Book contents
- Doing English Grammar
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Doing English Grammar
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figure
- Tables
- Editors’ Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The Place of Grammar
- 2 What Is Grammar?
- 3 The Need for New Descriptions
- 4 Working with Terminology
- 5 Issues in Grammatical Description
- 6 Grammar in Operation
- 7 Case Study 1
- 8 Case Study 2
- 9 Case Study 3
- 10 Case Study 4
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Index
- References
1 - The Place of Grammar
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 March 2021
- Doing English Grammar
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Doing English Grammar
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figure
- Tables
- Editors’ Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The Place of Grammar
- 2 What Is Grammar?
- 3 The Need for New Descriptions
- 4 Working with Terminology
- 5 Issues in Grammatical Description
- 6 Grammar in Operation
- 7 Case Study 1
- 8 Case Study 2
- 9 Case Study 3
- 10 Case Study 4
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Index
- References
Summary
The chapter begins with a brief discussion of attitudes towards grammar among the various constituencies concerned with it, before going on to establish the relevance of grammar teaching by confronting two trends that in the past fifty years have challenged its relevance: firstly, the movement towards a more communicative approach to language teaching, and secondly, research into second language acquisition (which claimed that what learners learnt was not what teachers taught). While results from the latter initially supported the case against grammar, the modern consensus is that formal instruction can be helpful given the right circumstances. As regards the former, it is pointed out that despite its unpopularity in educational circles, grammar has continued to play a central role in many classrooms. The chapter concludes with a discussion of an area which has not been in dispute: the need for teacher grammatical awareness.
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- Information
- Doing English GrammarTheory, Description and Practice, pp. 3 - 16Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021