Three Steps
to an Easy Grammar Lesson
If you’re new to teaching English, the thought of teaching English grammar may seem daunting. Experienced TEFL teachers, on the other hand, know that it can be fun, challenging and not that difficult. First put away the idea that teaching grammar consists of doing endless boring exercises that have no relation to actual communication. Grammar actually puts language structures into use and leads to better English. Repetition is crucial so that the student reaches the desired point of natural and free communication.
Step 1: The grammar structure
- Start with examples of the structure. Elicit a few sentences in which it appears, or tell a story or act out a telephone conversation. At this point, you are showing the structure and your students are perceiving it.
- Isolate the structure and explain it. Write it up on the board and explain the rules that govern. Leave this on the board for the whole class and write it on the board again in future sessions if necessary. Make it clear, concise and short. An alternative to this is to get students to work out the rule for themselves.
Step 2: Practise the structure
- There are many types of practice activities to fix the structure in students' short-term memory: play with questions and answers, or let students devise parallel examples.
- Extend to an activity that permits the students to use the form in a fun situation, e.g. games, role-plays, interviews, to put the grammar into use in active communication.
- If necessary, go back to the explanation - this time in a more detailed way, now that students have seen and used the form.
Step 3: Notes and writing
- Give time for students to take notes and memorise the structure.
- Practise to consolidate and fix the language in their longer-term memory. Repetition is fine - but keep it light and varied with fun activities taken from your favourite TEFL books.
Always, always, always…
- Stick with the grammar point you're teaching, rather than mixing it with other structures.
- Use visual aids such as graphs, clocks, time-charts, etc.
- Use real examples that relate to students' lives.
- Use games, competitions and role-plays.
- Check and re-check that your students have got it.
- Get students talking to each other, using the structure as a way of extending into conversation.
- Practise questions and negative forms of the structure too.
- Make use of homework as practice.
- Move from controlled practice of the structure to free practise.
Never ever…
- Get caught up in long explanations - use examples.
- Explain half rules. If there is a rule, make sure that you understand it. If there is no rule, don't invent one. Remember that rules can be learned through practice.
- Use complicated vocabulary that may distract from the task at hand.
- Push too hard. If you are not getting through, take a break. Come back to it, or change tactics.
