The role of grammar in CLT

Topic 3: The role of grammar in CLT

ELTM 1 – WEEK 5
REFLECTION –Task 1

1. What are the differences in grammar instruction between CLT and other methods?
2. What implications for grammar instruction can be withdrawn from the text?
3. In Vietnam, for some reasons, a reasonable amount of accuracy is also critical and the question is how to teach grammar effectively. Concerning this, Celce-Murcia and Hills (1988, as cited in Celce-Mucia, 1991, p. 466) suggest that “grammar should never be taught as an end in itself but always with reference to meaning, social factors, or discourse – or a combination of these factors”. In your groups, discuss:
 
a. How you understand this statement?
b. Whether or not you agree with it?
c. How you would apply it in your instruction of grammar?
TASK 1
Tick the extent to which you would agree or disagree with the following statements. Give reasons for your opinions (if possible).

TASK 1
NUNAN (1991)
Roles of Grammar
In traditional classrooms: dominant (RG1)
In earlier communicative classrooms: marginal (RG2)
In recent communicative classrooms: important (RG3) but just as a means to the end (context, social functions)
learning grammar as both processes and products; focus on both form and meaning
Example: EXTRACT C-TASK 2
Focus on form
Reflection –TASK 3
Focus on form
Two principal ways to achieve
focus-on-form (Ellis, 1994)
Design activities requiring learners to communicate while also focusing their attention on specific formal properties (task-based syllabus)
Teachers provide corrective feedback (ELTM2) on learners’ errors during communication activities
Deciding factors for grammar instruction
Topic 3: COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING
and the authentic text
Authenticity defined
Types of authenticity
Designing learner authentic tasks
TASK 1: Discussion points:

 
1. What does “text authenticity” mean to you? What about “learner authenticity”?
2. Why is there a push for authenticity in CLT?
3. Can you name some of authentic materials that can be used in the classroom?
4. How useful do you think authentic materials are in the classroom?
5. What difficulties might arise when using authentic materials?
AUTHENTICITY DEFINED
- Authenticity (philosophy) - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Authenticity is a technical term in existentialist philosophy, and is also used in the philosophy of art and psychology. In philosophy, the conscious self is seen as coming to terms with being in a material world and with encountering external forces, pressures and influences which are very different from, and other than, itself. Authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one`s own personality, spirit, or character, despite these pressures.
AUTHENTICITY DEFINED (Cont.)
Previously: authenticity and authentic are often used to describe language samples – both oral and written –naturalness of form, and appropriateness of cultural and situational context (Rogers & Medley, 1988).
Authentic materials: materials generated by native speakers and for native speakers are considered authentic (Rogers & Medley, 1988).
Authenticity in ELT: genuineness, realness, truthfulness, validity, reliability, undisputed credibility, and legitimacy of materials or practices (Tatsuki, 2006).
AUTHENTICITY DEFINED (Cont.)
Recent theories have increasingly viewed the authenticity of materials (text authenticity) in relation to learners’ needs and the context of use (situation authenticity )...
- The authenticity of materials should not be at the expense of their appropriacy and relevance to learners’ needs (learner authenticity).
- Authenticity lies not only in the ‘genuineness’ of text, but has much to do with the notion of task (task authenticity).
Types of task authenticity
(Guariento and Morley, 2001)
Genuine purpose: real communication-natural interaction in real time
Real world targets: buying a train ticket, renting an apartment, taking lecture notes...
Classroom interaction: put students in pairs or groups to discuss, evaluate, and report on the usefulness and appropriateness of teacher feedback and different kinds of homework tasks.
Engagement: learners are ‘engaged’ by the task, genuinely interested in its topic and purpose, and understand its relevance.
Designing learner authentic tasks

Communicative materials need to provide learning activities that are purposeful, meaningful and relevant to learners’ needs. In this way, learners are stimulated to ‘authenticate’ even the materials that are not authentic in themselves.
Be an ‘authenticating teacher’, take the role of a leader and the central element who gives the teaching material its authenticity; i.e. it is the teacher who helps learners understand the materials, feel positive towards it, approach it with a communicative purpose, and finally respond positively such that classroom communication develops and a real negotiation of meaning occurs.
For beginners: Study the table and answer the following questions:
Which country had the greatest number of migrants to Australian in 2001? Which had the smallest?
How many Australians were born overseas?
Etc.
For intermediate learners: An information-gap activity:
For advanced learners: Study the table and write a report to your teacher, describing the information presented in the table.