TOPIC 4 TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING GRAMMAR

4.0 SYNOPSIS
Topic 4 provides you with some techniques for teaching grammar and discusses how
the different teaching techniques can be used to encourage the teaching of grammar.
4.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
list features of activities that support grammar learning
demonstrate an understanding of the techniques in the teaching of grammar
create an activity based on one of the techniques.
present and justify your choice.
4.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS
CONTENT
29
SESSION FOUR (3 Hours)
4.3 INTRODUCTION
For a good grammar teaching, teachers have to mae the lesson meaningful and
interesting in which pupils need to be surrounded by and participate in meaningful
discourse in their !"# classroom. Teachers should tae the language learning forwards
and bring in grammatical features of stories, dialogues, songs, etc. to the attention of
their pupils in order to attract the pupils attention.
$n the other hand, the teachers lac of ability to apply the appropriate
techniques and plan suitable activities for the pupils can often destroy the pupils
motivation in learning grammar. Thus, according to %hitravelu &'(()*, there are several
features that a teacher has to consider when planning suitable techniques in his+her
grammar classes.
a* Be meaningful : relate to students own needs, interests, lies and dislies.
b* Be purposeful : provide challenge, get them involve and utili,e the new
language.
c* -ave a social function : provide opportunities for interaction.
d* .rovide plenty of practice : using similar language in different ways.
e* /se a multimedia approach : use of all the five senses
f* .rovide variety : practise new structures using all four sills
g* !ncourage active participation
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4.4 TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING GRAMMAR

0n this section, we move to practicalities and consider si1 techniques how teachers may
actually go about helping pupils develop their grammatical nowledge.
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4.4.1 SONGS AND CHANTS
&a* S#$(.
"ongs is a very good tool to motivate the pupils2 learning process, it wors also
as a brea for the routine.
"ongs could be an essential part of !nglish teaching. 0t maes the pupils more
sensitive to the sounds and the classes becomes more interesting and powerful.
Be careful with your students level.
3ou should choose a song according to their level and try to see if the song is
suitable for them. There are lots of songs which are unsuitable for the language
teaching, these songs have a bad pronunciation or better the words are
pronounced wrongly.
There are many reasons to use songs in the classroom :
"ongs are authentic te1ts
"ongs can be lined to societal issues which might be interesting to students
"ongs provide good conte1t for grammar.
"ongs can trigger emotional and affective connections to the target language and
culture.
#earning through songs involve different sills.
"ongs are a good way to teach in an 4!dutainment4 way because they
incorporate all the language sills:
&5* #istening &to the song* 6 Following the song to determine words.
&'* 7eading &following the lyrics to determine the words*
&8* 9riting &filling in the blans*
&4* "peaing &singing the song*
K"$2 #f .#$(.4
6 "pecial songs
6 %hildren2s songs
6 :ction songs
6 Teaching structure songs
6 Telling stories songs
6 .op "ongs
H#* !# &.e .#$(.1
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5"6 Cl'.." ('/7f"ll:
.upils listen to a song and as they listen they have the lyrics with gaps in for
them to fill in as they listen. This activity is not as simple as it sounds and before
maing one yourself thin about why you are taing out certain words. 0t may be
better to tae out all the words in one group, such as prepositions or verbs, and
tell the pupils what they should be listening out for.
:nother option is to tae out rhyming words. ;ont be tempted to tae out too
many words, eight or ten is normally enough. To mae the tas easier you could
provide the missing words in a bo1 at the side for the pupils to select, or you
could number the gaps and provide clues for each number.
5""6 S/#! !+e 0".!'8e.4
%hange some of the words in the lyrics and as pupils listen, they have to spot
and correct the mistaes. :s with the gap6fill limit the mistaes to a ma1imum of
eight or ten and if possible choose a word set.
:nother e1ample of this for higher levels is to show the students the real lyrics
and you correct the !nglish and mae it proper< !.g. gonna change to
going to we was change to we were etc. This is a good way to
focus on song language.
5"""6 C#0" .!)"/4
"ongs that tell stories are great for pupils to mae comic strips out of. 3ou have
to choose your song carefully and spend time looing at the lyrics with the pupils
and maing sure they have understood the main ideas.
#ower levels may need guidance as to how to divide up the song into suitable
chucs that can be represented pictorially.
5"-6 O)2e) !+e -e).e.4
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9ith low levels this is a very simple activity. %hop up the lyrics of the song by
verse and give a small group of pupils the jumbled verses. :s they listen they put
them in order.
5-6 D".&.."#$4
%ertain songs lend themselves to discussions and you can use the song as a
nice lead in to the topic and a way to pre6teach some of the vocabulary. For
e1ample: Where is the love= by the Blac !yed .eas to lead in to a
discussion about war.
5-"6 T)'$.l'!"#$4
:lthough some teachers oppose all use of the mother tongue in the language
classroom, some pupils really enjoy translating lyrics into their own language. 0f
you do as your pupils to do this ensure the lyrics are worth translating<
&b* C+'$!.
>rammar chants can be a lot of fun to use in classes. They are especially
effective when used to help pupils learn problematic forms. >rammar chants use
repetition to engage the right side of the brain2s 2musical2 intelligence. The use of
multiple intelligences can go a long way to helping pupils spea !nglish
2automatically2.
/sing a chant is pretty straight6forward. The teacher &or leader* stands up in front
of the class and 2chants2 the lines. 0t2s important to be as rhythmical as possible
because these rhythms help the brain during its learning process.
7emember that through the use of repetition and having fun together &be as
cra,y as you lie* pupils will improve their 2automatic2 use of the language.
!1ample of a chant on prepositions. #ets practice.
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 :t, on
Cl'..9G)#&/4 :t, on
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 at 6 with time
Cl'..9G)#&/4 at 6 with time
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 on 6 with days
Cl'..9G)#&/4 on 6 with days
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Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 9e eat at eight.
Cl'..9G)#&/4 9e eat at eight.
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 9e meet on ?ondays.
Cl'..9G)#&/4 9e meet on ?ondays.
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 "he leaves at five.
Cl'..9G)#&/4 "he leaves at five.
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 They play on "aturdays.
Cl'..9G)#&/4 They play on "aturdays.
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 :t, on
Cl'..9G)#&/4 :t, on
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 at 6 with time
Cl'..9G)#&/4 at 6 with time
Te'+e)9Le'2e)4 on 6 with days
Cl'..9G)#&/4 on 6 with days
(Source: www.chants.net.com )
Refle!"#$
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4.4.2 STORIES
/sing !"# stories for teaching !nglish is a very good way of helping students learn
language more deeply and naturally. @ust as salespeople and politicians attract
people to their products and ideas using stories 6 if they are wise 6 so too, can
!nglish teachers attract students, particularly young learners, by using stories.
"tories are motivating and funA they create a deep interest and a desire to continue
learning. #istening to stories is a shared social e1perienceA it provoes a shared
response of laughter, sadness, e1citement and anticipation. "tories e1ercise the
imaginationA children can become personally involved in a story as they identify with
the characters and try to interpret the narrative and illustrations.
:ccording to %hitravelu &'(()*, stories are e1cellent resources for grammar teaching
for several reasons:
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5. %hildren, adolescent and adults all love stories B this generate positive
attitude
'. to the lesson for which the story acts as a framewor.
'. "tories provide a conte1t for several grammatical structures.
8. : story can provide conte1ts for real use of !nglish &variety of emotions
and
issues*.
Below are some activities and approaches to using !"# stories in the classroom.
&"ource: http:++www.tesol,one.com+esl6stories.html*
5"6 C")le S!#)%
: very simple technique which focuses on accuracy of language. The class create
stories word by word. 3ou can begin by saying: 4$ne ?onday morning 0 was4 or
whatever beginning you lie. Then go round the class in a circle Cnot randomlyD. The first
pupil must repeat 4$ne ?onday morning 0 was4 and then add a single word that maes
sense and fits in grammatically. The second pupil repeats all the first pupil has said,
adding one more word. The third pupil repeats all and adds a word, and so on, until a
story develops around the class.
This technique can be fun, requires no preparation and focuses on the accurate
use of language. 0t can mae a good warmer. 9ith a small class it2s possible to
go round the class twice. The teacher can choose whether the story is to be told
in present tense Cif they are beginnersD or used to practice the simple past tense,
or with no restrictions on the language used.
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5""6 Q&e.!"#$ S!#)%
9rite 4 or ) questions on the board. For a very low level class these might be:
49hat2s his+her name=4 49here is he+she=4 49hat2s he+she doing=4 49hat does
he+she say=4 7un through a few possible answers orally with the class. Then
give a piece of paper to every pupil. Tell them you want them to write an answer
to the first question only. !ncourage them to be creative.
They then fold bac their paper, so the answer they have written is folded away
from the page and not visible when the paper is flat on the des. :ll pupils then
pass their paper to the pupil on the left. They all then write the answer to the
second question, fold the paper again, then pass to the ne1t pupil on the left, and
so on, until all the questions have been answered. The pupils can then unfold the
papers, correct where possible, and then read aloud the slightly cra,y stories to
the class.
5"""6 Re!ell"$( S!#)"e.
'6 :nother way of using stories which requires minimal preparation, yet is a very
powerful learning tool, is to have the pupils retell stories. The best stories to
begin with are interesting anecdotes from your life, or interesting or unusual
news stories. $nce this activity is familiar, the pupils can then contribute with
their own stories. This activity wors well as a warmer and as practice or
review of the simple past tense.
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,6 %hoose a short story that can be told in several sentences. 9rite a title on the
board as an introduction. Then write the appropriate verb &in the present
tense* for each sentence of the story. ;o not write out the story. :dding
pictures helps, as long as the pictures can be drawn in a few seconds. Then
tell the story, sentence by sentence, pointing to the verbs and eliciting the
correct past tense from the students. The pupils then retell the story. This can
be done by asing individual pupils to retell separate parts. The pupils can
also retell the story to each other in pairs. 9hen the pupils are familiar with
this method of using stories, have some of them prepare a short story for
homewor. They can retell it to the other pupils the following class.
4.4.3 NURSERY RHYMES AND POEMS
Eursery 7hymes and poems lie songs, conte1tuali,e a grammar lesson
effectively. "ince poetry is often spoen, repeated, dealt with, and considered, it acts as
an effective tool for practicing a specific grammatical structure. Through repeating and
considering the poem, the grammatical structures become more deeply internali,ed.
Thus, poetry not only provides a rewarding resource for structured practice of grammar,
but also a proper basis for review.
0n the selection of a poem, the teacher should first consider the grammatical
structure to be presented, practiced, or reviewed, then the level and the age of the
students, ne1t the theme and the length of the poem and its appropriateness to the
classroom objectives. .oems, which reflect cultural themes, universal features,
humanistic values, or emotional aspects, will be more relevant to the foreign language
learners. Finally, through taing the classroom objectives into consideration, a teacher
should effectively benefit from poems as teaching aids.
0f a poem that e1emplifies a particular structure is also a good poem, it engages the
eye, the ear and the tongue simultaneously while also stimulating and moving usA this
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polymorphic effect maes poetry easier to memori,e than other things for many
students. "ome of its potential is illustrated as the followings:
Example 1: To practice adjectives
The following poem is about hippos. Use the structure of this poem an write
a poem of !our own about an!thing" e.g. people" trees" shoes.
H"//#.
-ippos swim.
-ippos snort.
-ippo legs
are rather short.
-ippos ears
are pin and tiny.
-ippo hide
is very shiny.
-ippo tails
are stout and stubby.
-ippo hips
are ind of chubby.
-ippos stay
rather quiet.
-ippos never
lie to diet.
(Source: http:##www.charlesghigna.com#poems.html)
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Example $: To teach the imperative
C+"--%
>rown6ups say things lie:
"pea up
;on2t tal with your mouth full
;on2t stare
;on2t point
;on2t pic your nose

"it up
"ay please
#ess noise
"hut the door behind you
;on2t drag your feet
-aven2t you got a hanie=
Tae your hands out of your pocets

.ull your socs up
"tand up straight
"ay than you
;on2t interrupt
Eo one thins you2re funny
Tae your elbows off the table

%an2t you mae up your own mind about anything=
%! &ichael 'osen
Example (: To practice verbs

Tae a grape and eat it slowly. Then read this poem. Then eat a
mango and write a poem lie this about it.
H#* !# e'! ' ()'/e
39
squash, squish
crunch
chew, chew
tricle
twang, bang
spit
swallow
choose
squash, squish
crunch
chew, chew
tricle
twang, bang
spit
swallow
choe
cough, cough

)non!mous
4.4.4 GAMES
Teaching >rammar through games is another way to help pupils not only gain
nowledge but be able to apply and use that learning in an interesting way.
:ccording to :rif "aricoban and !sen ?etin, authors of 4"ongs, Ferse and
>ames for Teaching >rammar4 , they say that
5. >ames and problem6solving activities...have a purpose beyond the
production of correct speech, and are e1amples of the most preferable
communicative activities.
'. >rammar games help children not only gain nowledge but be able to
apply and use that learning.
8. >ames allow the students to 4practice and internali,e vocabulary, grammar
and structures e1tensively.4 -ow=
i* They can do this through repeated e1posure to the target grammar and
because students are often more motivated to play games than they are to do
deswor.
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ii* .lus, during the game, the students are focused on the activity and end up
absorbing the grammar subconsciously.
"imilarly, :ydan !rso,, author of 4"i1 >ames for the !"#+!F# %lassroom4 also
e1plained more reasons why games do wor for teaching grammar. #earning a
language requires constant effort and that can be tiring, but !rso, outlines two
good reasons why games should be included in the classroom:
6 >ames that are amusing and challenging are highly motivating.
6 >ames allow meaningful use of the language in conte1t.
(Source:http:##www.teachingenglishgames.com#)rticles#Teaching*+rammar*with*+am
es*in*the*ES,*-lassroom.htm)
0n short, we can conclude that there are many advantages of using games in the
classroom &#ee, 5GG)*:
5. >ames are a welcome brea from the usual routine of the language class.
'. They are motivating and challenging.
8. #earning a language requires a great deal of effort. >ames help students to
mae and sustain the effort of learning.
4. >ames provide language practice in the various sills6 speaing, writing,
listening and reading.
). They encourage students to interact and communicate.
H. They create a meaningful conte1t for language use.2
W+'! 8"$2. #f ('0e. *#)8 ,e.!1
9hen you are looing for games to use in your classroom, don2t just pic
something to be a 4time filler4 that does not have any linguistic purpose.
#in -ong, author of 4/sing >ames in Teaching !nglish to 3oung #earners4,
e1plains that not all games are going to wor to teach the students language
sills.
3ou should consider these questions posed by -ong:
6 9hich sills do the games practice=
6 9hat type of game is it and what is its purpose=
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6 ;oes the difficulty level of the game match with the students2 ability level=
6 ;oes the game require ma1imum involvement by the students=
6 ;o the students lie it= ;o you lie it=
6 9hat specific vocabulary or grammar are you introducing or practising with
this game=
6 %an you eep control of your class and play this game=
6 9hat materials do you need for the game and can you obtain these easily=
6 9hat controls, if any are needed, will you have in place to ensure the children
are on trac=
W+e$ !# U.e G'0e.1
2>ames are often used as short warm6up activities or when there is some time
left at the end of a lesson.
-owever, a game 4should not be regarded as a marginal activity filling in odd
moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do4 #ee &5GIG:8*.
>ames ought to be at the heart of teaching foreign languages. 7i1on suggests
that games be used at all stages of the lesson, provided that they are suitable
and carefully chosen.
2>ames also lend themselves well to revision e1ercises helping learners recall
material in a pleasant, entertaining way.
Therefore, it is agreed that even if games resulted only in noise and entertained
students, they are still worth paying attention to and implementing in the classroom
since they motivate learners, promote communicative competence, and generate
fluency.2
T"/. f#) U."$( G)'00') G'0e. "$ Cl'.. S&e..f&ll%
()apte from http:##www.english.grammar.revolution.com#grammar.games.html)
1. ORGANI:ATION
Figure out how to organi,e your class i.e. the time spent.
For the younger students you2ll want to change your activities every five to ten
minutes because they have shorter attention spans. 0f you don2t change your
activities, they2ll soon start losing interest.
:s you get towards the higher elementary grades, you can e1pand the time you
spend per activity.
:dditionally, try to have everything ready to go before the students enter the
classroom. That way you can go from activity to activity with minimal downtime.
42
This is essential as you can lose control of the class if you do not eep them
occupied.
2. E;PECTATIONS
0f you notice that your class is getting noisy or rambunctious, it2s time to change
activities. .upils of this age lie to be activeA in order to balance out the energy
levels in the classroom, alternate between active activities and quiet activities.
3. <ARIATION
3ou want to mae sure your activities appeal to all sorts learning styles, so even
when you are using games to teach grammar you2ll want to vary the types of
things you e1pect your students to do.
For #evel $ne pupils, stic to games that use taling, listening, looing and
moving. For #evel Two pupils, you can continue to use games that use taling,
listening, looing and moving and add in some games that use writing and
reading.
4. RESPECT
To mae games wor for you and your class, be sure to operate your class with
the utmost respect 6 both to and from students. This includes teaching your
students from the very start that you e1pect respect at all times. This includes
giving encouragement and following the rules.
=. ROUTINE
!stablishing a routine will help the class go smoothly. 0f pupils now what to
e1pect ne1t, they will be more able to participate in what2s going on now.
"et up a schedule for the type of activities you2ll be doing at any given time
throughout the class whether it is a game, story or song or whatever you want to
do. Then, when you are planning your class, plug in the appropriate activities to
each section of time.
3ou should also leave a little time at the end of the class period to allow the
pupils to clean up and gather their things as well as time for you to recap the
class, praise the pupils and tell them good6bye.
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E;AMPLES OF GAMES
By incorporating games into your lesson plan, your students will not only stop dreading
grammar lessons, but theyll actually loo forward to them.
>#')2 ('0e., such as +o to /ress0 ) +rammar +ame, are sure to be a big hit
with young students, and will have them giggling too. 0n this unique game, pupils
try to create a complete newspaper by moving from department to department
&such as entertainment, sports, weather, etc.* finding and correcting errors in the
headlines. The goal is to be the first player to return to the bosss office and
say, >o to press<
0f you dont have access to board games, there are still a number of activities
you can have pupils participate in. %reate a )#..*#)2 /&??le and use the clues
to get pupils to practice critical thining sills about the grammar lesson of your
choice.
$r, try playing ' ('0e #f +'$(0'$ to get pupils focused on adjectives.
CONCLUSION
/sing games to teach grammar can be both fun and rewarding for you and your pupils.
@ust remember to eep them engaged and mae sure that your games are truly
teaching the sill at hand and you2ll soon have a class full of pupils who get e1cited
about learning grammar<
4.4.= PUPPETS
9hat is a puppet=
6 : puppet is an inanimate figure moved by a puppeteer to convey emotion,
character and story.
44
"ome e1amples of puppets:
5. shadow puppets
'. hand puppets
8. marionette puppets
4. water puppets
). finger puppets
H. stic puppets
I. robotic puppets
M'"$ !%/e. #f P&//e!.
Hand or glove puppet4 these are puppets controlled by one hand which
occupies the interior of the puppet.
Sock puppet4 they are particularly simple type of hand puppet made from a soc
and they operated by inserting ones hand inside the soc. $ne then moves his
hand up and down to give the impersonation of speaing.
Rod puppet: it is constructed around a central rod secured to the head. : large
glove covers the rod and is attached to the nec of the puppet. : rod puppet is
controlled by the puppeteer moving the metal rods attached to the hands of the
puppet and by turning the central rod secured to the head.
Humanarm puppet: it is also called a two6man puppet or a #ive6hand
puppetA it is similar to a hand puppet but is larger and requires two puppeteers.
$ne puppeteer places a hand inside the puppets head and operates its head
and mouth, while the other puppeteer wears gloves and special sleeves attached
to the puppet in order to become the puppets arms, so that the puppet can
perform arbitrary hand gestures. This is a form of glove or hand puppetry and rod
puppetry.
T+e mar!onette is a particular type of puppet. 0t is suspended and controlled by
a number of strings, plus sometimes a central rod attached to a control bar held
from above by the puppeteer. The control bar can be either a hori,ontal or
vertical one.
45
This form of puppetry is comple1 and sophisticated to operate, requiring greater
manipulative control than a finger, glove or rod puppet.
The most famous marionette is .inocchio, invented by %arlo %ollodi.
W+% '$2 +#* .+#&l2 !e'+e). &.e /&//e!. "$ !+e") l'..1
Teachers use puppets for the same reason a fisherman puts bait on his hooA to
catch the attention of children. %hildren love puppets. .uppets are much more
than a cute toy. .uppets are powerful communication tools. .uppets are tools
you should add to your tool bo1 along with the paper and pencils.
use a puppet &or a set of puppets* to act out various grammar concepts. This
can be especially useful for learning verb tenses and prepositions for instance.
4.4.@ DIALOGUES AND PLAYS
;ialogues are popular activities in !"# te1tboos for a number of linguistic as
well as cultural reasons.
:ccording to 7ivers &5GJ5*, there are two broad categories of dialogues:
5. %onversation6facilitation
6 .rovide students with useful phrases with which they can begin to
communicate. These dialogues are often short and therefore students are
encouraged to memori,e them.
'. >rammar6demonstration dialogues.
6 The dialogues are longer and contain certain grammatical structures that
are to be studied. They provide conte1tuali,ed e1amples from which
students will deduce generali,ations about a particular grammatical
structure.
Teachers can use or adapt dialogues to:
demonstrate grammar in conte1t
facilitate conversationThis may parallel grammar instruction, but also gives
specific language practice
provide recreation such as a sitThese dialogues are bridging activities that
provide spontaneous use of learner nowledge.
&b* Pl'%.
46
:part from memori,ation, widely used in the audio6lingual era, dialogues can be
e1ploited for plays through which students can practice language more freely.
#arsen6Freeman &'(((* has pointed out, plays give pupils the chance of
interacting and practicing communication acts in different conte1ts and because
of this, they are of primary importance in language teaching.
The play scripts encourage students to read aloud, swap roles, repeat and
understand grammar in conte1t, and mae the sentences come alive.
.upils in pairs or small groups can also be given the tas of writing a play script.
:fter they have learned rules and done some practice, they can undertae the
wor of creating a play using the newly learned structure.
S#0e /#"$!. !# 8ee/ "$ 0"$2 *+e$ *)"!"$( #) '2'/!"$( 2"'l#(&e. f#) /&/"l. !#
/)'!"e
/se natural language as much as possible &include e1clamations and
e1pressions where appropriateA avoid a strict question6answer6question
sequence*.
Keep the dialogue short enough so that students can easily remember it.
:pply current sociolinguistic norms. For e1ample, an informal introduction is 1i"
nice to meet !ou" rather than 1ow o !ou o2
;epict situations in the dialogue that are relevant and useful to the learner.
7etain truth value in the dialogue.
%reate characters who are realistic in that they have some personality and
relate to the learners e1perience in some way.
(base on Slager 1345 cite in 6maggio 1378 an +raham 133$).
Refe) !# #$l"$e *e,."!e..
C#0/"le ')!"le. )el'!e2 !# !+e "0/#)!'$e #f &."$( 2"ffe)e$! !e+$"A&e.
f#) !e'+"$( ()'00').
T+e e$2 #f !+". .e.."#$(##2 l&8 *"!+ %#&) '!"-"!"e.B
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