Teaching Grammar as Teaching Grammar as ProductProduct

From Batstone, R. (1994). From Batstone, R. (1994). GrammarGrammar. Oxford, OUP. Oxford, OUP

Teaching Grammar as Teaching Grammar as Product, Process, and Skill Product, Process, and Skill

(Batstone)(Batstone) Teaching Grammar as Product:Teaching Grammar as Product: Emphasis is on the component parts of the Emphasis is on the component parts of the

language systemlanguage system Teaching Grammar as Process:Teaching Grammar as Process: Intricacies of real-time communication; Intricacies of real-time communication;

emphasises the use of the language by the emphasises the use of the language by the learnerlearner

Teaching Grammar as SkillTeaching Grammar as Skill Teaching grammar as skill – striking a Teaching grammar as skill – striking a

balance between product and process.balance between product and process.

Teaching Grammar as Teaching Grammar as ProductProduct

NoticingNoticing Noticing for the learnerNoticing for the learner Noticing by the learnerNoticing by the learner

StructuringStructuring Structuring for the learnerStructuring for the learner Structuring by the learnerStructuring by the learner

Benefits of Product teachingBenefits of Product teaching Limitations of Product teachingLimitations of Product teaching

NoticingNoticing Before anything else, students need to Before anything else, students need to

notice the language structures/formsnotice the language structures/forms If our aim is to help them notice, then If our aim is to help them notice, then

should consider just thatshould consider just that Should not overwhelm the students at this Should not overwhelm the students at this

stagestage Noticing activities encourage a more Noticing activities encourage a more

‘introspective’ engagement and calls for ‘introspective’ engagement and calls for quiet observationquiet observation

Purpose of noticing activities is to make a Purpose of noticing activities is to make a certain form salient and no more than that certain form salient and no more than that

Helping students notice can be done Helping students notice can be done explicitly or implicitly.explicitly or implicitly.

Done explicitly, it is more noticing Done explicitly, it is more noticing forfor the the learner; whereas if implicitly, it is more learner; whereas if implicitly, it is more noticing noticing byby the learner the learner

Both are not absolutes and there are Both are not absolutes and there are degrees of explicitness/implicitnessdegrees of explicitness/implicitness

Teachers have considerable choice in how Teachers have considerable choice in how far we ask students to work things out for far we ask students to work things out for themselves, through leading questions themselves, through leading questions and other forms of guidanceand other forms of guidance

“… “… the discovery of regularities in the the discovery of regularities in the target language, whether blindly intuitive target language, whether blindly intuitive or conscious, or coming in-between or conscious, or coming in-between these two extremes, will always be these two extremes, will always be self-self-discoverydiscovery. The question is to what . The question is to what extent that discovery is guided by the extent that discovery is guided by the teacher. The guidance, where teacher. The guidance, where consciousness-raising is involved…can consciousness-raising is involved…can be more or less direct or explicit.” be more or less direct or explicit.” Sharwood-Smith 1988:53Sharwood-Smith 1988:53

Cannot force the learners to noticeCannot force the learners to notice Will occur when they are readyWill occur when they are ready Activities can guide students to make own Activities can guide students to make own

discoveries about grammardiscoveries about grammar Consciousness-raisingConsciousness-raising Students need opportunities for noticing Students need opportunities for noticing

and re-noticingand re-noticing These activities are in advance of activities These activities are in advance of activities

which call for more active manipulation of which call for more active manipulation of grammar formsgrammar forms

Structuring Structuring

Noticing the grammar is not enoughNoticing the grammar is not enough Necessary condition for learning but Necessary condition for learning but

not sufficientnot sufficient If only noticing activities, even noticed If only noticing activities, even noticed

structures may not be remembered or structures may not be remembered or acquiredacquired

Students need to do something with Students need to do something with the grammar – they have to act on itthe grammar – they have to act on it

Sometimes we need an activity where we Sometimes we need an activity where we can work with a framework of language can work with a framework of language which is largely fixed in advancedwhich is largely fixed in advanced

However, this kind of activity is also not However, this kind of activity is also not enoughenough

Need to deploy grammar flexibly, Need to deploy grammar flexibly, combining elements from grammar and combining elements from grammar and lexis in productive wayslexis in productive ways

We need activities that involve the active We need activities that involve the active manipulation of languagemanipulation of language

Yes, need to be active in dealing with activityYes, need to be active in dealing with activity But, all the activity may be conducted with But, all the activity may be conducted with

little understanding of target grammarlittle understanding of target grammar Grammar is prominent in the text but not Grammar is prominent in the text but not

necessarily prominent in the student’s necessarily prominent in the student’s response to the textresponse to the text

This is a This is a structuring forstructuring for the learner activity as the learner activity as learners work around the target grammarlearners work around the target grammar

Structuring by activities requires students to Structuring by activities requires students to not only be active but also be actively not only be active but also be actively involved with the target grammar.involved with the target grammar.

Although they may sometimes seems brief, Although they may sometimes seems brief, they cannot be successfully completed they cannot be successfully completed without real thoughtwithout real thought

However, teachers cannot easily proclaim an However, teachers cannot easily proclaim an activity as structuring for or by the learner activity as structuring for or by the learner as it is the learner who will determine.as it is the learner who will determine.

Noticing for the learner

Noticing by the learner

Structuring for the learner

Structuring by the learner

Continua for Noticing and Structuring Type Activities

Strengths of Product Strengths of Product TeachingTeaching

Provides a clear framework or Provides a clear framework or language points to be covered which language points to be covered which can give a strong sense of directioncan give a strong sense of direction

There is flexibility as once the target There is flexibility as once the target form has been specified, the teacher form has been specified, the teacher can decide on his/her own how to can decide on his/her own how to teach it – e.g. vary the amount of teach it – e.g. vary the amount of time given to noticing and structuringtime given to noticing and structuring

Limitations of Product Limitations of Product TeachingTeaching

Cannot guarantee that students will be Cannot guarantee that students will be able to use the grammar learned in real-able to use the grammar learned in real-life communication as the unpredictable life communication as the unpredictable nature of real life communication is nature of real life communication is absent (e.g. time pressure, topics, roles)absent (e.g. time pressure, topics, roles)

Offers no explicit opportunity for Offers no explicit opportunity for proceduralization where knowledge proceduralization where knowledge becomes internalized and automatically becomes internalized and automatically deployable. deployable.

The End