ERIC Number: EJ1206197
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1916-4742
EISSN: N/A
The Potential of Sentence Trees in English Grammar Teaching
Huang, Danyan
English Language Teaching, v12 n3 p178-190 2019
This study aims to explore the potential use of sentence tree-structure in English grammar teaching in college. After combining Schema Theory and Lexical Chunk Theory, the writer proposed the sentence tree-structure tool and tried to apply it in one of her grammar classes in college. During the teaching process, students were asked to analyze long and complex sentences from IELTS reading texts and to write paragraphs and essays for IELTS writing task two topics, with the purpose of applying the new tool in productive activities. Data collection instruments include a pre-test, a post-test, questionnaires and interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data was employed. The difference in students' performance in the pre-test and the post-test revealed that the majority of students showed improvement in their ability to analyze long complex sentences and there was an obvious decline in the number of sentence structure-related grammar errors in their writing. Students' responses in questionnaires and interviews showed a growth in their study motivation and positive perceptions towards the use of this new tool in their grammar learning.
Descriptors: Grammar, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Teaching Methods, Language Tests, Sentence Structure, College Students, Schemata (Cognition), Phrase Structure, Reading Tests, Essays, Writing Tests, Pretests Posttests, Error Patterns, Student Attitudes, Student Motivation, Positive Attitudes, Learning Processes, Foreign Countries
Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, OH M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: elt@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: International English Language Testing System
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A