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Methods For Grammar Teaching. Katie Bain English Language Fellow. Agree or Disagree?. It is important to teach grammar rules and to make sure students use them correctly. Teaching grammar is not necessary. Students will get a feel for grammar as they use the language. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Methods For Grammar TeachingKatie BainEnglish Language Fellow
Agree or Disagree?1. It is important to teach grammar rules and to
make sure students use them correctly. 2. Teaching grammar is not necessary. Students will
get a feel for grammar as they use the language. 3. When students make grammar mistakes, a teacher
should always correct them. 4. When students make grammar mistakes, a teacher
should rarely or never correct them. 5. I love grammar and feel comfortable with the idea
of teaching it.
Objective• Participants will be exposed to theories and strategies for
grammar instruction and think about how they will teach grammar in their classrooms!
Order of Presentation
1. Discuss issues surrounding grammar2. Discuss different theories for teaching grammar3. Discuss practical application of grammar
teaching theories
Issues Surrounding Grammar
•Why is grammar important?•What constitutes “correct” use of grammar?• Is grammar instruction necessary?•How should grammar be taught?
Grammar Instruction in Colombian Classrooms
Students’ FAQs
• “WHY?” - • A good answer – “Because English is crazy! Remember students…
focus on practice of the form. Think about the situations when you would use it, and practice conversations and writings to use that form!”
• “Is that ALWAYS the case?” –• A good answer – “I never say ‘always.’ As you know… English is
crazy… there is almost always an exception to the rule. As far as I know, that is usually the case, but there might be some times or situations when that rule does not apply.”
What is grammar?
Grammar encompasses the rules that govern
the way our communication system works. (Stathis and Gotsch, 2011)
Is grammar important? Why or why not?
She want pen blue.
• Is this sentence grammatically correct?• Is the meaning conveyed?• What are the good and bad results of using this
sentence as it is written in different contexts: • With friends• On the job• In academia
Descriptive Grammar
• Descriptive grammar looks at ways a language is actually spoken or written rather than ranking one style of English as better than another. According to Teschner and Evans(2007), “an utterance is grammatical if a language’s native speakers routinely say it and other native speakers of that language are able to understand it.” (Stathis and Gotsch, 2011)
Is grammar instruction necessary?
• YES! “The research coalesces around a central idea—language learners need direct language practice and support and guidance to develop the social and academic language critical for academic success and life in general. The most recent research suggests that explicit grammar instruction is critically important to address the needs of a growing population of ‘long term English learners’.” (Stathis and Gotsch, 2011, p. 2)
• NO! Many studies have shown that grammar instruction has no value for improving students’ language growth (Krashen, 1998).
Theories of Grammar Instruction
• Explicit Instruction• Implicit Instruction• Task-based instruction• Content/Theme-based instruction• Grammar in the context of writing
Things to consider when teaching grammar• Age of students• Literacy level of students• Educational background of students• Multiple intelligences
One size does not fit all!
The Teachability Hypothesis
• A grammar structure cannot be successfully taught unless the student is developmentally ready to acquire it.
• For example, you would not teach the past perfect (i.e. “had eaten”) on the first day of class.
(Ellis, 2002)
Explicit Instruction
•Direct teacher interaction with students in which grammatical concepts are explained to students.
Implicit Instruction
• Implicit instruction is a way of teaching grammatical concepts in which the students must learn from implied information. They may be given texts or activities that encourage them to make the discovery of grammar themselves.
Task-based Instruction
• Task-based instruction with grammar is when grammatical concepts are taught and then students use new constructs to perform specific tasks. (interviews, reports, debates, etc.)
Content/Theme-based Instruction• Content Based Instruction (CBI) or Content and
Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is the idea that teachers can use themes and topics from other areas of study to be the platform on which teachers plan for and implement langauge lessons. • While learning about animal classification, for
example, students may be taught the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives in order to describe different animals.
Grammar in the Context of Writing• Teaching grammar in the context writing is a way to focus on
certain grammatical concepts and then having students focus on those concepts in their writing. As you correct student writing, you may correct errors only in the area of writing that you focused on for the students.
Teach the terms that students need when they need them and when they will use them. -- Smith and
• Wilhelm
A Balanced Approach to Grammar Instruction• Grammar through meaning and use:• Teaching the past tense so that students can retell a
story.• Teaching comparatives so that students can write
compare/contrast essays.• Teaching modals so that students can practice
conversations about degrees of certainty.
• Grammar in this way has a purpose, a goal, a meaning.
When should you correct grammar mistakes? 1. Enough to help students, but not so much
that students are afraid to say anything because you’re going to correct them.
2. You might want to focus on correcting what you are teaching at that time, not on other aspects of grammar – one point at a time.
3. Consider compiling grammar mistakes and pointing them out at the end of a lesson or activity. This will allow for correction without singling out of one student.
Videos of Grammar Teaching• Watch and discuss these videos:• Explicit Teaching of Advanced Grammar• Board Race for Grammar Practice• The Great Kapok Tree
Grammar Mini-Lesson:Yes/No Questions1. Review BE verb with warm-up. 2. Introduce Yes/No Questions and answers with
a Jazz Chant.3. Students write their own Jazz Chant with
emotion words.4. Go over Yes/No Questions with Betty Azar
presentation5. Students practice dialogues. 6. Students write and perform their own
dialogues.
Jazz Chant
Are you happy?Yes, I’m happy. Yes, I am. Yes, I am.
Are you sad?I’m not sad. No, I’m not.No, I’m not.
Emotion Words
AngryMadGladExcitedNervousUpset
Let’s explore with Betty Azar!• http://azargrammar.com
The Bottom Line…
Give students meaning-based, fun, interactive activities that
they can use to practice grammar structures. Focus on
form, and do your research, but don’t get bogged down with the
“why” of grammar.
Practical Application of Grammar Theories• How can you use what you’ve learned today to change or
modify how you will teach grammar in your classroom?
Sources
• (2004). Teaching grammar: Goals and techinques for teaching grammar. Retrieved from http://www.nclcr.org/essentials/grammar/goalsgram.htm
• Krashen, S. J. (2003). Free voluntary reading: Still a very good idea. Retrived from http://wwwbcf.usc.edu/~genzuk/Free_Voluntary_Reading.Krashen.FVReading3-Krashen.pdf
• Rayburn, S.E. (2008). Untapped potential: Teaching grammar in the context of writing. Retrieved from https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/srayburn
• Savage, K.L., Bitterlin, G., Price, D. (2010). Grammar matters: Teaching grammar in adult ESL programs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Stathis, R. Gotsch, P. (2011). Explicit grammar instruction: The research basis for grammar gallery. Retrieved from http://www.grammargallery.org
Questions to consider• Why should we (or shouldn’t we) use games in the classroom?• How should we select appropriate learning games?• What are some games that could be helpful in the classroom?• What other questions do you have?
Agree or Disagree?
• The classroom should be a serious and quiet place at all times so that students can learn the most possible.• Games should be used every day. • If you’re not sure what to do for your lesson, use a game!• Children might feel nervous if they are asked to compete in
a game, so you should not use games.• Competition is not appropriate for the classroom.• Competition is fun and can be used appropriately.
Why should we use games in the classroom?
1. Games are FUN! They help to lower the affective filter.
2. Games are MOTIVATING! They intrinsically pique interest as students learn through play.
3. Games are CHALLENGING! They can challenge students to be responsible for their learning and knowledge in a new way.
4. Games are INTERACTIVE! They inherently create situations in which students interact with each other.
5. Games are REPETITIVE!
Objective
Participants will understand how and why to use games and examine some examples of games that they might use in their
classrooms.
Research Findings.
•+• Enhance students’
understanding of a complex phenomena.• Students gain linguistic
and communicative knowledge. • Students engage in rich
social negotiations (Barab et al., 2007a, p. 71).
•-• In some studies, only 50% of
students enjoy playing certain games.
• Students get tired over time if when students find out that games do not match their assessment test.
• Games can serve as a distracting element instead of keeping students focused on a learning task
• (Swingvy & Nilsson. 2011).
RESEARCH SUGGESTION
•When designed bearing in mind instructional materials and curriculum content, games do yield good results.
How should we select appropriate learning games?
Games should be used as practice of what has already
been taught.
1. Choose your Language Objective.
2. Plan for Assessment
•How will you ask students to show what they have learned in your lesson?•What exactly will students be able to do at the end of the lesson?
3. Plan to use a game that will allow your students to meet that objective.
4. Consider the materials and time that you will need.
5. Play the game with your students!
6. Leave time at the end for reflection on the game as a class.
Examples of Games
Grammar Board Race• Board Race Video
• Questions• 1. What is the objective of
the lesson?• 2. Would you use this game
in your classroom?• 3. How could you change
this game to make it more appropriate for your context?
Board Race Screen Shot
Memory Game
1. One student says a sentence. 2. Students say the same sentence and then add something. 3. Once someone forgets what was said or cannot add
something, he or she is out of the game.
• Student 1: I went shopping.• Student 2: I went shopping and bought a jacket.• Student 3: I went shopping and bought a jacket and a cap.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
Yesterday, I went to the park.
Word Association
Example: TOPIC: The Classroom:
Student 1: chalkStudent 2: book bagStudent 3: tape recorderStudent 4: ruler
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
TOPIC: My Neighborhood
Miming
Students mime an action and other students (perhaps in teams) guess what the action is.
Variation Topics:1. Jobs/Occupations2. Famous people3. Animals4. Sports or Sports Players5. Characters from a book, movie, story, or article that was
recently read in class.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
What is she doing?
Suggestion ChainStudents review leisure activities and ways to make suggestions.
Example Student 1: Let’s go to the concert!Student 2: No, not the concert. What about going to the cinema?Student 3: We could go to the dance club. Student 4: No, not the dance club. Why don’t we eat at a restaurant?
Students continue the game until they have used all of their leisure activities, or until students cannot think of anything else to do and there is only one person left.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
Let’s watch a movie at home!
Expanding Sentences with Adjectives
Teacher: She bought a jacket.Student 1: She bought a black jacket.Student 2: She bought a long-sleeved black jacket.Student 3: She bought a long-sleeved black wool jacket.
(Shaptoshvili, 2002)
I have a brother.
Fruit Basket Upset
Guess Who?
Sentence Scramble
Class Jeopardy
Swat the Word
Scavenger Hunt
Taboo
Pictionary
Games on www.americanEnglish.state.gov
• Would You Rather?
• About Me
• What Do I Know About...?
• Name 3
• Name Your Favorite
Where do you find more games?
About Me
Name 3
Name Your Favorite
What do I know about?
Would you rather?
Websites• http://www.eslgamesworld.com/• http://www.eslcafe.com/• http://www.everythingesl.net/• http://www.teflgames.com/games.html
Sources• Shaptoshvili, S. (2002). Vocabulary practice games.English
Forum, 34/37. Retrieved from http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/02-40-2-h.pdf
