РЕЦЕПТИВНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ВИКЛАДАННЯ БАЗОВОЇ ГРАМАТИКИ УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ МОВИ

Анотація

This article discusses the application of the pedagogical approach of processing instruction to the teaching of basic Ukrainian grammar – particularly, at the initial stage of this process. Grounded inSLAtheory and found to be very effective for the acquisition of various grammatical aspects of English, Spanish, French, and other commonly taught languages, processing instruction is only beginning to be applied to Ukrainian. The article summarizes the theoretical premises of this approach, which come from B. VanPatten’s model of input processing. This model describes how learners derive linguistic information from what they hear and read in the L2 and what can hinder their noticing of grammatical features in the input. The approach of processing instruction, which aims to help learners overcome their faulty processing tendencies, is then discussed. The article proposes using processing instruction as an effective alternative to mechanical drills, which are still often deemed to be a necessary first step in grammar learning. It summarizes the theoretical arguments against mechanical drills and for beginning grammar instruction with input-based activities, as is done in the processing instruction approach.

The general applicability of processing instruction to Ukrainian is illustrated through a series of activities from the open-access online textbook of basic Ukrainian grammar Dobra Forma by O. Wallo, which utilizes this approach. The article explains the structure and benefits of these activities and addresses several challenges of using processing instruction (as formulated by VanPatten) for the teaching of Ukrainian grammar. They include the complex morphology of Ukrainian, which makes teaching only one grammatical form at a time impractical, and the existence in the Ukrainian language of many grammatical forms of low or no communicative value. Practical ways of dealing with each challenge are suggested and illustrated with specific examples from Dobra Forma.

Key words: teaching the grammar of Ukrainian, basic grammar, input processing, processing instruction, mechanical drills.