Overview

What is Functional Grammar?         

Functional Grammar (FG) provides teachers and students with a language for talking about language. The approach asks students to look closely at the language of a text and consider how it constructs meaning. By examining “meaningful chunks” of language, students can develop both a basic understanding of the text but also engage in higher-order analysis. In this way, it scaffolds students of all abilities and with varying levels of English proficiency.        

How is it different from “traditional” grammar?

“Traditional” grammar is often concerned with prescribing “correctness,” whereas FG connects language to a text’s meaning.  FG terms reflect the function of the language rather than the labels of traditional grammar that many students find inaccessible or disconnected from meaning.

Why is it effective for English Language Learners?

The FG approach supports the reading and writing of all students, but it is particularly useful for English Language Learners (ELLs). Many ELLs demonstrate conversational fluency in English, but struggle with the “academic” language required in classroom discussion and writing assignments. FG makes academic language explicit, but does so in a meaningful context (grade-level reading and writing).