Delphi module

3.5
Review activities

In this section, you will be asked to carry out a number of tasks relating to your reading of the module.

Activity 15

The following are extracts from ELT textbooks. What criticisms would you make of these materials? Can you identify the target of these lessons? How do you think these extracts fit into the inductive/ deductive and FOFS/FOF/ZERO categories?

From a practical primer in English, which appeared in its second edition in 1893, I take the following specimens:

Are the king's horses very old?
No; but the duke's carriage is old.
Is it older than your friend's ? . . .
Has the nobleman told you the news?
No, sir; but the lady has told me the news about the business and the wedding.
Why do you not give the Negro a house?
No, sir; but I can tell you that the German has given each of the Negroes a pretty little house.
Has the lady a knife ? Yes, the lady has two knives.
Why do you not give the ladies the German's keys to the church?
The noblemen have the German's keys.
(Jespersen, 1904: 12-13)

Tom:	Have you read the newspaper yet?
George:	No, I haven't. Why?
Tom:	There's an advertisement in it. I'm sure it would interest you. There's a new clothing store, in town.
George:	Have you been there yet?
Tom:	No, not yet. I need a new hat, though. I haven't bought a new hat for two years.
George:	I've worn the same suit for three years. I haven't bought any clothes for a long time. Let's go tomorrow, shall we? (Intensive Course in English, Part 2, 1969)

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

In the following activities, you are asked to perform a number of tasks with a number of languages: English, Portuguese, Japanese, and Irish Gaelic.

English data (verb: choose)	European Portuguese (verb: escolher)
The boy chooses the girl.	O menino escolhe a menina.
The girl chooses the boy.	A menina escolhe o menino.
The girls choose the boys.	As meninas escolhem os meninos.
The boys choose the girls.	Os meninos escolhem as meninas.
The tall girl chooses the short boy.	A menina alta escolhe o menino baixo.
The tall girls choose the short boys.	As meninas altas escolhem os meninos baixos.
Does the boy choose the girl?	O menino escolhe a menina?
Do the girls choose the boys?	As meninas escolhem os meninos?
He chooses the girl.	Escolhe a menina.
She chooses the boy.	Escolhe o menino.
The boy chose the girl.	O menino escolheu a menina.
The girl chose the boy.	A menina escolheu o menino.
The girls chose the boys.	As meninas escolheram os meninos.
The boys chose the girls.	Os meninos escolheram as meninas.
The tall boy chose the short girl.	A menino alto escolheu a menina baixa.
Did the boy choose the girl?	O menino escolheu a menina?
Did the girls choose the boys?	As meninas escolheram os meninos?
They chose the girls.	Escolheram as meninas.
They chose the boys.	Escolheram os meninos.
The boy is in the kitchen.	O menino está na cozinha.
The girl is in the garden	A menina está no jardim.

Japanese data (verb: erabu)	Irish Gaelic data (verb: togh)
Otoko-no-ko wa onna-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann an buachaill an cailín.
Onna-no-ko wa otoko-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann an cailín an buachaill.
Onna-no-ko wa otoko-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann na cailíní na buachaillí.
Otoko-no-ko wa onna-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann na buachaillí na cailíní.
Se-no-takai onna-no-ko wa se-no-hikui otoko-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann an cailín ard an buachaill beag.
Se-no-takai onna-no-ko wa se-no-hikui otoko-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann na cailíní arda na buachaillí beaga.
Otoko-no-ko wa onna-no-ko o erabimasu ka.	An dtoghann an buachaill an cailín?
Onna-no-ko wa otoko-no-ko o erabimasu ka.	An dtoghann na cailíní na buachaillí?
Onna-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann sé an cailín.
Otoko-no-ko o erabimasu.	Toghann sí an buachaill .
Otoko-no-ko wa onna-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh an buachaill an cailín.
Onna-no-ko wa otoko-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh an cailín an buachaill.
Onna-no-ko wa otoko-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh na cailíní na buachaillí.
Otoko-no-ko wa onna-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh na buachaillí na cailíní.
Se-no-takai otoko-no-ko wa se-no-hikui onna-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh an cailín ard an buachaill beag.
Otoko-no-ko wa onna-no-ko o erabimashita ka.	Ar thogh an buachaill an cailín?
Onna-no-ko wa otoko-no-ko o erabimashita ka.	Ar thogh na cailíní na buachaillí?
Onna-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh siad na cailíní.
Otoko-no-ko o erabimashita.	Thogh siad na buachaillí.
Otoko-no-ko wa daidokoru ni imasu.	Tá an buachaill sa chistin.
Onna-no-ko wa niwa ni imasu.	Tá an cailín sa ghairdín.

Activity 16

Describe a rule for basic word order in the four languages. English, for example, is a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) language. Other possible word orders are SOV, VSO, etc.

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 17

Describe rules for forming plurals in the four languages (you should consider adjectives, nouns, verbs, and determiners (articles and demonstrative pronouns).

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 18

How is past tense formed in the different languages?

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 19

Look at sentences (9), (10), (11), (18) and (19) and identify the element which is missing from two of the four languages. Say why you think it is possible to omit/delete this element, and why it is not possible in English.

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 20

How can you identify the object (accusative case) in each of the languages?

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 21

How are questions formed in each of the languages?

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 22

Look at sentences (20) and (21). Note the position of the preposition in relation to the noun. How does this relate to the position of the verb in relation to its object?

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.

Activity 23

Did these activities involve an inductive or a deductive approach? Was the grammatical content FOFS or FOF?

Would you describe these activities as C-R?

How did you feel about doing these activities? Were they enjoyable or frustrating? How do you think your students would respond to such activities?

Click on 'Commentary' for feedback.