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Grammar and education

Grammar and education. Dick Hudson University of Middlesex March 2006. Two views. • Grammar has nothing to do with education – Chomsky – Most Greek philosophers – Many modern educationalists • Grammar is the servant of education – Halliday – the Dept for Education and Skills

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Grammar and education

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  1. Grammar and education Dick Hudson University of Middlesex March 2006

  2. Two views • Grammar has nothing to do with education – Chomsky – Most Greek philosophers – Many modern educationalists • Grammar is the servant of education – Halliday – the Dept for Education and Skills – Most Greek grammarians

  3. A two-way relation • Education needs (researched) grammar – children need grammar to improve: • language skills: – writing, reading, speaking, listening • thinking – teachers need grammar • to improve teaching • Grammar research needs education – to understand how it affects language

  4. Grammar for writing • Teaching students grammar can improve their writing. • But it can also have no effect. • Much research showed no effect: – Macauley 1947 ... Hillocks 1986 • So grammar teaching was abandoned • But ...

  5. The early research Tested for an effect which is • global – i.e. unfocussed – if they learn about word classes – do they use more subordinate clauses? • delayed – if they learn grammar today – will their grammar be richer in six months? • unpractised – if they classify words – will they use words better in writing?

  6. The conclusion • Who would expect this kind of effect ...? • Even if the teachers themselves understood grammar? – but why should they understand it without extra study at university? • But even this research showed two important things:

  7. Is grammar too hard? • No. • Elley (1975) taught transformation grammar to mixed-ability teenagers (14- 16) – Who could draw correct trees – But who didn’t enjoy it. • Moral: grammar can be taught. • (Most other countries don’t doubt this!!!)

  8. Is any grammar useful? • Yes: ‘Sentence combining’ – given: two simple sentences – task: combine them into one • This had very clear positive effects on writing. (Hillocks 1986) • Moral: grammar teaching can be effective if it’s – systematic – decontextualized, proactive – practised in writing

  9. Later research • Peter Bryant (2002): – Experiment with 8-10 year olds – Tested use of apostrophes before and after experiment – Experiment: teach about apostrophes – Result: the experimental group got better. • Moral: grammar teaching can be effective if it’s focussed.

  10. More morphology • Jane Hurry (2005): – experiment with primary children (age 8-10) – the teachers learned about morphology in spelling – they taught children explicitly about morphology – the children became better spellers • Moral: grammar teaching can be effective if it’s explicit

  11. Better still, ... • Grammar is officially back in English • and in Foreign Languages • and FL grammar is officially based on English • It’s required by the National Curriculum • E.g. ...

  12. Writing at KS2 “Language structure. Pupils should be taught: • word classes and the grammatical functions of words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, … • the features of different types of sentence, including statements, questions and commands, and how to use them (example, imperatives in commands) • the grammar of complex sentences, including clauses, phrases and connectives”

  13. Spelling at KS3 and 4 “Pupils should be taught to: • increase their knowledge of regular patterns of spelling, word families, roots of words and derivations, including stem, prefix, suffix, inflection • apply their knowledge of word formation”

  14. E.g. Year 3, Term 1:

  15. Verbs for 8-year olds “Pupils should be taught the function of verbs in sentences through: • noticing that sentences cannot make sense without them; • collecting and classifying examples of verbs from reading and own knowledge, e.g. run, chase, sprint; eat, consume, gobble; said, whispered, shrieked; • experimenting with changing simple verbs in sentences and discussing their impact on meaning; ...”

  16. Method • Noticing patterns – to help them learn from reading • Collecting and classifying examples – to help them generalize and understand • Experimenting with new combinations – to help them apply findings in writing • NB grammar could be fun!

  17. Grammar for thinking • Traditionally, Latin and Greek were said to be good for ‘mind training’ – Maybe because of the grammar? • In Europe, schools compete in the Linguistics Olympiads – 4thInternational Olympiad in Estonia • Grammar puzzles are like logic puzzles – e.g. ...

  18. Lithuanian diminutives arklys degtukas juosta merga obuolys + 11 more arklelis degtukélis ? ? obuolélis horse match ribbon girl apple Task 1. Fill the gaps. Task 2. What can you say about the pronunciation of uo in Lithuanian? Explain.

  19. Moreover • Language is our main tool for complex thought. • Grammar expresses the logic of thought. • Sometimes grammar misleads, e.g. negative grammar, positive meaning: – I hardly touched it. – I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t rain. – No head-wound is too trivial to be ignored.

  20. Grammar as tool • You do any job better if you understand the tool. • The tool for thinking is grammar. • Therefore ?????

  21. Grammar for teaching • Teachers need to understand grammar in order to: – teach it to pupils – apply it to pupils’ work – integrate it into their planning and teaching – think more clearly. • But: most teachers didn’t learn any grammar in school .....

  22. Jobs for grammarians • There is a serious shortage of teachers who understand grammar – and more generally, language • Language-based graduates are welcome in primary PGCE courses • They are also welcome in most secondary English courses – if they know a bit about literature ...

  23. Education for grammar research • What is the effect of education on grammar? • Can we use educated people (e.g. students and colleagues) as ‘typical’ speakers? • E.g. Gleitman and Gleitman 1979: What does eat house bird mean? – PhD: 'a house-bird who is very eat' • respect syntax – clerical: 'everybody is eating up their pet birds‘ • ignore syntax

  24. Thank you • Some papers about these ideas: www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/papers.htm • Some links to government policy and action: www.phon.ucl.../home/dick/ec/lagb-las.htm • A web-site about grammar in English teaching: www.phon.ucl.../home/dick/kal/top.htm

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