Grammar
There are some definitions of grammar stated by experts. I took three definitions of grammar from Practical English Language Teaching: Grammar by David Nunan (2005). First, as quoted from Ur (1998), the grammar may be roughly defined as the way language manipulates and combines words (or bits of words) in order to form longer units of meaning. Second, grammar is a description of the structure of a language and the way in which units such as words and phrases are combined to produce sentences in the language (Richards, Platt and Weber, 2003). The third, grammar is the way in which words change themselves and group together to make sentences. The grammar of a language is what happens to words when they become plural or negative, or what
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Different experts have given different opinions about the teaching of grammar. According to some, a language cannot be learned without studying the grammar of the language. Sweet, as cited by Patel and Jain (2008), adds that grammar is not a code of rules. Meanwhile Chapman, as quoted in English Language Teaching by Patel and Jain (2008), said that “grammar is a study of language by specialist, made in order to establish the rules and principles which underline the correct speech and writing, rules and principles which are followed more or less unconsciously by the native speakers” However, some people say that the utility of teaching of grammar is doubtful in learning English. They say that students who study grammar are very often able to solve grammar exercise, but do not write a correct speech (Patel and Jain, …show more content…
The application of ICT in education especially language learning is inevitable. The application of ICT is beneficial as explained by Herington (2002) that technology facilitates: 1) Exposure to ‘authentic’ language, 2) access to wider sources of information and varieties of language, 3) opportunities to communicate with the outside world, 4) a learner-centered approach, and 5) development of learner autonomy. The existing and emerging ICT teaching tools provide further opportunities to enhance subjects and add value to teaching and learning. For example, the use of interactive whiteboards, video projection units, microscopes connected to computers, prepared spreadsheets to capture and model data, CD-ROMs, presentations with video and carefully selected resources from the internet all provide examples of how ICT can be embedded into subject teaching (DfES, 2004). (Hartoyo,
In the article “I won’t hire people who use poor grammar here’s why.” published in Harvard business review on managing yourself, Kyle Wiens argues that he have a zero approach which does not allow for any grammar mistake because it makes people stupid, and he believes that people who made mistake in grammar do not deserve to have a job. Further, he supports his thesis by stating that people who made an error in their writing will do error in their work and their life. In addition, he claims that language is constantly changing, but that does not ignore the importance of the grammar. Thus, this claim is supported by stating that good grammar is credibility. For example, programmers who
It might be necessary to weigh the worth of grammar in proper English. The world for those who speak it is becoming smaller. Proper English is becoming part of an elitist group which is also becoming smaller. Possibly less stress should be put on grammar. Few people understand perfect business language but a growling cat is understood quite well. English grammar is a created language, having both seperatist powers and anglocentric values. Voice is universal and quite older than grammar. Standards within English speaking areas must be questioned soon for it is becoming smaller and less powerful everyday. A rising population will require social skills. Seperating these from educated grammar will lead to greater problems.(One country under God...)
Growing up English was my first language and the only language I speak fluently. I speak English, write English, read English, and went to English speaking schools. I have always lived in the united states where English is the number one language used. It’s the language I use every day as well as the one used around me.
The purpose of this assignment is to explain the impact of English language learners in the classroom. As a foreign student, English language learner in the United States faces multiple challenges for achieving academic success. To successfully complete a task, they need to master both English as a language and how it is used in core content classes especially when they are an adult. When trying to assist in instructing English language learners, they usually have many concepts and language abilities that they need to master, as do the teachers that are trying to teach them. With the incorporation of the concepts and approaches to identify and assess the issues and concerns that we have learned in our classroom instruction, such as lesson preparation,
Knowing effective strategies for teaching ELL students grammar is important. Research shows that instructional strategies for ELL students consist of SIOP, learning through listening, and learning through speaking. There are many students in classrooms that are ELL learners and that number will likely continue to grow. These effective instructional techniques will improve the learning of grammar for ELL students. It is important that we reach each and every student in our classroom, so being aware of the student needs and how to help them develop in the future is imperative. Not only are these strategies beneficial to English language learners it is also helpful for the regular classroom students.
In the article entitled “How to Teach Grammar, Analytical Thinking, and Writing”, Lynn Sams (2003) voiced and suggested methods on how grammar and writing should be taught in the classroom. This article was published in the English Journal by the National Council of Teachers of English. Sams based her research on her 16 years of experience as a high school teacher and the instructional approaches she used with her sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade classes. Sams refers to grammar as “the relationship between structure and meaning” (57). The information in this article demonstrates processes of analyzing the structure of sentences and suggests students cannot completely understand writing without first understanding the basic concepts of grammar.
"The principles and rules of grammar are the means by which the forms of language are made to correspond with the universal froms of thought....The structures of every sentence is a lesson in logic."
A large part of an English teacher’s job deals with helping students find their own voices amidst the many teachings of their parents and peers. A student’s voice can be their values, their interests, and their perspectives of the world in which they live. Their voice can be their critical questioning of the many situations they face, whether in a text, the school cafeteria, or a park after school. It is the job of an English teacher to aid in finding this voice through their writing. It is by putting words and thoughts down on paper that a student can sometimes feel comfortable enough to take risks and find their true voices. Although traditional grammar instruction has long been thought to improve this skill, this is no longer the case. Instead, by providing a classroom environment in which students are immersed in classic literature from many genres including poetry, short stories, and novels, students will learn how to harness grammar for their own purposes of finding their voice in their writing.
Nassaji, H., & Fotos, S. (2011). The role of context in focus on grammar: Teaching Grammar in Second Language Classroom (pp.121-134). New York and London: Routhdge
It is not uncommon to say that grammar instruction plays an important role in language teaching. Regarding the status and importance of grammar teaching, a variety of opinions have been made. Batstone (1994) states that “language without grammar would be chaotic: countless words without the indispensable guidelines for how they can be ordered and modified” (p. 4). More vividly, Wang (2010) makes two similes. She compares grammar to the frame of a house, which is a decisive factor to ensure the solidness of it. Additionally, she regards grammar as a walking stick, whose function is to help and support students to learn English. Thus, the nature of grammar instruction manifests its own significance as it helps students enhance their overall language proficiency by integrating grammar into other aspects of learning, like listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Grammar is traditionally subdivided into two inter-related studies: Morphology and Syntax. Morphology is the study of how words are formed out of smaller units called morphemes. For example, Derivational Morphology is a word building process by which we generate (or derive) the Noun teacher from out of two smaller morphological segments: the verb stem {teach} + suffix {er}. Syntax, on the other hand, is concerned with how Words are strung together to form larger units of expressions such as (partial) @link Phrases, @link Clauses, and (full) @link Simple Sentences. As an example, it is owing to an infringement on syntax (and not morphology) which prevents us from speaking the ill-formed sentence *John likes to teacher (=John likes to teach).
Growing up learning and speaking English has been something that was difficult for me at first but then came easy, but that was not the case for my mother. She spent her whole life speaking Spanish, so when she decided to take English learning classes it was challenging. However, she had me to help her throughout her struggle. I helped her complete her homework and assignments. We would also go to the library to check out easy level reading books to have her read to me. I would correct her English when it was wrong and do all I could to boost her confidence. It took me a while to understand and figure out what the best way to teach her was, but it was a fun experience for the both of us. Teaching her English was difficult because things that
Coming from a Spanish speaking household having to learn a new language can always be difficult. While, I was a child learning a second language was difficult. It was difficult for me to put words to use in the correct way. And use terms that make sense with one another term. It was difficult for me because some Spanish words sound the same as English words, and while learning I wanted to translate everything the way I say it in Spanish to English. For example, in Spanish “helo” means ice, but if you say it out loud it sounds like “yellow”. Little things like that will be a big issue to me. I have to put up with many looks from others and hear all sorts of criticism around me. Learning a new language at a young age was a struggle with reading
Using a language to communicate is one of the main forms of connecting and conversing with other humans. Every human speaks a language and every language is unique. Languages are so unique that the ways in which some of their words are sounded and pronounced vary compared to other languages. However some of the words of one language may have been borrowed from the words of another language. As Bucholtz, M.(2000) states “English will continue to shape the youth styles of other cultures” and “the process of cultural and linguistic borrowing moves in [two] directions…Asia [is] already having a significant impact on American youth, who regularly encounter mediated forms of international youth culture in music, film, and fashion ” p 280-283. This is why we have some similarities between different languages.
Al-Fahad (2009) states that the advancement in “interactive multimedia technologies which promise to facilitate ‘individualized’ and ‘collaborative’ learning”, is playing an undeniable role in the process of language teaching and learning. Therefore this is not a new phenomenon. Teachers and researchers have always been working on this field to find a better way of using