Teaching Grammar

Teaching Grammar Approaches to teaching grammar Current trends in teaching grammar Presenting structures Practicing structures Approaches to teaching grammar Formal explanation of grammar rules Practice of common grammatical patterns Providing opportunities for Ss to use English in realistic situations Discovery method An eclectic approach suggested by Celce Murcia & Hilles A grammar lesson consists of 4 parts1. Presentation2. Focused Practice3. Communicative Practice4. Teacher feedback & correctionCurrent trends in teaching grammar Teach grammar for communication- not grammar for its own sake Teach grammar as discourse- not isolated sentences Teach grammar in context Make grammar learning funPresenting Structures Showing meaning visually Showing meaning through a situation Showing meaning through a contrastive analysis Letting Ss to discover the form & meaning Showing meaning visually (1) T: (point to the ceiling) What’s this? Ss: The ceiling. T: (reach up & try to touch it) Look- I’m trying to touch it. Can I touch it? Ss: No T: No, I can’t because it’s too high. It’s too high to touch. Too high. “The ceiling is too high to touch” (say this sentence again in Ss’ own language) Showing meaning visually (2)T: (Point at the 1st picture). This is Ms Ha. Is she tall?Ss: Yes.T: (Point at the 2nd picture). This is Ms Hang. Is she very tall?Ss: Yes, she is.T: (Look at 2 pictures). Ms. Hang is taller than Ms. Ha. Showing meaning visually (3)Before 2005, I had lived in Cantho City.In 2005, I moved to Ho Chi Minh City.Now, I am living in Ho Chi Minh City.I have been living in Ho Chi Minh City since 2005now2005 Showing meaning through  a situation (1) Situation 1:T: What time did your class start?Ss: At 7:00.T: What time is it now?Ss: It’s 9:00.T. Your class started at 7:00, and it’s 9:00 now; but you are still studying. So, you have been studying for 2 hours. Situation 2: Tom is looking for his key. He cannot find it. He has lost his key. = He lost it recently and he still doesn’t have it. Situation 3: Alex drives to work everyday as her house is very far from her office. Now, she is in her car; and she is on her way to work.She is driving to work. Showing meaning through a contrastive analysis ExamplesBởi vì trời nóng cho nên tôi mở máy lạnh.Because it is hot, I’ve turned on the air conditioner.It is hot, so I’ve turned on the air conditioner.Mặc dù anh ta còn trẻ, nhưng anh rất tham vọng.Although he is still young, he’s very ambitious.He is still young, but he is very ambitious. Letting Ss to discover the form & meaningRead the following passage about Ann McGregor	On Fridays I come home from the BBC at about 2.00in the afternoon and I just relax. On Friday evenings I don’t go out, but sometimes a friend comes for dinner. He or she brings wine, then I cook the meal. I love cooking! We often listen to music or we just chat. On Saturday mornings I get up at 9.00 and I go shopping. Then in the evenings I sometimes go to the theater or the opera with a friend- I love opera! Then we eat in my favorite Chinese restaurant. On Sunday mornings I stay in bed late; I don’t get up until 11.00! Sometimes in the afternoon I visit my sister. She livesin the country and has two children. I like playing with my niece and nephew, but I leave early because I go to bed at 8.00 on Sunday evenings!Find 4 verbs which end in –s. Why do they end in -s?Find 2 negatives. Complete the rules:In the Present Simple positive, we add___ to the verb with he, she, it; but not with I, you, we, theyWith I, you, we & they, the negative is ___ + infinitive.With he, she & it, the negative is ____+ infinitive. Find out the sentences that expressHer habits/ repeated activitiesHer hobbiespermanent situations Important Notes to present a structure, it’s important to: show what it means, how it is used by giving examples show clearly how it is formed Ss can use it to make their own sentences: (i) by giving a clear model & asking Ss to listen & repeat, (ii) writing the structure clearly on the board; (iii) getting Ss to tell what you writeAdv: involving Ss & focusing their attention on the structure ActivitiesUse different techniques you have learned to present the following structures:I’ve got some bread & I haven’t got any bread.Turn down the TV; turn the TV down; turn it down.There aren’t enough chairs; there isn’t enough space.He used to collect stamps when he was a child.I’m going to take a vacation.Practicing structures Mechanical Drills Meaningful (Controlled) Practice Freer Oral Practice & Communicative PracticeMechanical Drills Repetition: Ss have to do nothing themselves Substitution: Ss have to ‘fit in’ the structure Single word prompts: Ss have to add the verb Picture prompts: Ss have to think of the whole sentence Free substitution: Ss have to invent a sentence RepetitionT: Let’s play football.Ss: Let’s play football.T: Let’s go swimming.Ss: Let’s go swimming. SubstitutionT: You want to play football.Ss: Let’s play football.T: You want to go swimming.Ss: Let’s go swimming. Single word prompts T: cinema Ss: Let’s go to the cinema. T: football Ss: Let’s play football Free substitution Students make up their own sentence. e.g. Let’s go fishing. Picture promptsT:Ss: Let’s go to the beach.T: Ss: Let’s go to the restaurant.T: Ss: Let’s go to the gym.Advantages & Limitations of Mechanical Drills Advantages useful as a first step to make Ss familiar with the structuregiving Ss practice in forming or manipulating structures Limitations easy to do, so easy to forget The teacher: not sure Ss understand what the words meanAll Ss do: producing correct forms, not in using structures to express meaningMeaningful (Controlled) PracticeSample 11a) Anne likes tea but she doesn’t like coffee.folk music/pop musicwalking/swimmingcats/dogs(Mechanical)1b) say true sentences about yourself.I like tea.Or I don’t like tea.What about:coffee?pop music?cats (Meaningful)Sample 2You are a stranger. Ask about places in the town. a caféIs there a café near here?A grocery’s shopA cinemaa post office(mechanical) You are a stranger. Ask about places in the town.You want to see a film.Is there a cinema near here?a) You want to buy fruit.b) You want to send a letter.c) You want to work out.(meaningful)Advantages of meaningful practice Sample 1b) & 2b) give meaningful practice by: getting Ss to say real things about themselves giving situations which imply structure, but leave Ss to decide exactly what to say. letting Ss to add something of their own Freer Oral PracticeA freer activity gives Ss a chance to use the structure to express their own ideas or to talk about their own experiences. getting Ss to talk about real life (themselves, their friends, things in the world) asking Ss to imagine a situation which is not real. Activity 1 Group work:Take turns telling the group about your vacation plans. (Use the structures BE GOING TO & WILL + V) Activity 2: Adverbial clauses of time Pair work: What happens when people get married in your country? Use the following clues:Before a man & a woman get married, ___ .Before the man gets married, _____ .When the woman gets engaged, _____.When the woman gets married, ______.After the couple gets married, ______. After they return from their honeynoon, __. Activity 3:Find someone who has___bought a new cartraveled abroad cleaned his/her house twice this weekeaten vegetarian food had his/her car washed Activity 4: Giving adviceWork in groups of 4. Each of you takes the role of theexpert and gives advice for each of the following situations. 1. A teenage girl doesn’t want to eat. She is very thin, but she thinks she is still too fat.2. A successful middle-aged business works 12 to 16 hours every day, 7 days a week. He doesn’t take time to relax. (SHOULD, MUST, HAD BETTER)