Today, we will discuss grammar teaching.
This chapter includes 5 titles.
The first one is:
A) Introducing Grammar
This part of the chapter gives us examples and principles on how to introduce a grammatical function or a grammatical structure.
Examples given here are actually based on inductive methods of grammar teaching. First I want to give you a brief comparison of inductive and traditional methods of grammar teaching.
Traditional Method:
1- It defines rules and exceptions at the first place explicitly.
2- It’s less interesting and unpleasant for many students
3- It’s precise, and can be more effective
4- It has order, clarity, and can be classified
Traditional method of course has its advantages. As I mentioned here, it is precise and clear, and I believe it’s much better than inductive methods. But what makes students think traditional method is boring or unpleasant, is that they think they’re supposed to only memorize these rules, while these have to use these rules and guidelines practically. Once these rules are only memorized, they’re useless. But, if the teacher provides chances for students to use grammar in action, then it would be effective, even more than inductive methods.
Unlike inductive methods that offer grammatical lessons scattered and unorderly, traditional method classifies grammar lessons, and I think, when lessons are in order and classified, they can be learnt much faster.
Strictness of traditional method is undeniable. It bores typical student, because it requires higher level of intelligence to understand how one can benefit this efficient way of teaching. All of us, in this class have learned grammar with traditional method of teaching, like all the other students in this country. But what is the difference? We were more eager to learn English and get the most out of our books and teachers, and used what we learned practically, rather than only memorizing them to gain points.
In other words, traditional method works