5.1 - How to teach GRAMMAR online - Introduction

How to teach GRAMMAR online

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Introduction

DON'T teach a lot of different grammar.

For the target language for your lesson,

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focus on one grammatical structure

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(or maybe two, if they are closely related).

DO contextualise the grammar

by using examples from either

the text or diagnostic test.

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This provides cohesion and helps students understand the grammar.

DON’T start the lesson by saying

“Today we’re going to learn [grammar structure]”.

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Instead, establish context and

engage the students with

an interesting Lead-in.

DO complete the practice exercises yourself first while planning.

This ensures you're prepared to answer

students' questions about the practice exercises.

DO study the grammar before you try to teach it.

You'll want to be very prepared

to clarify meaning, form, and pronunciation

clearly and confidently.

DON'T avoid technical terms like

“auxiliary verb" and "past participle."

You'll need to use correct terminology when clarifying form.

Engage students in the lesson by beginning with

an interesting, contextualized, student-centered Lead-in,

rather than announcing that the lesson

will be about grammar right at the start.

The students don't even need to know it's a grammar lesson

until the diagnostic test or analysis of examples from the text stage.

Keep the lesson student-centered by

using the task cycle and

including plenty of

eliciting in the clarification stage.

Use the contextualized examples from the diagnostic test or text

and ask students about the grammar

(CCQs, eliciting formulas and pronunciation aspects etc.)

rather than explaining.

Always cover meaning first.

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Make sure to ask CCQs about the

grammatical structure before moving on to

form and pronunciation.

Make sure you are confident in the grammar yourself by studying

up before the lesson, using “Be Your Own Grammar Guru” and/ or

the grammar bank in the course book you're using.

Remember that all three systems

(vocabulary, grammar, and functional language) can be

taught using test-teach-test and text-based.