Teaching Grammar as Teaching Grammar as ProcessProcess

Understanding Teaching Understanding Teaching Grammar as ProcessGrammar as Process

►Process teaching engages learners Process teaching engages learners directly in the procedures of language directly in the procedures of language use.use.

► In a sense, process teaching is a In a sense, process teaching is a ‘release of control’ compared to ‘release of control’ compared to product teachingproduct teaching

►Often considered as task-based Often considered as task-based teachingteaching

Qualities of good tasks Qualities of good tasks (Candlin, 1987).(Candlin, 1987).

► they encourage learners to attend to meaning they encourage learners to attend to meaning and to purposeful language useand to purposeful language use

► they give learners flexibility in resolving they give learners flexibility in resolving problems their own way, calling on their own problems their own way, calling on their own choice of strategies and skillschoice of strategies and skills

► they involve learners with their own personalities they involve learners with their own personalities and attitudes being centraland attitudes being central

► they are challenging yet not excessively they are challenging yet not excessively demandingdemanding

► they raise learners awareness of the processes they raise learners awareness of the processes of language use and encourage them to reflect of language use and encourage them to reflect ont their own language useont their own language use

Process activity vs. process Process activity vs. process teachingteaching

► Process activity is the unregulated production Process activity is the unregulated production of language by learners who are unaware or of language by learners who are unaware or unsure of the purpose underlying their unsure of the purpose underlying their performance.performance.

► Absence of any attempt to regulate what the Absence of any attempt to regulate what the student is doing (free conversation)student is doing (free conversation)

► Process teaching involves regulating language Process teaching involves regulating language work, taking into consideration different effects work, taking into consideration different effects that a task can have on the learner’s language.that a task can have on the learner’s language.

► Requires careful attention to task designRequires careful attention to task design

Regulating and ControlRegulating and Control

► Regulating in process teaching is different Regulating in process teaching is different from in product teachingfrom in product teaching

► Instead of blocking out major aspects of Instead of blocking out major aspects of language use, we influence and shape language use, we influence and shape features of context more indirectly.features of context more indirectly.

►Objective is not to carefully control the Objective is not to carefully control the learner’s accurate production of grammatical learner’s accurate production of grammatical forms as in product teaching, but to develop forms as in product teaching, but to develop the skill of exploiting grammar to express the skill of exploiting grammar to express meaning as clearly as possible.meaning as clearly as possible.

►Will affect the nature of feedback; will take Will affect the nature of feedback; will take timetime

► ““If we think of process teaching as a risky and If we think of process teaching as a risky and time-consuming way of getting learners to time-consuming way of getting learners to formulate specific forms which can be focused formulate specific forms which can be focused on much more economically in product work, on much more economically in product work, then we are misrepresenting the very nature of then we are misrepresenting the very nature of process teaching. Learning is learner-centred …process teaching. Learning is learner-centred …the focus in process teaching is on the learner’s the focus in process teaching is on the learner’s own self-expression, and consequently we own self-expression, and consequently we cannot directly intervene to focus on this or that cannot directly intervene to focus on this or that grammatical form” (Batstone, 1996, p. 79-80).grammatical form” (Batstone, 1996, p. 79-80).

Regulating Time Pressure:Regulating Time Pressure:

►How? By controlling time available to How? By controlling time available to perform and/or plan.perform and/or plan.

►Planning – plan for language or for ideasPlanning – plan for language or for ideas►Example is by providing a pre task Example is by providing a pre task

before actual task. before actual task. ►More time allows for language of greater More time allows for language of greater

variety – vocabulary and grammatical variety – vocabulary and grammatical structuresstructures

► Important that learners do not become Important that learners do not become overly dependent on timeoverly dependent on time

Examples of Regulating Time Examples of Regulating Time PressurePressure

► Begin preparation in groups, then later Begin preparation in groups, then later asking individuals to prepare on their ownasking individuals to prepare on their own

►Gradually reducing the time available for Gradually reducing the time available for preparation or for performance of a task preparation or for performance of a task whatever form it takeswhatever form it takes

► For listening activities, letting learners refer For listening activities, letting learners refer to written script (and/or pausing the tape as to written script (and/or pausing the tape as they listen) and progressively reducing the they listen) and progressively reducing the time they havetime they have

► ““Strategic interaction” (Di Pietro, 1987) – Strategic interaction” (Di Pietro, 1987) – learners get time to present, but when they learners get time to present, but when they perform, new and unexpected information is perform, new and unexpected information is added. Therefore, learners need to activate added. Therefore, learners need to activate grammar under pressure.grammar under pressure.

Regulating topic and Regulating topic and familiarityfamiliarity

►ESP contextsESP contexts►Unfamiliar topic but lots of Unfamiliar topic but lots of

time/Familiar topic little timetime/Familiar topic little time►Pressure/Stress – EustressPressure/Stress – Eustress►How learners respond will be How learners respond will be

determined by their motivation and determined by their motivation and tolerance of pressuretolerance of pressure

Regulating shared Regulating shared knowledge: Context Gapknowledge: Context Gap

►Learners may do away with aspects Learners may do away with aspects that are redundantthat are redundant

►Shared knowledge leads to less Shared knowledge leads to less necessity to ‘grammaticise’necessity to ‘grammaticise’

►Reduce shared knowledgeReduce shared knowledge►Share knowledge through the Share knowledge through the

performance of a taskperformance of a task

Gapped activities in Product and Gapped activities in Product and Process TeachingProcess Teaching

► In product teaching, information gap activities In product teaching, information gap activities are used (i.e. one person has the information, are used (i.e. one person has the information, the other does not – teacher knows the the other does not – teacher knows the answer);answer);

► In process teaching, we want learners to make In process teaching, we want learners to make their own meanings clear.their own meanings clear.

► Process task creates a partial or incomplete Process task creates a partial or incomplete context – e.g. a problem to solve; an argument context – e.g. a problem to solve; an argument to conclude.to conclude.

► Decide what is unclear or unavailable in the Decide what is unclear or unavailable in the tasktask

► How can the learners be motivated to discover How can the learners be motivated to discover and share this informationand share this information

Context-gap: World creating Context-gap: World creating and reasoningand reasoning

► In arguments and debates – use of In arguments and debates – use of complex language because we want to complex language because we want to express our meaningsexpress our meanings

►Reasoning is the key; meaning makingReasoning is the key; meaning making►Some students may feel Some students may feel

uncomfortable in disputing with uncomfortable in disputing with others. Encouraging positive traits?others. Encouraging positive traits?

► Interlanguage stretching – operating at Interlanguage stretching – operating at the outer limits of their current the outer limits of their current abilities (Long, 1989)abilities (Long, 1989)

Process Teaching in ReviewProcess Teaching in Review

►Spontaneous expression is demandingSpontaneous expression is demanding►We need to be clear, relevant, accurate, We need to be clear, relevant, accurate,

effective listener and speaker, sensitive effective listener and speaker, sensitive turn takerturn taker

► In process teaching we subtly regulate In process teaching we subtly regulate these factorsthese factors

►Also need to observe as Ss perform: Also need to observe as Ss perform: Was there too much pressure? Did they Was there too much pressure? Did they have too little to say? Did they look have too little to say? Did they look uncomfortable?uncomfortable?

Forms of RegulationForms of Regulation

►Regulating Time Pressure (Planning or Regulating Time Pressure (Planning or Performance time)Performance time)

►Regulating Topic and FamiliarityRegulating Topic and Familiarity►Regulating Shared Knowledge Regulating Shared Knowledge

(Context Gaps)(Context Gaps)