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AN EFFECTIVE ORIENTATION FOR THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH TENSES AND ASPECTS

Tai Lam California State University, USA 2009

INTRODUCTION With the development of communicative approaches in the late 1970s, the role of grammar instruction in learning English as second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) was downplayed, and it was even suggested that teaching grammar was not only unhelpful but might actually be negative. However, recent research has demonstrated the need for formal teaching for learners to attain high levels of accuracy. This has led to a resurrection of grammar teaching, and its role in ESL/EFL learning has become the focus of much current investigation. Grammar is known to be a tool in language learning and should, however, be communicatively taught. Of all aspects of English grammar, it is very necessary to teach ESL/EFL students how to understand the tenses and aspects of verbs and use them accurately, meaningfully and appropriately in communication. To some Asian languages such as Chinese and Vietnamese, which have no such clear notions as Indo-European languages do, teaching this grammar aspect will be difficult and challenging. Based on the pavement of prior studies, this article attempts to explore the major difficulties in teaching English tense-aspect system due to the new concepts to tonal-language EFL learners and makes some suggestions of the more effective orientation of teaching target tenses. RATIONALE Most teachers of English in Vietnam and China during the last decade usually spent a lot of time teaching EFL learners English grammar which they had to try to indicate the differences between the source and the target languages in order to persuade them to accept the rules. The teaching of English tenses has always been a great problem with learners because their mother

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tongues are tenseless languages that belong to Indo-Chinese linguistic system and cultural background. English tenses have been most covered in the traditional tests in schools. They have also always been the most bewildering to (Asian) school students. Various types of testing traditionally designed so far are such as: Having students supply the correct tenses of the given verbs; identify the tense usage errors; changing the sentences from one specific tense to another; identify the differences between the minimal tense-pairs (simple present versus present progressive) etc. For practice, students are usually asked to do a lot of drills in conjugating the verbs in a certain of tenses required, or the preparation to know how to use English tenses properly. In teaching, the teachers apply a lot of techniques to explain the structures as well as the usages of the tenses, which do not appear or exist in their mother languages. Generally speaking, most of the TESOL teachers seem to impose, or precisely to say, to force students to accept the rules and the concepts reluctantly. Briefly speaking, they usually explain the uses of tenses by presenting that English tense-aspect system has two elements of meaning: The time, indicating when the event takes places, present, past or future? And the other is the aspect, showing how the event is viewed, perfective or imperfective? About the concept, the teachers quite often focus that the tenses of the verb are the relation between the forms of the verb and the time of the action which it describes. That is, tenses have much a linear sense of time and they are basically distinguished in accordance with chronological level. PROBLEM STATEMENT Asian languages are not Indo-European. In the language, verbs have no tense-aspect system. The similar notions are indicated by an auxiliary particle meaning that the action expressed is in progress, perfection or futurity. The expressions of time concept in the English language reflect that the students do not have much of a linear sense of time. Sometimes, even

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the teachers themselves are at the loss for an answer of some questions asked by the students about the tenses, or feel confused and perplexed when explaining preterite, or present perfect aspect such of those are often bewildering topics to students. They are puzzling that the idea of something actually taking place or going on can be expressed with a verb in the present tense, even the past tense, as well as the progressive aspect in relation to time. For example, Past event is described in the present tense, as so-called historical present; Future intentive action is expressed in progressive aspect. The following two sentences seem equally valid : I met him a couple of times this morning. & I have met himthis morning. In general, those problems are due to the different cultural, concerptural and linguistic backgrounds between the source and target languages. The present tense in most languages refers to actions that are taking place in the present. But in English, this is not really true. The present tense is used to refer to actions that are habitual, repeated, or always true. (e.g., The earth rotates the sun; My father does morning exercise every morning). In English the present progressive is used to express actions that are taking place in the present (e.g., Hes working at the factory; Hes preparing to take CAHSEE examination). Such problematic concepts have caused difficulties in teaching ESL/EFL students. EFFECTIVE ORIENTATION An effective orientation for the teaching of English tenses first introduced in Vietnam in the late 1990s has somehow helped teachers of TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) broarden the scope of current practice in teaching strategy training. According to this orientation, psychologically, time is essentially non-linear. The traditional English grammar on tenses may be reconsidered on a psychological level. Because present, past and future sometimes impinge on another. The sense of tense-aspect system is sense of relativism. Asian (Chinese) concept of time is thought to be several durations in different levels for incomplete beings moving toward performance. So tenses can be operating mainly on the level of mood instead of time if learners

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understand the sense of time on psychological-spiritual level. Time here in the language could be kept apart from the clock. The grammarians effort in order to explain away the function of tenses by the source of help (recourse) to time only leads to many unnecessary & confusing rules. Time and tense must not be confused, tenses are not concerned primarily with time , but with the way in which we look upon an activity or state ( Hornby 1980,P.126). The possible suggestions to intensify the power of practice in the teaching ESL is to take more consideration of the learners cultural background. Asian students should benefit from taking English tenses as Expressions of Moods (Chi, 1977) as the following chart goes: TIME PRESENT PAST FUTURE MOODS Intuitive-direct Recollective Conjectural ASPECTS PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (imperfective) MOODS Affirmative Attentive

Curricula drawn on such simpler description promise to bring better results with Asian ESL/EFL students. Practice makes perfect only when the practice is oriented in a proper and practical way, otherwise it may be a wasting that students would spend more time to forget the wrong language habit than spending time to learn it. ECLECTIC APPROACH IN TEACHING ENGLISH TENSES FOR ASIAN STUDENTS. From the new orientaion for the teaching of English tenses, the TESOL teachers can benefit from it by applying some of viewpoints below in teaching Asian students. Tenses are concerned on the perfectiveness of the action rather than showing different locations of an event or action in time. This can be illustrated as follow: ASPECTS Simple Progressive DEGREES OF PERFECTIVENESS 0 % ( unconcerned with perfectiveness ) 50 % ( imperfective, in progress )

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Perfect Perfect Progressive

100 % ( perfective, affirmative ) 150 % ( perfective & constant )

The learners can be quite certain about the past and the present, but cannot be so certain about the future. Aspect is more important than time when discussing the future. It is an extrenely important dimension in helping learners manage the English tense-aspect system. If learners are able to develop a feel for the degree of perfectiveness conveyed by the aspects, they will have a tremendous advantages in learning to cope with the boundary problems mentioned above. Hirtle (1967), in his article explains that simple aspect refers to events that are conceptualized as complete wholes. The events are not presented as allowing for further development. That could be interpreted that the action in the simple aspect does not involve in the degree of perfectiveness. It does or did happen as a real whole event. For instance, Max lives in New York, Peter drives to work every day, or John met his manager yesterday etc, the actions live , drive or meet do exist and happen without mentioning the time (The defautt time is present) or did happen at the exact time in the past without involving their perfectiveness of happening. In contrast to simple aspects, progressive aspects can be interpreted as half way of perfectiveness, where the event or state is viewed as some portion of a whole and where there is room for further development or change and allowing for the possibility of change (Hirtle,1967). For instance, Max is living in New York nowis some portion of a whole and Maxs living might be temporary. There are several different ways to express future time in English. The choice of which form depends on how the speaker sees the event and noton its certainty or nearness to the present. Therefore, to this orientational approach, future can be subcategorized into : immediate future (spontaneous intention), future intention (planned intention), future arrangement and

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certain futurue . Lets take Chinese and Vietnamese languages as example for the consideration and comparisons to indicate the sense of tenses. PAST, PRESENT PERFECT SENSE Sentences in the simple past and present perfect aspect sense are expressed by adding a partical before predicative : le (la), gule, yjing for Chinese (,,,) or () ri, qua for Vietnamese.

For examples: CN: Ta zotian (yjing ) bng le. VN: C y hm qua () bnh ri. ( . ) (She fell ill yesterday. )

CN: W pngyou (yjing ) q (gu) Zhonggu le. ( . ) VN: Bn ti i (qua) Trung Quc (ri). (My friend has been/was to China already.)
FUTURE SENSE (with levels of probability) Sentences with the sense of futurity are expressed by using some particals preceding predicative according to the implication of probability levels as shown in the following: - Planning future : ( CN: dshung, yshung ) (,) (VN: d tnh, d nh) - Remote intention: ( CN: xingyo, yo ) (,) (VN: mun) - Immediate intention: (CN: jiangyo,kuiyo,kui ) (,,) (VN: sp. gn) - Certain future: ( hi ) () (VN: s) - Greatly probable future: (ydng) () (VN: nht nh s)

For examples: CN: Ta mngnin dshung q Meigo. ( ) VN: Nm ti anh y nh i M. (I expect to go to US next year. )

CNTa (xing)yo mi y jian fngzi. ( ) VN: Anh y mun mua nh. ( Hes planning to buy a house.)

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CONCLUSION Most of Asian languages are tenseless and rely on pragmatic and lexical devices to indicate temporal locations as shown in above examples. Classroom instruction may force an early start of tense use; the Chinese and Vietnamese way of expressing temporality may reinforce the learners' initial tendencies of relying on pragmatic and lexical devices to indicate temporal locations; and the early start of tense use results in an extended period during which the learners' expression of temporality exhibits a very slow shift from depending more on pragmatic and lexical devices to depending more on grammatical devices. It is widely known that teaching method is based on an approach and constitues a design for an instructional system. It indicates what the objectives are; which language content is selected and how it organized; which types of learning tasks and teaching activities are used. It also signify the roles of the learners, teachers and instructional materials used. However, adopting some kind of electticism rather than on specific method is a more effective approach for the intened purpose.

REFERENCES Allwright, D. & Bailey, K. M. (1996). Focus on the language classroom: An introduction to classroom research for language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bygate, M., Tonkyn, A. and Williams, E. (1994) Grammar and the Language Teacher, Prentice Hall.
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Candlin, C. N. & Mercer, N. (2001). English Language Teaching in its social context. NewYork: Routledge. Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The Grammar Book. Heinle & Heinle Publishers. Davis, G. B. (1993). Tools for teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Davies, P., & Eric,. (2000). Success in English teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ellis, R. (1987). Understanding second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ellis, R. and Hedge, T. (1993). Second language acquisition research: how does it help teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Harmer, J. (1998). The practice of English language teaching. New York: Longman. Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nunan, D. (1998). Language teaching methodology: A textbook for teacher. London: Prentice Hall. Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching & learning. Massachusetts: Heinle & Heinle Publishers. Richards, J.C. and Rodgers, T.S. (1992) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (eighth edition)Cambridge University Press. Richards, J.C. and Rodgers, T.S. (1992) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (eighth edition) Cambridge University Press. Rutherford, W. E. (1987) Second Language Grammar: Teaching and learning. Harlow: Pearson Education. Scriverer, J. (2005) Learning Teaching: A guide book for English language teachers (Second edition), Oxford: Macmillan. Stern, H. H. (1983) Fundamental concepts of language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Telemans, G. and M. Yawin-Illiassou (1990) TEFL: T Methodology Handbook. Niger National University, School of Education. Universities of Vietnam (1999 present) College Entrance Tests Ur, P. (1996) A Course in Language Teaching, Cambridge University Press. Yang, S., Huang, Y.Yuan, (2004) The Impact of the Absence of Grammatical Tense in L1 on the Acquisition of the Tense-Aspect, Walter de Gruyter.

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APPENDIX 1

English Tenses Graphic Comparison

Problems with the English tenses? Have a look at the time line, it might help you understand when to use which tense. As there is a similarity between past, present and future tenses, there are just a few rules to keep in mind. If you know how to use the present progressive correctly to express present actions, you will as well be able to use the past progressive correctly to express past actions.

Legend

moment in time

action that takes place once, never or several times actions that happen one after another actions that suddenly take place action that started before a certain moment and lasts beyond that moment actions taking place at the same time action taking place before a certain moment in time puts emphasis on the result action taking place before a certain moment in time puts emphasis on the course or duration of the action

period of time

Result

Course / Duration

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APPEDIX 2 Tenses

TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES Uses

action in the present taking

Affirmative/Negative/ Question

Signal Words

Simple Present

A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak?

place once, never or several times facts actions taking place one after another action set by a timetable or schedule
action taking place in the

always, every , never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually if sentences type I (If I talk, )

Present Progressive

A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking?

moment of speaking at the moment, just, action taking place only for a just now, Listen!, limited period of time Look!, now, right now action arranged for the future
action in the past taking

Simple Past

A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak?

place once, never or several times actions taking place one after another action taking place in the middle of another action
action going on at a certain

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday if sentence type II (If I talked, )

time in the past actions taking place at the A: He was speaking. when, while, as long same time Past Progressive N: He was not speaking. as action in the past that is Q: Was he speaking? interrupted by another action
putting emphasis on the

result
action that is still going on action that stopped recently finished action that has an

A: He has spoken. Present Perfect N: He has not spoken. Simple Q: Has he spoken?

influence on the present action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking

already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now

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putting emphasis on the

A: He has been speaking. Present Perfect N: He has not been speaking. Progressive Q: Has he been speaking?

course or duration (not the result) action that recently stopped or is still going on finished action that influenced the present
action taking place before a

all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week

Past Perfect Simple

A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken?

certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)
action taking place before a

already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day if sentence type III (If I had talked, )

Past Perfect Progressive

A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking?

certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action

for, since, the whole day, all day

action in the future that

A: He will speak. Future I Simple N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak?

Future I Simple (going to)

A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak?

in a year, next , tomorrow cannot be influenced If-Satz Typ I (If you spontaneous decision ask her, she will help assumption with regard to the you.) future assumption: I think, probably, we might , perhaps decision made for the future conclusion with regard to the in one year, next future week, tomorrow

Future I Progressive

action that is going on at a A: He will be speaking. certain time in the future N: He will not be action that is sure to happen speaking. in the near future Q: Will he be speaking?

in one year, next week, tomorrow

Future II Simple

A: He will have spoken. action that will be finished at N: He will not have a certain time in the future by Monday, in a week spoken. Q: Will he have spoken?

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Future II Progressive

Conditional I Simple

Conditional I Progressive

A: He will have been action taking place before a speaking. certain time in the future N: He will not have been putting emphasis on the speaking. course of an action Q: Will he have been speaking? A: He would speak. action that might take place N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak? action that might take place A: He would be speaking putting emphasis on the N: He would not be course / duration of the speaking. action Q: Would he be speaking? A: He would have spoken N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken? A: He would have been speaking. N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking? action that might have taken place in the past

for , the last couple of hours, all day long

if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.)

Conditional II Simple

if sentences type III (If I had seen that, I would have helped.)

Conditional II Progressive

action that might have taken place in the past puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action

(Source : English Grammar Online For You : http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar )

AN EFFECTIVE ORIENTATION FOR THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH TENSES AND ASPECTS