ESL English Grammar Prescriptions is a set of 4 books from Book A to D and these “prescriptions” provided within are a collection of grammatical rules, explanations, examples and suggestions on the usage of English. The set of books is not intended to teach the language but skills to learn the language, providing the scaffolding necessary for readers to build up their language competence by themselves. The books are designed as easy reference materials and each of the books is made up of two sections, so there are eight sections altogether. Each section on points of grammar begins with the checklists of what learners are going to learn, followed by some useful rules, and examples to enhance understanding. The definitions and discussions are not exhaustive; they can be treated as rules of thumb and mnemonic stimuli.
In Section 1 of Book A, a global picture of the basis of English grammatical structures and systemic differences between the target language and Chinese language is presented. When learning a second language with insufficient language exposure or immersion, one has to be trained to develop competence and then be able to apply it and create responses in an infinite number of new ways. So, this is about how learners are capable of using the target language to express their ideas and thoughts. Their competence is defined by the grammar, or set of language rules, that is represented mentally and established based on his or her own understanding of acceptable usage in a given linguistic context. The core components of the grammar are included in the learner’s linguistic competence and these components relates to the four subfields: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax and Semantics.
Developed from the concept of these four subfields, Section 2 to 7 provide explanations and prescriptions for those who really want quickly enhance their English language skills. Details of grammar items are explained in terms of letter, word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph and other requirements of an essay, from the smallest unit developing progressively to the largest element of an essay. The final Section 8 keeps a glossary of some grammatical terms, a list of analogical figures used and the suggested answers to the essay analysis. As the characteristic of English grammar is that to fully understand one term, learners need to also know what the other terms mean, thus they could opt to familiarize themselves with the terms and figures before reading Section 1 to 7. All in all, improving one’s grammar skills will give one a boost of confidence as one find oneself reading and writing with ease.
Learning English for 40 odd years has given me the valuable knowledge, inspirations and eagerness to improve further as well as to make the study of this second language easier for my fellow students. Being an English as a second language (ESL) learner myself, I strongly recommend students to learn Phonics so as to build up their own vocabulary bank and articulate their speech accurately. As for English grammar, they should learn the construction system and read extensively to gain the necessary skills.
The task of constructing error-free English is complex and we should not underestimate the systemic differences between Chinese and English. For writers whose first language is not English, the tendency to draw on grammatical and lexical patterns from the first language makes the avoidance of error even more a matter of careful attention to detail. In order to write grammatical correct English, it is important to be able to recognize the basic differences in the characteristics of Chinese and English that may lead to confusion.
It was with these thoughts in mind that I took to writing a simplified English grammar reference book with lots of pictographs and explanations as well as examples to elucidate the complex usage of the language and provide a holistic view of its grammar formation. To begin with, I provide the ‘global’ picture of the basis English and its grammatical system for readers to get familiar with and to freshen up their existing knowledge so that they feel secured before proceeding to more complicated structures. I mean to lead readers to grow little by little and phase by phase towards the ultimate pragmatic goal – writing.
To view more, please refer to the PDF – 9789881324504_b1.pdf for free reading.
Nikki Wong was born in 1961 and raised in a tiny flat like most Hongkongers during those days. She left Hong Kong and studied English and Business Studies in the UK immediately after graduating from secondary school. When she returned to Hong Kong, she worked in succession several jobs such as being a sales representative, a librarian, a police officer and an assistant departmental secretary for the Hong Kong Treasury Department. Afterwards, she operated her own trading company for around 9 years before moving to Canada with her sons. There she worked as a teaching assistant at her sons’ school and at an adult learning centre helping new immigrants.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, she worked to realize her dream to be an English teacher, so she studied for a Bachelor of Education full-time degree program at the University of Hong Kong, graduating in 2007 after 4 years of study and practice. During this time, she taught part-time at a private tutoring centre to fund her university degree as well as to earn some work experience in this field. Later on, she became a full-time English teacher at a local secondary school and taught English and Career and Life Skills for 5 years. In 2012, she obtained her Masters degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and started teaching university English courses at the LiPACE of the Open University of Hong Kong until present.
