Abstract
Recent studies in corpus linguistics have revealed apparent inconsistencies between the prescriptive grammar presented in EFL textbooks and the type of grammar used in the speech of native speakers. Such variations and learning gapsdeprive EFL learners of the actual use of English and delay their oral/aural developmental processes. The focus of this research is therefore to highlight the necessity of integrating features of spoken grammar in L2 materials. Abasic comparative analysis is carried out to describe how reported speech, mainly direct speech, is prescriptively presented in Oxford Pocket English Grammar (OPEG) in comparison to how it is descriptively presented in the Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English (LGSWE). The analysis reveals clearly the lack of spoken grammatical features of reported speech in (OPEG). In the light of the analysis, the paper proposes the incorporation of a twofold spoken/written grammar approach targeting primarily EFL advanced learners. Pedagogical implications and considerations for the incorporation of the two-fold grammar approach are thoroughly discussed.
Highlights
According to Bodine (1975, p. 129), “descriptive grammar is dominant among theorists, but prescriptive grammar is taught in the schools and exercises a range of social effects”
Abasic comparative analysis is carried out to describe how reported speech, mainly direct speech, is prescriptively presented in Oxford Pocket English Grammar (OPEG) in comparison to how it is descriptively presented in the Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English (LGSWE)
E.g. I was saying to John this morning that I was thinking of going to London for the weekend. (BrE). Another characteristic that has been discussed inThe LGSWE, is the use of as a marker in introducing reported speech Again this feature used by speakers who mark what was said by using the verb followed by the particle like or they may use all preceded by a past tense form of be
Summary
According to Bodine (1975, p. 129), “descriptive grammar is dominant among theorists, but prescriptive grammar is taught in the schools and exercises a range of social effects”. Many recent studies have compared particular grammatical structures in EFL/ESL traditional grammar textbooks with the corpus-based findings of language in everyday use (Barbieri & Eckhardt, 2007; Biber & Reppen, 2002; Gilmore, 2004). Such comparisons reveal clear evidence of the linguistic discrepancy between what is taught and what is used. Such aim is motivated by my own interest to assist EFL learners develop their oral/aural communicative competencies since such competencies are lacking in the EFL classroom due to the intensive use of prescriptive rules that are followed strictly towards more accuracy and at the expense of fluency
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