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DevelopingGrammarProficiencyThroughCommunica7veAc7vi7es

Duringthissession,wewill:

•  explorekeyprinciplesassociatedwithcommunica7vegrammarinstruc7on

•  learnhowtoapplytheseprinciplesintheclassroom

•  considerhowtocreateandevaluategrammarac7vi7esthatwillenhanceyourstudents’abilitytouseEnglishforrealcommunica7on

•  examineseveralprac7calgrammarac7vi7esthatcanbeusedwithlearnersofdifferentagesandskilllevels;theseac7vi7esrequireminimalequipment,supplies,orspace

NancyAckles

Inherlongcareer,Nancyhashadopportuni7estoworktogetherwithandlearnfrommanyteachers,firstintheUnitedStatesandtheninAfrica,Asia,andEurope.SheholdsaPhDinLinguis7csandistheauthorofTheGrammarGuide:DevelopingLanguageSkillsforAcademicSuccess.NancyalsodevelopedAmericanTeensTalk!,afreeaudioandtextresourceavailableontheAmericanEnglishwebsite:americanenglish.state.govSheespeciallyadmiresandenjoyscollabora7ngwithlanguageteacherswhoworkinschoolswithlimitedresources.

©2019byNancyAckles.DevelopingGrammarProficiencyThroughCommunica7veAc7vi7esfortheOfficeofEnglishLanguagePrograms.ThisworkislicensedundertheCreaHveCommonsAJribuHon4.0License,exceptwherenoted.Toviewacopyofthelicense,visit:hJp://creaHvecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

DevelopingGrammarProficiencyThroughCommunica7veAc7vi7es

Speaking

Language Use

Scaffolding

Writing

Whoarethetrueexpertsonteaching

inyourcontext?

YOUare!

WhoareOlympicChampionsinourfield?

YOUare!Ifyouworkinalow-resourceclassroom,

1.  AliTlebitofhistoryofgrammarteaching.

2.  Threeprinciplesforcommunica7vegrammarteaching.

3.  Someac7vi7esforyoutotrywithyourstudents.

Ourplanfortoday:

Averyquickhistoryofgrammarteaching

Whydowefocussomuchon“Communica7veLanguageTeaching”?

Inthepastweo[en:•  Focusedongrammarrulesandgrammarlanguage.•  EmphasizedbeingabletotranslatebetweenL2toL1.

NowweusuallytrytoavoidpastproblemsbyworkingonCommunica7veLanguageTeaching.

What,inyouropinion,aresomecharacteris7csofCommunica7veLanguageTeaching(CLT)?

CLTCharacterisHcs

•  LearnersspeakEnglish,notspeakaboutEnglish.

•  Learnersareencouragedtoexperimentwiththelanguageandareallowedtomakemistakeswhiletheyarelearning.

•  Learnersinteractwithotherspeakers(teachersandotherlearners)andareencouragedtospeakalot.

CommunicaHveGrammarTeachingPrinciples

1.  Teachformalrulesandmetalanguageonlyasmuchasisneededbyyourstudents.

2.  Createopportuni7esforlearnerstouselanguagestructuresinmeaningfulways,communica7ngtheirownideasonpersonallysignificanttopics.

3.  Providesupport(scaffolding)solearnerscansuccessfullycommunicatewhilege`ngenoughprac7cewiththetargetstructurestomakethestructurestheirown.

Principle1

Teachformalrulesandmetalanguageonlyasmuchasisneededbyyourstudents.Metalanguage=wordsweusetotalkaboutlanguage

Examples:noun,verb,adjec@ve,presentperfecttense,adverbialclause

Inyourcontext,doyouteachmanyformalgrammarrulestoyourstudents?Whyorwhynot?

Myhandsayshello,Myhandsayshello,Every7meIseemyfriend,Myhandsayshello.Myheadsayshello,Myheadsayshello,Every7meIseemyfriend,Myheadsayshello.

MyHandSaysHello

Whatgrammarpointsarestudentsprac7cingwhentheysingthisline?

“Myhandsayshello”

Whatgrammarpointsarestudentsprac7cingwhentheysingthisline?

“Myhandsayshello”

•  apossessivepronoun(my)•  simplepresenttense•  the-sonthirdpersonsingularverbs•  thecorrectpronuncia7onofsays(spellingo[encausesmispronuncia7on)

Whatgrammarpointsarestudentsprac7cingwhentheysingthisline?

“Every7meIseemyfriend”

Whatgrammarpointsarestudentsprac7cingwhentheysingthisline?

“Every7meIseemyfriend”

•  Thewholephraseisusedasanadverbialtomodifythemainclause•  There’saquan7fiednoun(every@me)•  There’sanouncomplementclause(Iseemyfriend)•  There’sasilentcomplemen7zer(that)

Myhandsayshello,Myhandsayshello,Every7meIseemyfriend,Myhandsayshello.Myheadsayshello,Myheadsayshello,Every7meIseemyfriend,Myheadsayshello.

MyHandSaysHello

Whataresomesongsyouhaveusedtohelpstudentslearn

EnglishsentencepaTerns(grammar)?

Tofindmoresongs:

• Doaninternetsearchfor“songsforteachingEnglishgrammar”

•  ExplorethefreeAmericanEnglishSingOutLoudresourceshTps://americanenglish.state.gov

Children’sSongs

Tradi7onalSongs

AmericanRhythms(popular,contemporary)

Principle1

Teachformalrulesandmetalanguageonlyasmuchasisneededbyyourstudents.

Principle2Createopportuni7esforlearnerstouselanguagestructuresinmeaningfulways,communica7ngtheirownideasonpersonallysignificanttopics.

Principle3Providesupport(scaffolding)solearnerscansuccessfullycommunicatewhilege`ngenoughprac7cewiththetargetstructurestomakethestructurestheirown.

Whenwelearnanewskill,thereareusually:

1.  Thingswecando

2.  Thingswecandowithsomehelp

3.  Thingswecan’tdo

• Number2iswherewedomostofourlearning• Helpiso[encalled“scaffolding”

Scaffolding

Canbehelpfrom…•  Teachers• Otherstudents

WhatAreTheyDoingToday?

Beforeclass:

1.  Choosealivingpersonthatyourstudentsknowabout.2.  Writethreesentencesaboutwhatthatpersonmightbedoing

rightnow.

WhatAreTheyDoingToday?

Inclass:1.  Divideyourstudentsintogroupsoftwoorthreestudents.

2.  Askeachgrouptowritethenameofafamouspersononasmallpieceofpaper.

3.  Collectthepiecesofpaper.

4.Demonstratetheac7vity.

WhatAreTheyDoingToday?

Whatisshedoingrightnow?•  Sheisbathingherbabyboy,Archie.•  Sheistalkingtoherhusband,Harry.•  Sheispreparingtovisithermother-in-law,Elizabeth.

Whoisshe?• Meghan(Markle)DuchessofSussex

WhatAreTheyDoingToday?

5.  Passoutone“mysteryname”toeachgroup.

6.  Forextrasupport,writeyourexamplesentencesontheboard.

7.  Haveeachgroupwritethreesentencesinpresentprogressivetensetellingwhattheirpersoncouldbedoingrightnow.

8.  Takingturns,eachgroupreadstheirthreesentencesaloudtotheclassandtheotherstudentstrytoguesswhothepersonis.

Let’sEvaluate!

• Doesthisac7vitygivestudentsprac7ceusingastructure?

• Dostudentsexpresstheirownideasonatopicthatismeaningfultothem?

• Doesthisac7vityprovidescaffolding?

Howcanweadaptthisac7vityanduseittoprac7ceotherstructures?

•  Whatdidthispersondolastweekor

lastyear?

•  Whatwillthispersonprobablydonextmonthornextyear?

•  Whatdoesthispersonusuallywear,drive,talkabout,ordotorelax?

•  Whatcould,might,maythispersonbedoing?

MovingtotheBigCity

1.  Divideyourclassintosmallgroups.

2.  Telleachgroupthattheyneed:•  onepieceofpaperand•  onepencilforthewholegrouptouse.

3.  Drawasimplesketchofahappyfamily.

MovingtotheBigCity

MovingtotheBigCity

4.  ExplainthatthisfamilyismovingtotheBigCity,andtheyareveryhappy.

5.  Explainthateachgroupmustcreatealistofreasonsthefamilymembersarehappy.Therewillbeonelistpergroup.

6.  Givethegroups7metomaketheirlists.

Let’strythisourselves.

Whataresomereasonswhythishappyfamilywantstomovetothebigcity?

MovingtotheBigCity

7.  Haveeachgroupreadoneoftheirreasonsaloudtotheclass.Con7nueun7lallreasonshavebeenread.

Well,fiveyearshavepassed,andourfamilyisnotquitesohappy.TheywonderifmovingtotheBigCitywasagoodidea.

MovingtotheBigCity

Pleaseshareyourideasaboutwhytheyareunhappy.

Howcanweadaptthisac7vityformatanduseitagain?WeddingBells

Nowafewyearshavegoneby,andourcouplearenotsohappy.WeddingBells

Doyouhavesugges7onsforanotherwaytousethisformat?

Foryoungerlearners,youcouldpresentthissitua7on:

Ge]ngaNewPet

Pleasegiveusafewideasaboutwhythechildrenarehappy.

Butofcourse,a[erafewweeks,thechildrenhavediscoveredsomeproblems,too.

Ge]ngaNewPet

Let’sthinkofacoupleofideasaboutwhythechildrenarelesshappy.

ChildrenMovingtoaNewSchool

PleasegiveusacoupleofideasaboutwhythechildrenarealiTleworried.

A[erafewmonthsatthenewschool,thingsdon’tseemsobad.

ChildrenMovingtoaNewSchool

Pleasegiveusacoupleofideasaboutwhythechildrenarehappier.

Let’sEvaluate!

• Doesthisac7vitygivestudentsprac7ceusingastructure?

• Dostudentsexpresstheirownideasonatopicthatismeaningfultothem?

• Doesthisac7vityprovidescaffolding?

MyShield

Beforeclass:• chooseagrammarstructure.• prepareamodelofthetargetstructure.• preparefourques7onsthatcanbeansweredusingthatstructure.

MyShieldForalowerlevel:Myfavorite___________is/are____________________.MyfavoritedayisSunday.Myfavoriteshoesaretennisshoes.Whatisyourfavoritecolor?Whatareyourfavoritedesserts?Whatisyourfavoritetelevisionshow?Whoareyourfavoritesingers?

MyShieldForahigherlevel:Someonedidsomethingby__________.Ilockedthedoorbyusingthiskey.

Howdidyouhelpafriendthisweek?Howdidsomeonehelpyouthisweek?Howdidyourelaxlastweekend?Howdidyoubeginyourdaytoday?

MyShield

MyShield

Howdidyouhelpafriendthisweek?

MyShield

Howdidsomeonehelpyouthisweek?

MyShield

Howdidyourelaxlastweekend?

MyShield

Howdidyoustartyourdaytoday?

MyShield

1.  Havethestudentsworkinpairs.Eachstudentexplainswhytheychosethesymbolsthattheydrew,usingthetargetstructure.

2.  Whenstudentshavefinished,havethemworkwithanewpartnerandexplaintheirshieldsagain.

Let’sEvaluate!

• Doesthisac7vitygivestudentsprac7ceusingastructure?

• Dostudentsexpresstheirownideasonatopicthatismeaningfultothem?

• Doesthisac7vityprovidescaffolding?

MyDreamHouse

1.  Inclass,showstudentsanexamplefloorplanandgeneratealistofusefulvocabularyfordescribingone.

MyDreamHouse

2.  Ashomework,havestudentsdrawafloorplanfortheirdreamhouse.

MyDreamHouse

3.  Inclass,havestudents,inpairs,describetotheirpartnerthefloorplan.•  Howmanyroomsarethere?•  Whataretherooms?•  Whatarethemainfurnishingsineachroom?

4.  Changepartners.Describetheplanagaintothenewpartner.

MyDreamHouse

PossibleAddi7onalAc7vi7es• Havestudentswriteadescrip7onoftheirdreamhouse.• PostthefloorplansandthewriTendescrip7onsonclassroomwalls.

Let’sEvaluate!

• Doesthisac7vitygivestudentsprac7ceusingastructure?

• Dostudentsexpresstheirownideasonatopicthatismeaningfultothem?

• Doesthisac7vityprovidescaffolding?

Whoarethetrueexpertsonteaching

inyourcontext?

YOUare!

References•  WeddingBellsac7vity,byMaryAnnChris7sonandSharronBassano,usedbypermissionoftheauthors

Email:americanenglishwebinars@pi360.org

AELive-NingCommunityofPrac7ce:americanenglishwebinars.comAEforEducatorsFacebookpage:facebook.com/AmericanEnglishforEducators

AEwebsite:americanenglish.state.gov

AEYouTubechannel:youtube.com/StateAmericanEnglishAEFacebookpage:facebook.com/AmericanEnglishatState

Thankyou!

Reflec7onandDiscussionQues7ons

1.  Whichoftheseac7vi7es—WhatAreTheyDoingToday?,MovingtotheBigCity,MyShield,orMyDreamHouse—couldyouuseoradaptinyourclasses?

2.  Howdoyoutrytoadaptgrammarinstruc7onorprac7ceac7vi7esinyourcurriculumtoincludelocallyorpersonallyrelevantcontentforyourstudents?

3.  Doyoucreateanenvironmentinyourclasseswherelanguagemistakesareseenasopportuni7estolearnandimprove?How?