Page 20 - ELG1710 Oct Issue 451

PEOPLE .
FEATURES & COMMENT

‘‘I worry don’t object to students knowing more about should involve knowing Ronald Carter
Learning a language
CV
grammar and how it works. I do think our
testing of grammar needs a complete re-think,
about all though. something about... key n Emeritus research
Too many UK school tests simply test a
texts from the culture
knowledge of metalanguage or grammatical
terms, often in decontextualized drills or
professor of modern English
the military exercises involving invented or contrived enshrined in that language at the University
examples.
of Nottingham, where he
language
n You have called for the teaching of
has been working since
literature in the language classroom.
1979.
metaphors Why is it important to teach literature score well on this basis). But it’s often never n Former director of the
to EFL students as well?
Yes, that’s true. I have always thought,
quite as simple as this.
Centre for English Language
Relevance has to be defined very carefully
in a perhaps now somewhat old-fashioned
that circulate way, that learning a language should involve and it needs to be recognised that it can lead Education and head of the
School of English of the
to short-termism and not fully account for the
knowing something about, and where
University of Nottingham.
possible, reading closely and engaging with
fact that the best research can result when
you don’t quite know what the outcomes
key texts from the culture enshrined in that
when language. might be! n Founder member of PALA
(Poetics and Linguistics
Furthermore, learning to read and interpret
n What would you study with a £1
Association).
the language carefully is a key part of all
million research grant?
The temptation here is to indulge yourself
grammar is language learning. However, I do think that in a personal wish-list. But I think research is n Director of the Language
we also need to go beyond this potentially
in the National Curriculum
quite narrow view and embrace literature with
always best done in teams and from different
(LINC) Project from 1989-
a small ’l’ and culture with a small ‘c’ as well.
disciplinary perspectives. So, I suppose I’d
1992.
discussed’’ Ronald Carter This means being aware of and appreciating really like to set up a multidisciplinary project n Life member of NATE
devoted to the question: What is effective
how language is used in everyday texts such
communication?
as advertisements, newspaper headlines
(National Association for the
This would involve applied linguists,
and jokes where language play and creative
language are often in evidence. of course. The project would also involve Teaching of English).
n You were a panel member for the professionals in subject areas where n Fellow of the British
Research Assessment Exercise (now the communication and cross-cultural Academy for Social Sciences
ELTons lifetime achievement award winner Ronald Carter, emeritus professor Research Excellence Framework), can communication are key: for example, medical
of modern English language at Nottingham University, tells Claudia Civinini you share your thoughts about this? and health professionals; those involved with n Member of the English
business development; legal teams etc.
The RAE is one more part of a national
Panel for the 2001 and 2008
his thoughts on the battle for grammar in schools, the impact of social media UK obsession with measuring educational I think there is a lot to be learned from RAE (Research Assessment
on language and the need for multi-disciplinary studies performance and outcomes, often while such a project. There would be distinct Exercises)
benefits for EFL as it may deliver better
remaining blind to the downsides. It’s
basically ok to assess research but the best insights into language learning pedagogies n Received an MBE for
research is often interdisciplinary in nature and help us better understand what we mean services to local and
ow did your career start and phenomenon of our times. My main hope for the future is that we do and yet the RAE is focused on research in when we present, explain, support, exemplify national higher education
what was the biggest thrill and But overall, we need more effective and also continue to keep a precise description of individual subject disciplines. Similarly, it’s in our work with language learners. in the 2009 New Year’s
the biggest challenge? teacher-friendly descriptions of how the the English language firmly in our sights. ok for governments to expect that research It is likely too that we would see ‘effective Honours list.
H I started work as a teacher of English language works. Why is description n You were involved in the funded by tax payers should have a payoff communication’ as not being only confined to
English in comprehensive schools and further of English still important? Well, each year reintroduction of grammar instruction in terms of relevance and usefulness (and, language forms but as involving gesture, body
education in the UK, moving after a few we see, for example, astonishing levels of in UK schools, which turned out to be understandably, applied linguistics tends to language and other forms too.
years to work in teacher training and teacher pedagogic and technological innovation in all a controversial issue. What are your
development. The biggest challenge has aspects of course materials. thoughts on the current situation?
always been finding ways of making academic It’s at least a better situation now than ten
research relevant to classroom contexts. The For governments, years ago. The SPAG [Spelling Punctuation Ronald
biggest thrill has always been on the rare and Grammar] curriculum in primary schools Carter has
occasions where this has been achieved. grammar is felt to be a continues to be problematic, however. John Kennicutt, U.S. Marine Corps
n What are you working on at the discipline that should be I have no worries about the spelling and lectured in
moment? punctuation curriculum, which is generally
I am working, in part with Cambridge difficult, is best taught taught and tested in basically sound ways. 40
University Press, in developing corpora of But as you suggest, the teaching of
social media and trying to understand how and tested in drills with grammar in UK schools is still a challenge
language is used for e-communication. It is a clear sense of a set of for all involved, not least for teachers. countries
especially challenging as many forms involve For governments, grammar is felt to be a worldwide
a mixing of spoken and written discourses. In uniform standard rules discipline that should be difficult, is best
other words, we write e-messages but write taught and tested in drills, with a clear sense
them as if we were speaking. of a set of uniform standard rules that show
n What are the most important It is easy to think we know a lot about the what is right and what is wrong (with the
issues that need further research English language; and, of course we do. But overall aim of producing the right kind of CLAUDIA
in applied linguistics for language there is a risk, dazzled (and rightly so) by ever citizens, of course). CIVININI
teaching/learning? more creative technologies, that we may take I worry about all the military metaphors Chief reporter,
For me personally, it’s better understanding for granted our knowledge of the English that circulate when grammar is discussed ‘It’s an ambitransitive verb, you EL Gazette.
of e-communication – the key linguistic language. (drills, standards, uniform, discipline) but numbskull, anyone can see that’
20 October 2017 editorial@elgazette.com 21