The Grammar of Talk
Activity
Watch the video clip of the teacher at School C addressing the grammar of talk with her Year 9 pupils.
School C, Year 9 - The Grammar of Talk (00:51)
You can watch the video via 56k modem or slow (100kbps) / medium (256 kbps) / fast (400kbps) / very fast (800kbps) broadband connections. Alternative format Flash video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Transcript (21 KB) School C, Year 9 - The Grammar of Talk (00:54)
You can watch the video via 56k modem or slow (100kbps) / medium (256 kbps) / fast (400kbps) / very fast (800kbps) broadband connections, or as a Flash video for which you will need to have the flash plugin.
What do you think could be the benefits to the pupils in the video of being taught grammar for talk? Jot down your ideas and then compare them with those given by QCA and teachers in the link below.
Benefits of teaching the grammar of talk (20 KB)
A language for talk
Teaching the grammar of talk requires you to actively investigate the spoken word with your pupils and to reflect on talk. To aid that reflection and to be able to talk about the features of talk, to make it 'visible', an explicit terminology (such as 'discourse markers', 'ellipsis' and 'deixis') for spoken language can be helpful.
Objective-led teaching
Many of the objectives for speaking and listening in the Framework for teaching English can be used to direct teaching grammar of talk but in particular you might consider the following:
Year 7
S&L 2 recount a story, anecdote or experience, and consider how this differs from written narrative
S&L 8 identify the main methods used by presenters to explain, persuade, amuse, etc
Year 8
S&L 1 reflect on the development of their abilities as speakers in a range of different contexts and identify areas for improvement
S&L 8 recognise the range of ways in which messages are conveyed
Year 9
S&L 1 reflect on the development of their abilities as speakers in a range of different contexts and identify areas for improvement
S&L 5 compare different points of view that have been expressed, identifying and evaluating differences and similarities
Activity
For further ideas on teaching the grammar of talk you might wish to read the following:
Introducing the grammar of talk (QCA 2004)
Teaching the grammar of talk (Durant, R. Gillow, T. Heffernan-Smith, S. 2006)