Learn English
Paul Braddock recently wrote an interesting post about grammar lessons for teachers, following an #eltchat on teacher development. I commented that at my first school I had grammar lessons every Friday during the first term. I found this helpful, although it was basically elementary to intermediate level stuff, the basics that we eventually pick up having taught them a few times.
As I reflected on all this I couldn't help realising that here I was, CELTA and DELTA qualified with eight years experience and currently doing an MA, but I have had approximately 12 hours of grammar lessons. Now while grammar is not the be all and end all of language teaching, I can't help thinking that there's something wrong. The ins and outs of the English grammar system should be extremely well understood by all those attempting to teach the language, shouldn't it?
I worry about the fact that when I get into reading about syntax and morphology, discourse analysis, noun phrases and adjectivals, synonyms and hyponyms I find it confusing and often find myself reaching for the dictionary. I know that a lot of the in depth knowledge is not necessarily going to be passed on to students, but surely the point is that understanding the language helps a teacher explain things as well as understand what is wrong and why. The fact that there are jokes about avoiding students' difficult questions isn't anything to be proud of as a profession, surely? You know - "Just tell them you'll speak to them about it later, or next class. They'll probably forget about it!" I even remember this cropping up in classroom management seminars.
But does this really matter? How much do we really need to know in order to teach English?
Certainly it depends on the levels you are teaching. An elementary class requires different skills to say, a proficiency exam group, but the proficiency group could flummox many teachers with their linguistic knowledge and metalanguage, is that ok? If you've had the opportunity to be involved in teacher development, particularly with observations, you must have seen teachers tying themselves in knots trying to present a grammar point or answer a student's grammatical questions. It's bound to have happened to everyone at some point (it certainly has to me!), but better training would mean that it wouldn't happen, or certainly not as often.
I suppose my point is that it's very common for English teachers - mainly NESTs - who simply don't know much about what they are trying to teach, which can't possibly be right. Also, most development is focussed not on the 'what' but the 'how'. I can't help believing that there are many teachers who are adept at teaching a subject they don't really know very much about!
What do you reckon? Have you had any grammar instruction or did you learn 'on the job'? How could we factor in more language learning into development for new teachers? Do we need to?
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Learn English
Grammar Lessons
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| You can't touch this! |
As I reflected on all this I couldn't help realising that here I was, CELTA and DELTA qualified with eight years experience and currently doing an MA, but I have had approximately 12 hours of grammar lessons. Now while grammar is not the be all and end all of language teaching, I can't help thinking that there's something wrong. The ins and outs of the English grammar system should be extremely well understood by all those attempting to teach the language, shouldn't it?
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| So. A modal auxiliary is... |
But does this really matter? How much do we really need to know in order to teach English?
Certainly it depends on the levels you are teaching. An elementary class requires different skills to say, a proficiency exam group, but the proficiency group could flummox many teachers with their linguistic knowledge and metalanguage, is that ok? If you've had the opportunity to be involved in teacher development, particularly with observations, you must have seen teachers tying themselves in knots trying to present a grammar point or answer a student's grammatical questions. It's bound to have happened to everyone at some point (it certainly has to me!), but better training would mean that it wouldn't happen, or certainly not as often.
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| I is getting me one of this! |
What do you reckon? Have you had any grammar instruction or did you learn 'on the job'? How could we factor in more language learning into development for new teachers? Do we need to?
- 5 Ways To Boost Your Grammar Skills
Learning English relies on mastering a complex series of definitions, principles, and rules about how everything fits together. As is the case in other languages; grammar represents the rules used to craft meaningful passages. Teachers use a variety of...
- Teachitworld - English Language Teaching Resources
Are you an English teacher? Are you looking for interesting material for your classes? New ideas? Teachitworld.com is the Web page that will surely help you. It contains hundreds of innovative ideas and documents in English for your classes, which will...
- To Teach Or Not To Teach Grammar? - That Is The Eternal Question
This morning, while browsing around the net, I stopped on an ESL forum post that called my attention and made me think: "I think that grammar is useless for learning to speak fluently...what do you think?" someone said.This topic has been quite controversial...
- Reflections Of A Language Learner #1
I've recently started attending a Spanish class once a week. It's pitched at pre-intermediate level, which seems fine for me, although I'm a bit of a 'level-freak' really. I've decided to write some thoughts on my experiences of...
- Grammar - Is It A Dirty Word?
The #eltchat discussion today was about grammar - if, what, how, when etc etc. It never ceases to amaze me how many differing opinions there are amongst teachers on every single argument regarding grammar. However, read up on the subject academically...