Diary:Session 3

last week, when I started studying widdowson , I found it a very challenging book. I couldn't figure it out well, perhaps because of its different way of writing. As a matter of fact everything was such a mess for me. but slowly during the class time I understood the main idea of the book. Last session we covered 3 sections of widdowson about aspects of language: approaches to description, grammar and negotiation of meaning

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When a child is learning L1 , his systemic knowledge and schematic knowledge are both involved. He understands everything within the context. So I, as a teacher, when start teaching a foreign language to a learner , have to provide a context in which systemic and schematic knowledge converge together. This context has the role of a translator. We should contextualize all the examples, write them on the board & help them to see the differences & similarities.
But what is the grammar &what is the role of grammar here?
Every sentence should be looked at from 3 perspectives: form, meaning and use.
Form is divided in 2 categories:-
1) type, which is the elements of an abstract sentence
2)token, which is concrete and is the actual behavior
As widdowson mentioned, type is more or less stable, established by convention, whereas the token isn't since it is conditioned by context.
-Meaning is divided in 2 categories:
1)indexical meaning : the function of a word in the sentence. It is the function which is attributed to the linguistic sign by the language user when it occurs in context. It is an indicator to those features of situations that need to be engaged to realize meaning. it's related to token type.
2)symbolic meaning: it means each symbol has a kind of meaning as such.
-form is related to pragmatics, so it's related to token type.
Widdowson also believes a teacher needs to be aware of the methods of language teaching in order to have a better understanding of the principles and syllables. A theory is about the nature of language. Language from a general perspective means how it is internalized or how a language is socialized. But it's particular definition is LANGUAGE DESCRIPTION. Description means the study of the elements of different languages, how they are related from a semantic , pragmatic… perspectives.
Many believes that just the description of the language is ok and there is no need for theory. Widdowson believes a teacher who doesn't know the underlying bases & certain ideas about the nature of language in general, can not connect to the description of language. understanding of theory is of primary importance because it provides a general perspective on the nature of language which influences pedagogic principles.
But it is the linguists who provide the theoretical knowledge for a teacher in the form of description. So we have linguist, description & teachers. Description is a mediator which has its roots in the theories.
Now we can say from a better perspective that it is the description that has 2 types:
1) type, which has a symbolic meaning & as proposed by widdowson it is conceptual(ideational) meaning.
2) token.
Now we are concerned with this question: how can we teach the form???? The answer is: by providing it understandable in context, that is by conscious raising( CR ). For example, by changing the word order, we can change the emphasise. by using an example we can raise the attention & consciousness of the students. So with grammar they can function differently. so grammar is a set of rules, but it has its own function that changes meaning & focus. We should make a learner be aware of the ability of grammar, and that's what the teacher should focus on. In CR u don't expect your learner to produce things from the beginning. Understanding is first & when they are ready, ther use them. By this way they can internalize the grammar.
What's the relationship between grammar and lexis?

Both of them are interrelated, but not interdependent. Where there can be no possibility of shared contextual knowledge, grammar provides the guarantee of individual conceptual freedom. Grammar frees us from dependency on context & the limitations of a purely lexical categorization of reality..there is a reciprocal relationship between grammar & lexis. For example when a mother asks her child for a spoon, she understands not because she knows the grammar, but because she knows the context. Grammar is present, but it is not the grammar knowledge that helps us to understand.
Grammar is needed, but understanding something fully, needs schematic knowledge as well. In that case schematic knowledge should be involved. when schematic knowledge is used, we should manufacture it by changing symbolic knowledge into indexical meaning. This is done by negotiation of meaning: creating the schematic knowledge necessary for understanding something fully. On any particular occasion of meaning negotiation, the more familiar the schematic knowledge, the less reliance needs to be placed on systemic knowledge & vice versa.
When teaching we need to have affective & effective considerations. By affective we mean that the context of teaching, the class, should be in a situation in that the child feel safety and be relax.
By effective we mean the cooperative principles( the maxims ):
1)quality: say as much as needed.
2)quantity: give the truth information.
3)manner: your descriptions should be related to the topic.
4)relevance : be orderly and nice.it's like writing a composition & you should outline your answers.
There should be mutual respect and cooperation from both sides, otherwise negotiation doesn't take place.
The relationship between grammar & learning:

Widdowson believes: begin with lexical items & show how they need to be grammatically modified to be to be communicative.