Pedagogy of Grammar 1

PEDAGOGY OF GRAMMAR

By (name)

Course

Name of the Professor

Institution

Location of Institution

Date
 Pedagogy of Grammar 2

Pedagogy of Grammar

Pedagogical grammar is a grammar version that seeks to find the best criteria for the use of

language and language education. Pedagogical grammar identifies the means of teaching

grammar and learning of the second Language in classrooms (Boer, J2018). The virtue of

education has continuously been used to build many ideas and evoke emotions. Human

consciousness can give the education process a distinctive character that enables the teaching

process to become a process to enjoy. In the classroom set up, the teacher acts as the model

for learners who the latter try to imitate their behavior. Most of the myriad of grammar

definitions provide justifications that it is not just much easy and possible to describe

grammar in terms of the morphologies or the language syntax. This is because grammar has

close links with meanings and aspects of relaying information from one media to another

(Frodesen 2018, pp1-7). Grammar cannot be defined as just mere strategic rules that people

employ to come up with grammatical match up of statements; rather, it is a strategy that

people decide to use in achieving a proper transfer of information coherently.

There are two dominant views on grammar that tend to oppose each other. There is

prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar. These two views provide the models of

grammar that are necessary for the teaching English. Prescriptive grammar is a traditional

model of grammar that solely puts more focus on the expectations of how individuals need

to communicate grammar to each other or write correctly. The descriptive model of grammar

concerns more with the mechanisms with which people use language in their daily activities

and communicational process (Kiss and Lin, 2016). This is a concept of the functional view of

grammar. It is noteworthy to state that the pedagogy of grammar is a branch of morphology

that attempts to satisfy the concerns of the learners using the second language. The thesis
 Pedagogy of Grammar 3

statement for this paper, therefore, is to compare and contrast the prescriptive approach of

grammar and the descriptive approach of grammar, along with their corresponding

advantages and disadvantages. However, also other types of grammar include

transformational or generative grammar, historical grammar, comparative grammar,

structural grammar, and non-comparative grammar.

The Prescriptive Approach of Grammar

This grammar type is also called formal grammar, theoretical, or normative grammar. This

approach introduces the concept of Intermediate English Grammar for English second

Language learners (Li and Li, 2015). The main focus is on the accuracy level of grammar for

ESL learners rather than the notion of fluency. This is to say that accuracy compost of the

more profound understanding of the content of grammar rather than the flow (fluency). This

grammar approach gives a prescription for the use of correct language, both in the contexts

of writing and speaking. The grammatical rules here judge the comparisons between the

wrong and the right. Prescriptive grammar classifies words into parts of speech, basing on the

form. Prescriptive grammar enables efficiency through merely trying to make rules through,

in the language (Li and Li, 2015). It is worth noting that the prescriptive grammarians hold

that rules must always come first then the use of the language comes next. This trend has

prevailed in many schools in recent educational forms (McDonough and Shaw, 2012). Most

of the grammar that are taught in the classroom set up are formal, and rules are typically laid

down at the start, and the use and practice of the language follows.

In addition to that, grammar was used to lay down rules for each occasion and never took

into account the usage of English that kept on changing from time to time (Keck and Kim,

2014). This expression prescribed rules for every individual that used the language, without
 Pedagogy of Grammar 4

questioning the rules. In the classroom, it was called a formal style because they proceeded

from regulations, instructions, and definitions to the use of examples.

Descriptive Grammar

Descriptive grammar is also called functional grammar or Incidental grammar (Andrews,

2007). Here, the grammatical rules were collected from the native speakers and then

encoded, to get a description for use in a functional context. The rules are however, not rigid

but are always subject to the changing languages. Precisely, descriptive style describes the

manner with which a particular language can be applied by the native speakers. The learners

must first learn how to use the style of interest and later becomes aware of the rules.

Comparison between Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar

i. Prescriptive grammar does prescribe grammar usage, in the same manner, it

should be while the descriptive grammar prescribes grammar usage the way they

are found, without questioning (McDonough and Shaw, 2012).

ii. Prescriptive grammar is a traditional approach that has been followed for a long

while descriptive grammar is a recent approach that came with the advancement

in linguistics (Atar, 2018).

iii. Prescriptive grammar is deductive in its teaching approach, while descriptive

grammar is inductive during teaching.

iv. Prescriptive grammar is more preferred for the case of dead language, while

descriptive approach can be used for the language that changes with time.
 Pedagogy of Grammar 5

v. Prescriptive grammar believes in the grammarians’ word as correct, while

descriptive grammar is used by the native speakers, and as such, the usage of the

language is its basis (McDonough and Shaw, 2012).

vi. The rules in prescriptive grammar are inviolable, while the regulations in

descriptive grammar are flexible for changes.

vii. Prescriptive grammar considers form as the most important aspect, while

descriptive grammar believes in the importance of meaning.

viii. Prescriptive grammar solely considers the correct expression of ideas, while

descriptive grammar is interested in fluency in speech (McDonough and Shaw,

2012).

ix. Prescriptive relies on the writings, while descriptive grammar depends on speech.

x. Prescriptive grammar centers on the subject hence can be a termination to its

structure. Descriptive grammar, on the other, hand focuses on the student as the

center and can only be terminated by the form of communication (Li and Li, 2015).

xi. Prescriptive language has the belief that through the right study of the language

rules, then the language must develop. However, descriptive grammar holds that

the use of correct language will always develop naturally without the influence of

other external forces (Li and Li, 2015).

Advantages and Limitations of Using Prescriptive Grammar

The following are the advantages of using prescriptive grammar:

i. The knowledge of prescriptive grammar applies to non-native teachers and

students.
 Pedagogy of Grammar 6

ii. It contains language rules that tend to reduce the level of confusion during

learning. It also reduces the level of ambiguity of words.

i. Because of the syntax and rules, prescriptive style draws the system of language

into the mind of the users, thus creating certainty that enables the language users

to learn with ease (Atar, 2018).

iii. This grammar creates better writers because it is a map of language

The following are the limitations of using prescriptive grammar:

ii. It is very time-consuming- in the essence of trying to know the rules of the

grammar (Atar, 2018)

iii. It is not economical.

iv. It is also unnecessary.

Advantages and Limitations of Using Descriptive Grammar

The following are the advantages of using descriptive grammar:

i. It reduces the level of confusion to learners because of the different forms of usage

of this grammar for advanced learners (Murray & Christison, 2019).

ii. Flexible and changeable because there are no fixed rules

iii. It is never time consuming because there are no strict rules to follow.

Limitations include:

i. It might be ambiguous for the beginner learners.

ii. The ambiguity might cause confusion among beginners.

iii. At some point, teachers have difficulty in choosing the dialect and grammar usage

to teach (Murray & Christison, 2019).

A Teaching Resource to Teach Vocabulary, Structure, and Pronunciation

Learning English grammar is infamously challenging to both English Native Language

and English Second Language speakers. Teachers of English grammar find it challenging to

teach effectively and efficiently literate skills to their learners, because they are bound to

obscure rules and principals. Initially, teaching techniques such as memorization made it

easier for learners to memorize certain concepts in English (Palumbo, Kramer-Vida, and Hunt

2015, pp. 109-115). However, the current society seems more appealing in terms of

embracing the emerging strategies and approaches to teaching and learning the English

language. Citing to this, the advancement in technology has eased almost every part of the

world activities, including the education sector. Students are today able to learn non-formal

and informally form their homes without necessarily coming to school or planning to learn.

Talking about non-formal learning is the learning without laid down sequence in the form of

curriculum and syllabus. Students can sometimes willingly search concepts from the internet

without any prior planning thus contributing to what is referred to as non-formal teaching

(Cahyono and Widiati 2015, pp.1-17). The learning also occurs even during the news

announcement in radios and televisions.

When listening to music or watching videos and cinemas, English is much used.

Through these concepts passed through the videos and music, particular vocabularies,

phrases, and sentence structures and patterns are used. Students unconsciously learn to use

the same styles of sentences, phrases, and sentence structures without being taught to use

them. This occurs when there is repetitive encountering of the English items from the music
 Pedagogy of Grammar 8

and movies they watch on a daily basis. The advancement in technology has also promoted

the learning of English grammar through informal ways (Gilakjani and Sabouri 2016, pp.195-

208). For example, most children of the twenty-first century are digitally oriented. Thus, in

some circumstances, students who fail to undergo the government curriculum find

themselves using information and technology gadgets such as mobile phones, computers,

tablets, and laptops. Most of these IT gadgets are programmed in such a way that they use

the English Language as their instructional language depending on the origin of the gadget.

Through constant and repetitive use of these gadgets, one may see himself or herself learning

to use the English language without prior planning or intention of learning the language

(Jensen, 2017). Therefore, we find technology contributing a lot to the teaching and learning

of English language to many people across the world. All these are brought about by the

traditional methods of memorization and constant practicing. In this article, I would be

presenting the use of music (a song) as a learning resource of the English language.

Using Songs as a learning resource to teach the English Language

Incitingly, learning of the English language has today become easier with technology.

Since most students like associating with technological gadgets, they unwillingly learn the

words through the songs and movies they watch. However, there are more resources that

can be used to teach the language (Nunan and Richards, 2015). These may include the use of

the advertisements published by various companies or organizations, using English spoken in

the local area, and bridging English spoken inside and outside the classroom. However, the

use of songs is chosen because of the popularity of music entertainment that almost every

child loves in their daily lives. Songs are used in most of the literary works such as poetry,

drama, movies, and spoken words, among other styles. This fact that songs are omnipresent
 Pedagogy of Grammar 9

in most genres makes it a suitable instrument to be used as a teaching and learning resource

for the English language (Chun, Kern, and Smith 2016, pp.64-80). Besides, many songs played

in radios and televisions are written in English, thereby increasing the contact most students

have with the English.

The English language is incorporated in songs written in different other languages,

thus making it more universal. For example, when listening to Indian songs such as those of

Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, English words are incorporated and this makes the listeners of these

songs learn the languages. The trend is not exceptional when referring to African songs. Lots

of English words, sentences, and phrases are highly deployed in the most songs from the

countries using English as a second language. Therefore, as a teacher of English, using songs

makes the learners feel livelier and more attached to the lesson than ever before. The use of

the songs makes them feel that the concepts are real and dislodge boredom in them during

classroom instructions. This would motivate the learners and makes them practice the English

phrases and sentences used in the songs most informally, thus learning by memorization.

In the teaching and learning of English grammar, songs are instrumental in

memorization of vocabulary and pronunciations. In a more intense manner, teaching and

learning by songs enhance listening and speaking skills in the learners, as they would sing the

songs outside the classroom settings. This tendency facilitates mastery of vocabularies,

sentence structure, phrases, and pronunciations of the different English words. Moreover,

melodies are also instrumental in enhancing speaking and writing skills as through them,

students get to learn the structure of the sentence used in writing songs. Besides, the

melodies provide the learners with the artistic knowledge of writing sings by unveiling to

some of the patterns of words in the line of a song. This may help some talented students to
 Pedagogy of Grammar 10

start writing their songs out of practice and eventually becomes good songwriters in the world

just like others. In this paper, I would use the written by one of the American artist Michael

Jackson about man in the mirror (Vogel, 2019). The text box below presents some part of the

song’s lyrics.

I’m gonna make a change,

For once in my life

It’s gonna feel real good,

Gonna make a difference

Gonna make it right …

According to the song’s lyrics presented in the text box above, the students can read

them and memorize the song at their own will. When a song like this is selected for the lesson,

the learners feel more agitated since they find an experience basing on what they know and

like. I chose this song from the American singer Michael Jackson hoping that the majority

would be proficient with it. Also, perhaps I would enjoy singing along with it as it has quite

soothing melodies loved by most young people. The song itself has several things to be

learned by in an English class lesson. First, the sentences are concise. This provides the

learners with the insight of the structures of sentences used in the genre works. Most of the

artistic writing takes forms of short structured sentences, which are so directly into the points

they are highlighting. This form of sentence structure provides good captions to the readers,

listeners, or viewers of the work. Another insightful item from the resource is the mixed up

of languages. The songwriter, Michael Jackson, used his native English language together with

the correct English grammar to convey his feelings and ideas in the song. For example, the
 Pedagogy of Grammar 11

use of words like ‘gonna’ is not accepted in grammatical English, and it is an incorporation of

the Native American language in English grammar. The learners are as well capable of learning

literacy skills such as shortening of words to enhance rhythms in the music. Moreover, the

insightful concepts of repetition and rhymes both within and end rhymes that make the song

so rhythmical and lovely to listen to.

Conclusion

Therefore, learning of English grammar has been made quite more comfortable due

to technological advancement. With technology, teaching and learning resources are readily

available to every person who wishes to use them in teaching and learning English grammar.

References

Andrews, S. (2007) Teacher Language Awareness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Atar, C., 2018, October. Prescriptive versus descriptive grammar: Do prescriptive rules

actually reflect the reality?. In ICPESS (International Congress on Politic, Economic and

Social Studies) (No. 5).

Cahyono, B.Y. and Widiati, U., 2015. The teaching of EFL vocabulary in the Indonesian context:

the state of the art. TEFLIN journal, 19(1), pp.1-17.

de Boer, J.R., 2018. The Allusivity of Grammar: Developing theory and pedagogy for linguistic

aesthetics (Doctoral dissertation, Institute for Christian Studies).

Frodesen, J., 2018. Grammar and Second Language Writing. The TESOL Encyclopedia of

English Language Teaching, pp.1-7.

Gilakjani, A.P. and Sabouri, N.B., 2016. Why Is English Pronunciation Ignored by EFL Teachers

in Their Classes. International Journal of English Linguistics, 6(6), pp.195-208.

Jensen, S.H., 2017. Gaming as an English language learning resource among young children in

Denmark. Calico Journal, 34(1).

Keck, C. and Kim, Y. (2014) Pedagogical Grammar. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing

Company.

Kiss, T. and Lin, C., 2016. Beliefs, knowledge and practices of grammar pedagogy: Teaching

dyslexic learners.

Li, J. and Li, Q., 2015, January. Comparative Study between Traditional Grammar and Modern

Linguistics. In International Conference on Education, Management, Commerce and

Society (EMCS-15). Atlantis Press.

McDonough, J. and Shaw, C. (2012) Materials and Methods in ELT. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons.
 Pedagogy of Grammar 13

Murray, D. E. & Christison, M. (2019) What English Language Teachers Need to Know. Volume

1. Understanding Learning. London: Routledge. Part II.

Palumbo, A., Kramer-Vida, L. and Hunt, C.V., 2015. Teaching vocabulary and morphology in

intermediate grades. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and

Youth, 59(2), pp.109-115.