Teaching French Grammar in Context: Theory and Practice / Edition 1

by Stacey L. Katz, Carl S. Blyth

Overview

“Something needs to be done about grammar.”  Katz and Blyth have written this book with the hope of changing the way French instructors teach and conceive of grammar. Intended to help teachers and teacher trainers develop an understanding of French discourse that is grounded in recent theoretical and sociolinguistic research, this book is devoted to informing teachers-in-training, as well as experienced teachers, about cutting-edge methods for teaching grammar. It also describes the grammatical features of the French language in its social context. 

At the same time, it provides suggestions for applying such abstract knowledge in practical pedagogical ways, for example, how to structure grammatical explanations, devise classroom activities, and take advantage of resources that give students greater exposure to French as it is truly used in various discourse environments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300109511
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	10/28/2007
Edition description:	Bilingual
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Stacey L. Katz is associate professor of French at the University of Utah. Carl S. Blyth is associate professor of French at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of the Texas Language Technology Center.

Read an Excerpt

Teaching French Grammar in Context

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By Stacey L. Katz Carl S. Blyth
Yale University Press
Copyright © 2007 Yale University
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-300-10951-1

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Chapter One
Introduction

Have you ever found yourself in the following situation? You are teaching a French language class, and a student asks, "Why it is wrong to say J'aime des chats et des chiens?" You respond that one should say les chats and les chiens, citing the rule that after verbs of liking, disliking or preferring (the well-known aimer, adorer, détester, préférer list), one uses the definite article. The student then informs you that he does not like dogs and cats in general; he likes SOME dogs and SOME cats. Now, if you think quickly on your feet, you reply that one should then say certains chats and certains chiens. The truth is, though, you are not quite sure why des does not work in this context. If you are a novice instructor and you panic, you might even reply, "OK, well then, des would be acceptable." Yet you know in your heart that it is not. You just don't know why.

Perhaps you are a language program director or a course supervisor, and a teaching assistant asks which sentence is correct: Je ne sais pas de quoi tu as besoin, or Je ne sais pas ce dont tu as besoin. Both sound pretty good, and since you are not sure which one is actually "correct," you ask a few native French speakers. They too find them both acceptable and have no idea which structure is indeed prescriptively "right." So you pose the same question to your friendly departmental syntactician (if you are lucky enough to have one). He or she gets very excited and goes off into a long discussion about indirect questions and their use in the spoken language. You nod as though you are following, but actually you understand precious little. More discouraged after your conversation, you still do not know which form one should use.

If you can relate to the awkward situations just described, we have written this book for you. As TA trainers and applied linguists with a background in formal linguistics and sociolinguistics, we have come to the conclusion that something should be done about grammar. Instructors need resources that not only facilitate their teaching of French grammar but also help them come to a better understanding of how French grammar functions in discourse. If you are a literature specialist, or perhaps an applied linguist who has never studied French syntax, pragmatics, or sociolinguistics extensively, we want to help fill in the gaps. If you are a new TA and are overwhelmed by your students' questions, our goal is to enhance your understanding of French grammar. You will probably find that our approach is quite different from the methods you have seen before.

A common complaint we hear from colleagues is that while many recent French textbooks have made great strides in teaching reading, writing, vocabulary, and culture, the presentation of grammar remains problematic. As Cheryl Krueger, director of the French language program at the University of Virginia, observes:

Have you noticed that textbooks (elementary and often intermediate) tend to present vocabulary in a way that would allow a confused, unprepared, or unsure teacher to open the book and "walk" through a fairly interactive presentation? In fact, that teacher might even pick up on some ways of teaching vocabulary (how to group and map related words, how to involve students in the presentation phases, etc.) by following the presentation in the book. In other words, the teacher finds an organization, a context, visual back-up, and prompts-all applicable to use in class, and in fact, all providing a model for preparing presentations of vocabulary. The vocabulary presentations reinforce at least some of the theories and methods TA's have learned in their methods course.

However, the grammar is presented (usually in English) in a sort of reference grammar format, with model sentences in French. If the same unprepared/uncertain teacher relies on the book, he or she will end up reading or having students read an explanation in English. In other words, there is no model for presenting grammar in class implicit in the textbook presentation-no reinforcement of the methods or techniques studied in the methods course (and here, I am not even concerned about what method is reinforced, as long as it involves thinking, interaction, use of French). (personal correspondence)

Textbook grammar explanations are usually either overly simplified, or they contain grammatical terms that are not adequately defined or explained. In addition, instructors sometimes do not know how to integrate these explanations (or their accompanying activities, for that matter) into their lesson plans and classroom presentations. Instructors simply have not been provided with the tools or the support to make grammar accessible to their students.

There are two major reasons why teaching grammar has become such a difficult undertaking, and these issues are reflected in textbook grammar explanations. First, with the advent of the communicative approach in the 1980s, grammar took a backseat to communication. It was assumed that students would pick up grammatical structures through studying succinct grammar explanations at home and then performing communicative activities, which did not focus on grammar, in class. Research has shown that students do indeed acquire some grammar without explicit instruction or focused attention, but it has also demonstrated that there are grammar points that may require more than just a good deal of input in order for students to master them.

Second, most textbooks continue to teach grammatical constructions at the sentence level, even though such an approach cannot account for many of the phenomena that make grammar confusing and complicated from the learner's perspective. Although some grammatical items are straightforward and easily learned at the word or sentence level (such as verb or adjective endings, for example), other topics are more complex and are impossible to master without considering the greater discourse environments in which they are found. Put differently, this book is not so much about traditional grammar rules per se, but rather about usage: when to use the passé composé or the imparfait in recounting past events, when to use the definite or the indefinite article, when to use different word order constructions or interrogative constructions in communication. This book also makes no attempt to provide a comprehensive guide to all aspects of French grammatical usage. Only those areas that have been recognized as being the most problematic for learners to acquire and for instructors to explain have been included.

It is important to point out that our goal is not to advocate a return to traditional methods for teaching grammar. On the contrary, we aim to demonstrate how grammar can be taught using methods that are currently showing great promise in the foreign and second language classroom. Intended to help instructors and teacher trainers develop a knowledge of French discourse that is grounded in recent theoretical and sociolinguistic research, this book explains various approaches to teaching discourse grammar that may be easily incorporated into today's French language classrooms. At the same time, we propose an approach that is eclectic; not all French grammar needs to be studied as "discourse grammar." It is important to distinguish between topics that require a discourse approach and those that do not.

In particular, the goals of this book are to help instructors

acquire a metalanguage for explaining discourse-conditioned grammar;

distinguish when a grammar item requires a sentential vs. a discourse frame and consequently develop different types of treatments in the classroom for each;

become aware of the importance of pragmatic and sociolinguistic factors that influence the use of grammatical forms in discourse;

develop their own discourse activities as needed;

adapt sentential textbook activities in textbooks to focus on discourse;

guide students to discover discourse patterns and properties on their own (and allow students to work as "language researchers"-see Riggenbach 1999).

The book is divided into two sections: the initial Background chapters and the Grammar chapters. In the Background chapters, the goal is to define discourse grammar and explain why it is necessary to conceive of grammar as connected discourse. We begin in Chapter 2 with a discussion that shows the influence of the attitudes of linguists, students, and instructors on the ways grammatical topics are taught and learned (or not learned). Chapter 3 presents various methods for teaching French grammar and includes a discussion of which methods seem to work best for different types of grammar points. Most important in Chapter 3 is a discussion of the disparity in the complexity of grammatical constructions. Although some grammatical constructions are highly conditioned by context, others can be profitably studied at the word or sentence level. It is important for instructors to be able to differentiate between various types of grammatical structures and thus choose the most effective techniques for teaching them.

The second part of the book concentrates precisely on the grammatical structures that are best studied and more effectively learned within discourse. Chapter 4 treats the noun phrase and its components. We pay specific attention to determiners, a particularly difficult topic for instructors to explain and students to master. Chapter 5 contains an analysis of narration in the past, focusing on the linguistic topics of tense and aspect. Chapters 6 and 7 both stress the importance of distinguishing between the features of spoken and written French in order to communicate in a manner that is pragmatically and sociolinguistically appropriate. Chapter 6 treats word-order constructions; much of this material will be new for readers, as non-linguists do not usually study this topic. Chapter 7 treats the topic of interrogation, stressing that not all interrogative forms are appropriate in various settings and situations. Finally, Chapter 8 offers practical advice for instructors about integrating the study of grammar into the communicative classroom. Suggestions are provided for creating lesson plans where grammar is no longer treated as a peripheral, unrelated component of a content- or task-based language program.

The grammar chapters (Chapters 4-7) all follow the same format, which is as follows:

1. Overview/Key Considerations

To begin, we provide a short overview of the major points of the chapter (the road map).

2. Difficulties for the Learner

This section contains a description of the problems that students have with the structure at hand, focusing on the structures and concepts that confuse students, as well as student (and teacher) misconceptions. In addition, some background knowledge is provided for the topics that will be discussed throughout the chapter.

3. Basic Forms and Meanings

Here we provide the reader with a short summary of the grammar point from a traditional perspective. The goal is to lay out for the reader the various forms and pair them with their basic meanings, before getting into the important pragmatic and/or sociolinguistic considerations that will condition the use of these forms in discourse.

4. Meanings in Context

This section is the heart of every chapter, since it focuses on discourse pragmatics. Its goal is to describe how native speakers use the target forms in natural contexts and to point out their associated meanings. Form, meaning, and function come together in this section.

5. Going Beyond: For the Advanced Learner

This section contains a more sophisticated, linguistically driven discussion of the topics. Some instructors may choose to skip these sections (they are less relevant for the introductory and intermediate levels), but they are helpful for those who wish to enhance their own knowledge and gain a broader understanding of how the French language functions in discourse.

6. Classroom Applications

This section addresses practical matters such as how to

a. present particular grammar points in class;

b. develop activities that allow students to

discover the properties of grammatical structures in discourse, and

incorporate these structures into their developing linguistic repertoire;

c. teach various topics at different levels of instruction (beginning to advanced).

7. Consolidation Exercises

This section helps readers to verify their mastery of the grammatical and pragmatic topics presented in the chapter. It includes samples of French discourse that are to be analyzed according to pragmatic principles.

8. Typical Student Errors

This section provides a list of typical student errors for the instructor to correct, along with the contexts in which they were made. It is followed by an answer key.

9. Discussion Topics/Projects

Here we provide a more open-ended section containing topics for discussion and projects that help instructors develop their own knowledge and create pedagogical materials.

10. Further Reading

At the end of every chapter is a list of relevant books and articles. Readers may find certain content chapters more relevant than others to the classes they teach or their personal interests. Chapter 6, for example, is geared more toward advanced learners, as it focuses on spoken vs. written grammatical constructions and analyzes some "non-standard" forms. It is considerably more challenging than the other chapters, because it presents many new terms and concepts. On the other hand, every chapter contains information that may be applied even to the most elementary levels of language instruction. It is recommended to read the chapters in order, although it is not essential to do so.

Chapter Two
What Is Grammar?

Grammar is like sex. It's a basic fact of life for both language teacher and language learner. It casts a huge shadow over both teacher and learner, often dominating the relationship. And it has become taboo. (Robin 2004)

OVERVIEW / KEY CONSIDERATIONS

This chapter focuses on attitudes toward grammar: the feelings and opinions of scholars, instructors, and students. Central to the discussion is the ongoing debate in the foreign language teaching profession about the most effective way to teach grammar. We describe different types of "grammars," including an "instructional grammar" for teachers. An introduction to "discourse grammar" is incorporated: what it is, how it can help solve problems, and why it is essential in bridging the gaps between communicative competence and grammatical accuracy.

THE PROBLEM WITH GRAMMAR

[The] claim that the teaching of grammar is of limited use (or even counterproductive) in teaching communicative competence is the cause of considerable uneasiness in the field today ... "Grammar" is clearly a thorny issue. (Garrett 1986, 134)

What is it about the topic of grammar that ruffles so many feathers? Ask certain French instructors if they "teach grammar" in their language classes, and one may be met with a condescending glare and a response along the lines of "No, of course I don't teach grammar. We use the communicative approach in our program, where students learn grammar through task-based activities." For some, admitting to "teaching grammar" is paramount to acknowledging being old-fashioned, traditional, or passé. Others, when responding to the same question, may explain that they do indeed teach grammar in their classes: "I have to explain the grammar to my students, because they don't understand the descriptions in the book." They sometimes add, however, that they wish that they could make their grammar explanations and activities more communicative.

Teaching assistants and new instructors want and need to know how they are supposed to present and teach grammar to their students, yet they seem to get mixed messages from supervisors, colleagues, and researchers. Should they assume that students can master a given grammar point by studying at home and then launching into the book's activities in class, or should instructors provide students with metalinguistic explanations of the target structures? What should instructors do if students come to class claiming that they simply did not understand the book's explanation of, for example, the difference between qu'est-ce que, qu'est-ce qui, and quel? What if the instructors themselves do not completely understand the book's grammar descriptions? Where should they turn for help?

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Teaching French Grammar in Context by Stacey L. Katz Carl S. Blyth Copyright © 2007 by Yale University. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     1
What Is Grammar?     8
Methods for Teaching Grammar     26
Articles     61
Narrative Past Tenses     106
Word-Order Constructions in the Spoken and Written Languages     145
Interrogative Constructions     186
Conclusion     221
Notes     249
Bibliography     253
Index     263

Editorial Reviews

". . . very important for [those] who are charged with the teaching of French as a Second Language. . . . [T]eachers will find answers to students' questions as well as ideas for exercises. . ."—Rocky Mountain Review

Rocky Mountain Review

"Instructors can now be better equipped in the classroom when faced with questions of why one grammar point works the way it does and thereby assist students to become better learners."—Eileen M. Angelini, The NECTFL Review

The NECTFL Review - Eileen M. Angelini