Communicative Structures & Grammar in Language Learning
Essential Communicative Structures
The primary goal when learning a second language is to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing. To achieve this, students need a basic vocabulary and command of the elementary syntactical structures that form the language’s framework (linguistic competence). Correct use of grammatical rules is crucial for communication competence. Without understanding how to form and interpret sentences (what Chomsky called “competence”), the most basic communication structures, we cannot develop the socializing ability that knowing another language provides. Let’s examine the four function classes in speech, using general criteria to later analyze the basic functions of language in more detail.
General Functions of Speech
Closely related to the formal sentence classification (declarations, interrogatives, imperatives, and exclamations), we can establish a second sentence typology based on function, purpose, or objective. We can distinguish four sentence types:
- Statements
- Questions
- Commands
- Exclamations
Basic Functions
J.A. Van Ek, in his study *The Threshold Level for Modern Language Learning in Schools*, discusses “Language functions” and lists syntactical structures through which these functions are performed. These include:
- Imparting and seeking factual information.
- Expressing and finding out intellectual attitudes.
- Expressing and finding out emotional attitudes.
- Expressing and finding out moral attitudes.
- Getting things done (Suasion).
- Socializing.
Progressive Use of Grammatical Categories
Improving communication in oral and written production.
Different Teaching Approaches to Grammatical Categories
- Traditional grammar
- Structuralist grammar
- Generative grammar
The Role of Grammatical Categories in Teaching and Learning
When learning a second language, syntactical and grammatical rules are primarily acquired through two methods:
- Inductive Method
- Deductive Method
Currently, there’s a tendency towards balancing both processes. It’s important to remember that teaching grammar in primary school should not be an objective itself; it’s a means to achieve greater language command.
Planning the Sequence of Using Grammatical Categories
We can distinguish three traditional stages for teaching grammatical categories, known as the PPP system:
- Presentation: The goal is for students to perceive written and oral grammatical categories and retain them in their immediate memory. These should appear in a context relevant to their experiences.
- Controlled Practice: Students understand the grammatical categories, retaining them in their long-term memory for later use.
- Production: We use activities that encourage the use of these structures for communicative purposes.