Grammar vs Content Comparison of Deductive and Inductive

Grammar vs. Content: Comparison of Deductive and Inductive Methods with Regard to the Development of Communicative Competence Jamie Kim APLNG 593 April 16, 2012 1

Research questions • How do grammar-based and content-based methods differ in terms of developing communicative competence of students? • Is one teaching method more effective than the other with regard to developing communicative competence of students? Is there a significant difference between these two different methods? 2

Background • Grammar-based instruction – The traditional method of language teaching – P-P-P lesson structure • Presentation: students are presented with a new grammar structure, often by means of conversation or short text. • Practice: students practice using the new structure in a controlled context, through drills or substitution exercises. • Production: students produce their own sentences or dialogue using the practiced structure in order to develop fluency with the new pattern. 3

Background • Content-based instruction – Decisions about content are made first, and other kinds of decisions concerning grammar, skills, functions, etc. are made later. – Content-based instruction is based on the following assumptions: • People learn a language more successfully when they use the language as a means of acquiring information, rather than as an end in itself. • CBI better reflects learners’ needs for learning a second language. • Content provides a coherent framework that can be used to link and develop all of the language skills. – Example: Snow and Brinton’s research on intensive English program in Nanzan University in Japan 4

Hypothesis • This is an exploratory research – no hypothesis 5

Research Design • I will choose two Spanish classes of advanced level for the semester-long experiment (18 weeks). • One class will receive grammar-based instruction and the other will receive contentbased instruction. • This research will be a mixed design as each group of students participates only in one condition and all participants take the pretest, post-test, and delayed post-test. 6

Data Collection Methods • Pre-test will be given in the beginning of the semester. • One group will receive grammar-based instruction and the other will receive contentbased instruction. • Post-test will be given at the end of the semester. • Delayed post-test will be given two months after the post-test. 7

Lesson plan of grammar-based instruction Week 3 Mon -Introduce reflexive verbs -Do drills and substitution exercises Tues - Read text that contains reflexive verbs and locate them -Have students write out their own dialogue as a team by using the different reflexive verbs learned in class Wed -Vocabulary quiz -Have students read out loud the dialogue they wrote -Introduce past tense verbs: preterit vs. imperfect Thurs -Do drills and substitution exercises -Read text that contains past tense verbs and locate them Fri -Have students create a stack of index cards where they write the two different conjugations for past tense verbs -Have students write out their own dialogue as a team by using the past tense verbs 8

Lesson plan of content-based instruction Week 3: Food Mon Tues Wed -Spanish food: -Mexican food: -Watch a read articles on film/video clip/TV Spanish food from Mexican food from show (in Spanish) different regions on Spanish food - Look at recipes -Look at recipes and Mexican food for Spanish food for Mexican food -Discuss the -Look for reflexive -Look for past similarities and verbs and discuss tense verbs and differences the concept discuss the between Spanish concept and Mexican food Thurs -Divide the students into groups and have them make a list of similarities and differences between Spanish and Mexican food -Have the groups write a short compare and contrast essay on Spanish and Mexican food (using reflexive verbs and past tense verbs) Fri -Bring Spanish and Mexican food to class -Have each group present their essay 9

Sample • 30 participants in each group, total 60 participants. • Participants will be from two randomly selected advanced Spanish classes at a high school. • Survey will be given to the participants asking about their language background (e. g. How many years of have you previously studied Spanish in an institutional setting such as school, language program, etc. ? Is there a Spanish speaker in your household? Have you lived abroad where Spanish is spoken? ) 10

Proposed Analysis • Mixed design with two independent variables • Two-way ANOVA will be performed • I will not necessarily predict interactions of the variables, but I will predict the main effects such as differences between the two different conditions, grammar-based and content-based instructions. Such prediction will help answer my research questions, especially the one about the effectiveness of the two types of instruction on communicative competence. 11

Thank you! Questions? 12