Catalina Serup Sgaard 165359 A)

Mock Exam English 1. Year

Lreruddannelsen Silkeborg D. 19-02-2014

Grammar makes sense

Grammar is like math a set of rules, and whether you are teaching English in Denmark, Britain or Finland it is the same rules within the same language. It is not discussable like analyses are. If the teacher knows her or his grammar completely she or he is above the level of the pupils, which a teacher has to be somehow, even though there maybe is a native speaker in the class. BUT the teacher has to make a teaching where grammar makes sense and is fun at the same time The professional English teacher Simon Mumford1 says that pupils have to learn grammar in a context that makes the meaning clear. He means that hearing, saying and writing in an activity or a context is the way to get the pupils to remember what they have learned. He has a lot of examples within games, role plays and fun drills. He has experienced that these kinds of activities make the learning process much more enjoyable. Besides it is a good idea to tell the pupils why we have to learn a certain rule, which can be done if you come up with some examples that make the rule sounds useful. I believe that many pupils think that grammar is boring just as much as George does in the song Grammar of Michal Rosen2. At the same time I think that many finds it difficult to learn all the rules and the names of them. If English is not your first language then you suddenly have to learn some new names for the grammar terms you already do know from your first language. Maybe it could be a good idea as the English teacher of the class to hang up some translations, so this problem in the first place wont confuse them. I also believe that pupils get confused to get one rule after another without any context. If they are playing a game with the goal to learn a grammar rule, I do not think they notice that they actually are learning, but afterwards they remember the game and connect the game with the grammar they have learned during the game. When they have an activity to put on the rule is it easier to remember it. And besides I think that many of the pupils think that grammar in an activity can be fun, because the activity motivates them. Do not misunderstand me, because I still think that the teaching has to be combined by different teaching forms. It all depends on the class you are teaching, maybe they need a lot of activities to get it or motivate them or maybe they do not. But what is the most executive part in a teaching is to motivate the pupils. I am sure you all know your pupils and what they need. You have to find a way to get them succeed, because if the pupils get some success experiences from your teaching with grammar they will be more motivated and more ready for new
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Catalina Serup Sgaard 165359

Mock Exam English 1. Year

Lreruddannelsen Silkeborg D. 19-02-2014

challenges in grammar. What also is important is that the teacher is motivated and shows her passion about grammar, that will also helps motivating the pupils. When I went to school in Silkeborg to become a teacher I suddenly realized through our grammar lessons that you learn more than just grammar through grammar lessons. At first we had to read some grammar rules at home, which also improved our reading skills by reading all the examples in the book. Afterwards in the grammar lesson our teacher told us about the rules and showed us some examples on the blackboard, smartboard or the internet. After that part, we had to work with the rule individually or in groups in different ways, sometimes during an activity, while our teacher went from table to table to correct and guide us. This part improved either our writing, our speaking or both. Eventually we talked about and discussed our answers and conclusions at the class, which gave a lot to the speaking and pronunciation. Therefore is my experience that if you differentiate your grammar teaching, your pupils will not just learn grammar, they will also improve their skills in the other subjects of English. Grammar makes sense, because it is testable, so there is only right and wrong and nothing between. It can be a good idea to test your pupils, because then you know if you as a teacher has done a good job and if the teaching form were good for the pupils. In that way you are testing yourself just as much as the pupils. After the test you are able to improve and help your pupils, because you can tell from the test what each of them miss and what they master. The negative side of the test is that some pupils are so afraid of failing a test, that they find it difficult to make. Some people just think that grammar is not that important as long as you understand what each other mean. I just think that if you share a common language it is embarrassing if you cannot talk or write it properly. That is the good way of thinking as a English teacher - Does it sometimes has something to do with your job? I believe that some of the pupils who have decided what their future job is going to be can be a little distant towards grammar, if they do not think they are going to need it. If this happen you as a teacher has to prove them wrong, because in almost every single job it is good to know some English. Michael Swan3 says that the teaching of grammar is important, but the pupils also have to learn the language not only by grammar, but all the way around. They have to be able to use the language in practice. If they cannot control a conversation the grammar rules will get subordinate. And if they are not confident in the conversation part and are in the grammar part they are just afraid of making any grammatical mis3

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Catalina Serup Sgaard 165359

Mock Exam English 1. Year

Lreruddannelsen Silkeborg D. 19-02-2014

takes. Therefore he means that we as teachers shall be careful not to teach too much grammar, but certainly not to little either. We have to know our pupils well, look carefully at their progresses and deem what they are able to and not. What we have to teach depends on the circumstances and our learners aims.

B)

Why I love grammar

A few days ago I was reading my home works and was struckling with some grammar rules when the rule suddenly appeared to me and I finally got it! Without thinking I was jellying yes very loud and my boyfriend just looked very surprised at me. He did not understand my jellying while reading home works. I explained, and he just replied: hm, honestly why do you even love grammar? Of course I started to answer his question, but then I soon realized that my dog would listen more than him, so that is why I decided to make up a discussion with you, because the ones of you who will write me back actually cares So why do I love grammar? There is only one recipe on how English should be written or spoken . No matter where you are in the world English is the same, we follow the same description or guide, and yeah sometimes it can be hard to get all the rules of grammar, but remember if you dont try, you dont succeed. Very very often I have some difficulties with a grammar rule, but if you keep practicing over and over again suddenly you will get it, and then you are able to move on with the grammar. There are like a million rules in English grammar and in these rules just as many exceptions and sometimes-rules, that can take a lot of effort to master. It is hard to learn them all, and I dont think that even your teachers or the native speakers knows every single one of them by heart, but then we have the grammar books. Lucky for us there are made just as many books about grammar as there are rules . They are mine, yours, your teachers and the native speakers guide to learn how to write and speak proper and correct English! All you have to do is to let it guide you! As I said there are a lot of rules in grammar, but if you know the basic rules you learned in Public- and HighSchool you are on a stabile platform and then it is easier to move forward and exchange your knowledge within English grammar. I think it is nearly impossible to have all the rules in your head and to actually know them, and I think it is possible that so many rules can mess up your head. Every language has its complexibilities somehow, but some are just much simpler than others. And sometimes learning a second or third language depends on what your mother tongue is or which languages you

Catalina Serup Sgaard 165359

Mock Exam English 1. Year

Lreruddannelsen Silkeborg D. 19-02-2014

already know. Some are similar even in the grammatical part. But some you actually have to learn from the bottom with whole new letters! But but, at the same time I personally think it is extremely useful if you are able to write in grammatical correct English, because some day you have to write a job application, or in my case a parents letter (yep, I study to become an English teacher!) I have the understanding that many people dont think that they need grammar. You know the types, who say: Yeah yeah well, you understand my anyway, dont you?! And mostly I will say yes, but sometimes making mess in the grammar does change the meaning of what you say or write. Sometimes bad grammar can make a very bad first impression, especially when the bad grammar appears in writhing, because then it is the only thing you can make your impressions on. I mean, if you have a conversation with someone it is not only your master in speaking you are judge on, but in that case you are also able to impress by your personality. Writhing with someone you only have your writhing skills to impress with. So to answer my question, I love grammar because it is readable, I love when I finally get the rule and then am able to use it afterwards and then write and speak much more proper English. What do you love about grammar?

C) In the first task I had to write an article to an international magazine for English teachers. At first it was very important to think about the readers of my article. I had to imagine that I already was an educated teacher and that I was writing to other educated teachers. I had to think about writing in a proper way, because my audience were educated teachers from all over the world. It was important not to make stupid grammatical mistakes, which could be misunderstood. The most important thing I had to do before I started to write were to research and make a brainstorm about the topic. Suddenly I had a long list of ideas and then it was easy for me to write them all together in a big context. I tried being passionate, because I believe that if the readers are able to feel that through my reading then they will read the whole article. Because the task was to make an article I had to think about the layout. First of all, with the marked teaser to catch the readers attention, and second , how the text is put up with the columns.

Catalina Serup Sgaard 165359

Mock Exam English 1. Year

Lreruddannelsen Silkeborg D. 19-02-2014

At the end I read the article over and over again and moved some text, deleted and added some. The second task was that I had to make an internet discussion. To be honest I just wrote what I were thinking, because I think that an internet discussion is all about getting and giving information and just having fun writing with others, who are people you do not talk to daily, hearing their opinions on a certain subject.

re A: Catalina, you talk your way through this magazine article. Make sure you have a plan before you start. Why do you want to address the reader? Why should he read this? What is your message? Since your audience are English teachers, you should address them using the proper linguistic register. They know about language learning theories and methods and they face the same problems you do in their teaching. Your contribution here would not pass if it were next year. Your writing is sloppy, you need to pay attention to cohesion and coherence and there are way too many basic mistakes. Some of the mistakes do not obstruct the meaning so in a student paper they would be less serious. But you are going to be an English teacher and an English teacher does not make concord mistakes. re B: In this task it is quite acceptable with a talkative style that comes close to speaking. You still need to consider your reader though. Why do you enter this discussion? The middle part of your entry is empty of meaning and your reader will probably be irritated and stop reading. Even if you argue that the entry was written by someone not very good at English, I would advise you to write without errors, and, even in an internet discussion, you need to aim for clarity. re C: I see now that you did consider your audience before you started writing. You need to work with this a lot. Be accurate, be clear. The C-task demands that you give examples of language use; this you have forgotten. Also, your C-section is too short.

02.03.14 Alice

Catalina Serup Sgaard 165359 - Catch your audience

Mock Exam English 1. Year

Lreruddannelsen Silkeborg D. 19-02-2014

- Pretend that you know a lot about the subject and that you are interested - Spread out your text in paragraphs and put headlines above. - Give the full reference, dont write in text 2. Put the year in the end of the article in the reference list.

Comma rule: Meryl Streep rule

Meryl (main clause) Streep (sub clause) no comma between Streep, Meryl (sub clause, main clause) comma between Never separate verb and object