A Model for Applying Lexical Approach in Teaching Russian Grammar.

The lexical approach to teaching Russian grammar is explained, an instructional sequence is outlined, and a classroom study testing the effectiveness of the approach is reported. The lexical approach draws on research on cognitive psychology, second language acquisition theory, and research on learner language. Its bases in research and its principles are reviewed, and a sample instructional sequence designed to balance lexicon and grammar in Russian instruction is presented. In it, grammar is treated as part of the properties of the lexical items in question, the operation and native-language translations in the learner's mind is accepted as a psychological reality of language processing, and the main operational unit in teaching and learning is a phrase rather than a sentence. The six-stage approach includes: selecting and organizing appropriate material; identifying potential problems the student might experience in dealing with a specific target-language word, in relation to his native language; explaining and modeling new patterns; helping students learn from examples; use of pre-production exercises; and student production. A classroom experiment with 34 college-level Russian students found the approach to be effective in developing students' accuracy and fluency in the use of new grammar items. Contains 63 references. (MSE) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Serafima Gettys Stanford University A model for applying lexical approach in teaching Russian grammar ABSTRACT The author will share her experience in practical application of the approach known in (NIThe author will share her experience in practical application of the approach known in (NI literature as the lexical approach to teaching grammar. The theoretical framework of this article rests on research in cognitive psychology, linguistic theory of Second Language Acquisition, research and thinking in the field of learner language. The article will briefly review related literature, discuss some essential tenets of the lexical approach to teaching grammar and will present a sample instructional sequence developed by the author with the purpose of creating a working balance between the two main aspects offoreign language its lexicon and grammar. The results of the pedagogical experiment suggest that lexical approach to teaching grammar has a considerable effect on the accuracy and fluency in using new grammar items by English-speaking learners of Russian. The study acknowledges the need for longitudinal studies to investigate the long--term effects of the approach. Introduction Russian presents a serious challenge for English-speaking learners, compared to other commonly taught foreign languages. Carroll (1967) and Liskin-Gasparro (1982) showed that while French, Italian and Spanish are the easiest languages for English-speaking students, German, Russian and Hebrew are the languages that are more difficult to master: the attainment of a certain level in German, Russian and Hebrew by English-speaking students takes longer than attainment of the same level in Spanish, Italian and French (Ommaggio, 1986). Brecht et al. (1995) noted that "the high price of acquiring languages like Russian (discouraging perceptions about the difficulty of the language and the amount of time and effort it takes to reach even minimal levels of competence compared with a language like Spanish" (Brecht, 1995, p.11) became one of the factors that depressed the number of students taking Russian in recent years . Compared to other U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. BEST COPY AVAHABLE r PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY