Spoken Grammar Key features of spoken grammar Implications and ideas for teaching

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Alicia Baldwin
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1 Department for Continuing Education Spoken Grammar Key features of spoken grammar Implications and ideas for teaching

2 Spoken-like and written-like language is a continuum, with highly oral language at one end and highly literate language at the other. Tannen, 1982, Oral and Literate Strategies in spoken and written discourse

Key Features of Spoken English The sound of speech: speed, pitch, volume, pausing, rhythm, intonation Spoken grammar: fillers, hesitation devices / topicalization, heads, tails / simple, ordinary,

3 Key Features of Spoken English The sound of speech: speed, pitch, volume, pausing, rhythm, intonation Spoken grammar: fillers, hesitation devices / topicalization, heads, tails / simple, ordinary, generic words / auxiliaries / (near) ellipsis Planned v unplanned speech: longer more written-like, formal sentences v shorter sentences, idea units, incomplete sentences Slips and errors: acquire special significance for foreign language learners Luoma, 2004, Assessing Speaking

4 - Look Jim, this conference in Rome, I can t do it. - You can t do it. - No, I m sorry. I ve got this thing in Madrid again and I can t say no. [4 second silence] I told Kate I d go back if they needed me. And someone else could easily do Rome. [2 seconds silence] I did say I might have to do Madrid. We ve still got a month. - Mm, OK. When s she need to know? - So, I thought I should, er, let you know. - Right, OK, well, I, er, suppose we ll have to sort something out, then. - What about Sarah? Could she do Rome? Or that new guy, erm, Andrew, what about him? - s OK. I ll sort something.

5 - Look Jim, this conference in Rome, I can t do it. - You can t do it. - No, I m sorry. I ve got this thing in Madrid again and I can t say no. [4 second silence] I told Kate I d go back if they needed me. And someone else could easily do Rome. [2 seconds silence] I did say I might have to do Madrid. We ve still got a month. - Mm, OK. When s she, need to know? - So, I thought I should, er, let you know. - Right, OK, well, I, er, suppose we ll have to sort something out, then. - What about Sarah? Could she do Rome? Or that new guy, erm, Andrew, what about him? - s OK. I ll sort something.

6 Speaking is typified by idea units... short phrases and clauses connected with and, or, but or that, or not joined by conjunctions at all but simply spoken next to each other, with possibly a short pause between them usually about two seconds or about seven words long, or shorter. Luoma, 2004, Assessing Speaking

Look having nuclear / my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer / Dr John Trump / at MIT / good genes / very good genes / okay very smart / the Wharton School of Finance / very good /

7 Look having nuclear / my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer / Dr John Trump / at MIT / good genes / very good genes / okay very smart / the Wharton School of Finance / very good / very smart / you know if you re a conservative Republican / if I were a liberal / if like okay / if I ran as a liberal Democrat / they would say I'm one of the smartest people anywhere in the world / it s true / but when you're a conservative Republican they try / oh do they do a number...

8 ... short phrases and clauses connected with and, or, but or that, or not joined by conjunctions at all but simply spoken next to each other, with possibly a short pause between them.... usually about two seconds or about seven words long, or shorter. Luoma, 2004, Assessing Speaking

9 (near) Ellipsis m sorry about that s everything OK? v just been listening to... Hird, Oxford Learner s Pocket Verbs and Tenses, OUP

11 Auxiliaries in spoken grammar short responses question tags emphasis

12 Chrissie Oliver I do love the Eagles, and this is such a loss Like Reply 21 mins

13 Oxford Learner s Pocket Verbs and Tenses, OUP

15 Emphasis tags I like it. it, I do. I m starving. starving, I am. You need to slow down. down, you do. She s going to regret that. that, she is. They ve made a big mistake. mistake, they have. It hurts. hurts, that does. Had me crying into my cornflakes. cornflakes, it did.

16 does = s What s he do? Where s she live? Who s it belong to? How long s it take?

17 Oxford Learner s Pocket Verbs and Tenses, OUP

18 Think of a friend. Ask and answer the questions using s. Where does he/she live? What does he/she do? What does he/she look like? What car does he/she drive?

20 Fronting and Tailing s difficult, the exam. They work very hard, most of the students. s nice college, Exeter.

21 Fronting Where he went, I don t know. That, I'm looking forward to. OBJECT Tailing It s a bit old, this apple. Great band, the Kinks. SUBJECT

22 Orienting and focusing My keys, I can t find them anywhere. That book I lent you, have you read it yet? That bag over there, is it yours? The meeting, it s now in room 113.

23 My keys, I can t find them anywhere. That book I lent you, have you read it yet? That bag over there, is it yours? The meeting, it s moved to room 113.

24 Rephrase using orienting/focusing How much were the tickets? Did Trevor s dad own the hardware shop at the end of Green Lane?

25 Identify examples of fronting, tailing and orienting/focusing: A B A B A That was a success, the party, don t you think? Yep, it was great. Better get tidying up though. Er, that bag over there, is it yours? No, not mine. But that girl who was talking to Jim all night, I can t remember her name, I think it might be hers. Ok, I m sure she ll come back for it. But yeah, who she was, I ve no idea. And that jacket over there, do you know whose it is? Yeah, er, David s friend, it s his.

26 A B A B A That was a success, the party, don t you think? Yep, it was great. Better get tidying up though. Er, that bag over there, is it yours? No, not mine. But that girl who was talking to Jim all night, I can t remember her name, I think it might be hers. Ok, I m sure she ll come back for it. But yeah, who she was, I ve no idea. And that jacket on the chair, do you know whose it is? Yeah, er, David s friend, it s his.

27 Rephrase the phrases in bold as fronting or tailing: Tailing A: This risotto s really nice. How s your pizza? B: Pretty good. A: Yeah, the food here s always pretty good. Fronting A: I can t find my keys anywhere. B: Have you looked in the kitchen, next to the kettle? A: Do you have any of the jackets in the window for sale? B: I think we ve sold out. But let me just check.

28 Tailing A: It s really nice, this risotto. How s your pizza? B: Pretty good. A: Yeah, it s always pretty good, the food here. Fronting A: My keys, I can t find them anywhere. B: Have you looked in the kitchen, next to the kettle? A: The jacket in the window, do you have any for sale? B: We ve sold out, I think. But let me just check.

29 Tailing A: s really nice, this risotto. How s your pizza? B: Pretty good. A: Yeah, ts always pretty good, the food here. Fronting A: My keys, I can t find them anywhere. B: v you looked in the kitchen, next to the kettle? A: The jacket in the window, do you have any for sale? B: We ve sold out, I think. But let me just check.

30 ..., that. That,... Nev Morris Stunning goal, that Like Reply 8 mins That, I don t believe Pure coincidence, that was

31 Rephrase... That was a really good lecture. That guy always reminds me of Alex. This album takes me right back. I m really looking forward to that. I do like this one. I really want to see that.

32 What are some key features of spoken grammar? Can or should we teach spoken grammar? How can we teach spoken grammar?

Introducing your students to spoken grammar

Introducing your students to spoken grammar The term 'spoken grammar' is used to describe features of English that are common in the informal or conversational language, but normally absent from conventional