PdF:AJ2203 Grammar A - Course Information

AJ2203 Grammar A

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Taught in person.

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Renata Jančaříková, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Renata Jančaříková, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education

Timetable of Seminar Groups

AJ2203/01: Thu 8:00–9:50 učebna 10, R. Jančaříková
AJ2203/02: Mon 10:00–11:50 učebna 60, R. Jančaříková
AJ2203/03: Mon 14:00–15:50 učebna 63, R. Jančaříková
AJ2203/04: Thu 13:00–14:50 učebna 2, R. Jančaříková
AJ2203/05: Thu 10:00–11:50 učebna 12, R. Jančaříková
AJ2203/06: Wed 8:00–9:50 učebna 63, R. Jančaříková

Prerequisites

B2 level and higher.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

'Grammar A' course is designed for the 1st year students and as such it consolidates and develops the students' knowledge of English grammar. The entry level is expected to be at least B2. As it is the first grammar course in the programme, the aim is also to help students adapt to a university style of teaching.
The main objective of the course is to consolidate and further develop the students' knowledge of grammar by presenting grammar as a system whose elements are interconnected and influence each other. Grammar is studied as a complex whole with a focus on functions and meanings and mutual comparison of grammar features that help students understand the grammar system as such. The course also includes basic linguistic terminology, the knowledge of which is essential for the students' independent work with the course materials and recommended sources as well as their future studies (courses in English syntax mainly). Students will be able to (SWBAT) compare sentences in terms of grammar and meaning, as well as compare Czech and English grammar where such comparison is noteworthy; SWBAT correct mistakes in sentences and explain their corrections; SWBAT provide explanations and examples of their own to illustrate the grammar points discussed; SWBAT analyze stretches of language and justify choices of structures, tenses, articles, etc., and identify the speaker's attitudes and intentions.
PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS: This course raises students’ awareness of similarities and differences between English and their native language/mother tongue and thus enables them to identify potentially problematic areas for their future learners.

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to: - analyse a simple sentence (function vs. form, i.e. sentence elements vs. phrases);
- distinguish between types of verb (transitive, intransitive, linking) and use them in sentences to show understanding of the individual types and their complementation;
- understand the difference between finite and non-finite forms and clauses and use them in context and supply their own examples;
- use English tenses in context and understand differences between tenses, i.e. simple vs. continuous, perfect tenses;
- identify and explain the verbal categories of tense, voice, mood and aspect with a focus on the differences in form and meaning;
PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS: This course will increase students' independence so that in the future they will be able to identify errors in their students' language and provide appropriate and sufficiently illustrative examples of various grammatical phenomena.

Syllabus

• 1. Basic syntactic terminology: sentence and sentence structure; sentence elements; types of phrase (e.g. noun phrase and verb phrase); types of verbs (transitive, intransitive, linking); sentence vs. clause; simple vs. multiple sentence
• 2. General linguistic terminology: markedness; types of reference (generic vs. specific); open vs. closed word classes (including new words in English; pro-forms; ellipsis
• 3. Main verbs - finite vs. non-finite forms, verb phrases and clauses; spelling changes; irregular verbs; verb phrase structure
• 4. Primary auxiliaries - be, do and have, and their uses and functions; have sth done
• 5. Modal auxiliaries - marginal modal auxiliaries (dare, need, used to, would for past habits); modal idioms; semi-auxiliaries (modality in detail is covered in syntax courses)
• 6. Passive - structure and meaning, comparison with the passive in Czech; reasons for using the passive; agent
• 7. Reported speech - sequence of tenses, reporting verbs, reported questions, word order
• 8. Present tenses - present simple vs. present continuous; tense vs. time (present tense with past reference)
• 9. Past tenses - past simple vs. past continuous; used to vs. would
• 10. Present perfect and past perfect - simple and continuous and comparison with the past simple and past cont. (discussed previously)
• 11. Expressing future - structures used to express the future in English

Literature

required literature
• BIBER, Douglas, Susan CONRAD and Geoffrey N. LEECH. Longman student grammar of spoken and written English. First published. Harlow: Longman, 2002, vii, 487. ISBN 9780582237278. info
• YULE, George. Oxford practice grammar : with answers. Updated edition first publis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019, vii, 274. ISBN 9780194214766. info
• YULE, George. Oxford practice grammar : supplementary exercises with answers. First published. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009, v, 132. ISBN 9780194579872. info

recommended literature
• GREENBAUM, Sidney and Randolph QUIRK. A student's grammar of the English language. First published. Harlow: Longman, 1990, 490 stran. ISBN 0582059712. info
• CHALKER, Sylvia. A student's English grammar : workbook. First published. Harlow: Longman, 1992, 186 stran. ISBN 0582088194. info
• SWAN, Michael. Practical English usage. Fourth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016, xxx, 635. ISBN 9780194202435. info
• ALEXANDER, L. G. Longman English grammar. Edited by R. A. Close. London: Longman, 1988, x, 374. ISBN 0582558921. info
• DUŠKOVÁ, Libuše. Mluvnice současné angličtiny na pozadí češtiny. 3. vyd. Praha: Academia, 2003, 673 s. ISBN 8020010734. info
• HEWINGS, Martin. Advanced grammar in use with answers : a self-study reference and practice book for advanced learners of English. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999, ix, 340. ISBN 0521498694. info
• WEST, Clare. Recycling advanced English. Fourth edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013, 270 stran. ISBN 9781107657519. info
• SPARLING, Thomas Donaldson, Simona KALOVÁ and Chris RANCE. English or Czenglish. Avoiding Czechism in English. 1st ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2021, 319 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-9965-4. info
• SIDE, Richard and Guy WELLMAN. Grammar and vocabulary for Cambridge advanced and proficiency : fully updated for the revised CPE. Harlow: Longman, 2002, 288 s. ISBN 0582518210. info
• Crystal, David. 50 Questions about English usage. Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press, 2021. 112 s. ISBN 9781108959186
• HUGHES, John and Ceri JONES. Practical grammar. Andover: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2011, 288 stran. ISBN 9781424018079. info

Teaching methods

homework, self-study, class discussions, pair work, group work, online forums

Assessment methods

Requirements:
1. ATTENDANCE - compulsory, 80% required
2. HOMEWORK/ SELF-STUDY/ CLASS PARTICIPATION- the work in class is based on the materials that the students are required to study before the seminars
3. ONLINE QUIZZES in the Moodle course (11 quizzes, 1 per topic)
4. 2 PROGRESS TESTS - Topics 1-4; Topics 5-9
5. FINAL TEST in the exam period (pass 70%)
Students are required to work regularly in the moodle course using the study and practice materials provided
Methods of assessment: progress tests, online quizzes, final test, online discussions
For more info and cont. assessment details, see the moodle course.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

Listed among pre-requisites of other courses

• AJ2204 Grammar B
  AJ2203  

Teacher's information

https://moodlinka.ics.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=2774
More details on the plan, requirements and aims, and a large number of study and practice materials including online quizzes are provided in the moodle course. The students work in the course regularly.

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