Grammar and its place in Japanese Classroom

Rob Waring waring_robert@yahoo.com

The task at hand

In order to learn the language Japanese learners need:-

Grammar / syntaxThe abstract patterns underlying how words go together.

Word orderSubject + verb + objectJohn bought a cakeThe man closed the shop

Tenses be auxiliary + subject + verb-ingIs she working? Subject +have auxiliary +past participleWe have won!

Etc.

Words and their collocationsblonde hair vs. yellow hairgreat surprise vs. large surpriserenovate a building vs. renew a buildingmake a mistake vs. do a mistake

Colligationdepend on someone give something to someonelook after a friend take something back from someone

The grey areaIn a manner of speaking, What I found most interesting was …If only I’d …… I know what you mean.Not only …… but also ……….. It’s as good as newI really shouldn’t tell you this, but … Well, as I was saying …To put it bluntly,… The fact of the matter is that …..

Research into language tells us that

1. Text books tend to treat each aspect of grammar as somehow equal, but ….80% of tense use in English is either the present simple tense or the past simple tense95% of the use of verbs in conversation are active, 5% passive18% of verbs in academic text are passiveThe present perfect tense is 9 times more frequent that the past perfect in conversation

Simple tenses are 8-9 times more common than progressive or perfect tenses in almost all genres.

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2. Some grammar is late (or never) acquiredArticlesThird person ‘s’

3. Grammar which exists in Japanese will likely be learned before grammar features that are not in Japanese.

4. Students pick up grammar slowly and incrementally (not all at once).

5. A lot of grammar learning has a ‘delayed learning effect’

6. There are stages of learning of some grammar features. E.g. the learning of negatives.

Where’s the book?

Ability levelbeginner

advanced

…………..No book. No. Book. No!Me no book. I no bookHim not book I no have book Takeshi no has bookHe not have book. He doesn’t book.I doesn’t have book. He don’t have book.I don’t have the book.

- silence or gesture- no verb or subject- subject given (often wrongly) but no verb- no verb but use of ‘not’, often wrong subject- verb used often incorrectly- not plus incorrect verb- often the wrong auxiliary- correct form

There are similar patterns for forming questions, relative clauses, passives, tenses etc. The point is that the elements of the grammar are picked up in pieces as each aspect is recognized,

not as wholes. It will take time to go through the stages. When we test students we only test for ‘correct’ language. Tests do not assess the movement /

development between stages.

7. Students avoid tenses and verbs like the plague.What did you do yesterday? I shopping go Kobe, with friend

I buy dress I go KobeI buyed dress I goed KobeI bought a dress I went Kobe (wented)

I went to Kobe

8. A lot of what is tested on Entrance tests is NOT ‘grammar’. Note that it’s impossible to teach what is on an entrance test because the students haven’t seen it yet. It’s a waste of time to teach things that ‘may’ be on the test because there’s a very good chance they won’t be. Spend time on preparing them to communicate in English

9. Not all grammar is equal some is more useful that others My brother is sick It is my brother that is sick.

If I had known …. Had it been that I had known ….

10. ‘Advanced grammar’ does not necessarily make you sound ‘better’ or more ‘native-like’

Never before had I seen such a beautiful girl Had I not found my key I would not have arrived in time

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Were I 10 years younger, I’d take up soccer again

11. Teach grammar ‘lexically’ sometimes

On my way to work I… I’m afraid I don’t agreeI was in two minds That’s just not trueBy the end of the week It looks as if …….. is going to …….I’ll just get my…… I don’t suppose you’ve………

How easy is it to learn grammar?

The case of the present perfect tense

The government has created a new committee to …He hasn’t seen her for a while.Why haven’t you done your homework?Have you seen Jane?There’s been a big accident in Market street.They’ve been building the stadium for a long time.Have you got any brothers and sisters?

The present perfect tense varies bySubject: government, he, you, there etc.Object: committee, homework, Jane, him.Aspect: e.g. present perfect for experience, - have you ever …. present perfect for news A plane has crashed into….Active or passive: The Reds have won …. Vs. The title has been captured by …Question, negative and declarative forms:

Have you done…? They haven’t tried … I’ve just come back from Paris

Simple or continuousI have lived in Japan for 10 yearsI have been living in Japan for 10 years

Looking at Japanese student errors

The childs are playing in parkI like dogI came from JapaneseHe goed to Kobe yesterdayLast weekend I played with my friends

Their mistakes are often consistent. Students seem to invent a ‘working grammar’ which they use to speak English But students often consistently make the same kinds of mistakes at the same level of

development They have created a grammar which works for them, which is not all English and not all

Japanese, it’s a ‘between’ grammar. This is called interlanguage.

Implications of the above for Japanese learners

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1. There is too much ‘grammar’ to learn2. They won’t learn all they need to know about a grammar feature the first time you teach it3. They need to meet each feature hundreds, if not thousands, of times to learn it4. Students forget5. We must make sure they meet the grammar very very often6. we should not expect immediate production of anything new we are teaching7. Teachers should be patient about allowing them to go through stages.8. because they don’t learn something does not mean you are a bad teacher9. Students WILL make mistakes – its unavoidable10. Students will take time to get rid of their mistakes, we must be patient11. Not every one will learn grammar at the same speed.12. We must ensure the right balance of activities to ensure. 13. We must give them chances to move through the stages (give them speaking and writing

opportunities to allow them to ‘push’ their learning.14. Knowing about a grammar feature is NOT THE SAME as being able to use it15. Testing grammar is not the same as teaching it or learning it.

When should we start to teach grammar?

1. Grammar is difficult to ‘get’2. Most first year Junior High School students’ brains are still receptive to ‘child like learning’3. The majority of JHS 1st year students are at least positive about learning English4. By the end of first year most are not and will remain so forever5. JHS 1st year students often are not able to think very analytically and logically about abstract

things e.g. word order, tense formation6. It’s best to avoid much grammar early. Give them vocabulary to fit into generative sentence

patternsI like ……. I like …ing

Do you want ….? Have you ever ……-ed?How many …….s do you have?

7. Avoid the use of too much terminology8. Don’t make it feel like maths9. Ensure that grammar is taught in meaningful and useful situations with the aim of helping them to

say things, not to pass tests.

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Section 2. Teaching grammar.

Important difference. Learning about grammar and learning to use grammar communicatively.

Learning about grammar.

Type 1 exercise: demonstration box

New Interchange 1: CUP

Eastwood and Makin: A basic grammar of English: Oxford.

Type 2: ‘Form’ demonstration box

Essential grammar in use

Type 3: Checking the form practice exercise.

Essential grammar in use: CUP

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Type 4: Controlled drill

New Interchange 1: CUP

Ways to present grammar

A. Checking understanding – concept questions

I used to play the piano.

Does he play the piano now? NoDid he play the piano before? YesHas he stopped playing the piano? Yes

Now you try. Think of concept questions for these.

The rule for the use of present perfect of past tense.She went to bed at 10.00The train had left when he got to the station.

B. Inductive vs deductive Inductive (They have to find the rules for themselves)

Why do we use be going to or will?A: Do you have any plans for the weekend?B: Yes, I’m going to watch a movie with Keiko. How about you?A: I haven’t decided, but maybe I’ll stay home.

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Deductive. (Tell them what the rule is)

Going to is a way to talk about future time. We use the auxiliary verb be before it and the base form after it.

1 Formationbe going to + BASE FORM

STATEMENTS She is going to have a baby.I'm really going to try hard.

QUESTIONS When are you going to see him?What were you going to say?Is he going to be at home tonight?

2 Usea future intention

John says he's going to be an engineer when he grows up. (This is what he wants to be.) Are you going to watch the film this evening? I'm going to speak to him about it. (I have already decided to do this.)

b near future prediction He's going to have an accident if he's not careful. (He's driving very dangerously nowOh dear! I think I'm going to be sick. (I feel a little ill already.)

C. Using timelines

1. I’m going to watch a movie with Keiko tonight

Talked with talking movie Keiko now

Past Now Tonight

2. I’ve been living in Japan for 14 years

NowArrived 1990

continue to live

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3a. The train left when he arrived

He arrived The train left

Past Now

3b. The train had left when he arrived

The train left He arrived

Past Now

Make a time line for these

I’m reading the latest Harry Potter book. (every night before I go to sleep)

He was watching TV when the phone rang.

D. Mistakes as presentation

I have ever been to TokyoThe government has been opening a new stadiumI have ever seen Disneyland

It’s best to deal with one kind of mistake rather than many at the same time.e.g. past tense formation mistakes

past perfect vs past simple

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