The Grammar Dimension in Instructed Second Language Learning

Advances in Instructed Second Language Acquisition Research

by Alessandro G. Benati (Series Editor), Cécile Laval (Editor), María J. Arche (Editor)

One of the key issues in second language learning and teaching concerns the role and practice of grammar instruction. Does it make a difference? How do we teach grammar in the language classroom? Is there an effective technique to teach grammar that is better than others?

While some linguists address these questions to develop a better understanding of how people acquire a grammar, language acquisition scholars are in search of the most effective way to approach the teaching of grammar in the language classroom.

The individual chapters in this volume will explore a variety of approaches to grammar teaching and offer a list of principles and guidelines that those involved in language acquisition should consider to design and implement effective grammar tasks during their teaching. It proposes that the key issue is not whether or not we should teach grammar but how we incorporate a teaching grammar component in our communicative language teaching practices.

Genres: Education

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Alessandro Benati is the Head of the English Department at the American University of Sharjah. He has previously worked in the United Kingdom at the University of Greenwich, Queen Mary and Westfield College, Middlesex University, and the University of Portsmouth. He is honorary visiting professor at the University of York St john, UK. Alessandro is internationally known for his research in second language acquisition and second language teaching. He has published ground-breaking research with James Lee on the pedagogical framework called processing instruction. He is co-Editor of the journal ISLA (Equinox Publishing), and Editor of the Advanced ISLA Research Book Series for Bloomsbury Publishing. He is a member of the editorial board for the journal Language Teaching Research and Co-Editor of the Grammar World Japanese online platform. He has recently launched with John Schwieter a new series for Cambridge University Press called Elements in Second Language Acquisition. Alessandro has co-ordinated national and international high-impact research projects funded by the European Union, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, Sassakawa Foundation, Japanese MEXT, and the School Challenge. He is a member of the AHRC Peer Review College and the REF Panel 2021.He is currently working on two monographs (Key Questions in Second Language Acquisition: An Introduction and Key Issues in Second Language Teaching) for Cambridge University Press