Abstract

A pedagogical grammar needs to include the relevant grammatical knowledge for linguistic education, and it needs to show how this knowledge allow us to reflect upon the language being learned and use it more consciously in different social uses. In part, this knowledge refers to the traditional grammatical notions, but from a functional perspective; that is, in relation to the role they play in discourse. However, a pedagogical grammar is not only about linguistic forms, but also about what they are for and how they are used appropriately in discursive activities. In addition, language forms and use must also be related to learning activities that show the links between grammatical reflection and the mastering of discursive practices. In this article, we take as an example the notion of adjective, and we examine the theoretical knowledge available about this notion and explore how it is used in language teaching, mainly in secondary education. In order to do this, we take as a reference some of the most regularly used textbooks for the teaching of Spanish in Spain. Finally, we show some alternative ways to carry out grammatical work in the classroom with links to the learning of adjective use.

Abstract

The category of determination (or indetermination) is typical of all languages. In Italian, this category is grammaticalized in the forms of articles. Articles — the relationship between definite and indefinite — have always been one of the features of Italian grammar that Russian-speaking students find challenging. This is in part because of the frequency of exceptions to the stated rules and in part because of a terminology which, instead of simplifying, complicates the situation. The analysis of essays written by Russian students of Italian showed that approximately one third of their mistakes concerns the failure to recognize the need to use the indefinite article in the plural (ho passato le/delle vacanze bellissime - I enjoyed my holidays). The discussion of these mistakes made clear that students cannot feel the difference from a pragmatic (and implicational) point of view in the usage of the two articles. In light of this, Valency Grammar can be a valid tool to shorten the gap existing between theoretical knowledge and practical competence.