TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR

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                                                  TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR 

INTRODUCTION: 

 Grammar is a descriptive science that describes structures of sentence function of words and their relation to one another at a particular period and of a particular group of people. Grammar is the sum total of rules and regulations of the language. 

TWO FORMS OF GRAMMAR:

 1. Prescriptive Grammar: Prescriptive grammar prescribes rules for the language to be used and it is taught in a formal way.so it is called formal grammar or traditional type of grammar. It is theoretical grammar dealing with the definitions and rules of the language. In this type of grammar, there are a set of rules. The learners are made to learn the rules first for the formation of tenses, words etc. Any departure from the rule is not allowed. This type of grammar aims at correct English rather than current English and the grammarians do not consider the fact that the language is ever-changing and so ever-growing and they ignore speech. The rules and definitions in English are not always accurate. For example, Plurals are formed in English by adding „s‟, ‟es‟ and „ies. But this does not hold good in the case of words like a child, goose, wood etc. 

2. Descriptive grammar. Descriptive Grammar This grammar describes rather than prescribes. It states how native speakers use the language. This type of grammar is also called functional grammar or incidental grammar. Descriptive grammar is learnt by the students quite unconsciously while learning the language. Here language learning is the first concern of the learner ad knowing the rules and regulations is only the secondary concern. Whatever grammar the learner picks up becomes an integral part of their knowledge. This type of grammar takes into fact that language is ever-changing and growing. Though the rules of language are set, changes in the rules are allowed. It recognises that English has formal and informal styles of speech and writing and it takes into account the current English in use. 

APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING GRAMMAR

 Inductive and deductive are the two approaches to teaching grammar. In the deductive approach, first, the grammar rules are presented to the learner and examples illustrating the rules are given later. Learners memorise the rules with more examples. Prescriptive grammarians advocate this approach presents the examples first and then encourages the learners to discover the rules from the examples. 

FORMAL GRAMMAR:

 Formal grammar is the grammar taught in a formal way. It is called prescriptive Grammar or traditional grammar. It is the theoretical grammar that deals with the definitions and rules of the language. Formal grammar is the theory of a language. It deals with grammatical terms like nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. It prescribes rules according to which these parts of speech have to be used. Analysis of sentences and naming the parts and transformation are the common exercises given to students. Thus grammar is about all aspects of the language and its use. 

FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR: 

 It is also called as incidental grammar. This type of grammar is learnt by the students quite unconsciously while learning the language. Here language learning rules and regulations are the secondary concern. Whatever grammar they pick up becomes an integral part of their knowledge. 

METHODS OF TEACHING GRAMMAR: 

 There are two methods to teach grammar. One way of teaching grammar is by giving examples to students and forming the examples, the rules are induced. This approach is called inductive. There is another way of teaching grammar which is called the deductive method. In this method, the teacher tells the rules to the students and they apply those rules while learning sentences.

 MERITS IN TEACHING GRAMMAR: 

 Grammar is an important tool to express feelings and thoughts in a language. Teaching Grammar has the following merits. So far correct expression in language is concerned grammar is essential. Language is a complex system. It must have logic, a grammar behind it. Grammar teaching is essential for proceeding from the concrete to the abstract. It gives an insight into the structure of the language. It is a systemized knowledge of a language. It provides criteria for judging the correctness of language. It is a theory of language. It is very important in Writing. It helps in developing many mental abilities such as reasoning observation and concentration. 

TRADITIONAL METHOD OF GRAMMAR: 

 In teaching the traditional method of grammar, a textbook on Grammar is used. It contains definitions, rules examples and exercises. The teacher states a definition or rule for example noun is the name of a person, place or thing, and gives examples of nouns. Then he gives an exercise and asks the students to point out the nouns in it. The pupils have to memorize the definition of nouns. The same process is followed for teaching the other parts of speech. When the students have learnt them well, the teacher introduces them to rules regarding the change of masculine nouns to feminine nouns, transformation and analysis of the sentence, change of voice of narration etc.., Students commit these rules to memory and solve the exercises given in the textbooks on grammar.

 OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR: OBJECTIVES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR:

 1. To develop an understanding of the rules of grammar. 

2. To develop a scientific attitude towards language.

 3. To develop insight into the structure of language. 

4. To enable their students to assimilate the correct Patterns of the language without rote memorization. 

5. To develop the student's mental abilities of reasoning ad correct observation. 

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR:

 1. In the beginning stage, there should not be a separate grammar book.Let the pupils unconsciously absorb the grammatical items contained in the textbook. 

2. Teaching grammar should not begin with abstract statements of grammatical principles. 

3. The students should be encouraged to make up their own examples.

 4. It is the meaning which matters most. So attention should be paid to the meaning of the structure rather than to grammatical points Unless they are inferring with communication of meaning. 

5. Grammar should not be taught as an intellectual exercise for students. The aim should be to make them skilful users of the language. 

6. The teacher should introduce an inquiring approach to enable the students to search and investigate about grammatical problems

 TECHNIQUES ARE USED FOR TEACHING GRAMMAR : 

 At the Primary level or at the KG level, whenever English is introduced, all singular countable nouns must be taught with a / an. Unfortunately, most primers present the words along with the pictures but without a/an. There is an interesting way of teaching the letters of the alphabet. A is an actor.A is an ant too. B is banter. B is a bear too. This sort of presentation makes the learning of a / a part of the English word.The names of professions ( quite a few are used in the child‟s mother tongue too) and animals and insects can be taught. Interesting stories can be used for teaching a, an and the; 

 Once there was ______ mouse. ______mouse was always in anxiety because like all other mice it was afraid of class. 

1.What is a young cow called ?_________ 

2. What is a young cat called? __________ 

3. Bottles are made of ___________ Shakespeare ______ (is or was) _______ 

What is the difference between is and was? There is a difference in meaning. 

What is it? Headlines from dailies can be used for teaching a/ an/ the. Structure are asked to expand the headlines into full sentences: Students can also be asked why newspaper headlines appear shortened. Students can also be asked to reduce full sentences and prepare telegraphic messages. Students can be asked to prepare a shopping list for the house or for any function in the school during the school day. Pairs of sentences like the following can be used to teach the difference in meaning: 1._______ is costlier than wheat. Pairs like rest, a rest, reason, play a game, drama, play, bread, a leaf, work, a job, speech, a speech; a study a lesson etc...., Can be used in sentences to bring out the difference in meaning. 

CONCLUSION;

A good English teacher should not commit himself to one type of grammar or one particular approach to teaching grammar but should select what is best suited for his purpose in the classroom.He should have his own approach based on a synthesis of the insight he has acquired from his study of the different approaches to the teaching of grammar

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