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Learning Grammar !

Studying the Approaches to Teaching Grammar in the FPEL Curriculum Development Unit May-2011 (Dr. Zainab Jabur , Anna Maloyan and Robert Smith). Learning Grammar !. Teaching Grammar !. The study:.

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Learning Grammar !

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  1. Studying the Approaches to Teaching Grammar in the FPELCurriculum Development UnitMay-2011(Dr. ZainabJabur, Anna Maloyan and Robert Smith) Learning Grammar ! Teaching Grammar !

  2. The study: The purpose of this study is to learn about the approaches to teaching grammar and what teachers’ and students’ perspectives are in regards to teaching and learning grammar in the FPEL.

  3. Studying the Approaches to Teaching Grammar in the FPEL • Aim & Process • Student and teacher questionnaire results • Recommendations • Further Research

  4. Research Questions: • What are the FPEL teachers’ and students’ perspectives on teaching and learning grammar? • How do the current approaches reflect the FPEL students’ needs and expectations? • What approach (or approaches) to teaching grammar is more suitable based on the FPEL students’ needs and teachers’ perspectives?

  5. Research Instruments: 1. Semi-structured interviews: 10 Teachers (20-45 minutes each) 9 Students (15-25 minutes each) Themes from Interviews • Importance of grammar • Students’ needs • Approach/es to teaching • Supplementary materials • Embedded or separate • Grammar + which skill? • Frequency of input

  6. Research Instruments: • Questionnaires: Teachers Students

  7. Piloting the Questionnaires: • TQ piloted with 14 teachers • SQ piloted with 50 students • Revised versions

  8. Data & Data Analysis: • 37 Teachers responded: 42% of FPEL teacher population • 359 Students responded: 40% of FPEL student population Data Analysis: The students’ level was a variable

  9. Teachers’ Results: • Grammar teaching is important – 34 agree or strongly agree (97%) • Consistent approach to grammar – 30 disagree or strongly disagree (81%) 3. Teaching grammar separately – 27 disagree or strongly disagree (75%)

  10. Teachers’ Results (continued): 4. Discovering rules (teaching inductively) – 28 agree or strongly agree (75%) 5. Teaching grammar rules (deductively) – 20 agree (55%), 17 disagree (45%) 6. Assessing grammar – 25 disagree or strongly disagree (67%)

  11. Resources: Top 3 resources outside classroom: • CALL • MOODLE • Internet Resources Top 3 resources inside classroom: • In-house worksheets • In-house workbook • In-house grammar textbook

  12. In order for students to improve their grammatical accuracy, they need to... Top 4 suggestions: a. Have more exposure to the language b. Learn to discover/notice c. Practice d. Be taught grammar explicitly

  13. In order to meet students’ current grammar needs, teachers feel that the teaching of grammar in the FPEL could be improved by… Top 3 responses: a. Paying more attention to grammar b. Providing materials c. Teaching grammar explicitly/practicing

  14. Teachers believe that the most effective approach to teaching grammar in the FPEL is ... Top 3 responses: a. Using variety of approaches (discovery, integrating in all 4 skills, explicit teaching, context or task based, etc.) b. Practicing c. Addressing students’ needs

  15. Students’ Results: • Sheikha: “If the teacher doesn’t teach me some grammar, it’s not a serious lesson…” • Saif: “Grammar is very important if I want to learn English …”

  16. Amina: “My teacher should know what grammar I’ve studied so that he/she can teach me new grammar…” • Sultan: “I like to study new grammar, not the grammar I studied at high school…”

  17. Ahmed: “If I discover the rules, I remember them better…”

  18. Students’ Top Themes When students were asked to suggest ways for improving the grammar teaching in the FPEL, they answered:

  19. Interesting Contrasts between L4 and L5 & L6 # of Sts L4: 59 # of Sts L5 & L6: 300

  20. Main Contrasts between Students’ & Teachers’ Responses Teachers think: Students think:

  21. Main Contrasts between Students’ & Teachers’ Responses Teachers think: Students think:

  22. Recommendations: • Administration: • Professional development sessions by ‘experts’ • Language awareness workshops • Budget for grammar materials/texts 2. Testing & Assessment Unit: • Consider EOL grammar tests (rel to LO) 3. Level Coordinators: • Importance of grammar input for students • Encourage CALL and Moodle use

  23. Recommendations: • CDU: • Re-examine/streamline the curriculum • Revise grammar syllabus – specific activities rather than specific grammar points • Introduce grammar practice activities into curriculum • Debate grammar text or materials

  24. Recommendations • Teachers: • Use a variety of grammar teaching techniques • Use Regular contextualized grammar teaching • Use both inductive-deductive approaches • Use noticing and discovery techniques • Use “Ninja” grammar techniques

  25. Further Research: • Link grammar with another skill (e.g., writing) 2. Investigate separate grammar course or embedded in all skills? • Investigate effective grammar techniques • Level specific research

  26. Thank you to LC admin for the opportunity to do this project; to Dr. Ali Al Zefeiti (consultant); to Aga Ptak and the CDU team and to all the teachers and students who participated in the survey. This project would not have been possible without your cooperation.

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