Teaching English Grammar and Vocabulary in ESOL (04/14/14)

Form-Focused Instruction within a communicative language framework can be very beneficial for L2 learners.  Ranging from explicit treatment of rules to noticing or consciousness-raising techniques, structured input for learners depends on the students, their purposes for learning the language and the context.

Brown (2007) explores "Grammar ... to teach or not to teach?" That is the question. Several variables affect the role of grammar in language teaching:

• Age
• Proficiency Level
• Educational Background
• Language Skills
• Style (learner's grammatical accuracy)
• Needs and Goals

The next question would be: "Exactly how should grammar be presented?"

Brown shares that an inductive approach is more appropriate for grammar instruction because it keeps with natural language acquisition, conforms more easily to interlanguage development, allows students to get a communicative feel and builds more intrinsic motivation, allowing students to discover rules rather than being told what they are.  Harmer (2007) might agree with Brown and add a little playtime in there, adapting games from TV and radio shows that encourage students to use target structures.

Language cannot be taught without some grammatical structures, and those cannot be discovered without vocabulary.  Once vocabulary is introduced, Harmer (2007) suggests that students practice the vocabulary and engage in games that reinforce the vocabulary learned.  The discussion about dictionaries as the greatest single resource for L2 learners, also revealed that  they are the least widely-used. Dictionaries contain information about vocabulary words, their uses, and how they operate.

In classical language instruction (from way back in the day), grammar and vocabulary were explicitly taught and drilled into students' heads.  When asked today what they may remember, many of them can only recall a few things.  (I personally polled people ages 50-70+). Students who have experienced grammar and vocabulary in interactive ways seem to have greater recall and express better sentiments to their language-learning experiences.  They are also considerably younger and have access to resources other than books.

Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language 

             pedagogy (3^rd edition). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching. Harlow, England: Pearson
            Longman.

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