2024, The Year of Language Functions and Grammar

World Language Classroom

#177
The most popular episode of 2024 was the one where I talked about moving from grammar to language functions. I begin this last episode of 2024 with some podcast stats from 2024 and then you have the replay of episode #141: Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function.

2024 World Language Classroom Podcast Stats :

• top 10% of all podcast downloads
• 52 episodes
• Most popular cities with listeners: Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Sydney
• Most popular countries with listeners: United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom
• Most downloaded episode: #141: Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function.
• Total 2024 downloads: 65,000
• Total minutes of audio published: 1,200

Replay of episode #141: Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function.

What have you heard about language functions? I see this as the idea of using the target language to communicate or convey a message rather than only being able to describe the grammatical structures, patterns and vocabulary. In this episode we are going to take a look at this shift in focus, and sometimes mindset, from a primary focus on grammatical forms to language functions with examples and practical strategies.

Topics In This Episode:

• 3 aspects of communicative language teaching:
  • 1. goal is on communicating and doing something with the language
  • 2. student-centered
  • 3. focused on understanding the message being conveyed by students despite inaccuracy in language form.
• language functions
  • focus is on communicating, student-centered, understanding the message being conveyed by students despite inaccuracy in language form
• practical strategies and examples to support our focus on language functions
  • Novice Levels: Making Language Practical
  • Intermediate Levels: Expanding Communication
• Embrace the Shift
  • not an either/or when it comes to grammar
  • it’s essential that we embrace this paradigm shift from a focus on grammar and accuracy to a broader emphasis on language functions and authentic communication.
  • ensures that language learning is not just a theoretical exercise, but one that builds proficiency and communicative competence.
• Blog post on Shifting the Focus from Grammar to Function

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