Teaching Grammar at the Word, Sentence and Text Levels (Upper Primary)

21 January 2010

Focus

This is a whole-day, seven-hour workshop specifically aimed at teachers teaching at the Upper Primary level. Its emphasis is on the systematic and explicit teaching of grammar, focusing on word and sentence-level grammar as well as on grammar at the text level in texts appropriate to the Upper Primary classes, to match the requirements of the 2010 Singapore Primary English Language Syllabus.

Teachers in Singapore schools would find the workshop useful because it provides them with practical tips on explaining the basic grammatical terminology and rules of grammar relevant to the needs of Upper Primary pupils and getting them to apply them in context and to familiarize teachers with techniques in teaching grammar explicitly, in simple English.

Approach

An inductive/deductive approach to the teaching of grammar at the Upper Primary Level, based on the following sequence, will be used and will comprise the following:

1. Exploration of the principal features of grammar at the word, sentence and text levels
2. Explanation of the features, their functions and their use in context
3. Exposure to the use of the features in context in specific text types
4. Examples of integrated and contextualized grammar practice activities for Upper Primary  classes

Areas covered

• Word Classes (Parts of Speech)
• Metalanguage – Ways of introducing grammatical terms and their functions with examples at the        word, sentence and text levels
• Rules of Grammar – Explaining the basic rules of grammar and helping pupils to apply them
• Nouns and Noun Phrases at the word, sentence and text levels
• Verbs and Verb Groups at the word, sentence and text levels
• Clauses and Sentences
• Putting it all Together (Form and Function, Applying Grammar at the Word, Sentence and Text         Levels)

 

Trainer's Profile

Mr Sundara Rajan


The Workshop Leader, Mr Sundara Rajan, is a Principal Consultant at Educare, Singapore, and has over 45 years’ experience in English Language Teaching and Language Teacher Education in Singapore and the other 9 countries in Southeast Asia, as well as in India, Iran, Papua New Guinea and Taiwan. Mr Rajan was with RELC, Singapore for 22 years and has taught MA, Post-graduate Diploma and Specialist Certificate courses there. He has also managed/conducted a variety of Language Teacher Education courses for teachers from Singapore Schools including the Singapore-Cambridge Certificate Course in English Grammar for Primary and Secondary teachers in Singapore schools. He has also designed and taught a wide variety of courses in oral communication skills.

Mr Rajan has authored/co-authored several books on ELT including Grammar Matters, the best-selling 5-part series, which looks at aspects of the grammar of English that are particularly important to users of English in Singapore and neighbouring countries, and English in Focus, which looks at how grammar operates at the text level.

Mr Rajan’s area of interest include: The Teaching of Grammar at the word, sentence and text levels , ELT Instructional Materials Design, Language Testing and Assessment, Teaching Spoken English Designing Courses in English for Specific Purposes and Oral Communication Skills Development.

 

Venue & Time

The Singapore Scout Association 1 Bishan St 12, Level 2 Singapore 579808

9.00am – 5.00pm

 

Fees & Registration

Servicing Schools: $180

Non - Servicing Schools: $230

*Servicing school: A school with support staff (TA, ASA, ICT Exec,etc) engaged from Educare and still in employment in January 2010

 

Application Procedure

1. Download & complete the application form and email  to programmes@educare.sg Principal’s signature will not be required if the application is sent via email. Note, all email application must be copied to the respective school Principal (unless the sender is the school Principal) otherwise; it will not be valid.
2. Alternatively, you could also fax the application form to 6297 7386 (Principal’s signature will be required).