1. Grammar & Communication in the FL Classroom
Maria Sheila Zamar
UH-Manoa, SEASSI
COTSEAL Conference 2008

2. I. Goals:
1. Discuss the role of grammar teaching in FL classrooms (HL and non-HL)
2. Review some of the most influential ideas in foreign language teaching
3. Describe some examples of communicative activities for teaching specific grammar points

3. II. What do we teach in the FL classroom?
-language
-communication skills
-socio-cultural functions
-target culture

4. Which variety do we teach?
-standard
-conversational/colloquial
-academic
-literary

5. III. Heritage v. Non-heritage classrooms
Some differences
background
resources
environment
motivation
(varying) proficiency
knowledge of the target culture

6. Heritage v. Non-heritage L2 classrooms
Some similarities
need for production practice
need to focus on literacy
need for accuracy

7. VI. Settings for language learning
Natural acquisition contexts
Traditional instructional settings
(grammar-translation or audiolingual)
Communicative instructional settings
(content-based or
task-based)
- The learner is exposed to the TL at work or in social interaction.
- If the learner is a child, s/he is in a school situation where most of the other children are native speakers of the TL and the instruction is directed toward native speakers.
The language is being taught to a group of L2 or FL learners.
The focus is on the language itself, rather than on the use of the TL for communicative interaction.
The instructional goal is for students to learn the vocabulary and grammar of the TL.
- The language is being taught to a group of L2 or FL learners.
- The focus is on leading learners to use the TL in a variety of contexts, rather than on teaching specific features of TL.
- The goal is for students to develop their ability to get things done in the TL.

8. Settings for language learning
Characteristics
Natural acquisition
Traditional instruction
Communicative instruction
Error correction - ++
-/+
Learning one thing at a time +
Ample time available for learning
High ratio of native speakers to learners
Variety of language and discourse types
Pressure to use the TL correctly
Access to modified input
(often in L1)
(often in TL)

9. VII. 5 influential ideas in L2 teaching
Getting it right from the beginning
Grammar-translation & audiolingual methods
Negotiating meaning
Communicative language teaching
Input processing
Comprehension-based programs
Teaching what is teachable
Setting realistic expectations
Getting it right in the end
Finding the balance between meaning-based and form-based instruction

10. Five influential ideas in L2 teaching
Getting it right from the beginning
Exclusively grammar-based approaches do not guarantee high levels of accuracy
Overemphasis on accuracy usually results in learners who are inhibited and some unable to communicate
Negotiating meaning
Learners produce more quantity and greater variety of speech and language function in learner centered activities
Modified interaction leads to higher levels of comprehension than modified input

11. Five influential ideas in L2 teaching
3. Input processing
TPR gives learners a good start
Comprehensible input is effective in learners’ development of comprehension skills, fluency and confidence in the TL but not enough to bring them to high levels of accuracy
Input flood help learners add something new to their interlanguage
Enhanced input makes little difference
Learners who received comprehension-based processing instruction achieved higher levels of performance on both comprehension and production tasks than learners who did production exercises to practice the form. ***
Input processing (explicit focus on form within input-based instruction) shows better comprehension practice over production practice

12. Five influential ideas in L2 teaching
4. Teaching what is teachable
Little/no data on developmental and variational language features
5. Getting it right in the end
Form-focused instruction and corrective feedback provided within the communicative contexts are more effective in promoting L2 learning
Explicit, guided form-focused instruction is needed when features in the TL differ from the L1 in subtle ways

13. IV. Grammar-based v. Content-based/ Task-based approaches
Focus on the language (accuracy)
grammar translation and audiolingual methods
ordering of skills (receptive-productive)
deductive learning
error prevention is emphasized

14. Grammar-based v. Content-based/ Task-based approaches
Focus on communication (fluency)
communicative language teaching (CLT)
comprehensible input
inductive learning
error is viewed as natural part of interlanguage development

15. V. Key issues
-Do I have a grammar-based, task-based, function-based/content-based curriculum?
-How much time do I devote to teaching grammar explicitly?
-How much metalanguage do I expect my students to handle?

16. Key issues
-How much time do I devote to communicative activities with focus on form? What activities do I have my students participate in?
-How much time do I devote solely to communicative activities without grammar instruction? What type(s) of activities do I have my students engage in?
-What comprises the bulk of my teaching materials?
-How do I handle errors?

17. VIII. Things to consider in teaching grammar
-Providing communicative contexts
-Addressing the four skills
-Varying activities
-Using (semi-) authentic materials
Contextualizing error correction

18. IX. Some grammar-based communicative activities
Information gap
Interviews and reports
Guided speaking: responding to specific questions and listening activities
Structure focused reading: questions focused on eliciting specific structures
Guided/Controlled writing: story with prompts
Structure focused listening: questions focused on eliciting specific structures

19. Tapos na. Salamat po!