Teaching English Grammar to EFL Students (Part 4 of 4)

This is the fourth and final article in a series looking at the principles and practice behind the teaching of English grammar to those who are studying it as a foreign language. In the first three articles we looked in more detail at the three basic elements of teaching theory - presentation, practice and production - and at ways of making each of those steps more exciting and accessible for the learners. Given that teaching context, this article is going to examine other aspects of teaching that will help to make grammar-learning a more constructive and fruitful process.

For students of English, grammar lessons can be dreary and tedious. However, there are some basic tools which we as teachers can employ to make the classroom experience more rewarding for both those receiving and those imparting the knowledge concerned. There are four main principles we need to consider, all equally important, in this approach, which, for the sake of convenience, we can refer to as MEEE. Those principles are: Motivate, Engage, Empower and Encourage.

Motivate:

It's an obvious statement, but if our students aren't motivated to learn, it's going to be an uphill struggle all the way - on both sides. We all work with people who have been pressurised against their will to attend our lessons, but that doesn't mean we can't help them to become motivated. If we can help learners to see the value of English grammar, and to understand that it could be a useful tool for them, then there's every chance their motivation will increase.

It's possible, as we all know, to acquire various levels of competence in grammar - at a basic level, learners are able to communicate and make themselves understood, but are not practising correct grammatical structures. Take Manuel, the Spanish waiter in Fawlty Towers, for instance. We all understand him, but his grammar is useless! At other levels, learners will know the theory but make mistakes in the application to varying degrees; but many will have sufficient skills to be able to pass their exams. Grammar is the cornerstone of any language, and it behoves us as teachers to try to help students see that English grammar can act as a gateway for them - not least in terms of future work prospects. Wherever you can put English grammar into personally meaningful contexts for your students, this will increase their interest and motivation. If they use the grammar they've just learned - let's say, reported speech, in situations that are individually relevant - for example, telling the class what the last few text messages they received said - they're invariably going to be keener.

Another motivating factor for many students is the fact that English is the language of the Internet - and the more adept they are in the use of their grammar, the better equipped they are to take full advantage of that world. They can participate fully in chat room discussions, for example, safe in the knowledge that they are saying exactly what they intended and aren't open to misinterpretation.

We can't impose motivation onto students, but we can nurture it. And, with the help of the following three principles, it may well develop spontaneously.

Engage:

For our students to get as much as possible out of every lesson or other learning experience, they have to feel part of the process, rather than an onlooker. The reality of much of our teaching is that we have to follow prescribed paths as we're working towards particular exams. However, that doesn't preclude us from involving students in some of the decision-making that takes place within the confines of a lesson. Let the students decide, for example, what they think would be a useful way of practising certain grammar points - offer them several possibilities and allow them to choose. You might suggest role play, writing a report or preparing a talk for the class as ways in which students could recycle, say, Conditionals.

To feel engaged in the learning process, students also need to be guaranteed total attention whenever they have a question or need clarification about a grammar point. And, as teachers, we have our own commitment, enthusiasm and humour to bring to the classroom - all important factors with regard to engaging your learners.

Empower

Faced with a list of verbs, tenses and endings that seemed to have been designed only to confuse, would you feel omnipotent? Probably not! And so it is with English learners. They all know that this thing called grammar has to be mastered - and it's a daunting prospect to say the least. If students have some power during the learning process, everything becomes considerably easier.

So, how do we empower them? Well, definitely not by giving them lists of conjugated verbs, or past participles, and asking them to learn them. Let your students play around with the verbs. Let them try out various endings and help them to 'get the feel' of grammar. Of course they'll make mistakes - but whenever they get the correct combinations of endings and stems or main and auxiliary verbs, they'll have got there themselves and will feel all the more powerful for it. Let them deduce the patterns in grammar - the changes in word order in questions, for example. See if they can formulate rules for the various tenses. Let them take over the teaching for five minutes and let them explain or illustrate a particular point to their classmates.

If your students are empowered, this will in no way undermine your authority as a teacher; it will simply enhance and enrich the teacher/student relationship.

Encourage:

We are all delicate flowers, at least some of the time, and we all need some nurturing and encouragement. Even the most able of us when we were students needed to have some positive feedback if we were to maintain our interest. It's just the same for our students now. If the learning situation is sterile and impersonal, and they are left not knowing whether or not they have made any progress, they will eventually give up.

Equally important in terms of encouragement is the ability to make mistakes in a non-threatening and positive environment. None of us needs to be shouted at, nor do we need to be criticised for doing the wrong thing sometimes.

If we can constantly encourage all our students (not just the ones with greater language ability) to feel free to play with words and structures, and not to worry sometimes when they get it wrong, they will be much less inhibited and much more inclined to explore that challenging obstacle course we call grammar.

 

In conclusion, we know that learning English grammar really can be fun. Given good course books, our imagination and creativity, and our ability and sensitivity as teachers, our students will soon come to agree with us!

 

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