Let's turn boring grammar exercises into communicative activities!

Foreign Language Association of Georgia 2014 Annual Conference “Taking Flight to Global Awareness” March 7-8, 2014

Kimberly Murphy, Ligia RyburnPanel Moderator: Dr. Anja Bernardy

Agenda•Provide tips and ideas for modifying

textbook grammar lessons into communicative activities.▫Examples are provided in Spanish▫Hands-on worksheets are in Spanish and French▫Methods can be applied to all languages.

•The goal is to use the target language even when teaching complex grammar points.

Georgia Performance Standards for Modern Languages

Use of Target Language

•“The use of the target language as the principal means of communication in the classroom is absolutely essential from the very onset of instruction. Teachers must utilize the target language themselves for the vast majority of instructional time… and employ instructional strategies that allow and encourage students to practice using the language.”

Georgia Performance Standards for Modern Languages

Use of Target Language

•“… employ instructional strategies that allow and encourage students to practice using the language.”

•“The goal of language instruction is to have students use the target language for specific communicative purposes. ”

Why stick with textbook grammar?•We always “branch out” - add authentic texts,

videos, outside sources, etc. but we still follow book… • Standardized tests might be based off the book.• Some classes utilize textbooks to maintain

consistency among different classes of same level.

• A study we conducted informed us that students remember their MS and HS language classes as having a grammar focus.

Study: University Students' Perceptions of Secondary Foreign Language instruction •Proposal: to find out how well-prepared

students are for college level standards-based instruction with: ▫(1) instructor use of the target language; ▫(2) student use of the target language; and ▫(3) the integration of technology and

culturally authentic materials

Study: University Students' Perceptions of Secondary Foreign Language instruction •surveyed 6 first-year KSU Spanish

courses•students compared language learning

experience and standards-based methodologies in MS/HS versus KSU. ▫Written surveys – 98 in total ▫Oral interviews – 9 in total

How often TEACHERS speak Spanish

How often STUDENTS speak Spanish

How comfortable students are in participating in brief, spontaneous conversations in Spanish

How comfortable students are in orally presenting in Spanish

Testimonies from Student Interviews•What would our students like to see more of

in their Spanish classes?▫INTERACTION – All 9 students asked for

either “more interaction,” “more speaking,” or “more hands on activities” in the classroom

•Now, let’s listen to snippets of actual testimony

• http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=d0b5a4d168b272e65d5eee22d3ce6383&mId=2036056• http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=aa3defacf3698299709e3177d0d9c7c9&mId=2102830• http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=318ef1c44d6b732ca7fef9520d68b540&mId=2036057

Testimonies from Student Interviews•They feel the focus is on grammar and

translation.

•The students want more opportunities to speak.

•We need to provide multiple opportunities and authentic situations with which to practice this language!

Teaching Grammar in the Target Language

•We want to teach grammar points WHILE using the target language.

•We want to focus on communicative aspects of grammar.

Tips for Teaching Grammar in the Target Language

• 1. Provide grammar point within meaningful context. ▫ Stories, dialogues, mini presentations, authentic texts,

video clips, etc. ▫ Recycle vocabulary and previously learned content!

• 2. Have students utilize the grammar point in context.• Focus is on context and not on structure. ▫ Ask questions based off context. ▫ Move from yes/no → either/or → short answer, etc.

• 3. Draw students’ attention to the grammar point. ▫ Underline, use different colors, etc., to emphasize.

• 4. Reinforce grammar point through extension activity.

Now, let’s see how we used these tips to modify textbook grammar lessons…•In the first lesson, a short story was used

to introduce the context.

•In the second lesson, a situation was created utilizing recycled vocabulary.

• Book: ¡En español! 2dos by McDougal Littell, p. 116

• Grammar point: “Talk About the Past Using the Imperfect”▫ all forms and

conjugations

• Previous knowledge: ▫ present tense, ▫ past tense with

preterite

• Practice Activity: What things did these persons do in the past that they do not do now?

• Sentences are in present tense. Task is to change the tenses to make them in the past.

• Utilizes variety of verbs and all subject pronouns.

Modified Grammar Lesson•1. Provide grammar point within

meaningful context. ▫The imperfect tense is found in many texts,

short stories, and fables.▫“El boxeador” from Relatos Divertidos: 33

Spanish Mini-Stories with Exercises, by Mark Frobose, Carlex, Inc. 2006

▫Read the story. ▫Pictures and/or clipart provide extra input.▫Acting out expressions reinforce meaning.

1. Provide grammar point within meaningful context.

“El boxeador nació en la pobreza, se crió en la violencia y casi vivía en el gimnasio donde se entrenaba. Era un hombre fuerte y poderoso, con brazos gruesos y puños de piedra. Cuando boxeaba, pegaba a su contrario. A veces su contrario le devolvía los golpes. El boxeador llevaba los recuerdos de peleas anteriores en su cara triste. ¡Era un hombre muy duro!”

El boxeador nació en la pobreza,

se crió en la violencia y casi vivía en el gimnasio donde se entrenaba.

Era un hombre fuerte y poderoso, con brazos gruesos y puños de piedra.

Cuando boxeaba, pegaba a su contrario.

2. Have students begin to utilize the grammar point in context. •Ask questions focused on the message of

the story, but utilizing the grammar point. •Put them in pairs to discuss their answers

before bringing back to whole class, if desired. ▫¿Dónde pasaba la mayor parte de su

tiempo?▫¿Dónde se entrenaba el boxeador?▫¿Qué tipo de hombre era? ▫¿Cómo eran sus brazos?▫¿Por qué tenía su cara triste? Etc.

We move to step three when: •We have assessed our students in

understanding the context. ▫Oftentimes, they will start using the

grammar just to complete this task (although not always correctly)

•Now, we want them to take note of the grammar point used within the context.

3. Draw students’ attention to the grammar point.

•Provide students with script. •Underlining, bolding, using different

colors helps to demonstrate grammar points.

“El boxeador nació en la pobreza, se crió en la violencia y casi vivía en el gimnasio donde se entrenaba. Era un hombre fuerte y poderoso, con brazos gruesos…”

▫Draw a timeline on the board to guide students when the story takes place.

▫Now is a good time to have them look at differences: “vivir – vive vs. vivió vs. vivía”.

Hoy

Vivo en Marietta con mi familia.

Llegué a los EEUU.

2002

Vivía en Honduras.

▫Guide students to use the imperfect tense when talking about habitual actions or descriptions of the past.

▫Then, guide the students to figure out the structure of the imperfect verb tense by writing a list of verbs with from the story and underlining the verb endings.

▫It helps to ask students what the infinitive forms are:

Guide the students to figure out the structure of the imperfect verb tenseWrite a list of the verbs from the story entrenar vivir devolver entrenaba vivía devolvía boxeaba pegaba llevaba

4. Reinforce the grammar point through an extension activity

▫ Write the theme on the board: Example: ¿Qué hacías tú cuando estabas en la secundaria? ¿Qué comías tú?¿Qué película o programa de televisión veías tú? Etc.

▫ Utilize the Think/Pair/Share to get students to think about their own answers before sharing with a partner.

▫You can help them with written questions and some verbs in the infinitive form, such as boxear, jugar, correr, leer, escribir, salir, by adding them to the verb lists already provided for the imperfect forms.

▫You can add question words for more practice: ¿Con quién comías? ¿Dónde comías? ¿ Por qué? etc.

▫This helps them to create longer sentences by stating reasons.

5. Homework assignment•  Ask your parents to describe two things that

they liked to do when they where children, and write the answers in Spanish.

• Next day. Take advantage of the students’ answers and use these answers to reinforce the 3rd person singular and to introduce the plural forms of the verbs.

• Book: Realidades 1 by Prentice Hall, p. 84

• Grammar point: Present tense of –ar verbs▫ all forms

• Previous knowledge: ▫ Subject

pronouns▫ Verbs in the

infinitive used with likes/dislikes

▫ Personality traits with “to be”

• Practice Activity: Plug in the correct conjugation of the verb “to study.” Pictures provided for school subject vocab.

• Practice Activity: Saying correct conjugation of –ar verb in infinitive according to subject pronoun card.

Modified Grammar Lesson•1. Provide grammar point within

meaningful context. ▫Las actividades que yo hago en la escuela.▫“Hola, me llamo ____. Soy muy inteligente y

estudiosa. Me gusta leer libros y escribir cuentos. En la escuela estudio la literatura en inglés y en español. También soy talentosa. Toco muy bien la trompeta y la guitarra. También canto en el coro de la iglesia, pero no canto muy bien. Otra cosa, me gusta bailar mucho. Bailo la cumbia, la salsa y el merengue. A veces bailo el robot.”

2. Have students begin to utilize the grammar point in context. •Repeat script, but asking students

questions about themselves.▫¿Y tú? ¿Tocas la trompeta? ▫Ah, ¿sí? Y, ¿tocas muy bien o más o menos? ▫¿No tocas la trompeta? ¿Tocas otro

instrumento? ¿el violín, el clarinete, etc.?

•Small whiteboards are great for assessing at the same time. ▫Escribe ¿Qué instrumento tocas?/ o ¿Qué

materia estudias?…etc.

3. Draw students’ attention to the grammar point.

• ¿Quién toca, estudia, baila…tú, ella, o yo, la Señora Murphy?

•__ toco la guitarra•__ estudio

literatura•__ bailo la cumbia

•¿Qué materias estudias tú?

•El verbo es “estudiar” pero yo estudio y tú estudias

yoyoyo

. “…. Toco muy bien la trompeta y la guitarra. También canto en el coro de la iglesia, pero no canto muy bien. Otra cosa, me gusta bailar mucho. Bailo la cumbia…”

4. Reinforce the grammar point through an extension activity •Survey activity – interpersonal

communication•Students conduct surveys to find

classmates who do the activities in the list. ▫Do you play an instrument?▫Do you sing?▫Do you swim? ▫Etc. in TL

  Nombre del Estudiante 11. ¿Nadas?

 2. ¿Montas en monopatín?

 3. ¿Practicas deportes después de las clases?  

4. ¿Tocas el violín? 

5. ¿Dibujas muy bien?  

Small Group Activity •You will be given a copy of a grammar lesson in a textbook with:▫The 4 steps.▫Students’ previous knowledge.

•Examples in French and Spanish

Small Group Activity •In groups, you will devise:

▫1. The context or situation that will demonstrate the grammar in use.

▫2. A way to draw students to the pattern.

▫3. An extension activity where your students could utilize the grammar meaningfully.

•You have 5 minutes.

Present Group Ideas•The grammar point•The context to teach grammar point•The extension activity

Q & A