The role of grammar in communicative language teaching

The role of grammar in communicative language teaching Dr. James F. Lee Indiana University

Dr. James F. Lee is Associate Professor of Spanish in the department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University. He serves as Director of both the Spanish Language Instruction and MA and PhD programs in Hispanic Linguistics. He has published quite widely in the areas of second language reading instruction. He has co-authored several language textbooks. With Bill VanPatten, he wrote Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen and co-edits the McGraw-Hill Second Language Professional Series. His new book, "Tasks and Communicating in Language Classrooms, " will be published next year as will a co-edited volume with Albert Valdman, "Form and Meaning, Multiple Perspectives."

"Steve Krashen and Tracy Terrell long ago brought to our professional attention the notion of comprehensible input. Although comprehensible input alone is not sufficient to cause second language acquisition, it is an absolutely necessary ingredient. Learners need to be exposed to the target language.

We still talk about comprehensible input, but the discussion has also come to include talk of interactionally modified input as well as structured input. We talk about these other types of input because we have come to realize that in communicative language teaching, the question is NOT, Should we or shouldn't we teach grammar? But rather, HOW should we teach grammar? WHEN should we teach grammar? WHAT grammar should we teach?

In the work that I have done with Bill VanPatten, in particular our book, Making Communicative Language Teaching Happen, we talk about grammar learning or grammar acquisition as establishing form-meaning connections. I'll explain. To comprehend is to extract the content from it for the purpose of interpreting its message. As Diane mentions, it is one of the three component parts of what it means to communicate. To make form meaning connections from the input is to link a piece of the grammar with its meaning for the purpose of building up a second language grammatical system. For example, learners of Spanish must come to link an accented ó at the end of a verb with, past. They must link the word nos in preverbal position with the concept of reciprocity, nos means each other.

How do we help learners make form meaning connections? One approach to teaching grammar in language classrooms, which as you will hear is interventionist, is the following.

First, explain the targeted form to the learners. Present the structure and its communicative function. Second, practice making form-meaning connections using structured input activities. Then, practice accessing the developing grammatical system, which is in the learners' heads, using structured output activities. Finally, engage the learners in information-exchange activities.

During the teleconference we will have the opportunity to examine these ideas, especially structured input, more closely."

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