Issues in Second Language Teaching - Alessandro Benati
Key Issues in Grammar Teaching
Issues in Second Language Teaching - Alessandro Benati
Alessandro G. Benati [+]
University of Portsmouth
Professor Alessandro Benati is Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Head of School of Languages and Area Studies at the University of Portsmouth. He is internationally known for his research in second language learning and teaching, with special emphases on processing instruction. He is a pioneering researcher in the area of second language acquisition (SLA) and has built a reputation on two fronts. On one front, he is a premier Italian language scholar producing the most empirical work on the teaching and acquisition of Italian in the world. On the other front, he is a scholar in the more general field of instructed SLA, with an emphasis on the effects of formal instruction on the acquisition of grammatical properties by second language learners. He has a strong publications record with 12 established monographs, chapters and articles in international journals (Language Awareness, IRAL, and Language Teaching Research).
Description
In this chapter, several approaches/techniques to grammar instruction will be examined. An analysis of input-based options to grammar instruction will be provided (e.g. processing instruction practice; input enhancement techniques). A review of one popular structured-based option to grammar instruction, namely consciousness raising, will be presented. Finally, output based options to grammar instruction such as collaborative output tasks will be examined. The chapter concludes with a reflection on research and practices on the teaching of grammar and provides some overall guidelines and suggestions for language instructors.