is drill ex-s e of communicative character, e.g. combination ex-ses:

- Transform the statement into a question;

- Make up a sentence using key words;

- Enlarge the idea, develop the idea;

- Answer the question to the picture;

- Complete the sentences/story;

- Fill in the crosswords…..

III stage (communicative practice) – adaptation of speech grammatical habits to various language activities. At this stage speech (communicative) ex-ses in R., Wr., Sp. and Aud. are to be used.

Speech ex-ses may be conducted by the teacher or may be not:

- Telling a story about….using the language material under study;

- Make up a dialogue after the model (text-centered);

- A talk/discussion on the basis of the text;

- Work with a film-strip;

- A topic-centered monologue/dialogue on the topic;

- Translation.

Evaluation of pupils’ achievements in grammar can be done through tests.

Tests in grammar may involve:

- Filling in the blanks;

- Opening the brackets;

- Transformation (make it negative, change into the plural);

- Extension (if the weather keeps fine….);

- Completion;

- Making statements on the picture/sentences/words given;

- translation

Lecture # 8

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11