FORMFOCUSED

INSTRUCTIO
N

Form-Focused Instruction
Current views of second language classroom methodology are almost
universally agreed on the importance of some form-focused instruction within
the communicative framework, ranging from explicit treatment of rules to
noticing and consciousness-raising (Fotos & Ellis 1991, Fotos 1994)
techniques for structuring input to learners.

THE PLACE OF GRAMMAR

Grammar is the system of rules governing the conventional arrangement
and relationship of words in a sentence. In place of "words," I could, for more
specificity, have said "morphemes," but for the moment just remember that
the components of words (prefixes, suffixes, roots, verb and noun endings,
etc.) are indeed a part of grammar.

Then pragmatics tells us about which of several meanings to assign

given the context of an utterance or written text. Context takes into
account such things as :
who the speaker/writer is,
who the audience is,
where the communication takes place,
what communication takes place before and after a sentence in question,
implied vs. literal meanings,
styles and registers,
the alternative forms among which a producer can choose.
So, no one can tell you that grammar is irrelevant, or that grammar is no longer
needed in a CLT framework.

TO TEACH OR NOT TO
TEACH GRAMMAR
Reason, balance, and the experience of teachers in recent CLT tradition tell
us that judicious attention to grammatical form in the adult classroom is not
only helpful, if appropriate techniques are used, but essential to a speedy
learning process (see Fotos 1994, Doughty & Williams 1998).

Appropriate grammar-focusing techniques :

are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts,
contribute positively to communicative goals,
promote accuracy within fluent, communicative language,
do not overwhelm students with linguistic terminology,
are as lively and intrinsically motivating as possible.
Notice that for each variable, the continuum runs from less to more important;
grammar is important to some degree in all the six variables :

11
1,
AV
AV
Al
V.

1. AGE

2. PROFICIENCY LEVEL

It is clear that due to normal

intellectual developmental variables,
young children can profit from a
focus on form if attention to form is
offered through structured input and
incidental, indirect error treatment.
Adults, with their abstract intellectual
capabilities, can use grammatical
pointers to advance their com
municative abilities.

If we force too much grammar focus

on beginning level learners, we run
the risk of blocking their acquisition
of fluency skills. It may or may not be
more important, depending on the
accuracy
already
achieved
by
learners.

3. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

4. LANGUAGE SKILLS

Highly educated students, on the

other hand, are cognitively more
receptive to grammar focus and may
insist on error correction to help
refine their already fluent skills.

Because of the permanence of

writing and the demand for
perfection in grammatical form in
written English, grammar focus may
be more effective in improving
written English than speaking,
reading, and writing.

5. STYLE (REGISTER)

6. NEEDS AND GOALS

Informal contexts often make fewer

demands on a learner's grammatical
accuracy. In casual conversation
among peers, for example, minor
errors are acceptable, while more
formal contexts (say, a student
consulting with a teacher) usually
require greater grammatical accuracy.
Similarly, in writing, tolerance for error
is higher in, say, a quick e-mailed
message than in a formal essay.

If learners are headed toward

professional goals, they may need to
stress formal accuracy more than
learners at the survival level. In
either case, message clarity is a
prime criterion.

ISSUES ABOUT HOW TO

TEACH GRAMMAR
1. Should grammar be presented inductively or deductively?
2. Should we use grammatical explanations and technical
terminology in a CLT classroom?
3. Should grammar be taught in separate "grammar only" classes?
4. Should teachers correct grammatical errors?

GRAMMAR TECHNIQUES
1. Charts
2. Objects
3. Maps and Drawings
4. Dialogues
5. Written Texts

GRAMMAR SEQUENCING IN
TEXTBOOKS AND
Grammatical
sequencing received a great deal of attention in the 1950s and
CURRICULA
'60s when curricula and textbooks were organized around grammatical
categories. Some language professionals were of the opinion that difficulty
could be predicted (especially if the native language were taken into
consideration) and that therefore grammar in a curriculum should be
sequenced in a progression of easier to more difficult items.

"WORD" ABOUT
VOCABULARY TEACHING
In the zeal for natural, authentic classroom tasks and activities, vocabulary
focus was swept under the rug. Further, as teachers more and more
perceived their role as facilitators and guides, they became more reluctant to
take the directive and sometimes intrusive steps to turn students' focus to
lexical form.

Below are some guidelines for the communicative treatment of vocabulary

instruction.
1.Allocate specific class time to vocabulary learning.
2.Help students to learn vocabulary in context.
3.Play down the role of bilingual dictionaries.
4.Encourage students to develop strategies for determining the
meaning of words.
5.Engage in "unplanned" vocabulary teaching.

CONCLUSION
The forms of language include the organizational components of language
and the systematic rules that govern their structure. Phonological,
grammatical, and lexical forms occupy the three principal formal categories
that typically appear in a language curriculum.