Page 125 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Grammar Focus

glish to YLs (Cameron, 2001; Brewster et al., 2002, Pinter, 2006) that it is pos-
sible to facilitate learners’ natural acquisition of grammar through instruc-
tion. Pinter (2006) argues that it is natural for children to make grammatical
mistakes in the early stages of language acquisition, not only in learning a
foreign language but also in acquiring the first language. In fact, some mis-
takes are universal and not the result of negative transfer from L1. The teacher
therefore needs to attend to language forms in different ways to help learn-
ers to internalise and automatize grammatical patterns so they can be re-
trieved efficiently in communication.

Building Block and Organic Metaphor
Cameron (2001, pp. 105–106) illustrates the difference between explicit and
implicit grammar teaching from the YL perspective through two opposing
metaphors: the ‘building block’ and the ‘organic’ metaphor. The building
block metaphor implies the introduction of grammar rules one-by-one as
discrete blocks of knowledge, often using metalinguistic labels to describe
the rule and following the sequence from ‘easy’ to ‘difficult.’ The building
block sequence is clearly not appropriate for younger children whose ability
to think about language in abstract, formal ways is still limited. The author
proposes using a more organic metaphor with YLs for the growth of inter-
nal grammar, one that does not see grammar learning as ‘the piling up of
discrete blocks of knowledge, but that captures the idea of non-linear and
interconnected growth: grammar grows like a plant, perhaps, watered by
meaningful language use, and pushing out new shoots while older stems
are strengthened’ (p. 106).
However, this does not mean that it is not useful or sensible to teach YLLs
grammatical patterns explicitly as analysed language (cf. Ellis, 2006). On the
contrary, Cameron (2001) suggests occasionally applying explicit grammar
instructionalsotochildren–asa‘fertiliseratcertainkeypointsinthegrowing
season.’ We would like to argue that this is a valuable metaphor in trying to
calibrate and balance the introduction of different aspects of language in FL
teaching.

Noticing Grammar
Brewster et al. (2002) further point out that failing to attend to language
form and, more generally, accuracy, learners will have difficulties participat-
ing in activities which focus on purposeful communication. As noted above,
one way of supporting learners in this is to make them notice the grammat-
ical patterns of the foreign language and help them make these patterns

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