Reaction  to Tanya Trusler's 9 Simple Steps for teaching ed and ing adjectives  

 Damian Francis

                 For many years, English has been the most interesting foreign language for Dominicans. It has become very popular in the Dominican Republic for many reasons: Some people do it because they want to get a better job or because they are on the process of getting a green card, others do it to apply for a scholarship in an American university, and other people for different more reasons. During the learning process, learners tend to get confused with some grammar rules. Most of the time, they are due to their first language interference. One of these grammar aspects that teachers have to deal with is the teaching of ed and ing adjectives. Tanya Trusler suggests us 9 different steps that could be helpful to teach our students how to apply them correctly.  

            According to Trusler, what teachers first have to do is to remind students that there are two adjectives patterns:  one is be + adjective, and the other one is adjective + noun.  The author says that the second step is to say the students that ed and ing adjectives are to describe feelings, and then he or she should give students some examples, such as interesting /interested, boring/bored, and so forth. The step three is to explain to students that adjectives in ing ending are used when the noun is the reason or cause of the feeling, for example the baseball game was exciting. It means that the baseball game is the reason or cause of feeling that way.

            Ms. Trusler says that step 4 is to work on ing adjectives +nouns. She gives some examples to illustrate this pattern. For example: this is a boring movie. This example is used to show that the noun movie is the reason or cause of my feeling of boredom. According to her, the next step is for introducing ing adjectives with the following pattern: be + adjective. In order to teach this aspect, the teacher should say that ed adjectives describe how a person is feeling. Then the teacher gives an example.

           The sixth step is for explaining students the ed adjective. Adj + N pattern. The author says this form is possible, but it is not often used. Steps from 7 to 9 that have to do with the explanation of cause and effect, the exceptions, and the material for advanced students. The teacher only conceptualizes and give examples, but he never   allows students to apply what they had been explained.

           Grammar teaching from my point of view is one of the aspects that has brought a lot of confusion in English as a foreign language teaching. I disagree with the methodology presented by Tanya Trusler because I think that the strategies she suggests could not  be effective in EFl classrooms. Although, I am one of those teachers that strongly believe there is not a unique way for teaching grammar, the one presented by the author would make teachers spend too much time explaining and conceptualizing about grammar aspects that are not necessary.  

             I consider that it is not a good idea to explain that there are two possible patterns, either be + adjective or adjective + noun. To me it is better to do activities in which students discover the grammar structures by themselves. When it comes to the methodology suggested by the author, I think that it could not allow students to have effective English language learning because it is too traditional. From my point of view, it is teacher’s centered. I did not see any suggestion in which students apply the knowledge. I did not see the moment in which the teacher explored students’ knowledge, either.

            I strongly believe that grammar teaching has to be taught in context. It does not matter if it is inductively or deductively, to me both work, it will depend on the student’s age and learning style. From my stand point, it is not a good idea to say that a specific strategy works for every student. Taking into account my teaching experience, what makes student internalize a grammar rule is by exposing them and giving them the opportunity to apply it in context. 

Beverly Ann Chin research about the role of grammar in improving students’ writing     

 Damián Francis

                There are a lot of controversies about what would be the best way to teach grammar in order to improve students writing. According to Beverly Ann Chin, in her research article entitled the role of grammar in improving students’ writing, native speakers acquire their languages automatically, she says that they have capacity to perform the grammar correctly when speaking, but people tend to have difficulties to apply their natural grammar knowledge in writing.

                 The author says that an effective grammar instruction begins with learners’ knowledge about grammar. According to her,  this cognizance could help them as they write. With this methodology students are intended to connect their knowledge of the oral grammar to written language. She supports this idea with some researches. The studies say that the most effective way to improve students’ writing is by teaching them in context, for example, it is better to teach punctuation or any other aspect taking as a model the learners’ own writing.

                  Ms. Chin also says that teachers should prioritize the teaching of those grammar aspects that affect learners’ written communication. She considers that the best strategy to teach grammar is by instructing students during the different phases of the writing process. It means that after students make their first draft they can be Taught some grammatical concepts based on their own production, as well as based on their grammar errors.

          I totally agree with the author when she says that there is a difference between the use of grammar in oral language and in written language. People usually acquire their native language automatically and they become very effective using it orally, but it is not the same when they have the opportunity to show written competence. In order to accomplish this capacity they need instruction and the best way is by using their own writing to teach them.

        To me, Ms. Chin is right when she says that the most effective way to improve students’ use of grammar in writing is by teaching it in context. In my experience as an English language teacher, I have noticed that teaching grammar in context is easier to be understood by students. From my point of view, teachers should not work on more than a grammar aspect in each lesson. For example, if the teacher has as objective to develop the position of adjectives, he or she should just focus on that. It is not a good idea to correct punctuation or any other aspect because learners could get confused.

          I also agree with the author when she says that teachers should prioritize those grammar aspects that affect students’ communication. I strongly believe that teachers have to focus on students’ needs. From my view point, it is a good idea to take advantage of the whole writing process to reinforce the grammar teaching because the more students practice the more they learn.