Bøker av Robert a Buckmaster

In this groundbreaking book, independent language researcher and teacher trainer Robert Buckmaster tackles the problems of English pedagogical grammar by re-imagining English grammar as a system of distance, meaning and conventions: G[DMC]. Current pedagogical grammar is marred by exceptions and special uses: past forms are used in present time; short cut rules avoid focusing on word and form meaning; and grammar rules are imprecise and difficult to operationalize. It is a retrospective grammar of language analysis, not one of language in use. Learners struggle to understand the complexities of English grammar and fail to use the language to the full potential. The usual excuse has been that the forms (e.g. the present perfect) are difficult and need to be taught and retaught. But what if the interpretation of grammar which has been taught is at fault? What if we have, in fact, made the task difficult because of the analysis which is presented to learners? What if there were a different, more internally consistent view of English grammar which could be taught instead?In fact there is: it is a prospective grammar to use to understand language as it happens. This new grammar sees tense as not being about time but about distance: time distance, reality distance and formality distance. All words have meanings but some also have form meanings, and these form meanings combine and add to our understanding of speaker meaning. And language conventions govern much of English grammar - like word order and collocations. The Ideas of English Grammar introduces the five key distance ideas, eight form meanings, the key modal/modifying verb meanings, the concepts of distance between words and in sentences and utterances, the conventional pathways of verbs and nouns, the conventions of questions and time phrases, and includes an analysis of conditionals (seven of them) and reported speech. The book also touches on a new model of language - the Associative Model - and considers some key principles from that model: the Placement and Start Here principles. All this is supported by hundreds of clear example sentences, tables and diagrams.This is a completely new, wholly coherent and internally consistent, and teachable system of English grammar which avoids the problems and pitfalls of traditional grammar. All teachers, trainers and coursebook writers will benefit from re-examining English grammar with the help of this re-imagining of English grammar.

Understanding English: An introduction to the Associative Model of EnglishUsing language is the act of expressing meaning. It is also an experience: we experience language at the time of articulation. We use the language to communicate meanings of various kinds and through language achieve our many possible aims. Our meanings arise from the associations we make between words.The Associative Model of English is a way of understanding the process of how we use English at the time of articulation (when we speak-hear) or when we read. It is a linear dependency relation model of language. Key concepts include Start Here and Placement Associations, Noun and Verb Pathways and Preposition-fronted Phrases.Speakers use their Prospective Grammar to construct utterances, and their Retrospective Grammar to monitor the fitness of their articulated speech. Listeners use their Retrospective Grammar to construct an understanding of the Accumulated-Provisional Meaning of the utterance and their Prospective Grammar to anticipate and develop their understanding of the further text they will hear. The speaker will be making associations between words clear (or obscure) enough for their purposes. Listeners will be trying to understand the associations (or, if necessary) read between the lines. Nouns are defined and described in Noun Pathways until they are elaborated enough for the speaker's purpose. Verbs are selected using the heuristic: use the simplest form available in the Verb Pathway.Understanding English is a clear and easily applicable approach to exploring the meanings of English through a meaning-focused dependency relation model. By using the ideas in this short introduction to the Associative Model you will deepen your understanding of how English is used. You will also be able to effectively diagram sentences (and texts) to show the associations between words and how they 'work' as meaning units.