Book contents
- Doing English Grammar
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Doing English Grammar
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figure
- Tables
- Editors’ Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The Place of Grammar
- 2 What Is Grammar?
- 3 The Need for New Descriptions
- 4 Working with Terminology
- 5 Issues in Grammatical Description
- 6 Grammar in Operation
- 7 Case Study 1
- 8 Case Study 2
- 9 Case Study 3
- 10 Case Study 4
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Index
- References
4 - Working with Terminology
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 March 2021
Book contents
- Doing English Grammar
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Doing English Grammar
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figure
- Tables
- Editors’ Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The Place of Grammar
- 2 What Is Grammar?
- 3 The Need for New Descriptions
- 4 Working with Terminology
- 5 Issues in Grammatical Description
- 6 Grammar in Operation
- 7 Case Study 1
- 8 Case Study 2
- 9 Case Study 3
- 10 Case Study 4
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter investigates the nature and use of terminology in language teaching and asks why many teachers are wary of it. A number of important distinctions are introduced: between terminology (the technical vocabulary) and metalanguage (all language about language), between scientific and pedagogic terminology, and between transparent, opaque and iconic terms. The pros and cons of using terminology in the classroom are then discussed, with a consensus for its limited and appropriate use being proposed. Based on the author’s own research, problems such as the overuse of terminology, its inconsistent use in textbooks, and the proliferation of confusing and synonymous terms are confronted.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Doing English GrammarTheory, Description and Practice, pp. 68 - 91Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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