IMPORTANCE OF STRUCTURE IN LEARNING ENGLISH
Importance of Structure in Learning the English Language
Jan 24, 2015
Of all the four skills in a language, which helps an individual the most to express his or her ideas and feelings to others?
The two most important skills are speaking and writing. Speaking and writing are the Transmission Skills. In order for one to transmit one's ideas and feelings to others effectively, a good command in the said language is essential. Of course, listening and reading play an important part in language too. They are the Reception Skills. But speaking and writing help one to accomplish one's purpose.
Clarity in speaking and writing is achieved by dint of effort in language learning. It rewards handsomely if the language is learned in a methodical and logical manner. And it applies even more to a language like English which is the indisputable world language at present.
One may possess all the knowledge pertaining to one's vocation but if one lacks the powers of expression, one is very much handicapped to compete locally and globally. Thus, the powers of expression in the transmission skills in a language are very much enhanced when one has learned a language logically.
The two most important skills are speaking and writing. Speaking and writing are the Transmission Skills. In order for one to transmit one's ideas and feelings to others effectively, a good command in the said language is essential. Of course, listening and reading play an important part in language too. They are the Reception Skills. But speaking and writing help one to accomplish one's purpose.
Clarity in speaking and writing is achieved by dint of effort in language learning. It rewards handsomely if the language is learned in a methodical and logical manner. And it applies even more to a language like English which is the indisputable world language at present.
One may possess all the knowledge pertaining to one's vocation but if one lacks the powers of expression, one is very much handicapped to compete locally and globally. Thus, the powers of expression in the transmission skills in a language are very much enhanced when one has learned a language logically.
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IMPORTANCE OF
STRUCTURE IN
LEARNING ENGLISH
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
The Structural Approach is organised along grammatical lines giving primacy to language form.
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
It specifies structuralpatterns as the basic
units of learning. Its backbone is grammar study which leads to sentence-building.
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
In the Structural
Approach, three principles form the bones of the English Language.
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
These three principles are :
Word OrderStructural WordsInflexion
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
The study of these
three principlesbecomes much easier when one has a good understanding of English Grammar.
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
A proper understanding and use concerning these
three principlesenable one to proceed to higher English work.
WHAT IS THE
STRUCTURALAPPROACH?
These principles, which are noticeably absent in other approaches/methods in learning English, form the gist of English learning in the
Structural Approach.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE –WORD ORDER
SUBJECT – VERB – OBJECT (S-V-O)• Tom hit Jack.
• Jack hit Tom.
• Although the two sentences above have the same word order (S-V-O), they convey different meanings. The two words, Tom and Jack, that fill the Subject and Object columns are Nouns.
• He beat me.
• I beat him.
• Again the two sentences above convey different meanings despite having the same word order (S-V-O). The words he and I that fill the Subject columns as well as the words me and him that fill the Object columns are Pronouns.
THE SECOND PRINCIPLE –STRUCTURAL WORDS
• PRONOUNS – I, me, you, he, him, we, us, etc.
• PREPOSITIONS – in, at, under, down, from, etc.
• AUXILIARY VERBS – be, have, do, shall, will, may, etc.
• ADJECTIVES – this, that, a, an, the, all, each, etc.
• ADVERBS – again, also, even, ever, ago, etc.
• These structural words are the frequently used words in the English language.
• They are very important.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE – INFLEXION• Inflexion refers to words undergoing changes of form by which the meaning of the words is
modified.
• The first inflexion to be taught in English is the inflexion for NUMBER (Singular & Plural) in the study of nouns. Plural nouns can be formed in several ways.
• 1. boy, boys // pen, pens. 2. dress, dresses // match, matches // box, boxes. 3. hero, heroes // piano, pianos. 4. lady, ladies // story, stories. 5. key, keys // journey, journeys. 6. knife, knives // loaf, loaves // thief, thieves. 7. roof, roofs.8. man, men // woman, women. 9. tooth, teeth // mouse, mice. 10. child, children. 11. sheep, sheep // deer, deer.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE – INFLEXION
The second inflexion is the inflexion for VERBS. The verbs in the 3rd Person Singular (for the Present Tense only) end in –s, -es and –ies.
•
I walk We walk
You walk You walk
He walks They walk
She walks
It walks
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE – INFLEXION
I try We try
You try You try
He tries They try
She tries
It tries
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE – INFLEXION.
I wash We wash
You wash You wash
He washes They wash
She washes
It washes
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE – INFLEXION
The third inflexion is the inflexion for ADJECTIVES.
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
long longer longest
quick quicker quickest
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE – INFLEXION
Also, the third inflexion is the inflexion for ADVERBS.
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
easily more easily most easily
well better best
early earlier earliest
Speaking and writing are the transmission skills.
The speaker is face-to-face with his audience but the writer is not.
It becomes doubly harder for writers to convey their thoughts and feelings to the intended audience.
The intended audience can be the readers who read their prose or the clients who read their e-mails, formal letters, reports and memorandums.
Thus, a good command of written English is vital.
One doesn’t write English as one speaks English.
One should follow the rules concerning written English.
These rules are acquired in the learning of English grammar.
In the Structural Approach, grammar is given prominence as it empowers a learner in the transmission skills –speaking and writing.
The powers of expression are enhanced.
Writing English well determines one’s success in the working world and this is a fact lacking sorely in staff employed in the corporate world.
Organisations place a premium on staff who can express themselves in written English well.
A person’s level of education in the English language is very much judged by his or her knowledge in grammar. This shows glaringly in the written form.
Inability to write English well renders a person incapable of taking on higher tasks at the workplace.
Practically, everyone can get away with the spoken form BUT not the written form.
Written English has
grammar as its
foundation.
Without this solid foundation of
grammar study, the
written work will lack “punch”.
In other words, a TRUE
PROFESSIONAL is
one who expresses oneself in written English clearly and confidently.
Grammar in its
entirety is just a mechanical exercise.
Grammar should be
an aid to composition.
The whole purpose of learning English is defeated if it doesn’t teach one to write clear and correct English sentences through
grammar study. Without
the three principles, English proficiency would be impossible.
REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE PROGRAMME
•Learning English Grammar using the Structural Approach is now available
on WizIQ.• To enrol for this 10-hour programme,
click on the following link:-
http://www.wiziq.com/course/63581-learning-english-grammar-using-the-
structural-approach
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