1. The role of grammar

Which of the statements do you agree with? Work individually first and then discuss the statements in groups.

— Knowing grammar rules guarantees successful communication.

— Grammar is something complicated and boring.

— A person can use grammar without learning rules (e.g. as children do).

— Making students aware of grammatical information helps them to master a foreign language.

— You don't need to learn grammar to communicate successfully.

— Learning grammar is a shortcut to mastering language use.

Share your group opinion with the rest of the class.

2. Form, meaning and use

Analyse the structure. e.g. Look! He is running towards us. Present Progressive. Form: to be + verb + ing. Meaning: an action in progress at the present moment. Use: giving comment on a present action. Match terms with their definitions:

Form

Meaning

Use

is a concept a grammar item expresses.

is what a grammar item is made of.

is what a grammar item is used to do in a particular context.

Different methods and approaches treat these aspects of teaching grammar differently. In Audio-Lingual Method a teacher provides a model that Ss copy and learn through repetition. Meaning is often irrelevant, drills are mechanical. In Grammar-Translation Method rules are more important than meaning. There is little contextualisation of meaning. Communicative Language Teaching presupposes contextualisation and meaningful practice. Meaning and especially use are in focus.

3. Analysis of activities according to their focus on form, meaning and use (in groups) Focus on Form, Meaning or Use

Activity 1

Make questions from these sentences.

1. He argued with the director at every staff meeting.

2. James became head of his department.

3. They were very good tennis players.

4. He was working on his car last night.

5. I listened to music in the evenings when I was a student.

6. She went to Paris last June.

7. etc.

Activity 2

Answer the questions about the following sentences.

1. a) He stood up when I asked him to.

b) He didn't stand up until I asked him to.

Which of the speakers is annoyed?

2. a) The car stopped when the lights changed.

b) The car was stopping when the lights changed.

Which of the drivers is more careful?

3. a) He stopped to smoke.

b) He stopped smoking.

Which of the men takes better care of his health?

4. a) I used to live in this part of the town.

b) I'm used to living in this part of the town.

Which of the speakers still lives in this part of the town?

5. etc.

Activity 3

Has your life changed a lot at any time? Many people's lives change a lot - when they move house, get married, have children, get or change a job. Here's some information about changes in the life of Sabir Bandali, a London schoolboy who migrated from Uganda.

Fill in the gaps in the present or past tense.

In Uganda, I________in my father's shop. We_________African languages, Hindi and Gujarati. I ________ to school on foot in the early morning, and____________ home at lunch time. My teachers _________ strict and the students never _____________to each other in class. Etc.

Now tell a partner about changes in your life, and write them in 2 paragraphs like Sabir Bandali's story.