Teaching Grammar in Your Class: Activities & Strategies

Presented by Dr. Bradley C. Gilin

University of California Irvine, Extension
TESL Conference, Taiwan, November 2004
Teaching Philosohy
Create a relaxed classroom atmos!ere to lower st"dents affective filter
Teac! #rammar oints in context to increase motivation
$aise st"dent awareness of #rammar oints t!ro"#! a"t!entic materials
Create activities t!at aeal to different learnin# styles
Inte#rate s%ills w!enever ossible
Ex& In a #rammar lesson, incl"de vocab"lary, readin# 's%immin#(, sea%in#, and ron"nciation&
Samle !esson
Lesson )lan *ando"t + Teac!in# )resent Contin"o"s to ,"nior *i#!-*i#! Sc!ool St"dents
Samle !arge Grou Activities "or #ein"orcing Grammar Points $ %Present Continuous&
.atc!in#
Ton#"e Twisters
C!arades
/"t!entic $eadin# Searc!
0ideo Cli for $einforcement
/dditional Examle Usin# Same 0ideo Cli
'uestion(Ans)er


I
Samle !esson Plan
Teac!in# 1rammar in 2o"r Class3 /ctivities 4 Strate#ies
Presented by Dr. Bradley C. Gilin
University of California Irvine, Extension
!evel: ,"nior *i#!-*i#! Sc!ool-/d"lt Sc!ool
*ote: T!is lesson lan co"ld be alied in all levels of ESL by ma%in# a few modifications& In t!is activity t!e st"dents will !ave t!e
oort"nity to sea%, read, and listen to t!e En#lis! lan#"a#e& T!e activities resented !ere can be adated to any asect of #rammar&
Goal: St"dents will reinforce t!eir %nowled#e of t!e resent contin"o"s verb tense& St"dents will see t!e #rammar t!ey !ave been learnin#
"t to "se in a meanin#f"l way&
+b,ectives:
5& St"dents will review t!e form and "sa#e of t!e resent contin"o"s&
2& St"dents will ractice t!e resent contin"o"s by "sin# vario"s learnin# styles incl"din#3 vis"al, a"ditory, %inest!etic
6& St"dents will reco#ni7e t!e resent contin"o"s in a"t!entic readin# material, w!ile at t!e same time racticin# t!eir s%immin# s%ills&
4& St"dents will ractice ron"nciation s%ills w!ile foc"sin# on t!e resent contin"o"s&
8& St"dents will become actively involved in t!e learnin# of t!e resent contin"o"s t!ereby bolsterin# t!eir confidence in t!eir En#lis!
ability&
-arm.u activity:
9e#in class by reviewin# 'teac!in#( t!e resent contin"o"s& :oc"s on t!e form '9E ; 0 + in#( and "sa#e 'events occ"rrin# ri#!t now(& Note3
for !i#!er level st"dents, yo" may also want to inform t!em of t!e ot!er "ses of t!e resent contin"o"s 'f"t"re, extended time(& .a%e s"re to
foc"s on red"ctions '*e<s eatin#(&
Activities:
Note3 9efore be#innin# eac! activity, rovide st"dents wit! t!e necessary vocab"lary for t!at activity&
/atching:
=n t!e over!ead ro>ector, s!ow #rid w!ic! !as ict"res covered wit! ost?it notes& Slit st"dents into two or more teams& *ave one st"dent
from t!e first team ma%e t!eir first selection& S!ow t!at ict"re and !ave st"dents in t!at team say w!at is !aenin#& Listen and correct t!eir
"sa#e of t!e resent contin"o"s& If a st"dent says, @Ao# sit,B model t!e correct form, @T!e do# is sittin#,B and !ave t!e st"dent's( reeat after
yo"& *ave t!e same team ma%e t!eir second selection& $eeat above& If two ict"res matc!, t!at team #ets a oint and contin"es& If t!e
ict"re doesn<t matc!, t!e next team !as a t"rn& Contin"e "ntil all matc!es !ave been made& Tally t!e winnin# team&
Tongue T)isters3
=n t!e over!ead ro>ector, s!ow t!e ton#"e twisters& :irst !ave st"dents find t!e resent contin"o"s verb forms in t!e text& /s% st"dents w!y
t!e resent contin"o"s is "sed in t!at sit"ation&
II
Toics "or Charades $ Present Continuous
Dr. Bradley C. Gilin0 1C 2rvine.34tension
2o" are oenin# a >ar&
2o" are crossin# a b"sy road&
2o" are ma%in# a c" of tea&
2o" are eatin# very sicy food&
2o" are drivin# a race car&
2o" are waitin# for a b"s&
2o" are waitin# for t!e dentist&
2o" are readin# a very sad story&
2o" are c!an#in# a baby<s diaers&
2o" are tryin# to stay awa%e in #rammar class&
2o" are tryin# to catc! a mosC"ito&
2o" are s"nbat!in# at t!e beac!&
2o" are watc!in# a comedy on T0&
Tongue T)isters "or Present Continuous
Dr. Bradley C. Gilin0 1C 2rvine.34tension
III
1ertie<s #reat?#randma is #rowin# a#!ast at 1ertie<s #rammar&
D!ile we<re tal%in#, we<re watc!in# window was!ers was! Das!in#ton<s
windows wit! warm was!in# water&
Sally is sellin# sea s!ells by t!e sea s!ore&
T!e s!ells s!e<s sellin# are s"rely seas!ells&
So if s!e is sellin# s!ells on t!e seas!ore,
I<m s"re s!e<s sellin# seas!ore s!ells&
T!ere was a yo"n# fis!er named :isc!er
D!o fis!ed for a fis! in a fiss"re&
T!e fis! wit! a #rin,
)"lled t!e fis!erman inE
Now t!ey<re fis!in# t!e fiss"re for :isc!er&
Samle 5Authentic6 #eading Search Article
Dr. Bradley C. Gilin0 1C 2rvine.34tension
Ancient Bird 7ossil /ay Suggest !in8 )ith Dinosaurs
:ri =ct 22, 435F m ET'from 2a!ooG News(
IV
D/S*IN1T=N '$e"ters( + Scientists in C!ina are researc!in# a 520 million?year?old fossil of a
baby bird w!ic! is believed to !ave died >"st before it !atc!ed& T!is discovery is s!eddin# li#!t on
t!e relations!i between dinosa"rs and birds&
T!e discovery of t!e bird, wit! a well?develoed s%"ll, lar#e c"rved claws and feat!ers, is also
#ivin# insi#!t into w!en comlex be!avior li%e carin# for !elless yo"n# first be#an to evolve&
It is lendin# credence to t!e idea t!at birds of t!at era, li%e dinosa"rs, were s"fficiently develoed
at birt! to f"nction on t!eir own immediately after t!ey !atc!ed&
T!e discovery was described by H!on#!e H!o" and :"c!en# H!an# of t!e C!inese /cademy of
Sciences in :riday<s iss"e of t!e >o"rnal Science&
T!e fossil c!ic% was fo"nd in deosits in Liaonin# in nort!east C!ina& D!ile t!ere is no e##s!ell,
t!e little body is c"rled " into an e##?s!aed sace and loo%s li%e a develoin# c!ic%&
.any researc!ers are develoin# t!eories t!at birds and dinosa"rs evolved from t!e same
ancestor& T!is mont! alone fossils !ave been reorted s!owin# t!at Tryannosa"rs !ad feat!ers
and t!at a related dinosa"r slet c"rled " li%e a bird&
Scientists are sayin# t!at t!e earliest %nown bird is t!e 580 million?year?old& /rc!aeoteryx
alt!o"#! t!ey !ave also discovered a 200 million?year?old feat!ered dinosa"r fossil&
/atching Activity
Dr. Bradley C. Gilin0 1C 2rvine.34tension
A B C D
V
1
2
3
4
5
.odel t!e ton#"e twister, em!asi7in# t!e resent conditions& *ave t!e st"dents read t!e text in c!or"s& /s% for vol"nteers
to try individ"ally& *el as needed&
C!arade '2 variations(
5& Drite simle sentences containin# t!e resent contin"o"s on small cards '2o" are drivin# a car&( *ave individ"al
st"dents come to t!e front of t!e class and act o"t w!at is on t!e card& St"dents in t!e class 'individ"al or as a class(
#"ess w!at t!e erson is doin#& .onitor resonses and foc"s st"dents on t!e resent contin"o"s '*e is drivin# a car&(
In a lar#e class, t!is can be done in #ro"s& Aivide t!e class into #ro"s& *ave one st"dent from eac! #ro" act o"t
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and t!e ot!ers #"ess& /s yo" will !ave to monitor and correct all #ro"s, try to %ee t!e n"mber of #ro"s to a
maxim"m of 4&
2& *ave 5?4 st"dents come to t!e front and face t!e class& S!ow t!e same sentences mentioned above on t!e over!ead
ro>ector& *ave t!e entire class act o"t t!e sentence and !ave t!e st"dent's( at t!e front of t!e class #"ess t!e answer,
a#ain foc"sin# t!eir resonses on t!e resent contin"o"s&
/"t!entic $eadin# Searc!&
Coy an excert of a text or article t!at will be interestin# to t!e st"dents& It is o% if t!e text is too diffic"lt for t!em& Eit!er #ive
eac! st"dent a !ando"t of t!e text or ro>ect it on t!e over!ead& *ave st"dents individ"ally or in airs-#ro"s find examles
of t!e resent contin"o"s in t!e text& T!ey don<t !ave to "nderstand t!e meanin# of t!e text to find t!e verb forms& T!is is a
#ood exercise to b"ild s%immin# s%ills w!ic! will imrove readin# seed and also to s!ow st"dents t!at t!ey are @readin#B t!e
same materials as native sea%ers&
:ollow " wit! a video excert of t!e same assa#e if ossible& D!ile watc!in# t!e video, exlain w!at is !aenin# by
foc"sin# on t!e resent contin"o"s&
0ideo Cli $einforcement /ctivity
*and o"t reared narrative of a video cli of yo"r c!oosin# w!ic! enforces resent ro#ressive& Leave blan%s w!ere
resent ro#ressive is to be "sed& *ave st"dents wor% individ"ally or in airs to fillin# t!e blan%s wit! t!e aroriate verb
forms& /fter st"dents comlete t!is tas%, !ave t!em c!ec% t!eir answers wit! a artner or #ro"& T!en #o over t!e answers
as a class& /fter t!at, s!ow t!e video cli wit! t!e so"nd t"rned down& /s t!e cli is layin#, read t!e narrative to t!e
st"dents& T!is way, st"dents can see !ow t!e activity t!ey >"st finis!ed translates to a @real life< sit"ation&
$eview3
/fter comletin# t!ese activities, st"dents s!o"ld !ave a #ood idea of !ow t!e resent contin"o"s is "sed& $eview form and
"sa#e of t!e resent contin"o"s briefly&
*omewor%3
*ave st"dents find one assa#e in En#lis! text 'ma#a7ine, newsaer, internet( of interest to t!em& *ave t!em coy-rint
o"t t!e assa#e& *ave st"dents !i#!li#!t all occ"rrences of t!e resent contin"o"s&
2o" can t!en !ave t!em #et to#et!er wit! a artner t!e followin# day in class and c!ec% to see w!at t!ey fo"nd was really
resent contin"o"s& T!ey can also disc"ss w!y resent contin"o"s was "sed in t!at sit"ation&
VII