CN-2366-TESOL-Foundation program: Teaching a Foreign Language

There are four types of sentences and those are declarative, imperative, exclamatory and interrogative. 

1. Declarative sentence

A declarative sentence is to make a statement to relay information or ideas. They are punctuated with a simple period. Formal essays or reports are composed almost entirely of declarative sentences.

Example:

- The concert begins in two hours.

- Green is my favorite color.

2. Imperative sentence

An imperative sentence is to make commands or requests or it expresses a desire or a wish. It can be with a simple period or exclamation mark depends on the strength of emotion to express.

Example:

- Yield.

- Respond immediately.

3. Exclamatory sentence

It is to express strong emotion and it doesn't matter what the emotion is. This type of sentence always ended with an exclamatory mark, so it is quite easy to recognize it.

Example:

- The river is rising!

- Please don't go!

4. Interrogative sentence

This type of sentence is also easy to recognize it because it always asks a question and end in a question mark. 

Example:

- Is it raining?

- Have you had breakfast?

Methodologies

1. Grammar translation method (GTM)

Before known as grammar translation method, it was well-known as classical method during the XIX century. Then, the classical method was adopted as a mean in teaching a foreign language. Prator and Celce-Murcia in an outline teaching approaches mentioned some primary characteristics of grammar-translation and those are as follows:

- classes were taught in mother tongue, with little active use of the target language

- much of vocabulary was taught in the form of a list of isolated words

- long elaborated explanations of the grammar were given

- grammar provided the rules for putting words together and instruction often focused on the form and inflection of words

- reading of difficult classical texts has begun early

- little attention was paid to the content of texts that were treated as exercises in grammatical analysis

- drills were exercises in translating

- little or no attention was given to pronunciation

2. Direct methods (DM)

Then, there were few generations who implemented naturalistic approaches like the way children learn their first language. It made DM became widely known and practiced. The basic premise of DM was learning a second language should be like learning a first language. Richards and Rodgers summarized principles of DM:

- the instruction in the classroom was conducted exclusively in the target language

- taught vocabulary and sentences

- taught grammar inductively

- oral communication, Q&A between students and teachers

- taught concrete vocabulary through demonstration, objects, and pictures

- modeling and practice

- taught speech and listening comprehension

- emphasized on pronunciation and grammar

There are three types of sentence structure, namely simple, compound and complex. 

1. Simple sentence

Composed a single independent clause and it is consists of one or more subjects or one or more verbs.

Example: 

- The bird builds a nest made of twigs and leaves for its young.

- The actress cried and laughed at the same time.

- Yuli and I were given a box of candy.

A simple sentence must have a subject and a verb, a complete thought and it is an independent clause.

2. Compound sentence

This sentence has two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction. Two or more sentences, when put together, can make up a compound sentence.

Example:

- The moon was bright and we could see our way.

In writing a compound sentence, it must have a semicolon or coordinating conjunction to join independent clause. Besides that, there is a transition from one independent clause to other independent clauses.

Used coordinating conjunctions: FANBOY (for, and, nor, but, or, yet)

Used subordinating conjunction: after, although, as, as if, as long as, as soon as, though, because, before, even though, if, in order, that, since, so that, so, till, unless, until, when, where, whenever, wherever, while.

3. Complex sentence

Created from independent clause plus dependent clause (I+D) which is joined by using subordinating conjunctions. 

Example:

- They rested when evening came. 

- He went abroad because he wanted to earn much money.

Complex-Compound sentence

Formed by independent clause + independent clause + dependent clause (I+I+D).

Complex-compound sentence also can be said as a sentence with two or more independent sentences and one or more dependent clauses. When creating this type of sentence, we need to put a comma after the dependent clause if it begins the sentences and put a comma before and, or, that which connects 2 independent clauses.

Examples:

- We can talk about anything, and we will go anywhere just as long as we are together.

- When afternoon comes, most employees chat on the internet and write an e-mail, but others prefer to eat their snacks.