Grammar for Everyone - Barbara Dykes 2007

Practical suggestions
Part I. Teaching grammar

First, provide all students with an exercise book in which to build up their own reference text.

Teaching and understanding concepts

Sometimes students will have a good idea about a concept long before they can put a name to it; for example, most will be well aware of tense long before they know the term or realise that there is one, simply because they are expressing it naturally in every statement they make. We teach these things so that they can talk about them, understand how to use them correctly and well, and know how to apply them to other languages.

Concepts are taught, ideally, when they arise naturally in context and teachers may take quick opportunities to divert attention to certain aspects that arise. This is not always possible in a demanding curriculum, and either way, some terms may be explained in a simple manner and discussed and practised more fully when they arise in the curriculum. For example, a child learns early that a sentence can consist of a noun and a verb. The verb must have a subject for it to make sense. The term ’predicate’ can be explained later. It is true that children do like ’long’ words but they should understand them and not be bogged down with them in a meaningless way.

Homework

Homework should always be brief in the early stages - never onerous. To be effective it should be based on the learning of the same day, providing revision and consolidation, bearing in mind that much of what we learn will be forgotten if not reinforced within 12 hours.

Introducing lessons

It is a good idea to vary the way in which you introduce a subject, especially if you are teaching reluctant students. Some students may be turned off by the mention of grammar, so be creative.

Rather than beginning your lesson with something like ’Today we are going to do verbs’, you might plunge straight into an activity, the purpose of which is explained later. For example, you might ask the students to say what they did last evening or this morning before school. At the end of the discussion a list of the ’doing’ words (verbs) mentioned could be made.

A discussion could evolve from asking students what they had for tea the day before. After all have had a turn, some of the answers could be written on the board.

Dan had curry and rice

Julie had shepherds pie etc.

Each answer forms the object of the sentence. To ensure that the lesson is remembered, the students might each write a sentence telling of something they would not like to have - the sentences to be read out. For example:

I would not like snake's eggs.

I would not like squashed toad.

Mediums and learning aids

Use a variety of mediums. Students enjoy writing on the board, writing on concrete with chalk, and making charts. Charts drawn on large sheets of project card can be laminated, then written on with erasable whiteboard markers.

Kinetic activities

Miming, acting skits and charades are all useful activities for reinforcing grammar concepts. They can be composed and performed in groups or acted spontaneously. These are important for kinetic learners and create memorable lessons.

Learning games

Much practice can be given by using containers from which students pick cards or pieces of paper. These could be printed with words or questions to be used and scored in numerous ways.

Wall charts/posters

These are always helpful and most effective when students make them themselves or help to make them. For example:

Handouts

Use handouts with discretion. Ask yourself whether they will really have a learning outcome or are they just providing ’busy’ work. They can be useful additions to student information, providing examples, summaries and reference material, but for maximum learning, discussion activities and constructing their own sentences and charts is important.

The end product of instruction should be greater knowledge and increased skill. For example, in teaching about adjectives the students need skill in using adjectives effectively in their own creative sentences. Circling words and filling in blanks provides little opportunity for the development of the imagination or improvement in writing expression - which should be the end product of successful teaching.