1. Montse Irun
University of Lleida

2. What is grammar?
• This is 268770068. We’re not at home right
now. Please leave a message after the beep.
• We’re not at home right now. This is
268770068. Please leave a message after the
beep.
• Right now at home we’re not.

3. What is grammar?
• The study of what
forms are possible
in a language.

4. Is this odd?
This is 268770068. We’re
at home right now. Please
leave a message after the
beep.
Tickets!
Where daddy?

5. Spoken or written grammar?
• Had to laugh, though.
• Want a ciggie?
• The guy that made it,
he was telling me, he
doesn’t eat it himself.
• I would not interrumpt
while others guests are
dining.

6. Grammar syllabuses
Selection and grading Usefulness and frequency
• Complexity
• Learnability
• Teachability

7. What is grammar?

8. WHY TEACH GRAMMAR?

9. Reasons for
• The fine tuning argument
• The learner expectation argument
• The fosilization argument
• The advance argument

10. Reasons against
• The communication argument
• The natural order argument
• The lexical chunks argument
• The knowledge how argument

11. HOW TO TEACH GRAMMAR

12. Inductive approach
(discovery learning)
example
rule

13. Deductive approach
(rule-driven learning)
rule
example

14. Text and context
text
rule

15. Rules
• The rule of context: teach grammar in context
• The rule of use: teach grammar to facilitate
comprehension and production of language
• The rule of economy: economise on presentation.
Maximum practice
• The rule of relevance: teach grammar students have
problems with
• The rule of nurture: teach grammar cyclically
• The rule of aproppriacy: teach grammar according to
level, interests, expectations and learning styles