English Grammar Teaching Methodology

丁春玲

Abstract：This thesis mainly introduce the English grammar teaching methodology in our English teaching.Meanwhile，the author also makes the comparision between the P-P-P teaching model and the Task-based teaching methord.Finally，the author proposes English teacheas should apply these teaching methods inflexibly and make our students like to study the English grammar.

Keywords： English grammar； teaching methods；enlightenment

I. Whats grammar

When someone is said to lack skills in language， they are generally referring to the lack of the ability to express themselves grammatically. The word grammar has many meanings. To be easy to understand， it can be described as a general theory of a language description（Sidney Baum Green）. Grammar is a description of the structure of a language and the way in which linguistic units such as words and phrases are combined to produce sentences in the language（Richards， Platt and Weber， 1985）. However， native speakers needn't learn grammar， as they can get to know the rules of the language by listening to or using it every day.

II.Two important approaches in teaching grammar

a.P-P-P teaching model

There are lots of ways to teach grammar. One of the traditional approaches used by Chinese teachers is P-P-P lesson structure. There are three phases in this approach： Presentation， Practice， and Production.

Presentation： In this phase， the teacher presents the new grammar structure by using either conversation， short text or other ways to present it. Then he explains the new structure carefully so that students can understand it.

Practice： Students practice using the new structure in a controlled context. They will do some drills or substitution exercises provided by the teacher.

Production： This is a free practice period. In this phase， students practice using the new structure in different contexts. They are encouraged to use their own content or information. More focus should be put on the real or simulated communication and fluency with the new pattern.

The P-P-P lesson structure is a typical model of the Situational approach. It is based on the belief that grammar could be learned through direct instruction and though drilling and repetitive. The approach to the teaching grammar is a deductive one. Students are presented with grammar rules and then given chances to practice using them. It is assumed that language learning meant building up a large repertoire of sentences and grammatical patterns and learning to produce these accurately and quickly in the appropriate situation. Once students have established a basic command of the language， the four skills will be introduced through oral drilling and controlled practice.

Great attention to accurate pronunciation and accurate mastery of grammar is paid from the very beginning stages of language learning. Teachers using this way think that once errors are made， they would become a permanent part of the learners speech.

The P-P-P lesson structure has been widely used in language teaching materials and continues in modified form to be used today.

b.Task-based Language Teaching

Task-based Language Teaching（TBLT） is a kind of current communicative language teaching approach. It refers to an approach based on the use of tasks as the core unit of planning and instruction in language teaching. Some of its proponents （eg.Willis 1996） present it as a logical development of Communicative Language Teaching since it draws on several principles that formed part of the communicative language teaching movement（Jack C Richards）. In Task-based approaches， the focus of classroom activities is on the task， and ultimately on meaning. Learners begin by carrying out a communicative task， without specific focus on form. After they have done the task， they report and discuss how they accomplished it， perhaps listening to a fluent speaker doing the same task. Only at the end is there a specific focus on features of language form.

The key assumptions of task-based instruction are summarized by Feez（1998） as：“The focus is on process rather than product.”Basic elements are purposeful activities and tasks that emphasize communication and meaning， learners learn language by interacting communicatively and purposefully while engaged in the activities and tasks.Here we will introduce some activities and tasks as follows.

Activities and tasks can be： those that learners might need to achieve in real life； those that have a pedagogical purpose specific to the classroom.What's more， activities and tasks of a Task-based syllabus are sequenced according to difficulty. The difficulty of a task depends on a range of factors including the previous experience of the learner， the complexity of the task， the language required to undertake the task， and the degree of support available.

Willis also proposes the following detailed sequence of activities.（Jack C Richards） It can be divided into following parts：

1.Pre-task activities

Introduction to the topic and task

Teacher helps Students to understand the theme and objectives of the task. For example， brainstorming ideas with the class， using pictures， mime or personal experience to introduce the topic. Students may do a pre-task， for example， topic-based odd-word-out games. Teacher may highlight useful words and phrases， but would not pre-teach new structures.Students can be given preparation time to think about how to do the task.Then students can hear a recording of a parallel task being done （so long as this does not give away the solution to the problem）.

2.The task cycle

（1）Task

The task is done by students（in pairs or groups） and gives students a chance to use whatever language they already have to express themselves and say whatever they want to say. This may be in response to reading a text or hearing a recording. The specific process is：

①Teacher walks round and monitors， encouraging in a supportive way everyones attempt at communication in the target language.

②Teachers helps students to formulate what they want to say， but will not intervene to correct errors of them.

③The emphasis is on spontaneous， exploratory talk and confidence building， within the privacy of the small group.

④Success in achieving the goals of the tasks help Ss motivation.

（2）Planning

①Planning prepares for the next stage where students are asked to report briefly to the whole class how they did the task and what the outcome was.

②Draft and rehearse what they want to say or write.

③Teacher goes round to advise students on language， suggesting phrases and helping students to polish and correct their language.

④If the reports are in writing， teachers can encourage peer edit and use dictionaries.

⑤The emphasis is on clarity， organization， and accuracy， as appropriate for a public presentation.

⑥Individual students often take this chance to ask questions about specific language items.

（3）Report

①Teacher asks some pairs to report briefly to the whole class so that everyone can compare findings， or begin a survey.

②Teachers chairs， comments on the content of their reports， rephrases， but gives no overt public correction.

3.Language focus

（1）Analysis

①Teacher sets some language-focus tasks， based on the texts.And students read or translate the recordings they heard.

②Teacher starts students off， then students continue， often in pairs.

③Teacher goes round to help； students can ask individual questions.

④In plenary， teacher then reviews the analysis， possibly writing relevant language up on the Bb in list form： students may take notes.

（2）Practice

Teacher conducts practice activities as needed， based on the language

analysis work already on the blackboard， or using examples from the text or transcript.The difference between traditional grammar-focus activities and communicative task-based work can be summarized as follows （Jack C. Richard 1999）.

①Grammar-focused activities：Reflect typical classroom use of language； Focus on the formation of correct examples of language； Produce language for display （as evidence of learning）； Call on explicit knowledge； Elicit a careful （monitored） speech style； Reflect controlled performance； Practise language out of context； Practice small samples of language；Do not require authentic communication.

②Task-Focused Activities：Reflect natural language use； Call on implicit knowledge； Elicit a vernacular speech style； Reflect authentic performance； Require the use of improvising， paraphrasing， repair and reorganization； Produce language that is not always predictable； Allow students to select the language they use；Require real communication.

Each approach has its strong points， which is why they can be popular for a long time in the language teaching field. We can design different teaching plans using the different approaches according to the different grammar points and contents. In my opinion， the Task-based teaching approach is an attractive and liberating one， especially when students have been accustomed to the traditional P-P-P model.

III.Conclusions

It is very clear that Task-based teaching approach can promote students motivation and fully improve their abilities to use language. But it needs teachers to take more time to select and sequence tasks. However， TBLT（Task-Based Language Teaching）focuses classroom processes rather than learning outcomes. For the students in high schools in most parts of China， they have to attend written exams rather than communicative level tests. It seems to be wasting time to do much task in class for the students. And language accuracy is also a problem.But the Task-based teaching approach is the best way to improve students' abilities in listening、speaking、 reading and writing of English.So we must make full use of it in our English teaching.

In the meanwhile， teachers are not encouraged to use a single method when they are teaching. Teachers should use all kinds of the teaching methods appropriately. Fluency and accuracy can be integrated in a class by using the corresponding techniques flexibly. Just as Jane Willis once said（1998）， “a focus on both accuracy and fluency can be naturally incorporated if tasks are used systematically as the central part of a larger framework.” So grammar and language study arise out of the task and accompanying materials where the emphasis is on their meaning and actual use. Specific features of language form are highlighted after the learners have experienced language in use with a holistic context during the task cycle.

So the author thinks that English teachers， on one hand， should read more books about language teaching methodology so that they could have more approaches to choose， on the other hand， teachers also should often get some ideas and experience from their own teaching. After all， we are teaching different students of different levels. And there is a long way to go. Teaching and learning is endless， so is teaching methodology.

References：

[1]Jack C Richards.Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching [M]. Cambridge University Press，2001.

[2]Jeremy Harmer.Teaching and Learning Grammar[M]. London：Longman， 1998.

[3]Willis J .A Framework for Task-Based Learning[M]. Harlow：Longman，1996.

[4]Allen， E. D and Valette， R.M.Classroom Techniques： Foreign Languages and English as a Second Language [M].New York：Harcourt Brace Jovanovich， Inc.， 1977.