Changing Approaches to the Conceptualization and Teaching of Grammar

Abstract

The traditional view of grammar as simply a collection of word classes and rules for their combination is being supplemented by theories that conceive of grammar in terms of its cognitive and social origins. Such theories are being used to support research from psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic perspectives into the learning and teaching of language and how grammar is implicated in such processes. This chapter looks at three models of grammar that are representative of the major paradigms currently informing ELT research and practice: grammar as structure, grammar as mental faculty, and grammar as functional resource. It concludes with a look at some of the issues surrounding grammar and future directions for research and teaching.