Session 3: Language

Preparation


   At very first look to the topic of this session, language, I guessed all the assigned readings should be about the definition of language from different perspectives. But as I read the books I found that the center of our discussion would be about grammar, its importance and role in language learning and appropriate ways of teaching it.

   Grammar, it is that boring part of the three languages that I had to learn in the school; Persian, Arabic, and English. I used to prefer reading and vocabulary learning in all the three languages and from among them Persian grammar was more tolerable because I could compensate for those explicit rules like( s + obj + v) that I always mixed them up, by my own internalized mother tongue. But, about English and especially Arabic the condition was worse. Though I had successful performance on the exams but this success was due to my memorization power. I knew that I couldn’t use them in a communication condition.

   So grammar always stressed me out and I wished one day I could learn grammar just like my mother tongue, every time I forgot or mixed the rules up the language itself helped me to compensate.
Fortunately, after testing different strategies, trial and errors, I reached this dream. I learned grammar by reading English texts as much as I could and internalized the correct form of English grammar and just referred to grammar books for learning details.

   Hopefully, studying Widdowson gave me good insights of what I had experienced and useful debate regarding grammar and its functions.



   What is language?

   Language should be defined from two perspectives; general and specific definition of language. In general, language is something which is in mind, it is internalized, and it should be activated through social events and social happenings. It is a phenomenon which should be studied from psychological and sociological perspective. The psychological and sociological aspects of language and processes maintained to be developed are what we call them the nature of language in general not just one language. What is language in general? How it is internalized? How it is socialized? These are what we should know about language in general. All languages have this nature.
But Particular definition of language : It is the study of elements and structure of particular languages, and how they are related?

   In common words, a language are a means of communication and it is composed of a set of vocabularies that join together on the basis of some specific rules called grammar. But in technical term we should notice that grammar is not merely a set of syntactic rules but it deals with semantic and pragmatic as well. Yes, language is composed of lexis and grammar, both are interrelated and sometimes interdependent, despite traditional methods which separate grammar courses, like that institute I was studying there when I was nine in which courses had been divided into three ;Start, Grammar, Conversation.

   Lexis and grammar are essential parts of any language and we hardly can decide which one is more important sometimes lexis acts upon the grammar and sometimes grammar acts upon lexis.

   In Widdowson words the best way of learning grammar and for me learning lexis as well, is through negotiation of meaning, through problem solving tasks not just by representing them exclusively. The context in which the language happens can not be ignored.
So, it seems necessary here that two basic concepts to be clarified: Systemic knowledge & schematic knowledge. According to Widdowson, Systemic knowledge is linguistic knowledge, the internalization of the symbolic function of signs. And the common knowledge of shared experience and conventionally sanctioned reality can be called schematic knowledge; it is a knowledge which is acquired as a condition of entry into a particular culture or sub-culture, and it is of two kinds; ideational and interpersonal.

   When schematic knowledge is missing, we should manufacture schematic knowledge; create schematic knowledge which is necessary for understanding something for us. Changing systemic knowledge to schematic knowledge would be happened by manufacturing meaningfulness, by negotiation, we should give and take. Negotiation is relating the thing to the systemic knowledge we already possess.




Assistance


   It is commonly believed that if we know the description of language that’s OK. Language is discussed for us, we can go to a class and teach this description to people but Widdowson believes that a teacher who does not know the underlied belifes, accepted ideas about nature of language in general can not connect to this description of languages. We should have a theoretical basis to turn to when we are teaching something in the class. Linguists provide this theoretical knowledge in a form of description. We have linguist, description, and theory and the role of description, here, is a mediator which has its root in theory.

   Does a teacher have to consume one description out of many proposed by linguists? No, it is an inventory. We have a selection. We can choose the one that we think is necessary and helpful for our learners. Description is provided by the linguists but it is the teacher who chooses what description to go with and not one description totally. We can choose descriptions from different linguistic theories. The teacher should base his judgment on his learners, context, facilities, etc. This description itself can be of two types; type & token. The type description considers language as abstract knowledge, and the token as actual behavior. When we talk about token description we get into the pragmatic, discourse, and context.

   Every sentence should be looked at from two different perspectives: form which is a” type” description and meaning. We should clarify what type of meaning we mean, symbolic or indexical. Symbolic meaning is the meaning of the word by itself, out of context so it is “type” but indexical meaning which refers to the function of the word in context so it is “token”. With token description we go into the pragmatics, discourse, and context.

   On the basis of the type and token descriptions and regarding methodologies we can say that for instance GTM is type, Direct Method is token, Functional Notional is token, and communicative language is also token; primary focus is on token because form is a means. How can we teach the form?

   Grammar is a device to help learners perform differently in the real life communication. Although grammar is a set of rules, it has its own function, it can change meaning, it can change focus and teachers should aware students of this ability of grammar and this is what a teacher should focus on. Unfortunately even in our communicative classes, initially we go to the rules. We write rules on the board and make sentences base on that so it is not advisable. We should not expect our learners to produce things right from the beginning. They should understand the rule and when they are ready they can use it. Suddenly they find that they are using different forms because they have internalized the differences, different word orders, different word choices, different form of the rules, different functions.
Widdowson says that we should start with lexical approach then we can show the changes that grammar can bring. Very good advice suggested by Widdowson is: “begin by lexical items and show how they need to be grammatically modified and to be communicatively effective.”

   He also advocates pedagogy, a pedagogy which aims at teaching the functional potential of grammar, would have to engage learners in problem solving tasks which require a gradual elaboration of grammar. And between simulation of behavior and stimulation of behavior_ the former is schematic knowledge and the later is both systemic and schematic knowledge; our systemic knowledge is activated and then our schematic knowledge_ new methodology is in favor of both, of course each of them has its own goals.

   And last but not least point which should be taken into consideration is that whether in negotiation we should be effective or affective? Affect, refers to feeling, being affective in negotiation refers to what we see as mutual respect, and being effective refers to cooperative principles _maxims_ quality, quantity, relevance, manner. Mutual respect and cooperation from both sides should exist to negotiation happens.



Application


   As a teacher we should care more about grammar in its new sense; a grammar from three perspectives of syntax, semantic and pragmatic, a grammar which is very different from those mere explicit, boring and stressful rules. We should try to make grammar learning as an enjoyable and fruitful task for language learners.

   We should concern as a teacher both types of description, type and token. We should know that there is a bilateral relationship between grammar and lexis, we can start with lexis but by using grammar we should show how lexis can function differently. To show the different functions of lexis by the help of grammar we have to engage learners in lexical problem solving task.

   One side-point which might not be related to this session’s discussion but I’m thinking to it, is that I believe one model of teaching for new teachers is their own teacher’s method of teaching. The professor’s creativity and eagerness in managing the class in various ways every session even in a class like our class, a discussion class, could be a good model and experience for my friends and me as future professional (!) teachers.

   And a question that still remains for me is that many of us are teachers or we are going to be a teacher and we have to teach in institutes, schools and universities which their founders or officials still think traditionally and they decide on methods, materials and facilities of teaching and learning. They even try to impose rules on the teachers and limit them in their own traditional paradigm during TTC courses and after on. So, unsurprisingly we can easily find why despite all those developments in language teaching environment and despite all knowledgeable professors and teachers, our country is still in trouble with pedagogy.

   What should we do?

   I’m sure we could find a way. There is no doubt that we should not leave the field clear to those just think of their own benefits at the expense of the others’ life and future.


Readings: Widdowson part 2, Nunan Chapter 4