Teaching grammar for all the right reasons

1. Teaching grammar for all the right reasons Danny Norrington-Davies International House London/King’s College London September 2018

2. What you’ll do today • Explore issues with pedagogic rules and compare these with reasons • Look at how students can uncover reasons in text-based and task-based lessons • Look at some examples from different teaching contexts • Discuss the rationale for helping students uncover reasons

3. The problem with rules “We try to contain the language with rules but the language keeps running away” Andrea Borsato ‘the meanings that we want to express….. are clearly messy: they appear so varied and so dependent on the infinite range of different contexts that it is difficult at first to see how we might impose order on them’ Thompson (2004:7)

4. The problem with rules ‘even as you read this, the English language is changing, morphing, fragmenting and merging (and) no single ‘grammar’ is capable of capturing this dynamism and complexity’ Thornbury (2015:10).

5. The problem with rules Use the present perfect simple to describe past actions with present effect State verbs are not usually usedin progressive forms We use‘will’ for decisions made at the moment of speaking

6. A pedagogic grammar rule He is owning a really expensive car

7. The reason behind the rule He’s owning a really expensive car Larsen-Freeman 2003

8. The reason behind the rule I’m loving my job

9. Exploring reasons, not rules Why is the writer using the present progressive?

10. Exploring reasons, not rules

11. Exploring reasons, not rules Why is Ola using the past continuous? • Ola is using the past continuous to describe the background and start to the story. • Ola is showing her friend that she tells a story

12. The grammar of the restaurant review

13. The grammar of the restaurant review Why is the writer using the following forms? • These come with an amazing mix of flavours and it’s beautifully presented too. • On my last visit I went for the Kafta Meshwi and Fatoush . • I think I’ve tried everything on the menu.

14. The rules We use the present simple for habits or things we do regularly, or for things that are generally or always true We use the past simple to talk about a finished action or state in the past. It can be something that happened once or many times. We often say when it happened (unit 2). We use the present perfect to talk about the past and present together. It tells us something about the present (Unit 7)

15. The students’ reasons • Kathy is using past simple to describe her last visit on Saturday. It’s just one visit. • Kathy is using present simple to describe anyone’s visit at any time. If you go now it’s the same and if you go in the future it’s the same • Past simple for one visit, present simple for always. Present perfect for all her visits in the past to now

16. Discovering links and patterns

17. What I learnt from some Chinese teachers • Present perfect gives her authority. She knows • The reviewer show you he know the restaurant. You can trust this review

18. The order of forms in Straightforward Pre-int Past simple to talk about a finished action or state in the past. (unit 2). Present simple for habits or things we do regularly, or for things that are generally or always true (unit 4) Present perfect to talk about the past and present together. It tells us something about the present (unit 7)

19. The order of forms (English for Palestine) Present simple for habits or things we do regularly, or for things that are generally or always true (book 4b) Past simple to talk about a finished action or state in the past. (book 5b). Present perfect to talk about the past and present together. It tells us something about the present (unit 7a)

20. A replication task Write your own review and post it on www.London-eating.co.uk

21. A replication task

22. The grammar of the shark in the pool

23. The grammar of the shark in the pool Maybe the shark is tourist sight. Is possible a guest put it in the swimming pool. The sea is near. Maybe it jumped from the sea.

24. The grammar of the shark in the pool Maybe the shark is a tourist attraction. Maybe a guest put it in there / A guest could have put it in there. Maybe it jumped from the sea.

25. The students’ reasons • It’s possible for now but not sure • It is past but not sure. Maybe yes maybe no • We guess the past but we don’t know exactly the past

26. A replication task • To find out, watch ‘The Screen’ on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS5kquOQ29s

27. Kadir’s lesson Why is Javier using ‘will’ not ‘going to’ Javier said I will see because there is no plan or arrangement when he make a decision at the time of speaking.

28. Emma’s lesson • Why is the writer using present perfect continuous? 2) Why is the writer using present continuous?

29. Emma’s lesson 1) happened many times - since many years ago. Frustrated by that 2) It’s an impact/terrible consequence for the present day.

30. How did Emma make it work?

31. How did Emma make it work?

32. How does it relate to you? Why is the writer using past continuous in the story? (English for Palestine 6a revision)

33. How does it relate to you? Why is Mum using should? (English for Palestine 6a)

34. Exploring reasons, not rules “It is not the case that the rule exists first and the language must fit it. The truth is that the language exists first and the grammar must describe it. With this in mind, everything a (proficient) speaker produces can be examined and described” (Lewis 2002: 23)

35. Exploring reasons, not rules • We can explore what speakers and writers do with language to create meanings • Students can make genuine discoveries about language • We can look at how different forms interact • We don’t have to only use examples that fit the rule • We can avoid ‘sometimes’ rules • We can avoid artificial simplification • We can avoid statements we know are untrue • We can explore similarities rather than exceptions • We can give learners some ownership of the language

36. Exploring reasons, not rules • Students who have tried the technique have said that reasons are more memorable • A group in Turkey said reasons were more interesting and rules were boring

37. Exploring reasons, not rules ‘Before I never thinking about the why. Why this grammar? I just studied grammar and learnt this grammar is a rule. Just a rule. But after thinking about the why, why this person using will or passive, so I start to think about the grammar and maybe I try to make the reason in my mind. It’s difficult but it’s good.’ Soo, South Korea

38. How can it work for you? danny.norrington-davies@ihlondon.com https://dannynorringtondavies.wordpress.com/

39. Bibliography • Eastwood, J. (2005) Oxford learners Grammar: Grammar Finder. Oxford: OUP • Larsen-Freeman, D. (2003) From Grammar to Grammaring. Boston: Heinle • Lewis, M. (2002) The English Verb. Boston: Heinle • Norrington-Davies, D. (2016) Teaching grammar: from rules to reasons. Brighton: Pavilion publishing • Parrott, M. (2010) Grammar for English Language Teachers. Cambridge: CUP • Thomson, D. (2004) Introducing Functional Grammar. London: Hodder Arnold • Thornbury, S. (2015) What do teachers need to know about language? ETP. Issue 100: 9-12