Embodiment of Trace Theory in Teaching Verb Tenses

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
韓國外國語大學校
Kilryoung Lee
Jan. 17 2009
Background
Why are English verb tense difficult?
Verb tense is one of the most difficult grammar parts in mastering English since it is concerned with invisible concept of ‘time’.
Each of verb tenses are taught separately and inconsistently. Simples present /present continuous, simple past/present continuous, future continuous/present perfect
Koreans are not as much sensitive about verb tenses as English native speakers.
It is urgently needed to teach the verb tenses more effectively.

Many scholars such as Asher (1977), and Walter, Patty and Becking (1981) have found that physical activities can enrich the language learning in various ways.
Trace Theory-1
Theory that if we are correctly said to remember some fact or event (as against relearning it, guessing it, and so on) there must be some physiologically identifiable trace in the brain which carried the information in question right through from the time when we first learnt it (Bursen, 1978).
The trace need not be a physical object; it could be an electrical circuit or such like.
Trace Theory-2
Trace theory of memory (Katona, 1940)

The more often or the more intensively a memory connection is traced, the stronger the memory association will be and the more likely it will be recalled.

Memory is stimulated or ‘traced’ and increased when it is closely associated with motor activity (Brown, 2001).
Trace Theory-3
In this study, a new teaching method called ‘Teaching Verb Tenses through Actions (TVTA)’ (Song & Lee, 2007) is suggested to help students understand verb tenses easily.
In this study, verb tenses are associated with spatial time. They are represented in hand signal actions.
Learning languages with physical actions can enhance language learning and reduce learners’ stress.
These actions could be very expressive and helpful for L2 learners.
The purposes of this study
To corroborate the new teaching method called ‘Teaching Verb Tenses through Actions (TVTA)’

To help students use appropriate forms of verb tenses
Review of the literature
e

1. Time Orientation Metaphor
Lakeoff and Johnson (1999) suggest that we have a rich and complex notion of time built into our conceptual system. All of our understandings of time are relative to other concepts such as motion, space, events and etc.
The most basic metaphor for time: They describe that the location of a speaker is considered as the present, the space in front of the speaker is regarded as the future, and the space behind the speaker indicates the past.
2. Total Physical Response (TPR)
Asher(1997) believes the method that involves game-like movements can reduce a learner’s stress and create a positive effect on the language learner.
It attempts to teach languages through various physical actions.
3. The Effectiveness of Physical Activities
Walter & Marjorie (1981) claim that body movements are very expressive and helpful for communication. Physical activities can enhance and enrich the language learning for students in various ways. They report that the memory of objects and movement was much stronger than the verbal learning.
Young students can learn the target language very easily when they learn through physical activities (Lee, 1971).

Research Questions

Is Teaching Verb Tenses through
Actions (TVTA) effective for students to
learn verb tenses?
Methodology
Subjects:
- 61 middle school students (14-15 years
old) in Seoul, Korea
- They were taught a course called
‘Intensive grammar lesson’ for 10 weeks.
- The Experimental Group : 31 students (F:16/ M: 15)
- The Control Group : 30 students (F:14 / M: 16)

2. Teaching Verb Tenses through Actions (TVTA)

The students in the experimental group learned TVTA when using a grammar book whereas the students in the control group learned verb tenses using the grammar book without actions.
In TVTA, the time metaphor applies to a spatial schema to
let the students understand the verb tenses more easily and cognitively.
In TVTA. verb tenses are linked with physical activities and spatial time schema.
Present Simple

To talk about things that you do again and again.
If you try to express the present simple with your hands, you should follow this hand signal activity, saying this example sentence. “ You play soccer.”
The location of the speaker indicates the present time.
Past Simple

To talk about events that happened in the past.
It is for things that are finished.
“ You played soccer.”
The space behind the speaker indicates the past time.
Future Simple

To say that you have decided to do the things in the future and to talk about the future.
“ You will play soccer.”
The space in front of the speaker indicates the future time.
Present Continuous

To talk about things that are happening now. Things are still doing now.
“ You are playing soccer.”
Rotating your hands in the location of the speaker indicates the present continuous.
Past Continuous

To say that somebody was in the middle of doing something. It’s for a time before now.
“ You were playing soccer.”
Rotating your hands in the space behind of the speaker indicates the present time.
Future Continuous

To say that something will be in progress at a particular moment in the future.
“ You will be playing soccer.”
Rotating your hands in the space i n front of the speaker indicates the future continuous.
Present Perfect

To say that you want to talk about things that have happened in your life up to now.
“ You have played soccer.”
The movement from the space behind the speaker to location of the speaker indicates the present perfect.
Past Perfect

To say that one thing happened before another thing happened.
“ You had played soccer.”
The movement before space before the speaker to the space behind speaker indicates the past perfect.
Future Perfect

To say that something will have been done or completed by a certain time in the future.
“ You will have played soccer.”
The movement from the location of the speaker to the space in front of the speaker indicates the future perfect.
Present perfect Continuous

To talk about situation which started in the past and are still going on.
“ You have been playing soccer.”
Move your hands from the space behind the speaker to the location of the speaker and then rotate your hands at the location of the speaker.
⑪ Past Perfect Continuous

To talk about longer action or situation which had continued up to the past moment.
“ You had been playing soccer.”
Make your hands from before the space behind the speaker to the space behind the speaker and then rotate your hands at the space behind the speaker.
⑫ Future Perfect Continuous

To say that something will have been done or completed by a certain time in the future and it will be still going on.
“ You will have been playing soccer.”
Move your hands from the location of the speaker to the space in front of the speaker and then rotate your hands at the space in front of the speaker.
Students who have learned TVTA practiced hand signal actions for ten minutes every class as in previous slides.

3. Questionnaire

It was composed of ten questions.

Six questions were for all the students.
Four questions were for the students who experienced TVTA.
Results and Discussion
Pre-test & Post-test
- After treatment, the students’ scores in experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group with a mean of 73.79 and 68.50 for the experimental group and the control group respectively.
The achievement scores of
the experimental group
The achievement scores of
the control group

Questionnaire

- To verify what the students think about verb tenses in general
- To find out what they think about TVTA
- Conducted in Korean to avoid any mis-communications


What do you think is the most difficult part in learning English?

Grammar 54%,
Reading & Writing 29%,
Listening & Speaking 12%
All 5%
What do you think of learning verb tenses?

Very difficult / Confusing 70%
A little difficult 25%
Don’t know 5%
How effective is the way verb tenses are taught in your school?

Very ineffective 47%
A little ineffective 53%
A little effective 0%
Very effective 0%
How interesting is TVTA