Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Faculdade de Letras
Ingls - Produo de Textos
Argumentative Essa
!lassroom Met"odolog
Pro#essor $er%ila &astos
'arina $elen &rugger
&elo $ori%onte( )* de de%em+ro de ),-.
Grammar Teac"ing is Im/ortant in t"e Ac0uisition o# Englis" as a 1econd
Language
1ome /eo/le +elieve t"at "earing native s/ea2ers tal2ing is enoug" to learn a second
language( "o3ever( a +asis is necessar in order to understand "o3 t"e structures o# t"e
language are #ormed4 &esides( native s/ea2ers commit mista2es during t"eir s/eec"es(
3"ic" can lead non-natives s/ea2s to ma2e t"e same mista2es i# t"e don5t "ave t"e
notion o# 3"at is and 3"at is not grammaticall acce/ta+le4
Man /eo/le reac"ed t"e conclusion t"at non-native s/ea2ers 3"o stud dee/l Englis"
grammar 2no3 more a+out its structure and rules t"an an average 6$ig" sc"ool student(
#or exam/le7 native s/ea2er4
Anot"er argument in #avor o# grammar teac"ing is t"at( i# a /erson needs a /rove t"at
"e8s"e "as /ro#icienc in Englis"( to travel a+road or #or academic /ur/oses( #or
exam/le( "e8s"e "as to ta2e a /ro#icienc test4 T"is 2ind o# test is com/osed manl +
9structure and 3ritten ex/ression9 0uestions( 3"ic" re0uires a "ig" level o# grammar
2no3ledge and 3riting s2ills4
Peo/le 3"o aren5t in #avor o# grammar teac"ing ma sa t"at ou can :ust read texts
3ritten + Englis" native s/ea2ers( translate t"em to get t"e main idea and 9co/9 t"e
3a t"e 3rite( +ut t"at 3ould /ro+a+l #ail in so man levels4 First o# all( to translate
ou need to "ave grammar 2no3ledge; second( t"e 3a a text is 3ritten ma var
according to its genre( its t"eme( its audience444 1o t"ere is not a guarantee t"at t"is
strateg is going to 3or24 Also( 3it"out understanding "o3 t"e structures are #ormed
and master t"e language( ou "ave no #reedom to develo/ our o3n 3a o# 3riting4
According to a stud made + Pa3et 1c"e##ler and Marcin !inciata and descri+ed in
t"eir article Explict grammar rules and L2 acquisition( ex/licit grammar rules can
contri+ute to 1LA 6second language ac0uisition74
&u 3"at is t"e di##erence +et3een ex/licit and im/licit grammar rules< Ellis 6apud
1c"ed##ler and !inciata( ),-,( / -.7 de#ines t"at=
Im/licit 2no3ledge is intuitive( /rocedural( sstematicall varia+le( and
automatic and t"us availa+le #or use in #luent un/lanned language use4
It is not ver+ali%a+le4 According to some t"eorists( it is onl learna+le
+e#ore learners reac" a critical age 6e4g4 /u+ert74
Ex/licit 2no3ledge is conscious( declarative( anomalous( and inconsistent
64 4 47 and is onl accessi+le t"roug" controlled /rocessing in /lanned
language use4 It is ver+ali%a+le( in 3"ic" case it entails semi-tec"nical or
tec"nical metalanguage4 Li2e an t/e o# #actual 2no3ledge( it is /otentiall
learna+le at an age4
T"roug" t"at de#inition( it is /ossi+le to #ind anot"er argument in #avor o# grammar
teac"ing( it is a//lica+le to an age; 3"ic" goes against t"e idea t"at /eo/le can deduce
"o3 t"e structures 3or2( until a certain age( c"ildren don5t "ave t"is ca/acit et4
T"ere#ore( in order to learn a second language /ro/erl( grammar is a necessar tool4
>e#erences
1!$EFFLE>( Pa3et ? !I@!IATA( Marcin4 Explicit grammar rules and L2
acquisition. ELT Aournal Bolume CD8- Aanuar ),--4 Ex#ord Universit Press4
ELLI1( >od4 Interpretation-Based grammar teaching. Tem/le Universit Aa/an4
1stem( Bol4 )-( @o4 -( / CF-G*4 Pergamon Press( -FF.