13.10.

2020

Reassuring statements

 You do not need to know all the grammar of

Teaching Grammar English in order to teach it.

2020/2021  You will learn about grammar as you teach

it.

Inductive approach
What is grammar? It is … Motto: I help you to find out for
 the skeleton of the language. yourself!
 the structural clue, the “code” of language. Students are exposed to the language.
 the study of how sentences are structured and
how they connect with each other (David Crystal).
 the trunk where vocabulary is the leaves.
 form + meaning. Students and the teacher find out the rule.
 the study of the rules that govern the use of a
language.
 a description of the language system (Jill & Students and the teacher explain the rule.
Charles Hadfield).
 …
Students do exercises.

Deductive approach Self-discovery

Motto: I tell you! Motto: You find out for yourself!

Teacher gives a rule.

Students are asked to consult reference
material to find out the rule (and do
Teacher explains the rule. exercises).

Students do exercises.

1

Inductive approach: advantages
• Rules discovered by oneself are more memorable,
meaningul; there is more mental effort.
•Students are actively involved in the learning process,
more attentive, more motivated.
•The approach is based on problem-solving abilities,
thus it is suitable for students who enjoy it.
•The approach fosters learner autonomy, independence
and is a good preparation for life.
(Thornbury, 1999)
Deductive approach: advantages
• It gets straight to the point. Many rules can
be more simply and quickly explained than
elicited.
•It respects the intelligence and maturity of
(adult) students.
•It seems easy for the teacher.
(Thornbury, 1999)
Getting up
 On a piece of paper, draw five columns. At
the top of each column write these titles:
love like OK dislike hate
 Write these activities under each title, in
your opinion:
swimming, cycling, playing computer games, watching
films, listening to music, watching TV, eating vegetables,
drinking coffee, playing cards, drinking cola, washing up,
doing homework, doing exams, cleaning my room, going
to the dentist, cooking, getting up, reading, doing maths,
walking, drawing pictures
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Inductive approach: disadvantages
• Students may not discover the rule or it may
remain “hazy”.
•It may be more demanding for the teacher. The
teacher needs to select and organise material
carefully to guide students in the right direction.
•It may be more time-consuming.
•It may frustrate students who are not used to such
kind of learning.
(Thornbury, 1999)
Deductive approach: disadvantages
• It is teacher-centred.
•Starting a lesson with a grammar rule and
explanation may be off-putting and
discouringing. Students switch off.
(Thornbury, 1999)
Getting up
 In each group one person is a dealer.
The dealer keeps all the cards in his/her hands.
 The dealer puts the cards on the table, one by
one. At the same time, the dealer gives his/her
opinion about the activity on the card using one
of the sentence forms:
I love ….. I think …. is OK. I hate ….
I like …. I dislike ….
 If your opinion matches with the dealer’s one, you
can say So do I. The first player to do this, wins
the card.
 The player with most cards at the end wins.
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Introducing the target language Grammar Practice

 Keep it short and avoid too much grammar
terminology.
 Have a balance between oral and written
 Introduce a new grammar structure in a
meaningful context (use example sentences). The
practice.
meaning of the structure should become clear  First focus on accuracy, then on fluency.
from the context.  Use a variety of activities that focus on
 Choose example sentences / contexts that are different areas (meaning, form,
relevant to the students’ lives and interest them. pronunciation).
 Focus on meaning, form and pronunciation. Check
students’ comprehension.

Ideas for practising grammar Sources used

Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CWB_hxeoyU&list=PL- Language Teaching. Harlow: Pearson
XQjgVYQ7Sba0la55hgU1I2gFwVl4Dns&index=2 Education Limited.
Thornbury, S. (1999). How to Teach Grammar.
Harlow: Longman.