Different Approaches to Teaching Grammar in Elementary School

7/30/2019 Different Approaches to Teaching Grammar in Elementary School

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Different Approaches to Teaching Grammar in Elementary School

Learning the basics in a translatable way will help the children retain the knowledge

longer.

Teaching grammar in elementary school can get boring for both you and the student.

Using the same old lectures class after class about the same old comma-usages

and the same old sentence structures can be draining and end up simply boring the

students rather than teaching them any valuable lessons. Using alternative

approaches to teaching grammar is something that every elementary school teacher

should try, just to keep the interest level high in the classroom.

1. Use Stories and Excerpts

Using stories and excerpts from stories can aid students in learning the dos

and don'ts of grammar usage. Teachers can have the students go through a

short story or block of text and mark all of the areas where grammar is not

used correctly. Teachers can also present a block of text or a short story that

does not have anything wrong with the grammar and have the child tell you

why it is right.

Error Correction in Sentences

o Teachers can use the students' own experiences to help teach

grammar. Having the child tell a story about what she did over the weekend

will cause the student to speak at length. At any point, if she misspeaks or

uses improper grammar, correct her. This will help the student learn from

experience and be better able to understand the practical application of

grammar and usage.

The Daily Double

o Introduce two grammatical principles in a single day. This will allow

students to work on two principles simultaneously. Keep it down to four

principles per week though so as not to overload them with information.

Present two principles and spend a day or two further explaining and

teaching the intricacies of those principles. Then, introduce the next round of


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grammatical goodies. This way, the students have plenty of time to learn

multiple principles while you are still moving down your curriculum sheet.

Listen and Learn

o Listening to students can help with material for class. Listen to the

students talk before class and copy down a short conversation that they

have. Then, the teacher can write that conversation down on the board and

discuss how or if it is grammatically correct or incorrect. Doing this will bring

the lessons down to the students' level and keep the subject interesting. It

also shows that grammar is part of everyday life.


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Inductive and Deductive Instruction

Two very distinct and opposing instructional approaches are inductive and

deductive. Both approaches can offer certain advantages, but the biggest

difference is the role of the teacher. In a deductive classroom, the teacher

conducts lessons by introducing and explaining concepts to students, and then

expecting students to complete tasks to practice the concepts; this approach is

very teacher-centred. Conversely, inductive instruction is a much more student-

centred approach and makes use of a strategy known as noticing. Lets take a

closer look at the differences between inductive and deductive instruction, and

find out how noticing can be used in the language classroom to better facilitate

student learning

What is deductive instruction?

A deductive approach to instruction is a more teacher-centered approach. This

means that the teacher gives the students a new concept, explains it, and then has

the students practice using the concept. For example, when teaching a new

grammar concept, the teacher will introduce the concept, explain the rules related to

its use, and finally the students will practice using the concept in a variety of different

ways.

According to Bob Adamson, The deductive method is often criticized because: a) it

teaches grammar in an isolated way; b ) little attention is paid to meaning; c) practice

is often mechanical. This method can, however, be a viable option in certain

situations; for example, when dealing with highly motivated students, teaching a

particularly difficult concept, or for preparing students to write exams.

What is inductive instruction?

In contrast with the deductive method, inductive instruction makes use of student

noticing. Instead of explaining a given concept and following this explanation with

examples, the teacher presents students with many examples showing how the

concept is used. The intent is for students to notice, by way of the examples, how

the concept works.


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Using the grammar situation from above, the teacher would present the students

with a variety of examples for a given concept without giving any preamble about

how the concept is used. As students see how the concept is used, it is hoped that

they will notice how the concept is to be used and determine the grammar rule. As a

conclusion to the activity, the teacher can ask the students to explain the grammar

rule as a final check that they understand the concept.


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http://www.jezykangielski.org/inductive.html

Inductive and deductive approach to grammar

Teaching grammar has been a controversial issue for centuries. Some peopleperceive it as essential to teaching any foreign language (for example those in favourof Grammar Translation Method), whereas others view it as an impediment tosecond language acquisition. Even experts on language teaching from the past andcontemporary linguists like Stephen Krashen, who once saidThe effects of grammarteaching are peripheral and fragile, seem to question the very idea of includinggrammar lessons in second language teaching. This incessant debate over theusefulness and the form of grammar teaching (and, consequently, of grammarinstruction), in which as of yet no one has been able to support their claims with anunquestionably conclusive research, has resulted in plenty of different methods andtechniques of formulating grammar instruction, among which two stand out, namelyinductive and deductive method.

The former is based on the assumption that knowledge of grammatical rulesshould be acquired through exposure to samples of speech that present a particularconstruction. Students are to elicit the rule from the given input and subconsciouslylearn it by recognizing the reoccurring patterns. Proponents of deductive approach togrammar instruction, on the other hand, claim that an introduction of a new structure

should be commenced with an explicit presentation of the rule that governs thestructure. The presentation is followed by examples which show to students how therule is used in context.

As we can see, these two methods are completely different and simultaneoususe of both is impracticable. The rift that divides them finds, obviously, reflection inthe results that they produce.

Firstly, lets analyze how they affect students and the teacher. Deductive

approach is certainly easier to apply and leaves little room for mistakes providingthat the rule is concisely and clearly stated. It makes students feel secure andprovides them with a tool with which to tackle the tasks at hand. Not only is theirconfidence reinforced by numerous examples, but also by the fact that the scope ofwhat is expected of them is very clearly defined. Moreover, deductive method doesnot require much preparation on the part of the teacher. His work boils down toproducing a comprehensible and lucid definition which can be easily applied in theexercises that follow.

Nonetheless, it also has some quite significant disadvantages that cannot bedisregarded. The most important one is lack of studentsinvolvement and struggle for


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understanding, which may result in the lesson being teacher-centered and notdemanding in terms of creativity and imagination. Teachers incompetence maydeteriorate the situation further; if he is unable to state the rule explicitly, back it upwith relevant examples and adjust the use of metalanguage to the needs of hisstudents, then even the simpliest grammar instruction can become ambiguous, and

breed confusion and discouragement.

When it comes to inductive method of presenting grammar instruction, itsucceeds almost in every area where deductive method fails. Its major advantage isthe fact that it encourages mental effort and forces students to rely on theirintelligence and the ability to analyze and make connections between particularsamples of speech. Knowledge obtained through the subconscious process ofidentification and incorporation of the presented grammatical rules into oneslanguage system is characterized by greater permanence and can be put intopractice without conscious and time-consuming examination of the context from the

grammatical point of view. But here, too, much depends on the teacher. Choosingexamples that will guide students to the desired conclusions is an awfully demandingand risky task. Not being able to delineate the path leading to a particulargrammatical point with appropriate instances, the teacher puts on the line the wholelesson. Moreover, inductive method may take a lot of valuable time (in case whenstudents are not able to come up with the rule implied in the given sentences) thatcould be devoted to practice and production. Hence the question arises: are weready to risk that much?

In my opinion, the question should be answered with resounding yes, but onlyin certain circumstances. Inductive method can be used solely by an experiencedand competent teacher who knows his students well enough to be able to adjust theinstruction to their needs and capacities. The superiority of inductive method overdeductive one can only be utilized if one has profound insight into teachingtechniques and possesses deep knowledge of students patterns of thinking andapproaching new structures. It is also of paramount importance to know when andhow to help learners, what can be done to aid them in coming up with a particularrule and how to do that efficiently. The question of whether to state the rule at theend of the inductive phase should be addressed by each teacher separately since,owing to individual differences between students, there are no two identical

classroom situations. Providing these requirements have been fulfilled, inductivemethod can enrich classroom experience immeasurably. Firstly, students obtainknowledge in the most natural and effective way, through sheer exposure to input inforeign language (which, in order to make it more comprehensible, may be summedup with the rule that it presents). Secondly, students are forced to make the most oftheir perceptiveness, prior knowledge and mental capacity. Last but not least, theylearn how to be self-dependent, which may make a world of difference in their futurestudy of the language.

But though these profits are certainly of undisputable value, we cannot

abandon deductive method altogether. Research has shown that most studentsprefer to be given grammar rules directly, and that in some cases it is better to avoid


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ambiguity and risk of misunderstanding. To my mind, restricting oneself to only onemethod impedes the learning process. Grammar, whether we claim that it should beacquired subconsciously or not, remains a foundation of fluency in the secondlanguage, hence the conclusion that the teacher should use all possible means ofconveying its rules, not limiting himself to one particular method of instruction,

however productive and infallible it may seem.

All things considered, I personally believe that applying inductive method asthe main, but not the only, means of presenting grammar instruction is bound toproduce amazing results and help students back up their knowledge with intuitionand a deeper understanding of the second language that are unattainable for thosewho rely solely on what clearly resembles Grammar Translation Method, which hasbeen condemned by contemporary linguists. Although deductive method has itsdisadvantages, if used in appropriate context it can facilitate the learning processthanks to the fact that it is helpful whenever sheer examples and studentsinductive

thinking fail. There is no ultimate method of grammar instruction and the key tosuccess lies in the wisdom to draw from the experience of others, avoiding theirmistakes and making the most of the approaches and techniques bore fruit. Andinductive method can certainly be termed as such.

Bibliografia:How to teach grammar, Scott Thornbury, wydawnictwo Longman


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http://www.teflcertificatecourses.com/tefl-articles/tesol-inductive-deductive-approaches.php

Inductive approach and Deductive approach in TESOL

By International Teacher Training Organization

In teaching, there are many theoretical approaches that have been developed to

promote the students' success in learning new information. In TESOL (Teaching

English to Students of Other Languages), there are two main theoretical approaches

for the presentation of new English grammar structures or functions to ESL/EFL

students: inductive approach and deductive approach. The more traditional of the

two theories, is the deductive approach, while the emerging and more modern

theory, is the inductive approach.

The deductive approach represents a more traditional style of teaching in that the

grammatical structures or rules are dictated to the students first (Rivers and

Temperley 110). Thus, the students learn the rule and apply it only after they have

been introduced to the rule. For example, if the structure to be presented is present

perfect, the teacher would begin the lesson by saying, "Today we are going to learn

how to use the present perfect structure". Then, the rules of the present perfect

structure would be outlined and the students would complete exercises, in a number

of ways, to practice using the structure. (Goner, Phillips, and Walters 135) In this

approach, the teacher is the center of the class and is responsible for all of the

presentation and explanation of the new material.

The inductive approach represents a more modern style of teaching where the new

grammatical structures or rules are presented to the students in a real language

context (Goner, Phillips, and Walters 135). The students learn the use of the

structure through practice of the language in context, and later realize the rules from

the practical examples. For example, if the structure to be presented is the

comparative form, the teacher would begin the lesson by drawing a figure on the

board and saying, "This is Jim. He is tall." Then, the teacher would draw another

taller figure next to the first saying, "This is Bill. He is taller than Jim." The teacherwould then provide many examples using students and items from the classroom,


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famous people, or anything within the normal daily life of the students, to create an

understanding of the use of the structure. The students repeat after the teacher, after

each of the different examples, and eventually practice the structures meaningfully in

groups or pairs. (Goner, Phillips, and Walters 135-136) With this approach, the

teacher's role is to provide meaningful contexts to encourage demonstration of the

rule, while the students evolve the rules from the examples of its use and continued

practice (Rivers and Temperley 110).

In both approaches, the students practice and apply the use of the grammatical

structure, yet, there are advantages and disadvantages to each in the EFL/ESL

classroom (Rivers and Temperley 110). The deductive approach can be effective

with students of a higher level, who already know the basic structures of the

language, or with students who are accustomed to a very traditional syle of learning

and expect grammatical presentations (Goner, Philips, and Walters 134). The

deductive approach however, is less suitable for lower level language students, for

presenting grammatical structures that are complex in both form and meaning, and

for classrooms that contain younger learners (Goner, Philips, and Walters 134). The

advantages of the inductive approach are that students can focus on the use of the

language without being held back by grammatical terminology and rules that caninhibit fluency. The inductive approach also promotes increased student participation

and practice of the target language in the classroom, in meaningful contexts. The

use of the inductive approach has been noted for its success in EFL/ESL classrooms

world-wide, but its disadvantage is that it is sometimes difficult for students who

expect a more traditional style of teaching to induce the language rules from context.

Understanding the disadvantages and advantages of both approaches, may help the

teacher to vary and organize the EFL/ESL lesson, in order to keep classes

interesting and motivating for the students (Goner, Philips, and Walters 129).

References:

Goner, Phillips, and Walters. Teaching Practice Handbook: Structures:

Grammar and Function. Heinemann, 1995. 129-138.


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Rivers, Wilga M., Temperley, Mary S. A Practical Guide to the Teaching of

English as a Second or Foreign Language. Oxford University Press, 1978.

110.

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Different Approaches to Teaching Grammar in Elementary School