Why we (still) need grammar instruction but (still) need to do it better: Grammar instruction and Literacy in the L2 Classroom.
Presented by Dr. Scott Windham - Elon University, North Carolina.
Should we explicitly teach grammar in the L2-classroom, and if so, how can we do it well? Those two questions framed the lecture by Dr. Scott Windham, Associate Professor of German at Elon University, which he delivered at the CSLC on October 10. Approaches to L2 grammar instruction have varied widely over the past half-century, as have theoretical justifications for why, how, and even whether to teach grammar. Despite some SLA studies questioning whether grammar instruction truly affects language acquisition, L2 teaching research seems to be coalescing around the idea that students need grammar in order to use language well, particularly in writing. In his lecture, Dr. Windham presented his own year-long study which investigated how a genre-based approach grounded in systemic-functional linguistics (SFL) can increase students’ accurate use of complex, meaning-bearing structures. Language faculty from across multiple departments and programs attended Dr. Windham’s lecture, and engaged in a lively discussion. Everybody walked away with exciting new approaches to teaching complex grammatical structures.
Please click HERE to watch Dr. Windham's talk