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Grammar and vocabulary: seven

ways to help students enjoy


grammar
By Paul Bress

Level: Starter/beginner, Elementary, Pre-intermediate, Intermediate, Upper intermediate,


Advanced Type:Reference material

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Seven suggestions of ways to help students enjoy grammar.


Introduction
Students reactions to grammar-focused lessons seem to be typically one of three kinds. Some students
find grammar very appealing, some find it intrinsically boring, and some find it useful but really hard work.
There might be a number of reasons for these reactions. For example, some students brain chemistry
might be more (or less) pre-programmed for learning grammar. If this is the case, the teacher has limited
power to promote the enjoyment of grammar. But its also possible that students have had a negative
learning experience with grammar they might be used to listening to long lectures about grammar (yes,
even today) and doing long, esoteric exercises on one particular area of target language.
In order to make grammar more interesting for students, Id recommend a more inductive approach, i.e.
students should be allowed to work out the meaning and the rules of the grammar for themselves. I also
think that the teachers metalanguage (i.e. the language used to talk about the target language) should be
kept to an absolute minimum. Furthermore, its crucial to get learners to use the target language in an
authentic way about their own lives. And, in addition to such communicative work, I think that students can
be encouraged to do some analytical work, particularly where communicative outcomes are affected.
Lets now study, in more detail, what I mean by the above. Below are the seven ways, together with sample
teacher language for each part of the lesson.
The seven ways
1. Provide a context
In order to elicit the target language, get the students really interested in, for example, a character, a
situation (this process will vary according to the profile of each class). Use language that is easy for the
students to understand. Make the situation clear enough for the students to hazard a guess about the target
language. And do make it clear that you want the students to come up with the target language! Finally, be
sure to spend enough time on the tease dont jump in too early with providing the target language
yourself.
Sample teacher language:

I dont earn very much money in my job. At the moment Im renting a flat. Id really like to buy
a flat, but I dont have enough money to do that. I know that Im not going to buy my own flat,
but I like to dream about it anywayso, what could I say about buying a flat, anyone?
2. Help students to say the target language
Make a point of actually asking the students to say something (rather than just listen to you)! Make it clear
what the target language is (it can be confused with instructional language). Give the students enough time
to get their tongues round the target language. And make sure that you get each individual student to say
the target language in a comprehensible way.
Sample teacher language:
So can you all repeat this after me, please? Have you had your hair cut?GoodNow say it
as many times to yourself as you likeand then tell me when youre happyOK? Now, Tania,
let me hear you say it, please.
3. Provide a written record
Make a point of putting up (on the board) the written record directly after initial oral work. Make sure that the
students write the written record down (and in a particular section of their notebooks). Write legibly and big
enough for all the students to see. Write as concisely as you can, and be sure to include both the target
language itself, the stressed syllables (including the tonic one) and a mini concept statement.
Sample teacher language:
Ok, now, Id like you to copy this down in your special grammar sections of your notebooks
(the teacher then writes The article was published last year = A journal published the article,
but we dont know, or dont care, which journal it was.)

4. Personalize the target language


Always ask the students to apply the target language to their own lives.
Sample teacher language:
So its nearly the end of December now. Its nearly the New Year. Does anyone here want to
make changes to their life next year?yes, Yuko?What are you going to do next year?
5. Help students to guess the grammar rules of the target language
Encourage the students to manipulate the new grammar (e.g. by asking them how to construct more difficult
sentences using questions, negatives, or question tags). If they are struggling to guess, provide them with
assistance by referring to other (known) patterns.
Sample teacher language:
OK, so weve practised Id like, and we know it means I wantbut can anyone ask me a
question with would like?can anyone ask me if Id like a cup of coffee?No? Well, how do
we ask a question with will?Good!Would works in the same way
6. Help students to understand the communicative importance of grammar
Ask students to choose between two different communicative outcomes for one piece of language. This can
be done by getting students to follow certain instructions in class. Treats can be used as a tangible reward
for linking grammar to a communicative effect.
Sample teacher language:

Carlos, please take these chocolatesOk, now go to Lucia and Mohamednow give him a
chocolateno, give him a chocolateGood!Now go to Anna and Markus, and give her a
chocolateGood!And now go to Patrizia and Yuko, and give them the last chocolatewell
done, Carlos!And now here's a chocolate for you, Carlos!
7. Help students to understand the importance of grammatical accuracy
Discuss with your students the importance of making a good impression with some formal correspondence,
e.g. a job application. Encourage them to edit 'roughly-tuned texts.
Sample teacher language:
so you know that, sometimes, its important to write very accurately (for example, like you
said, if youre applying for a job here in Britain)I want you now to look at this textYou can
understand what the writer means, but there are some mistakes which will leave a bad
impression on the readersee if you can find the mistakes.

Conclusion
Is the above rocket science? No. But its surprising how well-intentioned teachers can make learning
grammar a miserable experience for their students. After a poorly taught grammar-focus lesson, students
will come away feeling blinded by science, cheated, and disempowered. After a well taught grammar-focus
lesson, students will come away feeling not only both proud and confident, but they will also know that they
have learned some new item of language that they can genuinely use for their own purposes.
Paul Bress can be contacted at paulbress@tinyonline.co.uk. His website is at www.bemycoach.co.uk

No one is born knowing how to read.


But becoming simply literate is not enough. For academic and professional
success, you need to learn how to read well. ESL students, in particular, need
to develop the reading skills that will enable them to not only comprehend texts
in English, but also obtain what they need to deliver a response, whether this is a
written/oral reply or an action they must take. These are the essential reading
strategies that you should be teaching your students at any level.
7 Reading Strategies Your ESL Students Must Know
1. 1
Previewing
Previewing is absolutely essential for students to get a sense of what
the text is about. Elements that are usually helpful for previewing
are newspaper headlines or titles; images or photos; and signal words or
format. For example, if the article has words like first, second, third, etc at the

beginning of each paragraph or is a numbered list, students will get the sense
that the text lists steps or is a roundup article.
Reading Exercise: Choose a newspaper article with a great headline. Before
reading the article, ask students what they think the article will be about, based
on the headline.
2. 2
Contextualizing
It is always helpful for students to learn to place the text within
a context. Is the news article centered on something that happens everywhere
in the world, or just in one specific location? Is this something that affects you,
the reader, or other people in the world? Does the main character in the story go
through something you can relate to, or something you have no experience in?
These are great questions for students to think about as they read.
Reading Exercise: Before reading this text about Education in Britain, discuss
the educational system in the country your students are currently in: How many
years of grade school are there? How many years of high school? Students read
about what its like to go to school in Britain and compare it to their country.
3. 3
Visualizing
Some students, especially those who are visual learners, need to see
the information. Can you see the main character in your minds eye based on
the description? Can you picture the contaminated river as described in the
news article? Visualizing also involves organizing the information in a visual way,
usually through the use of a mind map or other graphic organizer.
Reading Exercise: Have students read a text like By the Water. After the
reading, ask students to record the images that come to mind as they read: I can
picture the sun shining on the water and the birds flying above
4. 4
Asking and Answering Questions
What questions come to mind when you preview an article? How will the
main character solve this problem? Students need to come up with questions
they would like answered in the text and pay attention to how they are answered.
Reading Exercise: Read a news article or a piece like this one about the Boston
Marathon. After reading the title, ask students to come up with three questions
they expect the article will answer and then read to see if they find the answers.
5. 5
Summarizing
After the reading, students should be able to summarize what theyve
read. This may be a short oral summary or a full paragraph. Summarizing
includes a very important skill: getting the gist. What was the main point in the
story? Summarizing is not retelling everything that happened as it happened, and

students need to not only tell the difference, but also learn to give back
information in a clear concise manner.
Reading Exercise: Ask the class to read the story of Helen of Troy. Then, ask
them to summarize in just one sentence or two what caused the Troyan War.
6. 6
Skimming
Skimming and scanning are usually considered speed-reading skills
because they are not used for intensive reading. They are essential skills
nonetheless, and students need to know that sometimes intensive reading is not
necessary.
Skimming a text involves running your eyes over it quickly to get the main idea.
It also allows you to identify which parts of a long text you might want to read
more closely. This skill is particularly useful, for example, forBusiness
English students who have to read long reports that are several pages long. By
skimming the report, they can still follow the gist and stop when they find
something of particular interest to them.
Reading Exercise: Hand out different magazines or newspapers in English, and
tell the class they have five minutes to skim one. After theyre done skimming,
ask them what stories they remember reading.
7. 7
Scanning
Scanning, on the other hand, allows you to quickly search a text for a
particular piece of information. Scanning is ideal when students need to find
a phone number in a directory, the date of a historical event or the time their
train is leaving.
Reading Exercise: Show the class this PowerPoint slide about Jobs. Divide the
class into groups and give each group 2-3 questions to answer. You can use the
same questions that appear on the right but in a different order. Each group must
scan the text to find the information they need to answer the questions.
Sometimes teaching ESL is more than teaching English.
We must also teach skills and strategies that will help our students succeed
in whatever they choose to do.
What other reading skills do you think are useful for ESL students? Share your
thoughts below!
Enjoyed this article and learned something? Please share it!

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