7 Techniques of teaching grammar to ESL young learners

- Presenting the grammatical structure in a childs context humor

- Practicing the grammatical structure
- Drawing and writing on the board
- Story telling
- Songs and chants
- Rhymes and poems
- Total physical response


















ARTICLE 1












APPROACHES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR
























ARTICLE 2
Leaf And Clay Moral Story
A True Friend Is Needed at Times Of Misery
Once there lived a leaf from a large tree and a lump of
clay just beneath the tree. The leaf lived happily
experiencing the excellent climate and nature. The lump
of clay was also enjoying its life, as the leaf and clay
were good friends. The leaf and the clay had a unique
friendship than any other in their place of dwelling. As
days passed by the climatic conditions started varying
and it was time for autumn, all the leaves from the tree
shed off. This leaf fell beside the clay and was weeping
all day long.









APPROACHES OF TEACHING GRAMMAR

CHANGE THE SINGULAR NOUNS TO PLURAL NOUNS
1. Day - -----------------

2. Place - --------------------

3. Tree - --------------------

4. Leaf - ---------------------

5. Friend - ---------------------










Inductive and Deductive Instruction
Two very distinct and opposing instructional approaches are inductive and
deductive. Both approaches can offer certain advantages, but the biggest
difference is the role of the teacher. In a deductive classroom, the teacher
conducts lessons by introducing and explaining concepts to students, and
then expecting students to complete tasks to practice the concepts; this
approach is very teacher-centred. Conversely, inductive instruction is a
much more student-centred approach and makes use of a strategy known as
noticing. Lets take a closer look at the differences between inductive and
deductive instruction, and find out how noticing can be used in the
language classroom to better facilitate student learning.

What is deductive instruction?
A deductive approach to instruction is a more teacher-centered approach. This means that the teacher
gives the students a new concept, explains it, and then has the students practice using the concept. For
example, when teaching a new grammar concept, the teacher will introduce the concept, explain the rules
related to its use, and finally the students will practice using the concept in a variety of different ways.
According to Bob Adamson, The deductive method is often criticized because: a) it teaches grammar in
an isolated way; b ) little attention is paid to meaning; c) practice is often mechanical. This method can,
however, be a viable option in certain situations; for example, when dealing with highly motivated
students, teaching a particularly difficult concept, or for preparing students to write exams.
What is inductive instruction?
In contrast with the deductive method,
inductive instruction makes use of
student noticing. Instead of
explaining a given concept and
following this explanation with
examples, the teacher presents students
with many examples showing how the
concept is used. The intent is for
students to notice, by way of the
examples, how the concept works.
Using the grammar situation from above, the teacher would present the students with a variety of
examples for a given concept without giving any preamble about how the concept is used. As students
see how the concept is used, it is hoped that they will notice how the concept is to be used and determine
the grammar rule. As a conclusion to the activity, the teacher can ask the students to explain the grammar
rule as a final check that they understand the concept.
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How can teachers help their students practice noticing?
In the 1990s researchers explored the role that noticing a grammatical construct played in learning that
structure. They hypothesized that learners needed to notice a structure in order to hold it in their short- or
long-term memory. Although the value of the concept to grammatical acquisition is still under debate
(See http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESL-EJ/ej23/a2.html), the overall value of responding promptly
to questions and observations of learners cannot be dismissed nor can the role that awareness and
consciousness play in the development of metalinguistic knowledge.
What is noticing?
Noticing is the process of students becoming aware of something in particular; as mentioned above in the
inductive approach, noticing can be used to teach a grammar concept when students are given the
examples, and they come to understand the rule by noticing what those examples have in common. In a
more general classroom situation, noticing can be used in many ways:
When teachers speak at a more advanced level, they are giving the students constant opportunities
to notice the differences between the teachers speech and theirs. This way each student can
become aware of the differences at his own pace.
Teachers can provide students with opportunities for noticing simply by putting posters up in the
classroom in the target language. As before, when the students are ready to notice the difference,
they will.
Language ladders (see the Functions of Language page) are also to promote students noticing
skills. Once they understand what each rung on the ladder means, they can understand how they
all fit together and how they differ.
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How can a teacher decide which method is the best choice for a
given topic?
Both deductive and inductive sequences are valuable for teaching concepts, generalizations, processes,
and skills. The teacher must decide which to select given the learning outcomes desired and the
composition of the class. When choosing, the teacher should consider a number of factors:
How personalized should the learning be? Students will usually be more involved in the learning
experience and tend to participate more actively when an inductive approach is used. If a
deductive approach is chosen, it is important to structure the learning experience in order to draw
on students' prior experiences and learning, and to provide for their active involvement.
Should learning experiences be predictable? The deductive approach is more predictable because
the teacher selects the information and the sequence of presentation.
What depth of understanding and rate of retention is desired? Students tend to understand and
remember more when learning occurs inductively.
How much time is available to teach the material? The deductive approach is faster and can be an
efficient way to teach large numbers of facts and concrete concepts.
Instructional methods tend to be either deductive or inductive, although some methods use both. Many
lessons can include both approaches.













Coursework Task 1
Critical Response

Learning of the English grammar has always been a challenging task particularly for
students at the national type schools in Malaysia. Often, these learners are not competent
as they do not communicate in English language except during their English lessons
merely because English is not their first language. Hence, it is the responsibility of the
teachers to prepare appropriate grammar resources to gauge the varying needs of students
with different learning styles.
Grammar gains its prominence in language teaching. Grammar is unlike the skills that are
commonly associated with language such as reading, speaking, listening and writing,
although it may be a part of speech. Practically, in the teaching of grammar, learners are
taught rules of language commonly known as sentence patterns.
In teaching grammar , there are two approaches that can be applied which is deductive
and inductive. A deductive approach is one where the teacher directly presents the rule to
the students. An inductive approach is where the teacher encourages the students to work
out the rule for themselves through relevant examples. In a deductive classroom, the
approach is very teacher-centered. The deductive method is often criticized because it
teaches grammar in an isolated way, little attention is paid to meaning and practice is
often mechanical.
The inductive approach represents a more modern style of teaching where the new
grammatical structures or rules are presented to the students in real language context. In
both approaches, the students practice and apply the use of the grammatical structure, yet
there are advantages and disadvantages to each in the ESL classroom. The deductive
approach can be effective with students with higher level but less suitable for lower level
language students.

Both deductive and inductive sequences are valuable for teaching concepts,
generalizations, processes, and skills. The teacher must decide which to select given the
learning outcomes desired and the composition of the class.
There are several issues pertaining to the teaching of grammar in the primary classroom.
The issue here is should grammar teaching be intensive or extensive. Intensive grammar
teaching refers to instruction over a sustained period of time concerning a single
grammatical structure. Extensive grammar teaching refers to instruction concerning a
whole of structures receives only minimal attention in any one lesson. It is less easy to
see how grammar teaching can comprise extensive instruction. A teacher would probably
not elect to present and practice a whole range of grammatical structures within a single
lesson. Extensive grammar instruction of a kind had a place in grammar teaching.
(400 words)















LESSON PLAN YEAR 3

Subject : English

Class : Year 3

Theme : World of Knowledge

Topic : What Can You See?

Learning Standard :
5.1.7 Able to use articles correctly and appropriately.
a) a
b) an

Learning Objectives: By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

a) categorise at least 5 out of 8 words according to the correct group of articles.
b) circle at least 4 out of 5 consonant nouns and underline 4 out of 5 vowel nouns correctly.
c) fill at least 6 out of 10 words in the blanks with the correct articles.






Set Induction:

1. Teacher shows a picture to the pupils.
2. Teacher gets the pupils to identify the things in the picture.
3. Teacher asks questions to check meanings.


Presentation:
1. Teacher introduces the vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u; and the consonant sounds
b, c, d, f, g, ..etc..)
2. Teacher says the vowel sounds and introduces some words related to the sounds and say
the article an for the words. eg. Apple an apple
3. Teacher does the same for the consonant sounds.
4. Teacher asks the pupils to say the vowel sounds and the related words.
5. Pupils say the article with the words.
6. Pupils do the same for the consonant sounds.

Practice:

1. Teacher divides the class into 3 groups.
2. Teacher distributes a dialogue and gets the pupils to read it in their groups.
3. Pupils are asked to circle the consonant nouns and underline the vowel nouns.
4. Teacher discusses the answers together.
5. Teacher distributes worksheets and pupils work in pairs.




Production:

1. Teacher distributes worksheets to the pupils
2. Pupils complete it individually.

EMK: MI (Verbal-Linguistic), Cooperation

Teaching Aids: picture, worksheets

Reflection:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________


















Picture


















Group Reading Activity

Read the dialogue. Circle the consonant nouns and underline the vowel
nouns.

Gary: Can Sticky have a carrot?
Patrick: Yes, there are some in the kitchen.
Gary: Can I give him an apple and a biscuit?
Patrick: Yes. Is he very hungry?
Gary: Hes always hungry. Can he have a banana milkshake, too?
Patrick: No! Rabbits dont like milkshakes.
Gary: Oh, thats strange. Can he have an egg then?
Patrick: No! Rabbits dont eat eggs.
Gary: He wants an orange. Have we got oranges?


Patrick: No, Patrick. Dont be silly. Give Sticky a carrot and go and read a
book.
Gary I dont want to. Can I go out?
Patrick Yes, but its raining. Take an umbrella.
Gary Sticky is coming with me. We want to play a game.
Patrick All right, but come back in an hour and dont give Sticky any more
food.



REMEDIAL ACTIVITY

Name: ___________________ Class:_________________

Categorise the words correctly.
Write the words in the correct column.











----------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
rabbit apple biscuit

banana egg orange

a an
rabbit apple

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY

Name: ___________________ Class:_________________

Fill in the blanks with suitable articles.

Gary: Can Sticky have ______ carrot?
Patrick: Yes, there are some in the kitchen.
Gary: Can I give him ____ apple and ____ biscuit?
Patrick: Yes. Is he very hungry?
Gary: Hes always hungry. Can he have ____ banana milkshake, too?
Patrick: No! Rabbits dont like milkshakes.
Gary: Oh, thats strange. Can he have _____ egg then?
Patrick: No! Rabbits dont eat eggs.
Gary: He wants ____ orange. Have we got oranges?
Patrick: No, Patrick. Dont be silly. Give Sticky ____ carrot and go and read
_____ book.


Gary I dont want to. Can I go out?
Patrick Yes, but its raining. Take ____ umbrella.
Gary Sticky is coming with me. We want to play ____ game.
Patrick All right, but come back in ____ hour and dont give Sticky any more
food.










REFLECTION
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my lecturer Mr.Muhamad
Raja Abdullah for her guidance to complete this task. The learning of English Grammar in the
ESL Primary Classrooms has always been a challenging task particularly for students at the
national type school in Malaysia. Often, these learners are not competent as they do not
communicate in English language except during their English lessons merely because English
is not their first language. Hence, it is the responsibility of the teachers to prepare appropriate
grammar lessons with different learning styles. as children learn in different ways.
My strength while carrying out this lesson plan was, the usage of colourful pictures as
stimulus. My Year 4 pupils were excited when I showed the picture cards for the set induction.
They started to guess and the classroom was quite noisy. However, many of them can guess
the event. .

I carried out the lesson as I planned. Almost 95% of my pupils were able to complete the
task given. My closure was a good activity as the pupils were very competitive is take part in the
group activity. As I promised to give some token to the group who wins, they were very eager to
complete as instructed.

My weakness point while carrying out the lesson was time management. I have to plan
a 30 minutes lesson for this task. I was unable to carry out the lesson as planned within the
time. I took 10 minutes extra to complete my lesson . As the enrolment of the students are 40 ,
it took a long time to explain some activities to them especially the weak learners. However, I
have achieve my objectives for the particular lesson during the production stage. The pupils
were able to complete the task without my guidance. I gave some guidance for the weak
learners to complete the written activity.

Grammar is an important aspect whereby it helps learners to discover the nature of
language. Without grammar, we would have only individual words or sounds, pictures and
body expressions to communicate meaning. As an English Language teacher , I must think of
interesting activities how to make the learners to use proper grammar during sentence
constructions .I also need to focus on the common mistakes which my pupils make.


























CONTENTS

1. Acknowledgement
2. Biodata
3. Coursework Task 1 - Articles
4. Task 2 Part I - Lesson Plan
Part II Simulated Teaching
5. Task 3 Reflection
6. References