Aspects of

Grammar Teaching

The Communication Process

(Roman Jakobson, 1960)

1. Context: the surroundings

2. Message: what is being emitted
3. Sender: the addresser
4. Receiver: the addressee
5. Channel: the way the message goes
through
6. Code: the agreement

Code
Language
Grammar

What are the issues

concerning teaching Grammar?
Many people, including language teachers, hear the word "grammar" and think of a fixed set of word
forms and rules of usage. They associate "good" grammar with the prestige forms of the language, such
as those used in writing and in formal oral presentations, and "bad" or "no" grammar with the language
used in everyday conversation or used by speakers of non-prestige forms. Language teachers who
adopt this definition focus on grammar as a set of forms and rules. They teach grammar by explaining
the forms and rules and then drilling students on them. This results in bored, disaffected students who
can produce correct forms on exercises and tests, but consistently make errors when they try to use the
language in context.
Other language teachers, influenced by recent theoretical work on the difference between language
learning and language acquisition, tend not to teach grammar at all. Believing that children acquire
their first language without overt grammar instruction, they expect students to learn their second
language the same way. They assume that students will absorb grammar rules as they hear, read, and
use the language in communication activities. This approach does not allow students to use one of the
major tools they have as learners: their active understanding of what grammar is and how it works in
the language they already know.

Norms
And
Regulations

Fluency
Development

What have you been

doing to teach
Grammar?

Use Semiotics!

pencil

lpis

crayon

Use Semiotics!
something from the past
that affects the present

Mixed Conditional II

Condicional Mista II

[if + past perfect] +

[would, could, should, might]

[se + tivesse feito] +

[iria, poderia, deveria]

If you had finished this,

you could be free now.

Se voc tivesse finalizado isso,

voc poderia estar livre agora.

Explain the process!

Simplify!
PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect tense is used for past events when the exact time is not
mentioned either because it is not known or it is not important. The emphasis is on
the fact that the events happened before the time of speaking. It is also used for
recent events that have a result in or an effect on the present moment. It is used to
express actions happening in an incomplete period of time. An incomplete period is
one that includes the present moment, that is, the time of speaking. This period can
be implied or expressed with a time expression. Note that some time expressions
(e.g.this morning, recentlyandlately) may refer to either a completed or an
incomplete period of time depending on the context and whether or not the time of
speaking is included in the given period.

Simplify!
PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect tense is used for past events when the exact time is not
mentioned either because it is not known or it is not important. The emphasis is on
the fact that the events happened before the time of speaking. It is also used for
recent events that have a result in or an effect on the present moment. It is used to
express actions happening in an incomplete period of time. An incomplete period is
one that includes the present moment, that is, the time of speaking. This period can
be implied or expressed with a time expression. Note that some time expressions
(e.g.this morning, recentlyandlately) may refer to either a completed or an
incomplete period of time depending on the context and whether or not the time of
speaking is included in the given period.

Simplify!
PRESENT PERFECT
2 TYPES OF PAST:
CLOSURE SIMPLE PAST
NO CLOSURE PRESENT PERFECT
I saw him recently. I have just seen him.
I didnt shave today. I havent shaved today.
Did you stay at your uncles? Have you stayed at your uncles?

Use formulas!

How will you teach Grammar

from now on?

One last tip: