November 1997 — Volume 3, Number 1
Focus on Grammar: A Basic Course for Reference and Practice
Irene E. Schoenberg (1994)
White Plains, NY: Longman Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
Pp. xvi + 530
ISBN 0-201-65681-7 (paper)
Focus on Grammar: An Intermediate Course for Reference and Practice
Marjorie Fuchs and Miriam Westheimer, with Margaret Bonner (1994)
Pp. xii + 403
ISBN 0-201-65685-X (paper)
Focus on Grammar: A High-Intermediate Course for Reference and Practice
Marjorie Fuchs and Margaret Bonner (1995)
Pp. xv + 393
ISBN 0-201-65689-2 (paper)
Focus on Grammar: An Advanced Course for Reference and Practice
Jay Maurer (1995)
Pp. xv + 346
ISBN 0-201-65693-0 (paper)
US $18.50 each
Focus on Grammar presents grammar exercises at four levels, each level being composed of a student book, a cassette, a workbook, a teacher’s manual and a CD-ROM. Each student book is divided into units addressing one of the main grammatical problems of English: simple past tense, modals, comparisons, and so forth. The last unit offers additional exercises on some of the points raised in the volume, in a sort of synthesis. Appendices gather documents (e.g., maps of the world and the United States), tables (e.g., conjugations, structures of comparisons), spelling and pronunciation rules, grammar rules, and lists of irregular and phrasal verbs. An extensive index refers to grammatical terms (e.g., frequency adverb, possessive noun) as well as specific words (e.g., but, less, would).Finally, an answer key gives the solutions to the exercises and makes the books usable for self-study.
The basic format is the same in each unit, and a certain unity of content is achieved as each unit centres around one or more themes suitable to the grammar topic of the unit. The chapters start with a contextualization or awareness phase where the new structures are presented in context in the form of dialogues, newspaper and magazine excerpts, and so forth, both in written and oral form. The aim is to show how the structures are used in everyday situations. This is followed by the formal presentation of the target structure(s) in the form of charts, explanations and examples. The [-1-] bulk of the unit is the production phase, which offers two sorts of exercises: focused or controlled practice first, beginning with easy exercises where the student recognises the structure without having to produce language, and going on to controlled production exercises (fill-in-the-blanks, multiple choice, matching). These are written exercises. Students are then exposed to the structures in listening activities, and finally go on to freer exercises, communication practice in pairs or small groups. The unit ends on a series of exercises that can be used for review or self-test.
The series, as the titles indicate, claims to be both for reference and practice. In addition to the formal grammar explanations and the four-step approach, it also offers constant recycling and revising of the structures already studied all through the books, and proposes activities making use of the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
These claims are largely fulfilled and make the books truly unique, as far as I know. The layout is pleasant, with plenty of space to write but no unnecessary frills. The pen drawings are sober, cartoon-like, and they serve a purpose in the exercises as part of the material on which the practice is based. Each book in the series has a background colour, in the margins and in the charts and titles, which gives them both unity and a sophisticated aspect. Attention is not distracted from the main point and the overall impression is that of solid books. One feels, all the more so as they are bulky books, that when one is finished with a volume progress will have been made, a sense of achievement will have been reached. As the approach of each structure is very gradual, and there is an abundance of varied practice for each structure, I have no doubt that this is the case. It is the first time in many years (since English Grammar in Use, Murphy, 1985, in fact) that I have felt like recommending a grammar book to my own students.
As the exercises involve the four skills, Focus on Grammar may well form the core of a basic language course. But the books are unequal. I found level 1 (basic) far better, more imaginative and more comprehensive than levels 2 and 3. The latter fall back on many of the most common defects of language books: unattractive drawings (the art work is much better in book 1), recordings of written texts (newspaper articles, advertisements) not meant to be read aloud, dull, insipid texts, very traditional exercises. As the level goes up, texts and exercises get longer and longer, but this seems to be the only growing difficulty. Moreover, “Read and Listen” activities do not, in themselves, justify a recording. What I have heard of the recordings (sample cassette) made a favourable impression. The dialogues are lively, well-acted, natural. The accompanying exercises, when available, make full use of the texts.
Each book presents essentially the main stumbling-blocks of English grammar: questions, tenses, modals. Contrastive studies [-2-] (e.g., present perfect vs. simple past, present simple vs. present continuous) are not forgotten, although they could have been given more place. There is little difficulty in doing grammar exercises when we know which tense to use. When there is a choice, as in real-life situations, that is where problems begin and where too often grammar books stop.
Another weakness is that there is page after page of unimaginative, classical exercises of the structural, transformative, or plain fill-in-the blanks kind. Some are too simplistic, merely a copying of structures. It explains, but does not justify, the bulkiness of the books. More is not necessarily better. To make up for that, many simple exercises of transformation involve the students personally, giving them freedom of content in their answers, and many are genuinely communicative activities.
The US-centrism of content, especially in book 1, may irritate. The target audience is obviously foreign students living in the United States, and there is an attempt to introduce them to American history and civilisation. A more varied approach, including other English-speaking countries, would have had a wider world-wide appeal. As it is, the books sound a bit like propaganda in favour of the American way of life.
There are other minor defects which I will point out, without detracting from the overall very favourable impression. In the Basic course, for example, what purpose does finding American states and cities on the map serve? What is there to discuss in the statement “Businessmen are clean”? How useful is an exercise where the student has to unscramble letters to find days, months, and so forth? Some points are not grammatical questions: the difference between and and but or the meaning of some phrasal verbs: this is a problem of vocabulary; only word order with objects poses a structural problem (which is well treated). I am not sure that the past tense of be deserves a whole chapter, especially after a unit on the past tense of the other verbs. I also fail to see why the author opposes don’t to won’t. It seems to me to introduce a problem where there is none. Finally, the difference between may and might is not a “basic” problem and the exercises proposed, where may and might are interchangeable, serve no purpose. These small defects, which are more irrelevancies than mistakes, may well come from a desire to provide an abundance of practice material to choose from.
All these remarks notwithstanding, these are books that any teacher might well want to adopt for classroom use, as there is a wealth of good material to choose from. Also, these are superb books for self-study, offering a gradual approach and all the help necessary; they will delight all learners who feel they need to refine their grammar skills. For self-study, there might be a [-3-] difficulty with the communication activities, but it is up to the learner to find (a) partner(s) to share the learning.
Murphy, R. (1985). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Toulouse 3 University, France
© Copyright rests with authors. Please cite TESL-EJ appropriately.
Editor’s Note: Dashed numbers in square brackets indicate the end of each page in the paginated ASCII version of this article, which is the definitive edition. Please use these page numbers when citing this work. [-4-]
"Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu chake cha kwanza, ""Focus on Grammar: A Basic Course for Reference and Practice,"" Irene E. Schoenberg, White Plains, NY, Novemba 1994, toleo la kwanza la kitabu hicho, ""Focus on Grammar: A Basic Course for Reference and Practice,"" Longman, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., NY, Novemba 1994, p. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Focus on Grammar: An Intermediate Course for Reference and Practice"" ya Marjorie Fuchs na Miriam Westheimer, na Margaret Bonner, 1994." "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Focus on Grammar: A High-Intermediate Course for Reference and Practice"" ya Marjorie Fuchs na Margaret Bonner, 1995." (ISBN 0207-5689-2) (karatasi) Kuzingatia Grammar: Kozi ya Juu kwa Maelezo na Mazoezi Jay Maurer (1995) Pp. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Focus on Grammar"" (ISBN 02066590-01853) ""Focus on Grammar"" ni kitabu cha masomo ya sarufi, kinachohusisha masomo ya sarufi katika viwango vinne, kila kiwango kina kitabu cha masomo, kaseti, kitabu cha kazi, mwongozo wa mwalimu na CD-ROM." Kila kitabu cha mwanafunzi kimegawanywa katika vitengo vinavyozungumzia mojawapo ya matatizo makuu ya sarufi ya Kiingereza: wakati uliopita rahisi, mitindo, kulinganisha, na kadhalika. Kitengo cha mwisho hutoa mazoezi ya ziada juu ya baadhi ya pointi zilizotolewa katika kiasi, katika aina ya synthesis. Vifungu vya nyongeza hukusanya nyaraka (kwa mfano, ramani za ulimwengu na Marekani), meza (kwa mfano, conjugations, miundo ya kulinganisha), herufi na matamshi sheria, sheria za sarufi, na orodha ya verbs zisizo za kawaida na phrasal. "Kifungu cha majibu kinatoa majibu ya mazoezi na hufanya vitabu viweze kutumika kwa kujifunza kwa kibinafsi.""" Muundo wa msingi ni sawa katika kila kitengo, na umoja fulani wa maudhui unapatikana wakati kila kitengo kinazunguka mandhari moja au zaidi inayofaa kwa mada ya sarufi ya kitengo. Sura huanza na hatua ya contextualization au ufahamu ambapo miundo mpya ni iliyotolewa katika muktadha katika fomu ya mazungumzo, magazeti na magazeti, na kadhalika, wote katika maandishi na mdomo fomu. Kusudi ni kuonyesha jinsi miundo hutumiwa katika hali za kila siku. Hii inafuatwa na uwasilishaji rasmi wa muundo wa lengo katika fomu ya chati, maelezo na mifano. [-1] Sehemu kubwa ya kitengo ni awamu ya uzalishaji, ambayo inatoa aina mbili za mazoezi: mazoezi ya kuzingatia au kudhibitiwa kwanza, kuanzia na mazoezi rahisi ambapo mwanafunzi anatambua muundo bila ya kuzalisha lugha, na kuendelea na mazoezi ya uzalishaji kudhibitiwa (jaza katika nafasi tupu, chaguo nyingi, kulinganisha). Hizi ni mazoezi yaliyoandikwa. Wanafunzi huanza kujifunza kuhusu utaratibu wa kufanya mazoezi ya kusikiliza na kisha huanza kufanya mazoezi ya mawasiliano katika jozi au vikundi vidogo. Kitengo kinamalizika na mfululizo wa mazoezi ambayo yanaweza kutumika kwa ajili ya ukaguzi au kujijaribu. Mfululizo huo, kama vile majina yanavyodokeza, unadai kuwa wa kumbukumbu na wa mazoezi. Kwa kuongezea maelezo rasmi ya sarufi na mbinu ya hatua nne, pia inatoa marekebisho ya mara kwa mara na marekebisho ya miundo ambayo tayari imesomwa katika vitabu vyote, na inapendekeza shughuli zinazotumia ujuzi wa msingi wa kusikiliza, kuzungumza, kusoma na kuandika. Madai haya yanatimizwa kwa kiasi kikubwa na hufanya vitabu hivyo kuwa vya kipekee, kadiri ninavyojua. Mpangilio wake ni mzuri, ukiwa na nafasi nyingi ya kuandika lakini bila mambo yasiyo ya lazima. Michoro ya kalamu ni ya kawaida, kama katuni, na hutumikia kusudi katika mazoezi kama sehemu ya nyenzo ambayo mazoezi yanategemea. Kila kitabu katika mfululizo ina rangi ya nyuma, katika kingo na katika chati na majina, ambayo inatoa wote umoja na kipengele sophisticated. Uangalifu haupotezi kutoka kwa jambo kuu na hisia ya jumla ni ile ya vitabu vyenye nguvu. Mtu anahisi, zaidi ya yote kwa kuwa ni vitabu vikubwa, kwamba wakati mtu amemaliza na kiasi maendeleo yatakuwa yamefanywa, hisia ya mafanikio itakuwa imefikiwa. Kwa kuwa kila mfumo una mwelekeo wa hatua kwa hatua, na kuna mazoezi mengi tofauti kwa kila mfumo, sina shaka kwamba hii ni kesi. "Kwa mara ya kwanza katika miaka mingi (kwa kweli tangu ""English Grammar in Use,"" Murphy, 1985) nimehisi kama kupendekeza kitabu cha sarufi kwa wanafunzi wangu wenyewe." Kwa kuwa mazoezi hayo yanahusisha ustadi huo wanne, kitabu Focus on Grammar kinaweza kuwa sehemu muhimu ya kozi ya msingi ya lugha. Lakini vitabu havina usawa. Kwa upande mwingine, kiwango cha kwanza cha msingi ni bora zaidi, kina ubunifu zaidi na kina zaidi kuliko viwango vya pili na tatu. "Hii ni kwa sababu ya makosa mengi ya kawaida ya vitabu vya lugha: michoro isiyo ya kuvutia (kazi ya sanaa ni bora zaidi katika kitabu cha kwanza), rekodi za maandishi yaliyoandikwa (makala za magazeti, matangazo) ambayo hayakusudiwa kusomwa kwa sauti, maandishi ya kuchosha, ya kawaida, mazoezi ya jadi sana.""" Kadiri kiwango kinavyoongezeka, maandishi na mazoezi yanazidi kuwa marefu, lakini hii inaonekana kuwa ugumu pekee unaokua. Zaidi ya hayo, "Kusoma na Kusikiliza" shughuli si, kwa wenyewe, kusababisha kurekodi. Kile nilichosikia juu ya rekodi (kaseti ya sampuli) kilinifanya niwe na hisia nzuri. Mazungumzo hayo ni yenye kusisimua, yanafanywa vizuri, na ni ya asili. Mazoezi yanayoambatana na kitabu hicho, yanapotumiwa, hutumia maandishi hayo kikamili. Kila kitabu hutoa kimsingi vikwazo vikuu vya sarufi ya Kiingereza: maswali, nyakati, mitindo. Mafunzo ya tofauti [-2-] (kwa mfano, sasa kamilifu dhidi ya zamani rahisi, sasa rahisi dhidi ya sasa kuendelea) hayasahauliwa, ingawa wangeweza kupewa nafasi zaidi. Hakuna ugumu mkubwa wa kufanya mazoezi ya sarufi tunapokuwa na ujuzi wa kutumia wakati gani. Wakati kuna chaguo, kama katika hali za maisha halisi, hapo ndipo matatizo huanza na ambapo mara nyingi sana vitabu vya sarufi hukoma. Udhaifu mwingine ni kwamba kuna ukurasa baada ya ukurasa wa unimaginative, mazoezi ya kawaida ya muundo, mabadiliko, au wazi kujaza-katika-blanks aina. Nyingine ni sahili sana, ni kunakili tu miundo. Hilo laeleza, lakini halithibitishi, ukubwa wa vitabu hivyo. Kuwa na vitu vingi si jambo la lazima kuwa bora. Ili kukabiliana na hilo, mazoezi mengi ya rahisi ya mabadiliko yanahusisha wanafunzi kibinafsi, kuwapa uhuru wa maudhui katika majibu yao, na mengi ni shughuli za mawasiliano halisi. Ujumbe wa Marekani, hasa katika kitabu cha kwanza, unaweza kukasirisha. Kwa hivyo, wasikilizaji wa lengo ni wanafunzi wa kigeni wanaoishi nchini Marekani, na kuna jaribio la kuwajulisha historia na ustaarabu wa Amerika. Njia tofauti zaidi, ikiwa ni pamoja na nchi nyingine zinazozungumza Kiingereza, ingekuwa na rufaa kubwa zaidi ulimwenguni pote. Kama ilivyo, vitabu hivyo vinasikika kama propaganda inayopendelea njia ya maisha ya Marekani. Kuna kasoro nyingine ndogo ambazo nitazitaja, bila kupunguza hisia ya jumla nzuri sana. Kwa mfano, katika kozi ya Msingi, ni kusudi gani la kutafuta majimbo na majiji ya Marekani kwenye ramani? Ni nini kinachopaswa kuzungumziwa katika taarifa "Wafanyabiashara ni safi"? Je, ni jambo la manufaa kama nini kufanya mazoezi ambapo mwanafunzi anapaswa kufunua herufi ili kupata siku, miezi, na kadhalika? "Sehemu fulani si maswali ya sarufi: tofauti kati ya na na lakini au maana ya baadhi ya vitenzi vya phrasal: hii ni tatizo la msamiati; tu neno utaratibu na vitu huanzisha tatizo la muundo (ambayo ni vizuri kushughulikiwa).""" "Hakuna shaka kwamba wakati uliopita wa ""kuwa"" unastahili sura nzima, hasa baada ya kitengo juu ya wakati uliopita wa vitenzi vingine." Mimi pia kushindwa kuona kwa nini mwandishi anapinga si kwa si. Inaonekana kwangu kuanzisha tatizo ambapo hakuna. Hatimaye, tofauti kati ya inaweza na inaweza si tatizo <unk>msingi<unk> na mazoezi mapendekezo, ambapo inaweza na inaweza ni interchangeable, kutumika hakuna kusudi. Makosa haya madogo, ambayo ni yasiyo ya maana zaidi kuliko makosa, yanaweza kutokea kutokana na tamaa ya kutoa wingi wa vifaa vya mazoezi vya kuchagua. Kwa sababu ya mambo haya yote, ni vitabu ambavyo mwalimu yeyote anaweza kutaka kutumia darasani, kwa kuwa kuna vitu vingi vizuri vya kuchagua. Pia, hizi ni vitabu bora kwa ajili ya kujifunza binafsi, kutoa mbinu ya hatua kwa hatua na msaada wote muhimu; wao kufurahisha wanafunzi wote ambao wanahisi wanahitaji kusafisha ujuzi wao wa sarufi. Kwa kujifunza kwa kujitegemea, kunaweza kuwa na [-3] ugumu na shughuli za mawasiliano, lakini ni juu ya mwanafunzi kupata (mshirika) kushiriki kujifunza. Murphy, R. (1985). Lugha ya Kiingereza Inayotumiwa. Cambridge: Chuo Kikuu cha Cambridge Press. Toulouse 3 Chuo Kikuu, Ufaransa © Haki za uchapaji zinapatikana kwa waandishi. Tafadhali kutaja TESL-EJ ipasavyo. Kumbuka: Nambari zilizoandikwa katika mabano ya mraba zinaonyesha mwisho wa kila ukurasa katika toleo la ASCII la makala hii, ambayo ni toleo la mwisho. Tafadhali tumia nambari hizi za kurasa unapotaja kazi hii. [-4-]