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Masaryk University in BrnoPedagogical Fakulty

Department of English

Teaching Grammar at The Basic Schoolsaccording to

The Framework Educational Programme

Bachelor Thesis

Brno 2006

Supervisor: Author:PhDr. Helena Havlkov Jarmila abatov


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I. THEORETICAL PART

1. Introduction

2. The Framework Educational Programme

2.1 The Framework Educational Programme in the Czech Republic2.2 Language communication2.3 Key competences2.4 Expected results in the language communication

3. Grammar and the language curriculum

3.1 Curriculum and communication

3.2 The centrality of language3.3 The grammar- centred curriculum

4. Identifying grammar

4.1 What is grammar4.2 Grammar in language teaching

5. Presenting and testing grammar

5.1 Presenting grammatical items5.2 Discovery techniques5.2 Practice techniques5.3 Testing grammar5.4 My own conclusion of presenting grammar

II. PRACTICAL PART

6. The Framework Educational Programme and the SchoolEducational Programme

6.1 Making the School Educational Programme6.2 The School Educational Programme for 6th class

7. Grammatical units taken from the School EducationalProgramme

7.1 The list of grammatical units7.2 Lesson plans for the main units

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8. Teaching process

8.1 Hypotheses about each lesson plan8.2 Evaluation and experience from the lesson

9. Checking and testing knowledge

9.1 Test for students9.2 Anticipation of possible problems9.3 Evaluation of the tests

10. Conclusion

10.1 Advantages and disadvantages of using the School EducationalProgramme

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1. Introduction

I have been teaching English at the basic school for ten years. My students are at the age

from ten to fifteen. Basic education in the Czech Republic has been organized by severalstate educational and curriculum documents during the period that I have been teaching.

Two years ago, in 2004, a new educational document for basic schools has been published.

It is called the Framework Educational Programme. It offers a new view on our educational

system. Main stress is put on results and competences not on subject matter during the

process of education. It is obligatory for schools to make their School Educational

Programmes. A school year 2007-8 has been established as the first year for realizing these

new School Educational Programmes. Now it is the time for making them. This thesissolves this problem in connection with teaching grammar in English. The main aim of the

thesis is to show how grammar could be taught.

Theoretical part engages in this new document which is described here in details. Then

grammar is characterized as a part of language teaching. Main types of presenting and

testing grammar are mentioned here. Relationship between teaching grammar and language

curriculum as a whole is explained in theoretical part too.

Practical part firstly describes the process of making a new School Educational

Programme. Then attention is put on the 6th class only. There is a table of subject matter

developed from the School Educational Programme. Two lesson plans of main grammatical

units are chosen for presenting grammar. There are hypotheses and evaluation for each

lesson. In the last part there are tests for learners. Anticipations of possible problems are

presented here, then evaluation of each test. Conclusion of this thesis comes out the

advantages and disadvantages of the Framework Educational Programme for teachers and

students.

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2.1 The Framework Educational Programme in the CzechRepublic

The national curriculum (also called the Educational Framework or the FrameworkEducational Programme) is the national educational document which was edited by VP

in Prague in 2004. This document consists four parts.

Part A specifies the national educational programme for the basic schools. Part B

characterizes generally the basic education in the Czech Republic. Part C contains

the key competences which are devided into some educational areas. There are ten

main educational areas in part C.

Teaching English language belongs to the part which is called Language and

Language Communication. This chapter contains two parts; Czech language and

literature and foreign languages.

2.2 Language and language communication

The educational part called Language and language communication is taken as to

one of the most important part in the educational programme. A high level of

language culture belongs to the basic items of general education. Language learning

supplies knowledge and skills that provide possibilities to receive several

messages , it makes pupils understand these messages, it makes them express new

things properly. Students should be able to use and enforce the results of their

knowledge. Foreign and the second foreign language contribute to understanding

and discovering the realities that are above the experience brought by mother

tongue. These realities provide the basis of language communication andassumptions for communication in a scope of integrated Europe and the world.

The language acquisition helps to reduce a language barrier. It is useful for

improving the mobility of the individuals both in their personal life and in their next

professional carrier. The language acquisition enables pupils to know the

differences of the traditions in foreign country. It intensifies the view of importance

of reciprocal understanding and tolerance between countries. It facilitates

cooperation between schools in the international projects. The requirements in

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foreign language education, that were formulated in The National Curriculum of

Basic Education in the Czech Republic, are based on the Common Europe

Referential Scope for Languages (Spolen evropsk referenn rmec pro jazyky).

This scope describes different levels of the language acquisition.

2.3 The aims of the language communication

The education in this area points to these key competences:

pupils are expected:

to receive language as a historical and cultural fact

to know the historical and cultural development of the country and nation

to make a positive view of mother tongue

to use the language for receiving the information

to require the main structures of communication between people

to make a positive view of foreign language in a scope of multicultural

communication

to require the self confidence for presenting in public

to be able to read the literary texts

to make a positive view of the classic literature and other arts

to require an emotional and esthetic cognition

2.4 The expected results

Level 1, the beginners, 1st period

RECEPTIVE, PRODUCTIVE AND INTERACTIVE SKILLS

A pupil

pronounces correctly, reads with proper pronunciation

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understands simple instructions, reacts on them

recognizes written and spoken form of the word

understands the meaning of simple, slow conversation

uses alphabetical dictionary in a textbook

RECEPTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS , 2nd period

A pupil

understands known words and simple sentences

understands the meaning of simple authentic materials, uses them for hiswork

reads loudly with proper pronunciation simple texts with known vocabulary

finds out useful information in a simple text, makes the answer to the question

uses dictionary

PRODUCTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

forms grammatically correct written statement, short text, an answer to the

statement

products orally the context of simple text, writes simple text, products simple

conversation

changes short texts

INTERACTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

reacts actively to the simple conversation, greets and says good bye to a friend,

provides information

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Level 2, the intermediate

RECEPTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

reads loudly, fluently with a proper pronunciation

understands the meaning of simple texts in the textbooks and in the authentic

materials, finds known words and phrases in the texts

understands simple and clear speech and conversation

finds the possible meaning of the new words from the context

uses a dictionary and finds the meaning of the words

PRODUCTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

builds simple (written and spoken) statement about situation in daily life, infamily, at school and in other topics

writes grammatically correct sentences, changes sentences and short texts

briefly retells the story or the text

asks for simple information

INTERACTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

is able to speak in the common daily situations in a simple way

3. Grammar and the language curriculum

It has been suggested that the design of any language - teaching curriculum is

conceived as constituting the answers to three interrelated questions; What is to be

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learned? How is learning to be undertaken and achieved? To what extent is the

former appropriate and the latter effective? (Breen and Candlin 1980, p. 89).

3.1 Curriculum and communication

There have been increasing efforts to bring curricular objectives into alignment with

language-functional aims and learner- behaviour specifications. It has been found that the

goals of language-teaching programmes are often articulated in terms of communicative

competence, and much discussed in the pedagogic research literature are the so-called

communicative approaches to language instruction. The fundamental premise of most

such approaches is that the primary function of language is that of communication.

Certainly, the viability of any communicative curriculum will need to be linked in

important ways to the validity of this premise; yet the premise itself represents a beliefabout language function.

(William E. Rutherford, 1987, p. 147)

One well-known researcher, F.Newmeyer, has this to say:

Obviously, communication is a function of language-perhaps, according to some

plausible but still undervised scale, its most important function. But communication does

not appear to be the only function of language. Language is used for thought, for problem

solving, for play, for dreaming, for displays of group solidarity, for deception, for certain

specialized literary modes such as represented speech,and possibly to fulfill an

instinctive need for symbolic behaviour; in fact, language plays an integral role in

virtually every conceivable human activity. Now one might, of course, choose to call all

these attributes and abilities communication. But doing so, it seems to me, takes from

the word communication any meaning other than acting human.

( Newmeyer 1983, p. 100)

According to William E. Rutherford there is nothing of intrinsic language organization

that can be identified, isolated, and abstracted away for curricular representation as the

formal exponent of some set of communicative functions. Grammar is in no sense

amenable to such procedures, and this is as true for product as for process-oriented

concepts of language form. These observations argue then against any centrality within

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the curriculum for systems of communication where decisions concerning grammatical

focus are attendant upon communicative points of departure.

3.2 The centrality of language

Letting language itself be at the centre of the pedagogical plan would seem at first

glance to represent nothing new. Possible difficulties in accepting the value of a

language-centred pedagogical plan would very likely stem from what we already know of

so many such attempts in the past- attempts whose apparent failure to lead to desired

goals has more recently, in the eyes of some language professionals, discredited the

notion of any kind of curricular prominence for language organization.

William E. Rutherford says:

There are two prime assumptions that are usually identifiable throughout the history

of language-centred pedagogy. The first of these amounts to a belief about language, the

second about teaching {learning}:

1. the essence of language is an assemblage of hierarchically-arranged constructs;

2. the essence of language teaching/learning is the direct imparting of those constructs

by teacher to learner.

3.3 The grammar-centred curriculum

We can say that the learner has to be exposed to the data from which hypotheses may

be formed and meaningful generalizations drawn. The exposure factor is a more crucial

one than might be supposed; it becomes even more so where the classroom is the onlysource of target-language date. The need for making the data available to the learner

therefore places a special burden of responsibility upon the language curriculum and

language syllabus. The responsibility in curriculum planning has three parts to it :

1) some kinds of decision must be made as to what aspects of the grammatical system

are the major sources for data from which the learner may ascertain the most formal

generalizations (data identification)

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2) choice of language content must be such as to ensure the sufficiently timely

appearance of the grammatical aspects identified in 1

3) great care and sensibility must be exercised that the pedagogical instruments

maximize the probabilities for learner receptivity.

The complexity of language means that if someone learns language, it requires

systematic direct contact with each of its possible constructions. It cannot be necessary for

the learner to encounter the exhaustive set of target-language constructions. One of the

primary responsibilities of the language-teaching curriculum would seem to become as

close as possible an identification of the grammar properties of target-language lexicon. It

is considered of crucial importance for learner projection to well-formed grammatical

constructions.

4. Identifying grammar

4.1 What is grammar

TheLongman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines grammar as the rules by

which words change their forms and are combined into sentences. There are two basic

elements in this definition: the rules of grammar; and the study and practice of the rules.The rules of grammar are about how words change and how they are put together into

sentences. The knowledge of grammar also tells the learner what to do if he wants to put

the some phrase into the sentence. Grammar should be called the way in which words

change themselves and group together to make sentences. (Jeremy Harmer, 1991, p. 1)

4.2 Grammar in language teaching

Each teacher should think about these facts and try to answer these questions beforeteaching grammar:

1) Children do not learn grammar rules when they acquire their first language, so do

they need to learn the rules of grammar when they acquire the second language?

2) Pupils need or need not to be given details of grammar rules to study English

successfully.

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3) Should pupils get enough chance to practice using a language or should they learn

grammar?

4) Should students be aware of grammatical information about the language?

A good teacher has several possibilities how to teach grammar. There is a number oftechniques for presenting and practicing grammar. According to J.Harmer the

grammatical information can be given to students in two major ways. The first one could

be extremely covert and the second will be made extremely overt.

Covert grammar teaching means that grammatical facts are hidden from the students-

even though they are learning the language. Students may be asked to do any activity

where a new grammar is presented or introduced, but their attention will be drawn to this

activity not to the grammar.

Overt grammar teaching means that the teacher actually provides the students

grammatical rules and explanations-the information is openly presented.

With overt teaching grammatical rules are explicitly given to students, but with covert

teaching students are simply asked to work with new language to absorb grammatical

information which will help them to acquire the language as a whole.

It is expected to do a lot of structures in teaching and practicing, and less really free

communicative activity at the beginner level. The teaching of grammar is likely to be

fairly covert since the main aim is to get students to use language as much as possible. On

the other hand students at intermediate levels should be involved in more communicative

activities and should have less grammar teaching. The teaching grammar would probably

be more overt. Then advanced students can actively study grammar in more overt ways.

5. Presenting and testing grammar

5.1 Presenting grammatical items

Presentation means that students are introduced to the form, meaning and use of a new

piece of language (e.g. did for past simple in questions). Students can learn how to put the

new syntax, words and sounds together. They learn grammar that they will need for their

most important experience, applying it to themselves. It is useful to mention thepersonalization, which means using a piece of grammar to say things which really mean

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something to learner. (e.g. using present simple to say what he does). Presentation can

take place using personalization immediately, teacher uses the students and their lives to

introduce a new language ( e.g. personal questions). Personalization can be the final part

of a presentation which is done through the use of texts or pictures (e.g. using a situation

in daily life, menu in a restaurant).

J. Harmer speaks about some characteristics of a good presentation that should be

mentioned here:

a good presentation should be clear ( no difficulties in understanding for learner)

a good presentation should be efficient (students can manipulate the new language)

a good presentation should be lively and interesting (to get interest for students,their involving during a presentation)

a good presentation should be appropriate (not put so much information)

a good presentation should be productive (the introduced situation should allow

students to make many sentences or questions with a new language)

5.2 Discovery techniques

We have said that a good presentation should be clear, efficient, lively and interesting,

appropriate and productive. These can be fulfilled by many ways that are given to

students by teacher. It is only up to teacher how he, she introduces the new grammatical

item. Then students repeat and use this new item. Discovery techniques are possible ways

where students are given examples of language and then asked to find out how they work,

it means to discover the grammar rules. Students find out how grammar is used in a text

and they are actually acquiring a grammar rule. By this students involving in the task of

grammar acquisition teacher makes sure that they are concentrating fully, using their

cognitive powers. Discovery techniques are not just the teacher telling what the grammar

is. Students are actually discovering information for themselves.

5.3 Practice techniques

There are various ways of doing practice techniques, which means that pupils do

exercise through the techniques which get them to practice grammatical item. There will

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be mentioned four different types of oral practice and written practice too, which are

described by J.Harmer.

1) Drills are often done with the whole class, students are given sentence with a new

grammatical item and they are asked for right repetition. It is practiced as long as it is

necessary for students to be able to say this structure in a proper way. The aim of drill is

to give students rapid practice in using a structural item. Advantage is that the teacher can

correct any mistakes, can encourage pupils to concentrate on difficulties. But this way is

not very creative.

2) Interaction activities are the ways of language practicing which are more

meaningful and more enjoyable. Pupils often work together in pairs or in groups. They

exchange information in the purposeful and interesting way. They are given somematerials (text, picture, map) and asked for some tasks when they use the grammatical

item that is introduced. Disadvantage should be that the teacher has no control over all

students. He, she cant be sure that all students understood the grammar.

3) Involving the personality is the way when pupils do the exercise and at the same

time talk about themselves. They are asked to discuss things that involve their personality

and to use this subject matter as a focus for grammar practice. Chain drill is one way of

making a practice drill. It is closely drill but in more funny and enjoyable way. It is more

interesting than usual, because students are asked for speaking about themselves.

4) Games are surely the most interesting and the most favourite way how to practice

grammar. Games are very useful for grammar work. Students are given a new

grammatical item through the game, which is exactly the most natural way especially for

children. There are several types of grammar games that will be mentioned later in this

work.

These were oral activities for practicing grammar. But there are some written activities

too. Since grammar practice is often done through writing, it is very useful too. Some

types of written practices will be mentioned here. These are fill-ins, written drills, word

order, parallel writing. Generally speaking, students need to practice their grammar a lot,

but it is only up to the teacher how they will do it. A good teacher should remember that

students would do the tasks with pleasure not only as a necessity.

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5.4 Testing grammar

It has been said that pupils would do the exercises with pleasure and in a funny way.

But it is quite difficult to test grammar in the same way. However it is difficult, it is

possible. There are several types of tests. Teacher can test students ability to speak or

write, his reading or listening skills. Of course, written tests take less time and they are

easier to administer. Thats why most tests are based on written skills. This could cause

some problems, because so much teaching in the classroom is based on oral work.

Teacher should remember this fact and try to make the tests suitable for students. Good

test shows both teacher and learner how well they are all doing. Teacher who writes tests

should bear in mind the rules that are offered by J.Hamer:

do not test what you have not taught

do not test general knowledge

do not introduce new techniques in tests

do not just test accuracy

do not forget to test the test

5.4 Own conclusion of presenting grammar

All grammar teaching should not be covert. Teacher should not always draw students

attention to grammatical facts and rules. Sometimes pupils should discover facts about

grammar through problem solving activities and sometimes through practicing grammar.

Teacher should not think that the only best kind of grammar practice is written grammarpractice. Teacher should remember that it is not good to test grammar only with accuracy.

The main point in teaching grammar is based on the fact that children do not learn

grammar when they acquire first language, so it could work when they learn the second

language.

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II. PRACTICAL PART

6. The Framework Educational Programme and The School

Educational Programme

6.1 Making The School Educational Programme

The Framework Educational Programme has been done generally for all basic schools in

our republic. It has been developed as an educational document by the Institute of

Education in Prague. This document is obligatory direction for making the own school

programme. Each school in the Czech Republic has to make its own School EducationalProgramme, which will come from the national form of the document. Each School

Educational Programme is expected to be a little different.

Firstly, the headmaster puts together several groups of teachers according to their

qualification. It means that teachers who belong to the same educational area will work

together. Teaching English belongs to the educational area which is called Language

and Language Communication. Thats why the teachers of Czech, English, German,

Russian and other foreign languages will work on this area together.

Each group of teachers is asked to solve several problems. They should evaluate the

position of a school, its advantages and disadvantages, its offers, its educational aims,

projects etc. Then the teachers make the list of expected school results and knowledge,

which has to come from the Framework Educational Programme and its key

competences. They are free in choosing the subject matter. This will be set up

according to the expected school results. At the end they make a table for each form,which will contain all these points. This is a very hard work for teachers, if they want to

do it the best way. It takes a lot of their free time. The final product should be used as an

educational programme for this specific area.

6.2 The School Educational Programme 6th class

According to The School Educational Programme there is a table of educational

contents for 6th

class, English language. (appendix n. 1)

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This table functions both as an educational and a time plan for each teacher at school. It

should be binding for teachers. It is only a part of the School Educational Programme but

it is the most useful part for teachers of English.

This table consists five columns:

expected results and the key competences according to the Framework Educational

Programme - the key competences are characterized here, some of the expected results

taken from FEP are put here.

expected results according to the School Educational Programme - the specific

results are described here, these results were made by the teachers and they are the

most important part of this document, they are binding for teachers and teaching.

subject matter coming from expected results - there is a list of grammatical units that

should be taught and the list of topics that should be solved during a school year, the

subject matter is optional for each school.

evaluation, it is optional - it is prepared for teachers notes, experience, evaluative

points for the next work, there could be mentioned a students and teachers portfolio.

notes, it is optional too - there are methods and forms of work described, this is theplace for noting and realizing relationship between the subjects, subjects should fade

into one another.

7. Grammatical units taken from the School Educational

Programme

7.1 The list of grammatical units

There is solved and described teaching grammar according to the Framework

Educational Programme in this thesis. Each school has to respect FEP and each teacher

should respect the School Educational Programme. It has been said that the expected

results are obligatory and the subject matter is optional for teachers. Teachers have made

these documents themselves, so it should be useful especially for them and their

students. Thats why it is only up to teacher in what way grammar will be presented.

The sequence of presented grammar is free, too. Teacher can use several types ofmethods, even though he can use several textbooks and authentic materials for his work.

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He can choose different methods and materials but he has to reach students expected

results.

The list of grammatical units taken from the School Educational Programme

Expected results Grammatical units

A pupil is able to:

- use indefinite article a, an with the nouns

- recognize the single and plural form of the

nouns

-posses things to the person

NOUNS

- indefinite article a, an

- plural of the nouns ( regular and irregular

forms)

- genitive of the nouns

- put the adjectives correctly into the sentence ADJECTIVES

- a position of adjectives in the sentence

- give the

personal pronouns

to the correct

person

- use the

object pronouns in

the sentence

- use the

possessive

pronouns instead

of genitive

- ask with interrogative pronouns

PRONOUNS

- personal

pronouns subject

and object form

- possessive

pronouns

- interrogativ

e pronouns

- demonstrati

ve pronouns ( that,

those, this, these)

- count the things, animals and people NUMBERS-NUMERALS

- numbers 0-100

- understand

simple speech and

conversation about

personal details

VERBS

- verb to be:

statement,

negative, question,

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- ask for

personal details

- describe the

place, picture,

photo

- describe a

person, animal,

thing or a place in

a simple sentence

- ask for

personal

description

- say what a

person is / isnt

able to do

- ask for

permission

short answer

- phrase

there is/are

- verb to havegot : statement,

negative, question,

short answer

- modal verb can,cant

- put the prepositions correctly into a sentence PREPOSITIONS

- preposition of a place and the time

- make

simple sentence in

present simple

- follow the

form of English

sentence

- use the

auxiliary verbs

correctly

- make

question in present

simple

- follow theform of English

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

- statement, negative statement ( dont,

doesnt), questions ( do, does), short answers

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question

- make the

sentence in present

cont.

- make the

negative sentence

in present cont.

- make the question in present cont.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

- statement, negative statement, question

-describe what happens frequently - present tenses : using and comparing

- describe what is happening now

According to the School Educational Programme teacher should proceed from the

expected results, these are the most important points in his work. This table shows how

the teacher makes a process. The results are done and the subject matter is chosen by theteacher.

7.2 Lesson plans for the main grammatical units

1) Lesson plan 1 is based on these expected results from the School Educational

Programme: a pupil is able to describe a place, thing and a person, to understand the short

text with description, to make sentence in present tense. The verb have gothas been chosen

as a subject matter. The expected results are used in a lesson plan as an aim of the lesson.Several methods of teaching were used there. The covert grammar teaching was used in

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presenting grammatical unit by using the pictures and speaking about them. Drill was used in

a game memory chain. But it is covered in this game. The last part of the lesson is based

on childrens natural skill drawing.

Lesson plan 1, verb to have got.

Aim:pupils will be able to use the verb in a sentence, they will be able to understand

the sentence with the verb in its two forms: have got, has gotand negative forms havent

gotand hasnt got.

Age of students: 10 11 year-old children

Material: a blue ball for teacher, two pictures on the plastic folio (a girl with a doll, a

boy with a car), one picture for each child with known vocabulary, a piece of paper for

each pupil, stick gum.

Time plan:

1. Introduction - teacher shows a ball and says: I have got ablue ball. Then points to the first picture and says: She has got a

small doll. Then points to the second picture and says: He hasgot a red car. Then writes these three sentences under the

pictures.

7 min.

2. Teacher asks children for repeating the sentences..3 min.

3. Each child gets a picture, it is asked to make its ownsentence. I have got an orange.

10 min.

4. Game: memory chain, teacher starts the game I have got ablue ball and points to Tom, he says You have got a blue ball

and I have got an orange Then the third person is speaking She

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has got a .he has got an .and I have got a

several children will be asked for repeating the whole sentence. It

should not be very long.

7 min.

5. Piccasso dictation, teacher dictates the short text with theverb to have got about the monster and children are asked to draw

it. 10 min.

6. Feedback, children put their paintings on the board and theycheck their work together, they repeat the short text about the

monster. 8 min.

The text for children: This is a nice monster. It has got a big head and a big body. It has

got four long arms but it hasnt got any legs. It has got lovely green eyes, long nose and

a big mouth. It has got long pink hair. Its body is green too. Each arm has got five

fingers. It is our friend. Its name is Fanny. (appendix n.2)

2) Lesson plan 2 respects these expected results, taken from the School Educational

Programme: a pupil is able to make the question in present simple, to follow the form of

question in present simple, to use an auxiliary verb do. Again the aim of the lesson is

based on these results. The lead-in activity has been chosen as a revision from the last

lesson. The second reason is to introduce several verbs that will be used later in questions.

Coloured pieces of paper with auxiliary verb, personal pronouns and with full verbs

should help children to remember the structure of the question in present simple. The rule

of making question will be given explicitly to students. The important point is mentioned

in pair work, the same colours of the words. During the individual practice children canuse the coloured pencils too. An important intention is specified in this lesson plan. The

students will be working only with the auxiliary verb do and personal pronouns that

belong to.

Lesson plan 2, question in present simple

Aim:pupils will be able to make question in present simple, to use the verb do for

specific personal pronouns, to follow the form of the question in present simple

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Age: 10-11 year-old pupils

Material: coloured card with an auxiliary verb DO (green), personal pronouns I, you,

we, they (yellow), full verbs (pink), collections of words for making the questions,

textbook Project I, school exercise books, worksheets for pupils.

Time plan:

1. lead in activity, brainstorming: revision from the last lesson, teacher puts pinkcards with verbs on the board and children read them, then children are asked for making

the statement about themselves in present simple with these verbs. Pupil says the

sentence, puts the card on the board and writes the rest of a sentence .

7 min.

2. presenting a new grammatical item: teacher explains the form of the question inpresent simple with using coloured cards. Several examples are put on the board.

5 min.

3. then students are asked to make questions and write them on the board, they use allverbs from the lead activity 5 min.

4. pair work: each pair of pupils gets a collection of the words in the same coloures aswere used for presenting, they are asked for making the questions in present simple

3 min.

5. checking the task, each pair reads its question loudly, the rest of a class corrects,all questions are put on one desk for checking together 5 min.

6. individual practice: children are asked for writing an exercise from their textbooksto their school exercise books. The task: complete the question according to a picture.

Children can use coloured pencils. After writing the exercise they give it to the teacher

for checking, teacher checks it and gives advice for correcting.

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5 min.

7. feedback: children get worksheets with two exercises and try to do it themselves

7 min.

8. children change their worksheets and check them together, they correct themistakes and count the points, then put mark to a friend

Materials for this lesson plan are presented as an appendix n. 4a

8. Teaching process

8.1 Hypotheses for each lesson

Lesson 1 (according to lesson plan 1)

The main result of this lesson is characterized as a pupils ability of describing

something, ability for using the verb have got, ability of understanding a short

description. So it is expected that children will be able to use the verb at the end of a

lesson. The lesson seems to be enjoyable for children, because of a choice of activities.

Pupils are expected to behave well and to be interested in the activities. I assume that a

lead in activity will start a good atmosphere in a class. A new grammatical unit will be

presented as a cover grammar teaching, which seems to be better way for this unit and for

young learners too. Drill, covered in a game, is expected to be done with pleasure.

Teacher should anticipate some problems during this game. Especially weak learners are

expected to have problem with repeating the whole sentence. I will pay attention of these

pupils and I will encourage them and help them. It seems to be helpful if children stand up

and show their picture to everybody. Other children could remember the sentence easily

with visual support. Piccasso dictation is expected to be funny and enjoyable for children,

because they like drawing, monsters and mystery. This activity seems to be useful way

how to fix the using of the verb have got. But for fulfilling the results it is necessary to be

very careful during this activity. Children have to work themselves, so it would be better

if children sit alone. Then the teacher can check their work fairly. Possible problems with

using vocabulary should appear during the dictation, but it is good to help children with

vocabulary. They will be able to concentrate on understanding the forms of verb have got.

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Lesson 2(according to lesson plan 2)

This grammatical unit is often difficult for children. Thats why I assume that not all the

children will be able to make the question in present simple surely. Some children are

expected to need more time for practicing. I appreciate that the lead in activity is going to

help children to connect the verbs of daily activities with using the present simple. Using

the coloured cards, coloured collection of words and the worksheets with coloured words

is assumed to be helpful for children. The main intention is to fix these colours in

childrens brains. Firstly, the big cards with the words will be stuck on the board (first

support), then children will make the questions with coloured small papers (second

support), then the worksheets are prepared to use colours again (third support). I

anticipate that most of the children will be able to do exercises in the worksheets

correctly.

8.2 Experience and evaluation

Lesson 1

The first part of a lesson has been taken naturally by children without any problems.

They listened carefully and repeated the sentences well. Sometimes children did not

pronounce well, so I corrected them and ask for repetition. After getting pictures in the

next part of the lesson, some children were confused with using a right word. It would be

better next time to name all the pictures together before making sentences. An important

point discovered during this part. Children corrected the mistakes each other without any

bad intention. Children did not need a long explanation for the game. They had known it

from previous lessons. But as it had been assumed, weak learners had a problem with

repeating the whole sentences. I tried to choose these children at the beginning of this

activity so that they had not such a long sentence. Next important point of this game was

that children have to concentrate on the word order of the things in a chain not on the

using of verb have got. They used a new grammatical item covered in the game without

specific concentration. The most enjoyable part was surely Piccasso dictation. Children

did not take it as a dictation, but as a game again. Some of them tried to look around but I

explained to them what it is about. Weak learners had a problem with vocabulary that

they had not learnt before. Next time it could be better to do this activity in pairs,

especially in this class because of several dyslectic children. They would be more

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concentrated on the grammar then on an unknown vocabulary. At the end of the last

activity children wanted to put their paintings on the wall. They liked their monsters very

much. I know that this type of activities is very interesting for children.

Lesson 2

Lead in activity has been presented according to teachers expectation. Children were

able to use ten verbs in several statements. Sometimes they needed help with using the right

prepositions. Then it was very useful that these verbs stayed on the board. They were used

immediately for explaining the form of questions in present simple and the function of DO.

I paid attention to colours. It was very helpful for children. They could change the cards onthe board easily. Most children understood quickly. Then in pair work there were no

problem with completing the sentences. Children worked quickly and carefully. But during

individual work some problems came. Children made mistakes in using right personal

pronouns and in spelling. Those children who had problems were asked for using colours

again. Quite a big surprise came during the work on worksheets. There were twenty three

children in a class and except two boys who are both dyslexic children and need more time

for this task all children have done the tasks well. These two boys were asked to finish it at

home and bring it next time. I saw this lesson as a big success because there always had

been problems with questions in present simple in each class. Next positive point is that

children are prepared for using auxiliary verb does which is coming next time.

9. Checking and testing the knowledge

9.1 Test for students

Test 1, verb to have got, (appendix n.3a,3b, 5a,5b)

The first test is put together so that it checks students skills and abilities that are

characterized in these expected results: a pupil is able to describe a person, an animal, a

thing and place, to understand a simple description, to use the verb have got in simple

sentences in all its forms, to work with a short text with this verb. The test has been made

with known vocabulary, according to the topics that have been discussed during lessons.Several topics were taught within the verb have got, thats why the exercises in the test

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use different topics (school subjects, days of a week, animals, colours and things, personal

details, parts of the body). The first exercise is based on using the verb to have gotfor the

first and second person singular and plural only. Through the knowledge of the school

subjects and the days of the week students should complete the sentences.

The second exercise asks student for answering four questions about themselves. They

should write true sentences from their real life.

The task of the third exercise is to fill in the conversation between two young girls. The

main result is to understand this conversation clearly so that the phrase should be used in

daily situation.

Exercise number 4 finds out how children can make sentence with the verb to havegot.

All the words are written in capital letters in order not to be recognizable which word

goes first.

Exercise number 5 is based on translation either form Czech to English or from English

to Czech. An easy vocabulary has been chosen, because the translation is often very

difficult for children. The main intention is to use the verb have gotin a sentence, not to

check the vocabulary.

The last exercise is something like compensation for children. It has been made for

pleasure so that the students will not be stressed so much during the test. At the end of the

test children could paint the pictures of William and Wendy. (Taken from Project

Grammar, mluvnick cvien, Carolyn Barraclough, by OUP,2004)

Children can reach maximum 44 points.

Test 2, present simple, (appendix n. 4b,6a,6b)

Test number 2 was made according to the result of students being able to make simple

sentence in present simple tense, to follow the structure of question, to use auxiliary verbs

do and does correctly. Test is set up with using known vocabulary. The main attention is

put on working with the sentence in present simple. There are eight exercises in which

pupils should present their knowledge of present simple tense. In those exercises several

methods are used during the one topic, daily activities.

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the whole sentence. Possible problems might be with the position of adjectives in

sentences three and four. Translation is expected to be the most difficult. The most

frequent mistakes are often being done in using definite and indefinite articles and in the

structure of the sentence and question. Next problem would appear with using personal

pronouns in translation from Czech to English. Last exercise, which should be enjoyablefor children, could make problems with some new words, but with visual support children

could understand them correctly.

Test2, present simple

An easy vocabulary concerning one topic is used in all exercises from the test. Thats

why it is not expected that students have problems with vocabulary. First exercise should

bring problems with using correct form of the full verbs. Children often make mistakes in

subject verb concord. They do not recognize clearly to which pronoun subject needs to be

connected (her parents=they). I expect mistakes with using do, does inexercise n. 2.

Children often forget to put auxiliary verb into the question. The third and fourth

exercises are expected to be well done because of using colours as in lessons. Possible

problems with subject verb concord are assumed again in exercise n. 5. Next mistakes

should appear in using the right form of full verb, right prepositions and the time in the

sixth exercise. Children are going to make sentence without any help, thats why therecould be some errors. The table in the next task should be made without any problems.

The last task anticipates finding grammatical errors. Students could be disappointed with

these mistakes. Not all the mistakes will be found. The teacher should respect these

problems and will put attention on clear explanation. The teacher will notice the

importance of present simple and possible mistakes. Children should not look for other

mistakes.

9.3 Evaluation of the tests

The evaluation of the tests is presented in these four tables. The students could reach total

score of 44 points for the first test and 57 points for the second one. Tables 1 and 3 show

the evaluated data. Tables 2 and 4 present evaluation according to the school expected

results. These tables show how teacher can evaluate the tests. This simple way is quick,

well-arranged. It provides clear image about fulfilling of the expected results.

Table n. 1(verb have got)

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Evaluative score (in points) Mark A number of students

44 40 1 2

39,5 32 2 11

31,5 20 3 3

19,5 10 4 3

9,5 0 5 3

2,70 22

According to this result the verb have gotshould have been practicing more during the

lessons and then next short test should be offered to the children. The expected school result

of knowing the verb have gothas been partially fulfilled. But more frequent mistakes have

been done in other grammatical units (personal pronouns, indefinite articles).

Table n. 2(verb have got)

Exercise n:

Success (%)

More frequent errors Probable reasons Notes for next work

1.

85%

-in the sentence before

the last one, using the

long form of the verb

have gotinstead of

short form

- it is the only one

sentence where should

be used a long form

-practice more the

short forms

2.

60%

- using the correct

subject in two last

sentences

-two sentences use 2nd

p.sing.

- mixed up the subjects

in the sentences

3.

35%

- finding the correct

form of the verb have

got

- using a short and a

long forms of the verb

- missing knowledge

of the right

forms(subject verb

concord)

- more practice of this

type of conversation

4.

45%

- putting the indefinite

articles to the right

position in the

sentence

- paying attention to a

verb have got

- revise indefinite

articles, their using and

position

5. - using the articles in a - less practice in the - practice the

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65% translation from

English

- translation the

subjects ( pronouns) to

Czech

lessons

- missing knowledge

of personal pronouns

translation more often

- revise personal

pronouns

6.

85%

- using the short forms

of negative without

got

- less practice during

the lessons, little space

for childrens writing

-practice the negative

forms once more

Table n. 3 (present simple)

Evaluative score (in points) Mark Number of students

57-51 1 6

50,5-41 2 8

40,5-25 3 5

24,5-12 4 3

11,5-0 5 0

2,20 22

Table n. 4 (present simple)

Exercise n:

Success (%)

More frequent

mistakes

Probable reason Notes for the next

work

1.

65%

- adding s in 3

rd

p.sing.

- without coloures

- difficult to recognize

the subject( Janet and

Jason)

-practice with namesand different subject,

not only with personal

pronouns

2.

75%

- sometimes with using

correct auxiliary verb

- no visual support, the

sentences start with

interrogative pronouns

- practice with

interrogative pronouns

3. and 4. - are connected, if the

child made mistake in

- missing knowledge of

using auxiliary verb

- use the coloures in 3

too

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60% 3, it had to be made in 4

- missing any sentence

element in the sentence,

incorrect auxiliary verb.

- often in the fourth

exercise children found

out the mistake and

correct it in ex.n.3

- visual support in 4

helps them

5.

75%

- only in sentence with

your father and children

as subjects

- your is similar to you,

the word children make

problems with

recognizing the singular

or plural

- revise before the test

singular and plural

forms of the nouns

6.

85%

- only a few mistakes in

3rd and 4th sentences( 3rd

p. sing.)

- many sentences have

been done during the

lessons, children are

used of them

- still pay more

attention to 3rd p. sing.

7.

95%

- without grammatical

mistakes, only in

spelling great!

- visual support,

children are used of it,

it helps a lot

- continue with this

method

8.

40%

- not recognizing the

mistakes in subject verb

concord

- no visual support, too

long for children, quite

difficult

- use the coloures in this

exercise,try it again,

choose shorter text

This table presents the fact that children are able to use the present simple in different

types of exercise. They sometimes made mistakes, but the school result of knowing the

present simple was almost fulfilled. It needs to be practised further in the lessons. It has

appeared that the method of visual support is very helpful for children. Thats why it

should continue.

10. Conclusion

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Advantages and disadvantages of using the School Educational

Programme

Several advantages have been found during this thesis. The Framework Educational

Programme provides free and equal opportunity for each school in our republic to present itsaims, skills, intentions, position of school in a hierarchy of our state education. The fact that

each School Educational Programme will be little bit different seems to be very good for

future education. The parents could choose the suitable school for their children. The schools

could present themselves. They can offer several possibilities of teaching process. A fair

competition between schools will start. The School Educational Programme offers several

methods of teaching, the schools can choose various materials for their education, different

titles of textbooks, different authentic materials. The teaching process seems to be more free

and enjoyable for children. Relationships between subjects appear as a big advantage, too.

On the other hand there are several disadvantages, too. This process of making and

realizing the School Educational Programme takes a lot of teachers time, not only during the

working time, but more often in their free time. It is very difficult to do this work during the

school year, during the teaching process. The teachers need to work together but it is often

impossible during the teaching process. Next disadvantage is that we can see the function of

the Framework Educational Programme in a few next years. It should be evaluated as awhole after one generation of students finish the basic school. Next problem surely come if

the family moves and a child has to change the school, because each school can change the

sequence of subject matters.

All these advantages and disadvantages here are just my observations during studying the

Framework Educational Programme and during making of the School Educational

Programme. Of course, when this new educational document will be fully transferred into

the practical use it will surely bring other possible advantages and disadvantages.

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