1.4 The concept of grammar skill According to E. I. Passov [10], a grammatical skill is a synthesized action performed in skill parameters. G.V. Rogova in the book "Methods of teaching English at the initial stage in secondary school" (Publishing House "Prosveshchenie", 1998) understands the grammatical skill of speaking as a consistently correct and automated, communicatively-motivated use of grammatical phenomena in oral speech. As in a synthesized action , in a grammatical skill it is possible to single out its constituent more particular actions:
- choice of the structure corresponding to the given situation;
- design of grammatical units that fill the structure in accordance with the norms of the given language and a certain time parameter;
- assessment of the correctness and adequacy of these actions.
E. I. Passov [10] identifies two sub-skills in the grammatical skill :
a) sub- skill of choosing a structure,
b) subskill of structure design.
Consider first the structure selection subskill . Let's start with an example. If we are asked for something, and we want to refuse, then this can be expressed in various ways:
I wouldn't like to do it, or I won't do it, or Ask somebody else and so on.
E. I. Passov [10] argues that the structures in our minds are associated with certain communicative tasks: for each task - a functional nest of structures; these nests intersect. The fact that the speaker chooses a certain structure is the functional side of the skill.
Formatting is the formal side of a skill. Correctness from the point of view of a given language and the speed of speech depend on it.
E. I. Passov [10] notes that all learning systems are aimed at the consistent formation of the above sub- skills , first design (in isolation from speech), then choice (often also non-situational ). The author of the book [10] also notes that this is very logical, but inefficient.
1.5 Formation of grammar skill According to the article by Yu. P. Shavel [20], the stage nature of the process of forming a grammatical skill is of great importance for the effectiveness of learning. The more adequate the sequence of learning actions to the stages of skill formation, the more successful the work.
E. I. Passov [10] and G. V. Rogova [11] are unanimous in their opinion and distinguish the following stages of the formation of a grammatical skill:
structure perception. It occurs during its presentation, that is, the functioning of the structure in speech. Imitation. A necessary stage of any assimilation of speech. Imitative actions, however, must be performed in speech conditions. Substitution. This is where the design sub-skill begins to take shape . Awareness of a generalized model of a speech sample is born. Transformation. The design sub-skill is being strengthened. A mechanism for self-call of the structure is born. Purposeful isolated use. Here, on the basis of reproduction, a purposeful call and the use of a single, automated structure are mastered. Switching. At this stage, the selection mechanism is formed. It is here that the possession of the structure, the stability of the skill is checked. All of the above skills take place at the stage of skills formation. In turn, S. V. Logunova [7] writes that it is necessary to involve children in learning activities in the process of forming a grammatical skill. This is explained by the fact that the goal of mastering the grammar of a foreign language is not just mastering a set of grammatical structures at the level of imitation, but, first of all, developing the ability to convey the desired content by means of the language being studied. That is, the activity of the child in the process of assimilation does not consist in his passive attitude to the material being assimilated, but in the active mastery of grammatical structures, their transformation. According to the author [7], in the process of mastering grammatical structures, a large place should be given to analytical work with linguistic material , and this work should be controlled. E. A. Maslyko in the book "Handbook of a Foreign Language Teacher" (Publishing house " Higher School") considers a different structure for the formation of grammatical skills and identifies three main stages:
Acquaintance and initial consolidation. The goal is to create an indicative basis for grammatical action for the subsequent formation of a skill in various situations. At this stage, it is necessary to reveal the meanings, formation and use of the grammatical structure, to ensure control of its understanding by students and primary consolidation. Workout. The formation of a grammatical skill involves the development of a skill regarding the exact reproduction of the phenomenon being studied in situations typical of its functioning. Application. Real situations are used, allowing not only to use a new grammatical structure, but also to repeat vocabulary. The foregoing allows us to say that the study of grammar is impossible without the assimilation of grammatical structures, the study of grammatical meaning and the formation of a speech grammatical skill, which, in turn, is a very complex process.