Methodological recommendations for teaching grammar and improving grammar skills

Аннотация

The subject of the research of this work is an actual problem of modern methodology: the use of a communicative approach, new information and pedagogical technologies in teaching English grammar. This problem is considered in a complex perspective, i.e., first, the theoretical validity of the effectiveness of the use of communicative and new pedagogical technologies in explaining new grammatical material is given, and then the ways of their use are listed, depending on the learning goals. Key words: grammar, teaching process, communicative activities, modern methods, improvement, methodological recommendations. There are a number of reasons why there occur different concepts about “grammar” when one comes across this term. While it is perceived as a part of Linguistics in the course of mother tongue at the secondary school, in teaching/learning foreign language it is considered to be the grammatical side of the speech. According to various scientific sources the world “grammar” could be limited in two notions: 1) the grammatical side of the speech – structural organization of ideas in speaking, listening, reading and writing e.g., using articles; speech patterns; verb forms of the person adequately to the context) and (grammar phenomenon and abstractions e.g., the first place of the subject in the sentence; the plural form of the noun). There is a wealth of literature on methodology where one can see such terms as acquiring “grammar mechanisms” as developing grammar subskills and others. The term “mechanism” is used to describe the events in action/ it is more decent to use in short “grammar mechanisms” than “using grammar elements in speech activity”. The process of acquisition of the grammar mechanisms is divided into three parts: 1) acquiring grammar actions; 2) studying the suggested material; 3) mastering grammar generalizations [1, p. 79]. Grammar actions have the leading position in the grammar mechanisms of speech. Assimilation of grammar actions is classified by the formation of automatized subskills of speech grammar. Learning the suggested material of grammar is defined by memorizing grammar forms. Memorizing and using nations and rules are called as generalization mastering. The study of the suggested material is called learning grammar units of the foreign language, mastering grammar actions, i.e. developing subskills. Linking (auxiliary) words and grammar morphemes are learned as a material whilst changing words, word combinations and adhering word order are acquired as subskill. The notion of grammar material is not a form of grammar phenomenon. The term “form” is associated with the structure of a sentence or a word construction in the plan of the content and expression. Thus teaching English grammar is associated with assimilation of grammar mechanisms. The active and passive grammar had been the matter of discussion for a long period. The active grammar means grammar phenomena used in reproductive as well as in reproductive speech. In some sources the active grammar is called as “grammar of speaking”. 292 The nation of passive grammar, according to the methodological doctrine of L.V.Sherba, consists of grammar phenomena and their abstraction used in speech perception (reading, listening). Grammar rules of the English language in our brains should be so automatic and familiar to us as to native speakers that we should know when the rules are being violated. Micro-form, micro-meaning and micro-usage are recognized as the unit of grammar selection. The grammar phenomena for the oral speech of the learners are selected from the real live speech of foreign native speakers and fictions. The resource of selection active grammar is the spoken literary language. Passive grammar minimum is selected from the written texts for students’ receptive speech development. Active and passive minima do not differ very much as in vocabulary (active minimum is in the passive input), active minimum is selected for all stages of the secondary schools and passive grammar minimum is selected only for lyceums and colleges – for advanced students. The formation of grammar minima directly deals with the speech themes and vocabulary minima which impact on the grammar selection. The methodological criteria in preparation of educational grammar are classified as follow. Criteria of selecting active grammar minimum: 1. Criterion of prevalence of grammar phenomena in oral and written speech. The most frequent phenomena in people’s speech are “picked up” from the all grammar system or material. 2. Criterion of being grammar unit a sample. It requires the ability to developing grammar subskills through given samples (e.g., building noun, adjective, adverb with the help of suffixes). 3. Criterion of isolation of mono-semantic facts. With the aim to prevent difficulties the most frequent and stylistically appropriate units are selected, but only one of the grammar from to excluding synonyms is selected. Criteria of selecting p