Thinking differently about grammar and metalinguistic understanding in writing

Abstract

In the light of ongoing international debate about the purpose of explicit teaching of grammar, this paper considers the relationship between metalinguistic understanding and development as a writer. Drawing on a cumulative series of studies over a period of ten years, adopting a functionally-oriented approach to grammar, the paper argues that purposeful grammar teaching occurs within the teaching of writing, not divorced from it; and that this teaching develops students' metalinguistic understanding of how written texts are crafted and shaped. In this way, grammar is positioned as a resource for learning about writing and one which can support students in becoming increasingly autonomous and agentic decision-makers in writing. We show through practical examples how the pedagogy works in practice, and through classroom interaction data we highlight how metalinguistic talk (metatalk), which enables and encourages the verbalisation of choice. The data also shows, however, that teachers' skill in managing metatalk about metalinguistic choices in writing is critical in framing students' capacity to think metalinguistically about their writing and to be autonomous writerly decision-makers.

Grammar teaching 91-19: an analysis of the Portugese curricula

“…The analysis, however, distinguished four grammar teaching models that underpin grammar conceptualizations in the curricular discourse: the communicative paradigm (DGEBS, 1991a,b,c,d;DES, 2001/02), an approach recalling rhetorical purposes (DGE, 2014;2015), the Explicit Knowledge approach (DEB, 1997;DES, 1997;DGIDC, 2009), and Grammar Competence (DGE, 2018a,b). Still, considering grammar teaching models, it is worth noting the absence of the metalinguistic approach (Camps, 2014;Camps & Fontich, 2019;Myhill, 2011;Myhill et al, 2020), framed by Vygotskian principles, in the Portuguese curricula. While pedagogical contributions from the Geneva School, as the learning sequences for writing, are present in the Writing and Reading components, the Metalinguistic Activity for grammar learning has been kept outside the Portuguese intended curriculum history.…”

“…Within this perspective, the binomial language skills/reflective thinking is irrelevant, since metalinguistic reflection takes place in language activities, and "grammar knowledge may not be a condition for reflection about language, but its consequence" (Fontich & García-Folgado, 2018, p.1). Also Myhill and colleagues (Myhill, 2011;Myhill & Jones, 2015;Myhill & Watson, 2014;Myhill et al, 2020) have developed the concept of metalinguistic understanding, considering that "a more coherent theorization of a role for grammar in the curriculum might be framed as the teaching of grammar which promotes students' explicit metalinguistic understanding of how grammar choices shape meaning in texts and of the writing choices available to them" (Myhill & Watson, 2014, p. 52).…”

Perspectiva meta: integração e colocação em foco das unidades linguísticas

“…A escrita colaborativa constitui uma tarefa em que a referência às unidades linguísticas surge integrada no processo de escrita de forma natural (Barbeiro, 1999a(Barbeiro, ,b, 2012(Barbeiro, , 2019Barbeiro e Barbeiro, 2020;Herder et al, 2018). Na modalidade de produção do texto em interação imediata e direta dos elementos do grupo (reactive writing, na taxonomia de Lowry et al, 2004), o discurso trocado entre os participantes torna manifestas a formulação de propostas, as posições face a elas, acompanhadas ou não de discussão e de argumentos justificativos, procede a eventuais reformulações e apresentação de alternativas, ou seja, torna manifestas as escolhas e a tomada de decisão (Barbeiro, 1999b(Barbeiro, , 2019Sturm, 2016;Myhill et al, 2020a;Myhill et al, 2020b).…”

“…As potencialidades do discurso metalinguístico sobre as escolhas realizadas têm sido salientadas nas pesquisas de Myhill e coautores (cf. Myhill e Newman, 2016;Myhill et al, 2020a;Myhill et al, 2020b) em relação à aprendizagem da escrita e do próprio conhecimento gramatical. Myhill et al (2020b) mostram a necessidade de encontrar atividades que proporcionem a ativação e explicitação do conhecimento metalinguístico ao serviço dessas escolhas que os alunos são chamados a realizar ao escrever.…”

“…Myhill e Newman, 2016;Myhill et al, 2020a;Myhill et al, 2020b) em relação à aprendizagem da escrita e do próprio conhecimento gramatical. Myhill et al (2020b) mostram a necessidade de encontrar atividades que proporcionem a ativação e explicitação do conhecimento metalinguístico ao serviço dessas escolhas que os alunos são chamados a realizar ao escrever. O programa Ler para Aprender funda a aprendizagem da escrita na atividade de leitura.…”