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Some interesting issues raised by M. SWAN in his conference
Here are my comments on
some interesting issues raised by M SWAN in his conference. Thanks again MAR for sharing.
I more or less
agree with everything, except a couple of ideas,
1 * Bad reasons for teaching grammar
-because it�s good for the character
-because it gives us power
Not only are these 2 points
less clear to me, but can�t we say the same for other aspects of English,
vocabulary, pronunciation, for example?
2 * The quantity, how much to teach,
will really depend on the setting
Some of my adult learners
really insist and ask for more grammar lessons, yet others would ironically say,
�No Thank you.. It is n�t our priority�,
and as it is a private context, the client pays, I have to adapt�
3 * The examples given, namely the plural of child, the final �s� are things you can teach all
your life, still nothing guarantees that the learners will no longer make mistakes.
They have all interiorized this sort of rule.. they all know it, but just fail
to use it when it comes to practice
4 * I particularly liked the
advice �be realistic� regarding
quality
I have sometimes spent
long semesters teaching university students a specific module exclusively
related to �Grammar� where we try to
cover as many issues as we can
The following year however
I have the same students in a writing moduleand I am often frustrated to see the quantity of grammar mistakes they
still produce
5 * As to students� questions, I would even add to the importance of answering them, the necessity for the teacher to ask his students, from time to time,
whether there are questions.
6 * Regarding Swan�s idea on explanation�in the mother
tongue if at all possible� I really think
this should be done only with beginners and preferably let alearner who have understood do it � there is
always someone-
I just can�t see myself
using the native language with upper intermediate or advanced levels, for
example, no matter how complex the issue is. I will always remember one of my
advanced learners who, a few years ago, objected,
nicely, to my explaining a verb forms point in French, and said �in English please�
Using the native language
should really be the last resort, contrary to what most colleagues do here in
France, for example, (almost everything is explained in French, add to that
systematic translation....)
7 * Explanations need to be short Again that will depend on who you are teaching and, above all, what you
are teaching. How can you make it short when you have to devote a whole lesson to complex issues like �phrasal verbs� for example
8 * The examples should be authentic... Yes, yes, yes.
That is why I sometimes
have to change the examples in some of the grammar ESL printables. They were
designed for kids or younger learners and I deal with adults, in a professional setting
9 * And finally grammar, indeed, does not have to be
grey.... I very often use resources like the excellent photocopiable �grammar with laughter�,where grammar problems are dealt with
differently
Thank
you all for taking the time to read my post and have an excellent day
Some points might be more difficult to understand because you only have a summary here.
He explained each point very clearly and gave great examples and also showed a great sense of humour.
Of course as I said, I can �t write down every word he said (I wish I could, he spoke non-stop for more than an hour and a half) but I can assure you he had plenty of reasons for each point.
2. Yes I see your point here that private students are `the boss` but isn`t it our responsibility to at least inform them that if they focus on grammar, they lose opportunities to develop fluency, it`s a balance. When they ask for grammar lessons, I prefer to assess, do they really NEED grammar and which grammar do they really NEED? And then I explain my assessment and they usually agree with me.
In addition, in the context I teach, many people have had years of grammar and vocabulary with the Grammar Translation method, where they listen passively and write everything the teacher says or writes (in Turkish of course) with virtually no communicative component. They equate grammar lessons with being passive, so I have learned that asking for grammar might mean they are tired, or feel uncertain of their progress and they need something concrete like a grammar test to make them feel a sense of accomplishment, or , or, etc. If they aren`t able to ask a specific grammar question that they have been wondering about, then I usually look for what the real reason is for their request. What does `I want more grammar mean?`
By the way, thanks to Mar for the summary and thanks to Brahim for initiating discussion. I look forward to other comments.
I find that grammar is best taught when needed and then applied to real life situations in class...if possible...
Also,
I like to "sneak" grammar in without them realising too much what it is
I am tring to do since I have way too many adults that want just
"conversation classes" BUT neither have the vocabulary or the knowledge
to do so and in my experience - you can �t make a sentence without, at
least, a very basic understanding of how a sentence in English (or any
other language for that matter) is formed...
But anyways, it is always interesting to read new ideas and methods.
Thank you very much (Zora and Freddie) for the quality of your exchanges.
FREDDIE: I totally agree with you Freddie, it is our responsibility as teachers to give our learners the best pedagogical advice, to inform them that all the skills are interrelated... etc etc This is obviously what I always do But believe me in this private setting, in companies, with adults / employees you really need to be flexible... They are very demanding and more or less know what they want.
ZORA: This is what I experience each semester in my evening lessons, where adults would always ask for "conversation classes ONLY" though they lack much grammar and vocabulary
