A review of the current empirical research on grammar instruction in the francophone regions

Abstract

This paper presents the main trends and results of the empirical research on grammar instruction across the "francophonie" for the [2005][2006][2007][2008][2009][2010][2011][2012][2013][2014][2015][2016] period. In addition to fostering writing and reading abilities in pupils, grammar instruction in the francophone world aims at giving pupils a metalinguistic knowledge of the working of the French language. From a methodological point of view, one key feature of recent research is the importance of direct observations in the classroom, both for the teachers' and the pupils' work. The research topics reveal a new interest in the teachers' work, notably the beginning teachers, and a focus on everyday practices. Grammar instruction is very present in the francophonie and some of its notable features include the presence of mixed contents (traditional and new grammar), notional economy, and a strong separation between the study of grammatical "rules" and their applications in exercises or texts. While insisting on the fact that grammatical knowledge learned by pupils first will be partial, transitory and instable before it is more complete and stable, the experimentation of innovative teaching methods has shown promising results for the acquisition of new knowledge (heuristic approach) and for the stabilization of knowledge (innovative dictations). The fragility of both experienced and beginning teachers' grammatical knowledge, notably in syntax, is a recurrent finding. On the pupils' side, there is a renewed interest in the pupils' ordinary work and their ability to do grammar. Recent research has shown a correlation between explicit grammatical knowledge and successful grammatical spelling; performances in writing are declining, and the use of more detailed criteria for the analysis of pupils' text reveal that a large part of the errors are linked to syntax.

For what benefit? Grammar teaching materials in upper primary Danish L1

“…(2010, p. 178). The same connection has also been suggested by other researchers (Boivin, 2018;Hudson, 2004). The research by Myhill and colleagues suggests that an integrated and functional-oriented school grammar most likely requires L1 teachers to have a secure and subject-relevant knowledge of grammar and of pedagogical possibilities.…”

“…In summary, the three most used contemporary learning materials concerning grammar in upper primary Danish are very similar. They all align with a traditional school grammar tradition in L1 education in which the purpose of an explicit school grammar teaching is primarily prescriptive (Boivin, 2018;Hillocks, 2008;The English Review Group, 2004). They place importance on syntax, parts of speech and morphological aspects of language.…”

“…However, it also recognises similarities and has added further facets of the two main L1 school grammar orientations, and it has contributed insights into associated sets of understandings of the why, what and how in present grammar teaching. According to a recent review of empirical studies on grammar teaching in the L1 classroom in francophone regions, the content in grammar teaching is often unclear and its purpose appears to be to support the students' correct spelling when writing texts (Boivin, 2018). Such a prescriptive purpose, that is, when grammar teaching serves as a means to support correctness in students' written texts, particularly applies when school grammar teaching is based on a structural understanding of grammar (Fontich & García-Folgado, 2018;The English Review Group, 2004).…”

“…Summarizing these abovementioned two main L1 school grammar orientations, it becomes evident that, traditionally, a formal-oriented grammar in L1 education involves either legitimising grammar as a means to support correctness in students' writing (Boivin, 2018;Hillocks, 2008;The English Review Group, 2004) or legitimising a decontextualised knowledge of language structure as a worthwhile part of the L1 curriculum in itself. Instruction within this school grammar tradition often concentrates on the level of the sentence and below, which means that the teaching focuses on sentence grammar, parts of speech and morphological aspects of language as well as punctuation and spelling rules.…”

“…(Ordbogen A. S., 2017, my translation). These three learning materials formulate an explicit prescriptive purpose, which corresponds with a formal-oriented school grammar aligned in particular with a traditional structural understanding of grammar (Boivin, 2018;Hillocks, 2008;The English Review Group, 2004).…”