Teaching of Grammar

Teaching of Grammar

Kho Chung Wei
27 October 2024

Success Criteria

• Discuss what grammar is and how it can be taught

• Create a lesson plan to teach grammar in context

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

Open Ended

What does it mean when someone says the following?

1. Let's eat Timmy

2. You can get on the airplane

3. I'm sorry I love you

Open Ended

How did you know what they mean?

Word Cloud

What is grammar?

Grammar is concerned with...

• what and which order different elements can go in

• the way words are formed and can change their form in order to express different meaning

• knowledge of what words can go where and what form these words should take

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

Open Ended

How should grammar be learnt?

Grammar and Language Learning

• Focus on form vs focus on forms

  • Focus on form occurs naturally when students direct their conscious attention to some feature of the language as the result of intervention by the teacher or because students themselves notice a feature.

  • Focus on forms is pre-determined by the syllabus because it is structured around a series of language forms.

• 'Noticing' = a condition which is necessary if the language a student is exposed to is to become language 'intake', that is

  language that he or she takes in

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

Open Ended

As a teacher, how do you make sure that your students 'notice' the language form?

Grammar and Language Learning

• Students acquire language best when they have focused on it either because they need it, or have come across it in a meaning-focused communicative task, or because in some other way they have noticed language which is relevant to them at a particular time.

• This kind of acquisition is intrinsically superior to asking students to focus on a series of pre-determined forms.

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

Inductive vs Deductive Approach

• Approach

  • theories about the nature of language and language learning which are the source of the way things are done in the classroom and which provide the reasons for doing them

  • describes how language is used and how its constituent parts interlock - it offers a model of language competence

  • describes how people acquire their knowledge of the language and makes statements about the conditions which will promote successful language learning.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXEH_SeXdiU&t=22s

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

Poll

Which approach did you use to teach grammar? Inductive or deductive?

• I have primarily used an inductive approach.

• I have primarily used a deductive approach.

Teaching Grammar for Communicative Purposes

• Watch the following video:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNaG1uN40gI

• Then, in pairs, answer the following questions:

1. What are the main goals of the grammar lesson as presented in the video?

2. How does the teacher use personal experiences to enhance the learning of grammar? Provide specific examples from the video.

3. Explain the difference between controlled practice and freer practice in the context of the grammar lesson.

4. Why is it important for students to make distinctions between "was" and "were"? How does this impact their success in the lesson?

5. Describe the communicative activity mentioned in the video. How does it contribute to students' understanding and use of grammar in real-life situations?

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

eP: Lesson Plan for Teaching Grammar in Context

• Watch the following playlist from Youtube:

  • https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBztiOAPF8KaVQRNSeSmEIdffJRm-r0N0&si=42XRNI9gzniix5XU

• Refer to the KSSM English syllabus.

• Create a lesson plan that integrates grammar into teaching of the language skills.

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M

Reference

• Harmer, J. (2009). The practice of English language teaching (4th ed.). Pearson Longman.

  • Grammar. (p. 32)

  • The miracle of language. (pp. 49-55)

  • Approaches, methods, procedures and techniques. (pp. 62-75)

​Kho Chung Wei

TSLB2063M