communicave grammar with games for the young learner · communicave grammar with games for the...

Communica)veGrammarwithGamesfortheYoungLearner

Gamesareaperfectauthen/ccontextforpresen/nggrammartoyounglearners!

Duringthepresenta/on,wewill:•  examinethreelively,communica)vegrammargamesthathelpbuildgrammarcompetenceandspeakingconfidenceinchildren

•  exploredevelopmentallyappropriatewaystofocusongrammar

Thesegrammargamescanbeadaptedforallages.

WendyCoulson

WendyhasbeenteachingEnglish,developingcurriculum,andtrainingteachersforover25years,withthelast14focusingonyounglearnersandlow-resourceclassrooms.ShelivesincentralMexicoandhasalsoworkedintheUnitedStates,Hungary,Jordan,andColombia,wheresheworkedasaU.S.DepartmentofStateEnglishLanguageFellow.

WendyhasaMaster’sinTESOLandAppliedLinguis)csfromIndianaUniversityandaMaster’sofEduca)oninBilingualEduca)onwithaconcentra)oninSpecialEduca)onfromtheUniversityofIllinoisatChicago.

©2019byWendyCoulson.Communica)veGrammarwithGamesfortheYoungLearnerfortheOfficeofEnglishLanguagePrograms.ThisworkislicensedundertheCrea/veCommonsANribu/on4.0License,exceptwherenoted.Toviewacopyofthislicense,visithNp://crea/vecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Communica/veGrammarwithGamesfortheYoungLearner

Beforewebegin,I’dliketohearfromyou!

• Whereareyoufrom?

• Whatages/gradesdoyouteach?

Agenda

1.  Whatisauthen)ccommunica)onforYLs?2.  WhatgrammarshouldIteach?3.  HowdoI‘teach’grammartoYLs?4.  Threecommunica)vegrammargames5.  Q&A

Whatarecharacteris/csofYoungLearners?Howdotheylearn?

Young Learners...

•  Imitate• Aimtoplease• Areenerge)c,spontaneous,andcurious• Areego-centric• Havelimiteda\en)onspans•  Lovepredictability• Havepar)alknowledgeofworldandL1•  Learnthroughsocialinterac)ons•  Seelanguageasawhole

Children are ‘inside’ the language.

Scaffolding Providingjustenoughsupportsothatstudentscancompleteataskorgoal

successfully

Examples:•  Chunks•  Choralresponse•  Gestures•  Rou)ne•  Repe))on

Scaffolding Examples:

WaystoScaffold ExamplesChunks Isitblue?ChoralResponse Everychildsaysthechunkorchanttogether.Gestures Usefacialexpressionsandhandmovementsto

cuepar)cipa)on.Pointtothecolorblue.Rou/ne Playgameinsameway,inthesameorder.Repe//on Childrenrepeatques)onsun)ltheyguess.

Whatac)vi)esdidyouenjoyasachild(ages6–10)?

Whattypesoflanguageproduc)ondidthisac)vityrequire?

Authen?c Communica?on for Young Learners (YLs)

Children learn through play.

MovementandPlayPoetry,Rhymes,SongsandStories

IntellectualAc)vi)es,ThinkingaboutLanguage

1. What is authen?c communica?on for YLs?

Authen/ccommunica/onforYLsisanyac)vityand/orcontentappropriateforageandsocio-culturalexperience.

Forexample,childrenthatare7-8yearsoldtendtopaymorea\en)ontothesoundandmusicofthelanguage.

2. What grammar should I teach?

Which grammar?

• Chooseasetofvocabularywords• Findorcreateameaningfultaskinwhichyoucanprac)cethevocabulary

• Providechunks,orfixedphrases,forthechildrentouseastheypar)cipateinthetask

• Thinkaboutwhereyouwillstartandwhereyouwanttogo

3. How do you ‘teach’ grammar to children? 1.Expose:Providerichorallanguageexperiences.-Songs,poems,games,stories,rhymes,etc.2.Automa/ze:Usechunks,chants,drills,songs,rhymesandgames-Rou)neandrepe))onusinggrammarstructures3.No/ce:Havechildrenno)cepa\ernsand/orcontrasts.4.FocusonForm:Createtasksforselec)ngandprac)cing.

Cameron,2001

Ques?ons for You:

• Shouldweteachgrammarindirectlyordirectly?• Atwhatagedoyoustartteachinggrammar?Why?

Chunks or Performance Pieces = Fixed Phrases

• Chunksaregroupsofwordsthatcanbefoundtogetherinlanguage.•  Theyarethebuildingblocksoflanguageforyounglearners.•  Teacherssupport,orscaffold,ac)vepar)cipa)onthroughchunks.

Example:Isityellow?Yes,itis.No,itisn’t.

Game 1: The Mystery Bag

1.  Chooseanobjectrelatedtoyourunit.

2.  Puttheobjectinabag.

3.  Haveonechildcometothefrontwithyou.

4.  Havethechildrenask10yes/noques)onswithachunk.

Forexample:

Isitfuzzy? Does/Canitfly?

Yes,itis./No,itisn’t. Yes,itdoes./No,itdoesn’t.

5.Allowthechildrentoguessajer10ques)ons.

Game 1: The Mystery Bag Instruc?ons

Vocabulary to Grammar through Meaningful Tasks

• AnimalsVocabulary

• GuessingGame:TheMysteryBagMeaningfulTask

•  Isityellow?• Doesithavefourlegs?Chunks

Ac?vity vs. Task

A‘grammarsensi/ve’teachermust:• highlight,• bringoutand• sequencegrammartocreateatask.

Is this grammar?

Vocabulary GrammarChunk

Colors Isitred?

Classroomobjects Isitagreenpencil/marker/crayon?

Adjec/ves Isitasmallbluepencil?

Animals Doesithavefourlegs?Doesitliveinthedesert?Doesitfly?Doesiteatmeat?

Compara/ves Isitbiggerthanadesk?

Game 2: Where is the crayon?

1.  Chooseanobjecttohide.2.  Havethechildrentellyou3placestohidethecrayon.Use

thechunk:Wecanhidethecrayon(intheteacher’sbag).3.  Haveonechildleavetheroom,anotherguardthedoorand

onehidethecrayon.4.  Ajerthecrayonishidden,callthechildtotheroom.5.  Havetheclassaskhim/her:Whereisthecrayon?6.  Havethechildguesswith:Isit(behindthebooks)?

Grammar Chant

Nextto,UnderNextto,On

Nextto,InfrontofNextto,BehindNextto,RightNextto,LedNextto,Up

Nextto,DownJame,2001

Chunks: Where is the crayon? Is it in/under/behind the _______?

Grammar is Tied to Vocabulary

Vocabulary GrammarChunk

Preposi/ons Isthecrayoninthedrawer?

Classroomfurniture/objects Isthecrayononthebookshelf?

Descrip/veadjec/ves Isitundertheblueandwhitebasket?

Possessives IsitinIsabella’spocket?

Game #3: What Am I Doing?

1.  Saythegrammarchantwithmovement.2.  Selectonechildtositinthechairandonechildtoactoutamovement.3.  Theactoractsoutamovementbehindthechair.4.  Theclassasks:“Whatisshedoing?”5.  Thechildinthechairasks:“Isshestanding?”6.  Theclassresponds:“Yes,sheis.”OR“No,sheisn’t.”7.  Thechildinthechairhasthreeguesses.Ifshedoesn’tguessit,sheasks

theclass:“Whatisshedoing?”Theclassanswers:“She’sea)ng!”8.  Repeatwithnewchildren.

Grammar Chant:

I’mstanding,I’msiqng,I’mwri)ng,I’mkniqng.I’mreading,I’mcoun)ng,I’mswimming,I’mshou)ng.I’mea)ng,I’mdrinking,I’mtalking,I’mthinking.

I’mgiving,I’mtaking,I’msweeping,I’mbaking.I’mlaughing,I’mlooking,I’mwashing,I’mcooking.

I’mdriving,I’mrowing,I’mkneeling,I’mgrowing.

Jame,2001

Sample chunky dialogue A= actor(s) V= volunteer C= class

A:(Ea)ng)C:Whatisshedoing?V:Isshesiqng?C:No,sheisn’t.Whatisshedoing?V:Isshegiving?C:No,sheisn’t.Whatisshedoing?V:Isshecoun)ng?C:No,sheisn’t.V:Whatisshedoing?C:Sheisea)ng!

Grammar Opportuni?es Vocabulary GrammarChunk

Affirma/vestatements Iamsiqng.

Ques/ons,present AmIsiqng?Yes,youare.No,youaren’t.You’restanding.

Pronouns Ishe/shesiqng?Arewesiqng?Aretheysiqng?

Furniture Isshesiqngonthe(teacher’s)chair?

WH-ques/ons WhatamIdoing?Whereisshesiqng?

Past Washesiqng?Yes,hewas.No,hewasn’t.

A ‘grammar sensi?ve’ teacher must:

• Highlight-Isit…?• Bringout-Dailyac)vepar)cipa)on• Sequencegrammartocreateatask-Isityellow?Isitold?Isitapencil?

Which ac?vi?es will you use?

Game1:TheMysteryBagGame2:WhereIstheCrayon?Game3:WhatAmIDoing?

References

• Cameron,Lynne.(2001).TeachingEnglishtoYoungLearners.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.

• Hunter,Robin.(2004).MadelineHunter’sMasteryTeaching:IncreasingInstruc)onalEffec)venessinElementaryandSecondarySchools.ThousandOaks:CorwinPress.

•  Jame,Christoph.(2001).Rhythms,Rhymes,GamesandSongsfortheLowerSchool.Gerlingen,Germany.:Drucktuell.

Email:americanenglish@state.gov

americanenglishwebinars.comamericanenglish.state.gov

facebook.com/AmericanEnglishatStatefacebook.com/AmericanEnglishforEducators

Thankyou!