Instructor: Dr. Suellen Rundquist
Home phone: 651-631-9581 (leave a message if no one answers)
E-mail: srundqu@attglobal.net
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this course is to help you develop an understanding of the basics of contemporary English grammar. We will examine both descriptive and pedagogical grammar, also relating these to attitudes that schools and society have toward varieties of English. This intensive examination of English grammar will enable you to think critically about grammar in relation to your students' needs.
This course will address the following components of the Hamline Graduate School of Education curriculum model:
Schools and Society - You will examine descriptive and pedagogical grammar, relating to attitudes and expectations of schools and society.
Teachers and Learners - You will become more familiar with the basics of English grammar, both descriptive and pedagogical, and how it relates to your teaching.
Knowledge - You will gain a deeper understanding of the structure of contemporary English.
Inquiry - You will learn to think critically about grammar in relation to your students' needs and points of view.
Outcomes: Upon completion
of this course, you will:
A. Be able to develop strategies for incorporating grammar instruction
into the classroom in a meaningful and interesting way.
B. Have a basic understanding of English grammar and how to develop
a curriculum that reflects this understanding.
C. Have a stronger, deeper knowledge of English grammar, with
improved skills in error analysis
D. Be able to think critically about grammar in relation to students'
communicative needs.
Process: You will
learn through:
A. reading about and discussing topics of English Grammar;
B. doing exercises in error analysis and on specific grammar
constructions, both individually and in groups;
C. doing original, in-depth research and writing two short papers
on grammar points of your choice;
D. analyzing and comparing features of descriptive and pedagogical
grammar;
E. participating in three group presentations on ways to creatively
incorporate grammar into a lesson;
E. reading lectures;
F. preparing for exams.
Outcomes as related to the Minnesota state licensure rule:
STANDARD
ASSESSMENT
A. An English as a Second Language
teacher
midterm exam
demonstrates a high level of proficiency in English
final exam
commensurate with the role of an instructional model.
2 research papers
G. An English as a Second Language
teacher understands
the contribution of general and applied linguistics to second
language education. The teacher must:
1) Understand the basic linguistic concepts;
midterm/final exams
2) Understand features of English including
midterm/final exams
Phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics;
research papers
3) Relate knowledge of English to other languages.
in class reflection
research paper (optional topic)
Texts: Celce-Murcia, Marianne,
and Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL
Teacher's Course. Heinle and Heinle, 1999.
Celce-Murcia, Marianne and Sharon Hilles. Techniques
and Resources in Teaching Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1988.
Evaluation: Students in this
course will be graded on the following:
Test 1:
20%
Test 2:
20%
Mini-research project 1:
15%
Mini-research project 2:
15%
Group discussion 1:
5%
Group discussion 2:
5%
Group discussion 3:
5%
Exercises, on-line participation: 15%
Several points I would like you to be aware
of:
Session 2:
Review main points from last class (To go to the Session 2 page, click
here.)
Sept 25
Discuss assigned readings
The copula and subject-verb agreement
Phrase-structure: basic sentence patterns
Exercises
Assignment for session:
Read Techniques, ch 2; Grammar Book, ch 4 - 6
Mini-research project 1 assigned.
Session 3: Review
main points from last class (To go to the Session 3 page, click
here.)
Oct 2
Verbs: agreement, transitivity, tense, voice, mood, aspect, modals
Students do exercises in pairs/groups
**Organize group presentation 1: Techniques ch 3, 4, 5
Assignment for session:
Read Grammar Book, ch 7 - 9
Session 4: Mini-research
project 1 due (To go to the Session 4 page, click
here.)
Oct 9
Review main points from last class
Negation, Yes/No questions, Imperatives
Students do exercises
Assignment
for session:
Read Grammar Book, ch 10 - 12
Session 5: Review
main points from last class (To go to the Session 5 page, click
here.)
Oct 16
WH-Questions, Other Question Types
Articles and Noun Types
First group presentation due
Assignment for session:
Grammar Book, ch 13 -15
Midterm posted
Session 6:
Review main points from last class (To go to Session 6, click
here.)
Oct 23
Pronouns, quantifiers, and the passive
Students work on exercises in groups
**Group
presentation 2 assigned: Techniques ch 6, 7, 8
Assignment for session:
Grammar Book, ch 16-18
Mini-research project II assigned.
Session 7: TAKE
HOME MIDTERM DUE (To go to Session 7, click
here.)
Nov 6
Indirect objects, adjectives, prepositions
Students work on exercises in groups
Assignment:
Grammar Book, ch 19-21
Session 8: Phrasal verbs,
nonreferential it and there (To go to Session 8, click
here.)
Nov 13
Students work on exercises in groups
Assignment:
Grammar Book, ch 22 and 23
Group
presentation 2 due: Techniques 6, 7, 8
Session 9: Mini-research
project II due (To go to Session 9, click
here.)
Nov 20
Conjunctions, connectors, adverbials
Assignment:
Grammar Book, ch 24-26
Session 10: (To go to
Session
10, click here.)
Nov 27
Relative clauses
Assignment:
Grammar Book ch 28-29
**Group presentation 3 assigned: Techniques 9, 10, 11
Session 11: Complementation
(To go to Session 11, click here.)
Dec 4 Assignment:
Grammar Book ch 31-32
Session 12: Group presentation
3 DUE: Techniques ch 9, 10, 11 (To go to Session
12, click here.)
Dec 11
FINAL EXAM POSTED IN THIS SESSION
FINAL EXAM DUE: POSTMARKED BY DECEMBER 29th!